[chellity]

Hey, I finally received my walnut...and it definitely sounds great with my 1993 HD 580s  
 
But I wasn't sure if I had an issue with the volume pot.  I am using it in amp mode....the first few mm of the knob, the music sounds scratchy and gets muted.  It actually then gets slightly quieter before the amp suddenly seems to fully turn on, with a loud wonderful sound.  But the rest of the half of the knob seems to do nothing after getting excessively loud at the point the sound fully turns on.
 
Does this sound normal?  It seems to only be usable at a volume louder than I would like most times, in amp mode.  Hopefully someone can help me..

 

[vapman]

  Got the Walnut today, nice - could not resist to compare the
effects of different op amps, so I just started the
 
Walnut amp rolling madness  

 
 

Argh, so many opamps you have and I don't have any of those but the stock one. I am rather enjoying the JRC in my spare one right now but I am going to have to give ad825 a shot. How's bass vs. stock opamp, if you happened to notice?
 
 
I'll try to do some rmaa measurements of my own if i can find the time AND remember (rarely this happens at the same time)
 

  Hey, I finally received my walnut...and it definitely sounds great with my 1993 HD 580s  
 
But I wasn't sure if I had an issue with the volume pot.  I am using it in amp mode....the first few mm of the knob, the music sounds scratchy and gets muted.  It actually then gets slightly quieter before the amp suddenly seems to fully turn on, with a loud wonderful sound.  But the rest of the half of the knob seems to do nothing after getting excessively loud at the point the sound fully turns on.
 
Does this sound normal?  It seems to only be usable at a volume louder than I would like most times, in amp mode.  Hopefully someone can help me..
 
 
 

 
This is not a walnut problem but it really actually is an analog potentiometer problem. Happpens to all of them to varying degrees: too low a volume and you get channel imbalance or a bad signal, just what you describe. What this probably means is your input to the amp is too loud for how loud the Walnut makes it - easiest solution is turn down the volume of your source.
 
I absolutely love using Walnut as an amp but it can be too loud for any listening, as you say. However I double amp to get the most bass from my headphones.... so I will often mess with the volume on both the Walnut and the amp before it to get the sound that is best for me (I know double amping is heresy, but I love the sound and nobody can keep me from blowing my eardrums out with sub bass)

 

[iJay]

Hey, I finally received my walnut...and it definitely sounds great with my 1993 HD 580s  

But I wasn't sure if I had an issue with the volume pot.  I am using it in amp mode....the first few mm of the knob, the music sounds scratchy and gets muted.  It actually then gets slightly quieter before the amp suddenly seems to fully turn on, with a loud wonderful sound.  But the rest of the half of the knob seems to do nothing after getting excessively loud at the point the sound fully turns on.

Does this sound normal?  It seems to only be usable at a volume louder than I would like most times, in amp mode.  Hopefully someone can help me..

I think this is correct. What is your source? I tried amp mode once with my C3 and just adjusted the PO of the C3.

 

[bzfrank]

The AD825 has a very nice bass, 'punchy', deep and controlled. The NE5532 is not bad either, but the 825 goes deeper I think.

 

[groucho69]

  The AD825 has a very nice bass, 'punchy', deep and controlled. The NE5532 is not bad either, but the 825 goes deeper I think.

I've waiting for someone to try AD. Sold a s*****load of AD back in the day. Always had great results in audio applications. But I'm still waiting for my Walnut from Mr Tao. Who would have thought that when I place an order with Gearbest a week after the Mr Tao order that the Gearbest order would get to me first?

 

[vapman]

  The AD825 has a very nice bass, 'punchy', deep and controlled. The NE5532 is not bad either, but the 825 goes deeper I think.

Dang. Ordered. Will report back when it's here and in the walnut. But, so far I'm a lot more impressed with the JRC2114D than I was with it on the Sound Blaster I pulled it off of.

 

[Thomas De Brito]

Do you need to solder to change opamps or do you just take it out and put it back in?

 

[groucho69]

  Dang. Ordered. Will report back when it's here and in the walnut. But, so far I'm a lot more impressed with the JRC2114D than I was with it on the Sound Blaster I pulled it off

 

  Dang. Ordered. Will report back when it's here and in the walnut. But, so far I'm a lot more impressed with the JRC2114D than I was with it on the Sound Blaster I pulled it off of.

I'm interested in LM4562NA and AD825

 

[vapman]

Do you need to solder to change opamps or do you just take it out and put it back in?

no solder, it is in a socket, if you are not so good with your fingers, you can take it out with pliers pulling straight up.
 
Don't forget which side the dot is on.

 

[Thomas De Brito]

no solder, it is in a socket, if you are not so good with your fingers, you can take it out with pliers pulling straight up.

