[mbd2884]

Hello Head-Fiers,

Allow me to pick your brains and help me understand some terminology and how they work. I tried googling some stuff, but I don't understand as I have no engineering or electrical background.

So if you have patient can you explain some terminology for me?

As I went through Audio-dg's website and the Compass thread, these are the questions I have.

Is HDAM and Opamp being used interchangeably? I read from Marantz that HDAM is their proprietary technology, so confused me that Audio-dg would sell proprietary Marantz technology.

What is an HDAM?

What is an Opamp? I gather Opamp can be used to increase gain? And try to balance input and output, but I don't really know what that means. I also don't understand how it can affect sound.

If an amp is discrete means there is no Opamp? So what is the difference between discrete and having an Opamp.

I noticed on Audio-dg's website, it doesn't seem any of their DACs or Amps use their Sun, Moon or Earth Opamps, so why do they sell them?

If you can answer my questions, I would very much appreciate it, and well I will have learned a lot of new stuff today.

Thanks.

Link to Compass:
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[mbd2884]

Weird mine and someone else's post got deleted.

 

[nikongod]

mine too.
I spent a bunch of time on that,

This sucks.
Hope you read it before it got deleted.


EDITED/added:
this was a double OP!
My comments are in a different thread

 

[mbd2884]

Yeah I got the basic gist of what he said, and understand the difference between the HDAM and Opamp now.

But the questions I have now are:

When does one choose to use an Opamp, and when to go with a discrete design?

The other is related to Audio-gd.
Kingwa stated that the Compass amp is discrete with no Opamp in the Amp section, but the Compass will arrive by default with his Moon Opamp. I don't understand what the Moon Opamp is doing or where it is.

Link to the Compass with schematics and pictures of the board.
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I personally think it would be really great if one of the Head-Fiers here could volunteer to write up two Stickied threads to explain Solid State Amplifier with my questions included and one for Vacuum Tubes. So it will really help anyone interested in headphone amps to understand what it is they are looking for, and what it is they are reading about. It would strengthen the community around headphone amplifiers and make for smarter, more knowledgeable lurkers, better conversations.

 

[Sherwood]

Mbd2884 posted this topic twice. Let's incorporate this thread into the other one, which included an excellent summary of the function and operation of an opamp by Nikongod.

Here is where this thread will continue.

 

[mbd2884]

Ok please delete this one, didn't realize it was posted twice, my apologies.