[Seaside]

Quote:

Originally Posted by majkel /img/forum/go_quote.gif OPA2228 is very nice, has pleasant bass, lots of air and richness in mids, and silky highs. If you like AD8066, you will enjoy OPA2228. It lacks a bit of detail and soundstage deepness. OPA2227 in spite of being a compensated brother of OPA2228 sounds totally different - slow, laid back, dull, awfully boring. The only positive thing is his bass. Overall, one of the worst op-amps ever used in audio IMHO. When I was playing with Cmoy-like designs, OPA2228 was one of my favourites, but I also enjoyed TLE2082 and AD8620. AD8066 alone is for me too mellow and laid back, but sweet, with good space. I went to higher power and more complicated designs so I discontinued using even AD8397, but this one is a real amplifier, not just sound modifier.

OPA2227 and 2228 is totally different in term of its sound signature.
I basically agree what majkel said with slightly different idea.
2227 is like bass heavy version of 2134. Better bass, slightly better mids.
That could make you feel the bass dominates other part of sound, make it boring or imbalnced. I prefer 2227 over 2134 for it is better at bass department, but neither of them will be my main OP. Just not with my liking.
I generally like laid back characteristic of BB OPs, but not with those OPs. I'd use JRC4580 that everyone think low about rather than 2227. Even if I loose BB characteristics by doing that, I know at least I can get very flat response, which is not exciting but not mucky at all.
2228 is little different story. Its quite different from 2227 even if they share similiar design. It sound clear, and airy. bass is not strong like that of 2227, but lower and deep. That makes the sound feel wide and 3D-ish. Mids feels like little recessed due to its clear highs and deep lows. Female vocal is great with this OP, but male vocal is like... something is missing. Its very good at delicate sound, but not for muscular sound. To me, the sound of 2228 feels like the sound when you adjust your equalizer V shape. Some people find this fantastic, others may find this artificial.

 

[balou]

doesn't sound it's worth investing in a few 2227

the ad8066 is a strange beast. the sound coming from it seems to be very delicate, yet refined, and some good bass. clear, but still smooth highs. it also seems to bring out more soundstage in my grateful dead recordings - those recordings from the 60ies and 70ies still sounded quite flat with the ad823. but the ad8066 sometimes sounds almost to distant, not as intimate as the ad823. I also noticed that the ad8066 gets warm - maybe 3-5° over room temperature. it does consumer more quiescent current than the other two, so this is already a quality/battery lifetime tradeoff

has anybody some more recommendations which lesser known opamps might be worth looking at? never heard of the tle2082... what are it's basic specs?

in other news, my cmoy is falling apart. damn lowcost pot... seems like I have to rebuild one with less messy wiring and an alps rk097 pot

 

[Joshatdot]

Quote:

Originally Posted by balou /img/forum/go_quote.gif this took a bit longer than expected, but today I had some time to compare the AD823 to the AD8066. At a first listen, the sound difference isn't very big. By no means as much as from the OPA2132 to the AD823. I think this has to do with the 'house sound' of AD - it's like Grados, at first the SR80 and RS2 sound the same. I didn't yet spot any differences between the mids and the bass on the two, but the highs are different. You hear them clearer on the AD8066, but curiously, this comes not at the cost of higher sibilance. It may be the same or even less than with the AD823. The highs on the AD8066 have a property you could describe as 'sweetness'. I do like detailed highs, thats also why I like my Grados. If you also like this about grados, then this chip could be something for you. If you hate that aspect of the grados... well, maybe a bit darker chip for you

I love the Grado sound, I want to get some ever since I listened to them in a store in Seattle. My fav out of what they had (SR60, SR80, SR125, SR225) were the SR80's. It had a better 3D sound to them and more detail then the others. I'll be getting them (the ones I listened to) on my 1st paycheck! I want to buy the actual ones I demo'ed a the store, call it silly, but I don't know if I'll hear the same sound from new ones.

Quote:

Originally Posted by balou /img/forum/go_quote.gif ~snip~ Joshatdot: interesting... looks like an option. have you already tested the opa2227 and 2228? would be interesting how it compares to these two another thing about subjectivity: I've read reviews about all those opamps. I tried my best to not just going to 'think' that I hear the same as the other reviewers. but to be really sure, I plan to make some blind tests. fortunately I got two cmoys to test the chips in. I just have to find someone who would randomly place two chips in the cmoys and then give it to me to listen. oh and first I'd have to fix my second cmoy, some cable seems to have a bad solder joint. ~snip~

I have not tested the 2227 or 2228, I had a 2227 but it got fried before I could listen to it =( I am getting both on my next DigiKey order, plus some others. I am curious how the LM4562 would sound in my CMoy. I'll also be doing blind testing with my CMoy.

 

[majkel]

OPA2228 requires voltage gain = at least 5. Otherwise it starts to oscillate sometimes. Regarding V-shaped chracteristic, OP275 is more typical of that kind but inferior to OPA2228 IMHO.

 

[borizm]

OPA2132 is a way better in everything than OPA2134 and sound signature is very different. OPA2132 is very precise, direct, with solid (100% controlled) bass line - it's still very good op-amp - in my opinion probably even better than LME49860.
OP275 seems to me chaotic.
LM4562 was totally lifeless in two devices - LME49860 was much much better, but also different (both from the same source, so probably not fake).
AD8397 is great (especially in low voltage devices), but little too dark for me and it has tendency to overheating due to high current output and role of headphone driver and its small size, so lower voltages (like +-6V) are suggested or maybe heatsink glued.

 

[Erry63]

hello,
 
anyone can post a reliable circuit schematic for fitting  AD8397 ?
 
thank you in advance for your interesting posts and
 
 
Merry Christmas
 
Enrico