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Hi,My cd player which uses a pair of 12ax7s tube as output buffer has a pair of NE5532P op amp.
After doing a search here, I am considering the OPA2604 and the LM6172 as a replacement.
I will appreicate any comment or advice for my choice.
Follow Ups:
because we have two opamps to compare with each other!!! Without relative comparison, it's gonna be hard to talk about how they sound.6172 is very fast, tight and accurate. It is more articulate with faster pace. The excitements delivered from 6172 could be very desirable for a system that lacks in good pace or accuracy. Great punch seems to be from upper mid bass and all the way up.
Bad news is that 6172 could be edgy and sharp sounding.. it seems like every note and every impact are "shorten" for a cleaner, faster and more effervescent presentation.
Lower end is "too clean," which is a bad thing to me.
A woofer with paper diaphragm creates more distortion and can sound amazingly earth shattering because of the distortion(I guess). IMO, lower end should be "dirtier" if it's possible, and 6172 is too proud to do so...2604 is the opposite of 6172 regarding the lower end and accuracy. But, it's articulate, clean and clear enough according to my taste.
Everything seems more reverberant. Ambiance and warmth from 2604 are much better than 6172. Slower pace is the most noticeable disadvantage of 2604 by comparison with 6172, but I don't think it's too slow at all. Extremely good midrange and upper bass transient integrity are important too me, although i like 6172 at this region for its nimble and swift tempo, I can still settle down with 2604 without too many complaints. Overall, what opamps sound like music is more important to me, and 2604 (and me) is too sentimental to be a scientist...
Happy listening...
Thank you so much for your decriptions of the two op amp.I really like the sound of my cd player and hope to make it even better. I also intend to change diodes.
My system is not lacking in pace but a bit lean on the mid bass. I hope the 6172 doesn't make it sound way too fast.
Anyway, I am buying both and will report back when I am done. Thanks to eveyone who has responded.
the reverbrant and fuller feeling from 2604, may actually get you the weight and fuller sound that you want for the mid bass... but it's all system dependant.
I will be doing the op amp replacement next weekend. I will report back. Thanks a million.
The OPA2132 would be a good one to try also. And don't forget to let each one warm up at least seven minutes so the bias can settle down. Otherwise you won't hear what it really sounds like. Good Luck, bobwire
.
While the LM6172 might outperform the OPA-2604 in some cases, it is definitely going to be a LOT more finicky about the PS and ground impedances, and so might be prone to oscillate when used as a drop in. Even adding extra bypass caps may not prevent some of the potential problems with a given PCB layout.The OPA-2604 usually drops in pretty reliably, with out oscillations or other problems.
Jon Risch
Hello Jon Risch!Starlet mentioned he/she had been at your site.
Please post an answer, with URL that I can click,
to learn more about OPamps, and other things.Another question.
I have read somewhere, that it is not always best
to use 2 capacitors to bypass OPamps/ampifiers.
When using positive and negative powersupply,
those caps is connected to ground-rail.
This can induce noise/hum/ringings into ground and
upsetting this important referens-level, used
for controlling the signals behavior.
Feedback-resistors use ground as reference.To avoid this disturbance, it might work better
to just have 1 cap from positve(v+) to negative(v-).The important point I think, when using 2 caps,
is WHERE they are connected to ground(0v).
Connected to the rail, in right place
they will not disturb the feedback-loop,
and not upsetting the amplifier's work.Do you have any comeents/info on that?
groman in learning position
_Life is short - Death will come; Have a good time!_
Analog Devices classic app note:http://www.analog.com/library/applicationNotes/designTech/AN-202.pdf
Jerald Graeme's books:http://www.audioasylum.com/audio/tweaks/messages/52758.html
Jung's articles in Thorsten's reading list:http://www.audioasylum.com/audio/tweaks/messages/52758.html
Thanks!That PDF application-note from AD
is downloaded togroman's
harddisk
_Life is short - Death will come; Have a good time!_
See:
http://www.geocities.com/jonrisch/catch-1.htmRE the addition of by-pass caps to an existing layout.
Yes, there are times when adding caps from the + and - rails to ground locally near the op-amp can be a problem, due to poor PS and ground trace layout. With slower op-amps typically used OEM, you can 'get away with it'. Once you drop in a faster op-amp, then things may not be so great anymore.Yes, placing a single cap across the + and - MAY work better, but not always, again, it is going to depend on the PS traces, actual layout and circuit details, etc.
Jon Risch
Found your site with google search.
Searched: Jon Risch
So I have been there already.As you say the faster and better the OPamp,
the more careful we have to be with powersupply,
layout and design.
That is also the best way to give the device
a chance to show what it really can acheive
in performance.
groman
the top performer
in good surroundings
_Life is short - Death will come; Have a good time!_
Thanks Jon,I gone through your site and decided that I should try out the 2604. Thanks again.
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