[vapman]

  MUSES8820 > JRC2114D > NJM5532 > NE5532
 
If you got the money you might want to try MUSES02 and BURSON V5i or even SS V5 too if have enough space for it.

I have two Burson V5i on the way because of all the hype! But they are stereo opamps and I assume I need two mono opamps to replace the 2114D?
 
I am certainly open to trying muses 8820 but I know I like the mid forward, neutralish sound of NE5532.
 
edit: Nevermind. Seems the 2114D is a dual opamp too so I could use both my Burson in it.

 

[raoultrifan]

http://www.njr.com/semicon/PDF/NJM2114_E.pdf - looks are stereo.

 

[vapman]

  http://www.njr.com/semicon/PDF/NJM2114_E.pdf - looks are stereo.

Yup, you are right!
So i will get some new dual opamps for my X-Fi.
 
for me soundstage, neutral sound & lots of bass is what i am after...

 

[Lohb]

Any suggestions please for something like AD797 with more bass weight and not as bright up top ?

 

[Charminbaer]

  Any suggestions please for something like AD797 with more bass weight and not as bright up top ?

 
Use AD797 BRZ and add 50pf silvermica caps to the compensation circuit.
Additionally decouple powerrails with 100nf ceramics and 470uf Panasonic FM electolytes.
 
That should give you a big soundstage and very good deep bass reproduction without brightness. Provided your circuit isnt oscillating. Brightness with the AD797BRs is usually a sign of instability.
 
I had two AD797BRZs on a DIYinHK SOICtoDIP Adapter with those measures taken in my Auzentech X-Fi Prelude without Problems and a superb sonic performance.

 

[pelopidas]

Panasonic fm is not an audio grade capacitor. It does not have a big soundstage and it produces an unpleasant treble that some mistake for detail. AD797BRZ is a nice opamp and deserves better than a Panasonic FM. Elna Silmic is the best imo and 10uf is enough. If it is unstable in your circuit try the comp capacitor but if it is stable then run it wide open.
Lme49990 is another good opamp.

 

[afshin]

In all my test Silver Mica caps piezoelectric effect was intense!

 

[vapman]

Seconding Panasonic FM being unpleasantly bright, I restored a NAD amp with those caps and was unhappy with how bright it had become.
 

---

 
Just swapped 2x NE5532 into my Creative X-Fi Titanium HD... it sounds awesome. nice and clear and neutral but with good tight bass.

 

[Charminbaer]

Panasonic fm is not an audio grade capacitor. It does not have a big soundstage and it produces an unpleasant treble that some mistake for detail. AD797BRZ is a nice opamp and deserves better than a Panasonic FM. Elna Silmic is the best imo and 10uf is enough. If it is unstable in your circuit try the comp capacitor but if it is stable then run it wide open.
Lme49990 is another good opamp.

I have not experienced any treble harshness with Pana FMs so far. FCs on the other hand are a little on the bright side. But I am talking about them beeing for powersupply decoupling not directly in the signalpath.Unfortunately I never had the opportunity to test Elna Silmics.
 
I have found Nichicon KZ caps to be very good as well. Better than Pana FMs but also a lot pricier.
 
As for their size, 10uf was too little in my circuit. 200uf+ definitely improved things for me. But that is for my X-Fi in a PC, which naturally has a lot more noise than most audioequipment (including low frequency noise from fans, HDDs and other motororized parts).
 
 
Sorry I did confuse the distortion cancellation circuit with compensation circuit. I would let the AD797BRZ run open without compensation cap too. But I found its sonic performance to increase by adding a 50pf cap (between pin 8 and output) to its distortion cancellation circuit.
 

  In all my test Silver Mica caps piezoelectric effect was intense!

 
It doesn´t necessarily has to be a silvermica, any linear capacitor suited for beeing in the signalpath should do fine.

 

[vapman]

  As for their size, 10uf was too little in my circuit. 200uf+ definitely improved things for me. But that is for my X-Fi in a PC, which naturally has a lot more noise than most audioequipment (including low frequency noise from fans, HDDs and other motororized parts).
 

I have been wanting to recap my X-Fi Titanium HD.  Did you recap a PCI/PCIe X-Fi or external?
 
My computer is such a noisy mess... I am surprised the X-Fi is as quiet as it usually is.

