[HiFlight]

After searching the head-fi for combination and opamp orders...

my current second best for the P4 is AD8599 (class A)+ HA-5002(Buffer) + ISL 55002 (G/V)

Edit: After few hours of listening, I changed LT1355 in place of ad8599, this bring the sound stage closer to listener. I think this is the best now.

You might give the LT1678 a try in place of the LT1355. IMO, it is better balanced across the audio spectrum and imparts a greater sense of realism.

I also prefer a dummy adapter in the center ground channel.

 

[civilaudio]

Quote:

You might give the LT1678 a try in place of the LT1355. IMO, it is better balanced across the audio spectrum and imparts a greater sense of realism.
I also prefer a dummy adapter in the center ground channel.

 
I recalled you mentioned this would be best with the AD797 in G,I tried it with the AD797 but I got some kind of radio interference noise, so I decided to go for other (get opamp from digikey, soldering gun from local store, and some youtube soldering lessons...)
 
I am listening to 1678 right now in the P4.. I think the ISL55002 is the best in ground, the THS4032 in G/V will add more punch but make sound stage less liquid.
 
Listening for about 15minutes with LT1678, and compared with the LT1355 and opa1612, I think the sound stage is little deeper, sound separation is better without losing liquidity, but the bass is not as impact as 1355 and 1612. I think The 1612 with HA5002 & nothing in G/V is warmer and punchier...
 
 

 

[estreeter]

Quote:

 
I recalled you mentioned this would be best with the AD797 in G,I tried it with the AD797 but I got some kind of radio interference noise, so I decided to go for other (get opamp from digikey, soldering gun from local store, and some youtube soldering lessons...)
 
I am listening to 1678 right now in the P4.. I think the ISL55002 is the best in ground, the THS4032 in G/V will add more punch but make sound stage less liquid.
 
Listening for about 15minutes with LT1678, and compared with the LT1355 and opa1612, I think the sound stage is little deeper, sound separation is better without losing liquidity, but the bass is not as impact as 1355 and 1612. I think The 1612 with HA5002 & nothing in G/V is warmer and punchier...
 
 

I guess the objectivists here would say 'you guys dug your own hole', but I have never considered 'liquid' to be an appropriate adjective to describe either soundstage or separation. The P4 is a great little amp, but I dont recall anything 'liquid' about my perception of the soundstage with any given source/headphone combination. 
 

 

[civilaudio]

Quote:

I guess the objectivists here would say 'you guys dug your own hole', but I have never considered 'liquid' to be an appropriate adjective to describe either soundstage or separation. The P4 is a great little amp, but I dont recall anything 'liquid' about my perception of the soundstage with any given source/headphone combination. 
 

that's my own word, (not hiflight) to describe something cohesive with parts moving but still sticky. I imagine there are hundred of words out there, but yay, i don't think I had to know all...
 
 
 

 

[SpudHarris]

As some here will know, I have been one of many searching for the perfect P4 set up but there is always gonna be the next best thing in opamps isn't there so we never really seem to stop. Man, it's a terrible obsession really but it's a lot of fun also especially with such a superb little amp.
 
I have long been a fan of Ron's and have taken (and enjoyed) his recomendations, especially some of the more recent LT opamps. Ron will no doubt keep evolving and bettering the topkits as the next best thing comes along with his critical ear helping find the best combinations of Buffers and G/VG chips to suit.
 
For those who haven't tried this combination, I would say give it a try. It's been in my P4 for the longest I can remember in terms of set up without changing anything.
 
L/R - LT1122 (Class A)
Buffer - HA5002
Center G/VG - ISL55002
 
Absolutely stunning performance in every way. I have been rolling a long time and this is the closest I've ever been to stopping......

 

[estreeter]

Quote:

that's my own word, (not hiflight) to describe something cohesive with parts moving but still sticky. I imagine there are hundred of words out there, but yay, i don't think I had to know all...
 
 
 

Its not about 'knowing all' - its about a shared understanding of the terms we use to subjectively describe our impressions of kit. Soundstage is variously described in terms of dimension : width, depth and even height. Any 'liquidity' is down to change in some part of the chain, usually thee headphones, but those dimensions are finite once you plug source A into amp B/headphone C. If you change opamps and it changes your soundstage perception, great, but  that stage will still be finite. 
 
