High Distortion It looks like 0.05% or less at any reasonable Output. the EL-2001 and the likes we like so mutch but the Data sheet claims 1.0% THD for them....
EL-2009 & AD-8610= at aos's prompting i tried the EL-2009 in the same Amp circuit as some of my other Amps so as to Keep Most the same Except the Buffers. Like the lower bandwidth EL-2008 this 1 Amp Buffer Has about 120MHz. bandwidth @ 50 Ohms. vs the EL-2008's 90MHz. @ 50 Ohms. The Bias Current typicaly runs abou 13-15Ma for the 2008 to 50-70 for the 2009. Wen selecting 2008's for Battery Operated amps I use the ones with the Lowest Current Drain for the 2009 I select the Higest so as to Keep Class A longer. I selected a 65Ma pair and Heatsinked using the small slip-on TO-220 case. This Keept the 2009 cool whwre as with no Heatsink at +/- 10 volts would Thermaly tax the Buffer so Heat Sink is Required.
EL-2008 vs EL2009>>> The 2008 sounded alot slower and slightly darker than the wider bandwidth 2009. The 2009 shares with the 2008 the ability to Kick out the jams into Low Impedance Cans Like Sony's and Gradio's. Use Two pair of these at the same time No Problem Not evean a Breef dropout when the Other cans were Pluged in as this shorts the Output to ground untill the plug is Fully inserted. The most noticable Difference sonicly Between these two Buffers is the Clarity in the midrange and lower trebel is slightly more Refined in the EL-2009, than in the 2008. The sence of unrestraind Power throughout the Midrange and the Upper octave's Bells come across Magnifent on the 2009 where the 2008 seems to take the latter part of the Bells delay away into darkness, on the 2009 these same Bells gently ring without breakup well into the Mastertape His and other what seems to be Digital Grunge. In eather case Both of these Buffers work wonderfully with the AD-8610 Opamp. This is similar to the Differences Between theEL-2001 and EL-2002.
EL-2009 vs HA-5033/OPA633>>>> This i listened to for just a short while in direct Comparrison the EL-2009 had alot more Guts than this stack of 6 5033/633's Both have great sounstage and seem similar in this regard. The 5033/633 did have an Extended Trebel over the ELantec Buffer. Also i thought the 5033/633 had less Distortion Throughout the Audio. The Elantec Parts have Always sounded Cleener than Similar Buffers Like The BUF-634, But in comparrison to the 5033/633 The 2009 appears to have added upper harmonics in addition to the Main Note. This quality i did not notice untill i did this test. My main gripe about the 5033/OPA is the Total lack of Guts.I meaen Six 100 Ma Non current Limited Parts should Drive 60 Ohm Cans Just Fine, NO so I think More of these will be needed to Bring the Dynamic Punch Factor Up. The EL-2001, are evean Better let alone the 2008's and 2009's whitch Kick Dynamic But Better than any other Monolithic Buffer and only bettered by the now Disconued but Spendy when it was available Apex WB-05 Hybird in a TO-3 Case. But Cost $200.00 Each 10 years ago. so if ya got some 2008's and 2009's save them four your Killer Output stage. The 5033 and OPA-633 I think i would Love on chamber Music Because of it's Liquid seemless Midrange to lower treble, where most Solid State Amps of Any Tecnology Have Problems in in Comparrison with Good Tube Amps. So if Guts are what you want 2008 and 2009.. for extreamly low Preceived Distortion the 5033/opa are the finest in this regard than any Buffer i have heared Including the WB-05. But Who need Guts fore Chamber Music anyway.
I gess toy know your a fanatic when you have a Separate amp for Different Music.