 

[Charminbaer]

Yes I did a full recap of the powerfiltering section of a PCI X-Fi (Auzentech Prelude) with 100uf Nichicon KZs and one big 820uf Panasonic FM. All Electolytes bypassed by 100nf Polystyrene. Would have liked something better than Polystyrene but i couldn´t get my hands on anything at the time.
 
Additionally i attached 470uf Nichicon KZs and 100nf ceramics as close as possible to each powerrail on the SOICtoDIP adapter.
 
I too am suprised that it sounds as clean as it does. The Recap did help a lot in that regard though.

 

[raoultrifan]

Panasonic fm is not an audio grade capacitor. It does not have a big soundstage and it produces an unpleasant treble that some mistake for detail. AD797BRZ is a nice opamp and deserves better than a Panasonic FM. Elna Silmic is the best imo and 10uf is enough. If it is unstable in your circuit try the comp capacitor but if it is stable then run it wide open.
Lme49990 is another good opamp.

Hi, 
 
If used in signal path then a capacitor indeed needs to be dedicated for audio use, otherwise you should only care about ripple and noise suppression, so I really don't think it matters much if Elna Silmic or Panasonic FM if used for decoupling (I would care more about the no. of hours that cap was designed to be used for). Basically, a very good low-noise power source is a must in Hi-Fi world, but for opamps decoupling a small and very fast ceramic capacitor of 0.1uF (for fast transients) and a low-ESR 10uF tantalum or 100uF electrolytic should be more than enough for decoupling (http://www.analog.com/media/en/training-seminars/tutorials/MT-101.pdf, http://www.partsconnexion.com/PDF/mulcap-ps.pdf, http://www.capacitorguide.com/coupling-and-decoupling/).
 
If sound is indeed changing when switching between different decoupling caps then using a scope might see this difference, so either the opamp is or is not oscillating anymore, either the ripple and noise on opamp V+/V- is indeed different (depending on the caps used, one specific cap might perform better than another under some circumstances).
 
When used in signal path, then "best cap is no cap", so DC servo and a simple "wire" would be better, if possible. Otherwise, we all need to stick to the best audio cap we can purchase, that means very low: dissipation factor, dielectric absorption, low inductance, ESR etc. ()

 

[pelopidas]

Hi raoultrifan

I used to think that there is a strict separation between signal path and power supply side too. However this just is not the case.
To put it in cooking terms, the circuit is the recipe but the power supply is the ingredients.
If the recipe calls for carrots you can used canned or frozen or you could use garden fresh. The ingredients absolutely matter even though the dish is technically the same.
Just put a Jamicon in your decoupling positions and tell me it is glorious.
Every single capacitor in every single position has an effect.

 

[37mil]

Hi raoultrifan

I used to think that there is a strict separation between signal path and power supply side too. However this just is not the case.
To put it in cooking terms, the circuit is the recipe but the power supply is the ingredients.
If the recipe calls for carrots you can used canned or frozen or you could use garden fresh. The ingredients absolutely matter even though the dish is technically the same.
Just put a Jamicon in your decoupling positions and tell me it is glorious.
Every single capacitor in every single position has an effect.

Exactly right. Considering the electricity from the power supply is the main ingredient that is transformed into the signal downstream, the power supply and associated capacitors are all part of the signal path.
 
In my Teac UD-501 I upgraded all the 'signal' caps to silmics which I'm a fan off. However, when I installed Dexa voltage regulators, the sound was astonishingly BAD. Bass heavy and muddled. It was then I consulted with the designer of the dexa's who told me to remove the regulator output caps (the silmics) either completely or replace with film. I replaced with film and this, together with sparko's op amps, transformed the dac into the most transparent and dynamic i've ever had.
 
Incidentally, Burson have supplied me with some v5i's to try, which I have in place of the sparko's at the filter position and I find them bass heavy with the treble rolled off. There is also a pronounced peak in the mid bass region which is bad for some male vocals. Overall the effect is a much narrower soundstage.

 

[pelopidas]

I agree about the V5i being pretty terrible until thoroughly burned in. My experience was the same with them being bloated in the bass and muddled treble. Waiting for them to burn in was worse than almost any other component I have tried. But once burnt in they are better than any chip opamp. Give them a minimum of 100 hours and then listen critically again. They are not as good as V5 but better than any other chip I have tried