Instrument separation and imaging are also critical to our enjoyment of a given combination, but I have never considered any of the above as having 'parts moving'.  The man who said that talking about music makes as much sense as 'dancing about architecture' may have a point, 
 
http://www.head-fi.org/a/describing-sound-a-glossary
 

Soundstage

 - The area between two speakers that appears to the listener to be occupied by sonic images. Like a real stage, a soundstage should have width, depth, and height.
 

 

[civilaudio]

Quote:

Its not about 'knowing all' - its about a shared understanding of the terms we use to subjectively describe our impressions of kit. Soundstage is variously described in terms of dimension : width, depth and even height. Any 'liquidity' is down to change in some part of the chain, usually thee headphones, but those dimensions are finite once you plug source A into amp B/headphone C. If you change opamps and it changes your soundstage perception, great, but  that stage will still be finite. 
 
Instrument separation and imaging are also critical to our enjoyment of a given combination, but I have never considered any of the above as having 'parts moving'.  The man who said that talking about music makes as much sense as 'dancing about architecture' may have a point, 
 
http://www.head-fi.org/a/describing-sound-a-glossary
 

Soundstage

 - The area between two speakers that appears to the listener to be occupied by sonic images. Like a real stage, a soundstage should have width, depth, and height.
 

I think somewhere you missed my point... I used word to describe my feeling (not yours).
 
There are several glossares out there, with different descriptions for soundstage. Here is the interesting one http://www.integracoustics.com/MUG/MUG/bbs/stereophile_audio-glossary.html
 
If you look up in dictionary, you will find multiple uses of word "liquid"..
 
 
 
 

 

[estreeter]

Quote:

I think somewhere you missed my point... I used word to describe my feeling (not yours).
 
 
 
 
 

Hence my point re 'shared understanding'. We'll have to agree to disagree. 

 

[civilaudio]

Quote:

Hence my point re 'shared understanding'. We'll have to agree to disagree. 

 
What does it mean "agree to disagree"?
 

 

[estreeter]

It means we have a different opinion, but there is no point in discussing it further. Lets leave iit there, shall we ?

 

[civilaudio]

Quote:

It means we have a different opinion, but there is no point in discussing it further. Lets leave iit there, shall we ?

that's fair enough... BTW, I still thinking we are having opinions on "different" things not "disagree" on same thing...

 

[civilaudio]

Quote:

As some here will know, I have been one of many searching for the perfect P4 set up but there is always gonna be the next best thing in opamps isn't there so we never really seem to stop. Man, it's a terrible obsession really but it's a lot of fun also especially with such a superb little amp.
 
I have long been a fan of Ron's and have taken (and enjoyed) his recomendations, especially some of the more recent LT opamps. Ron will no doubt keep evolving and bettering the topkits as the next best thing comes along with his critical ear helping find the best combinations of Buffers and G/VG chips to suit.
 
For those who haven't tried this combination, I would say give it a try. It's been in my P4 for the longest I can remember in terms of set up without changing anything.
 
L/R - LT1122 (Class A)
Buffer - HA5002
Center G/VG - ISL55002
 
Absolutely stunning performance in every way. I have been rolling a long time and this is the closest I've ever been to stopping......

I also tried opamp mostly with Hiflight comments in the forum... I am new to the opamps and don't have much other equipments to compare so limited "subjectivity" is something I have to overcome, Hiflight and other comments are really a good start.
 
Regarding the LT1122, you should have mentioned earlier... so I could order them with other opamp... now I have to think of some extra reasons to put a new order. BTW, the LT1678, after few more hours, is shining again in my P4...
 

 

[CJG888]

I am currently using the AD797s, together with the discrete transistor buffers and a BUF634P WB in the first ground socket to drive Sennheiser HD25-1 IIs. Whilst it sounds excellent, if I switch the amplifier on before connecting the headphones, there is a constant, loud background hiss which only goes away when the amplifier is switched off and on again. Is this normal, or is there a problem with my chosen configuration? The upshot of this is that I can only switch the P4 on with the headphones connected - will the switch-on thump damage the drivers?

 

[papaverhybridum]

Good points well enunciated, Jam - peace estreeter

 

[estreeter]

Quote:

Good points well enunciated, Jam - peace estreeter

You rang ?