Don't forget which side the dot is on.

thanks that's nice to know, I'll watch out for the dot. I'll take a picture so I won't forget. Does changing the opamp improve the amp part of the device or the dap part or both.

 

[dennisopk]

  OPA2134 if you want less bass but more airy sound but borders on lifeless
 
JRC 2114D for people who want a smoother overall sound, more emphasis on upper mids and treble, a bit less bass but still an energetic sound
 
edit: People who like their walnut but want a more linear & airy sound signature and aren't bassheads. Go throw a OPA2134 in your Walnut. You will thank me
 
edit 2: Just wanted to emphasize the bass power of this player, I'm using the JRC in one  of my Walnuts now, I'm listening to Barrington Levy's "Here I Come" and my JVC SZ are RATTLING with sub bass. You can feel it. The bass is tangible. Show me another DAP that can push actual air.  Post a video of it and i'll admit defeat. 

Thanks for the info. I am a newbie to op amps and will learn more about them. JRC 2114D does it sound like tubes or is there any tube like sounding op amps.

 

[vapman]

thanks that's nice to know, I'll watch out for the dot. I'll take a picture so I won't forget. Does changing the opamp improve the amp part of the device or the dap part or both.

There is a mark on the PCB with a little indent so if you forget, it's there. But, some opamp use the corner dot and some use a small carve in the side. Either way, that's the side you need it to be on. So, if you forget, it's shown on the board. Just don't turn it on with a backwards opamp
 
It is part of the amp path. It is after the DAC. The signal path is very simple, so the sound of the opamp affect the amp sound very directly.

 

[vapman]

  Thanks for the info. I am a newbie to op amps and will learn more about them. JRC 2114D does it sound like tubes or is there any tube like sounding op amps.

JRC2114DD sounds slightly more tubelike than NE5532, but is also a little less revealing. The mids and treble sounds a bit darker than NE5532, but it has a very thick overall sound and to my ears sounds like a nice warmed up 6N6P, if the NN5532 is something like a nice 12AU7. Of course, this is all not exact, but the closest comparisons I can come up with in my mind. 
 
I would say give it some listen with the stock opamp. If you think it sounds a little digital for your tastes, the JRC is a good one, but it's only available from one seller in China on eBay, and I took mine off a PCI sound card from 2010. So, I don't know if they are not made anymore or something. If you want a smoother sound but don't mind (or want) less bass energy, try an OPA. 
 
Burson opamps are expensive but not all fit - V5i will fit, just barely - sound is amazing  but nothing at all like tubes. From what I have heard yet the JRC is a great tubelike candidate but I need to try more before I make any final statement on the matter...
 
I can not comment on  any LMA or AD, not tried them yet.

 

[macky112]

the postman finally arrived, and now I have my walnut v2!
 
I first charged it up like a good boy and then went straight to try out some RMAA unloaded charting.
 
disclaimer: all DAPs have EQ off, and their volume roughly at 80%, and laptop mic-in at 100%
 
first up, Walnut V2 with volume pot at 12 o clock position (assuming off is at or close to 6 o clock position), this is so loud that I had to adjust my laptop's mic-in volume to 20% from 100% to avoid clipping.
 

 
 
 
next, Walnut V2 with volume pot at 9 o clock position (mic-in volume back to 100%), does this mean I get a channel imbalance at 9 o clock position?  however, I am not hearing any channel imbalance like the chart shows.  and as a reference, the 'nut at 9 o clock is same loudness as my Fiio X3ii volume at 60 mark.
 
 

 
 
 
next up, Fiio X3ii, volume at 85 mark and laptop mic-in at 100%
 
 

 
 
 
next up, AGPTek M20 (aka Benjie S5), volume at 18 and laptop mic-in at 100%
 
 

 
 
 
finally, Ruizi X02 (aka AGPTek A02), volume at 3/4 of that full circle, laptop mic-in at 100%
 
 

 
 
 
in regards to the Walnut's roll off, unfortunately, I have to say that at comparable volume, and bass quantity and quality aside as I am still not very good at describing sounds yet, my Fiio X3ii has more bass than the 'nut =(
 
edit: some1 please help me with attachments?

 

[bzfrank]

Amp rolling is easy with the Walnut. It can also be used with its half case (top side) open, so comparing several op amps is a snap. Just be sure to turn it off before changing...
 
My next wave of comparisons will be the BB series - OPA2107, OPA627, OPA1612A, OPA827 - but I have a feeling the AD825 will stay. It is still the best sounding op amp in my old cmoy.
 
And one word of advise: At first my Walnut has generated some very strange 'spiky' sounds now and then. It turned out the (new) SanDisk Ultra 32Gb I used is a fake one and not Ultra at all. I purchased it from Amazon. Changed to a genuine Toshiba Micro SD and - works!