[gurubhai]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bojamijams /img/forum/go_quote.gif I just have to restate, after spending days with this combo now, that this is truly a magical combo. I've never been happier or more impressed with this setup then I am right now. I'd love to hear a combo even under a $1,000 that could match this, let alone for under $500 which is what this is. ( STX with the opamps + Audioengine A5s)

Glad you like them too.

After playing with a bit with OPA2111, I am back to the 2137s.
They do have that magical lower end.
And to think, they had been lying with me for more than 6 months before I tried them, certainly not gonna happen again.

 

[Bojamijams]

yes I have to thank you gurubhai, your breakdown on the OPA's is what made me get the 2137's and I'm very glad you posted that

 

[ROBSCIX]

Hmm, two good postings about them. Very interesting.

 

[Starpig]

Hi guys, i have to ask something...
I'm preparing my soundcard to install discrete opamps, so today i removed DIP8 sockets...By doing this, i damaged one of the 4 caps surrounding the buffer socket. Those caps seems to my eyes to be metalized plastic film caps and are marked as 2n7 400 and have a "J" behind (i've found that those symbols means 2.7nF 400V 5% tollerance caps, true?).
Now, i've searched for a replacement but haven't found anything!!

Do you know if i can replace them with something similar?

I hobe youre gonna help me with this problem..

Thank you!

 

[ROBSCIX]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Starpig /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hi guys, i have to ask something... I'm preparing my soundcard to install discrete opamps, so today i removed DIP8 sockets...By doing this, i damaged one of the 4 caps surrounding the buffer socket. Those caps seems to my eyes to be metalized plastic film caps and are marked as 2n7 400 and have a "J" behind (i've found that those symbols means 2.7nF 400V 5% tollerance caps, true?). Now, i've searched for a replacement but haven't found anything!! Do you know if i can replace them with something similar? I hobe youre gonna help me with this problem.. Thank you!

Take a picture so we can get a better idea of which caps you messed up.
Caps are fairly generic and you should be able to find a replacment.
Can I ask why you pulled the sockets?
I would have replaced them with a higher quality socket if I was you but not removed them totally. -That is unless I was totally sure I liked the sound quality of the untis I was installing.
Which are you installing?

 

[Starpig]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROBSCIX /img/forum/go_quote.gif Take a picture so we can get a better idea of which caps you messed up. Caps are fairly generic and you should be able to find a replacment. Can I ask why you pulled the sockets? I would have replaced them with a higher quality socket if I was you but not removed them totally. -That is unless I was totally sure I liked the sound quality of the untis I was installing. Which are you installing?

I can't shot photo of the card now, but im talking about those little white caps that are near/in contact with the socket of the buffer opamp (LM4562NA by default). I can't find caps with the same specifics, but now i think i'm gonna buy something very similar except for the capacity wich will be a little bigger, but usually this isn't a big probem...

I'm removing sockets cause i'm gonna put some Burson Audio discrete opamps wich are a definitive choice, theire considered the best opamps out there...

 

[Regime|Life]

I'm really sorry if this has been answered but I'm wondering how do you Canadian guys get the op-amps?

 

[Bojamijams]

Digikey.ca

 

[Reactance]

I've had the STX and the HD 650 now for a couple of weeks, the HD 650 is probably around 50-60 hours burn in aswell as the card. The HD 650 got the stock cables. As it is now, I'm extremely impressed with the sound quality. However, when I play songs which got pretty loud highs, especially female singers, I get this really intense sibilance. Now, I've had this problem before with my Klipsch Custom 3 IEM's that was pared with an Ipod Touch. It did improve when I added a homemade 40 ohm plugg on the 3,5mm and thus making it a 72 ohm IEM but it was still present. When i got the HD650s however I was really hoping that I could hear the high pitched sounds without the hisses but no, I still get them quite alot.

As this thread got a lot of people who probably also have the HD 650 I was hoping someone could answer if there is any possible way, maby recommed opamps, to reduce this sibilance, if not remove it completly. I am aware that both my IEMs and cans are quite analytic but that is what I love about them.

Also, is there any point in adding a seperate amp in order to increase SQ? I am more than satisfied with the sound volume, at the moment I cant really go above 25%, but I do wish to have the best possible sounding set. I have heard that the darkvoice tube amps might be good, and I do like the tube "flavor" but yet, I do have to be realistic about the money spendt vs gain in sound quality bliss.

 

[Reactance]

And happy new year.

 

[dex85]

yup, most of the recordings are overcooked in highs and it can get tiresome with transparent gear. you could try the 1057 op-amps in I/V to get the tubish sound and reduce sibilance.

i think headphone section of the card is very capable in terms of driving the demanding headphones. no sense in buying an external amp under $200 with this card. some people don't like its forward and revealing presentation that has no mercy with less than stellar recordings. it's about what sound you prefer and what recordings do you mostly listen to.

i jumped on the external amplifier wagon not a long ago and it's mainly different sound character of the amp that i noticed.

 

[leeperry]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dex85 /img/forum/go_quote.gif most of the recordings are overcooked in highs and it can get tiresome with transparent gear.

you should replace "transparent" by "agressive and spikey", as I very much disagree that "most of the recordings are overcooked in highs"...OTOH the STX does, yes...especially w/ poor IC opamps, if that's what you meant.

sorry for this reality check, but you're complaining about the STX sound basically, yet blame the recordings.

 

[dex85]

i complained about the recordings, most of them are that way, especially modern pop/rock. still, STX's headphone output has an overly forward sound which may be interpreted as edgy.

and i'm very well in check with reality, thank you.

 

[leeperry]

"overly forward sound" I would have to agree

the 4562 is famous for bringing upfront stuff hidden in the mix, and kill the SS depth to make up for width...so it only worsens things IMHO.

 

[dex85]

it depends on amp too. mine render nice deep soundstage at the slight expense of width. but i haven't experiment with op-amps at buffer yet. to compare it with STX headphone out, there is definitely deeper SS and more smooth, grain-free, almost analog like sound with better controlled bottom end and cleaner highs.

i still think STX headphone output sounds great and with little or no traces of harshness with good recordings. lately i have been listening to Norah Jones - Fall (great recording, except for the one song with some noise in the background) and was nothing but impressed with STX HP out. surely there wasn't such control over signal as with BCL but to call STX's HP section incompetent or some other names as you like to give it would be way off.