New Op Amps for a Music Hall DAC 25.3

[BigElCat]

The Bursons should arrive tomorrow.

I have no expectation bias...I hope they work.

http://audiokarma.org/forums/index....on-opamp-replacement-viewed-so-highly.816065/

 

[restorer-john]

What's that contraption hanging on the roof behind the panel lift motor?

 

[E-Stat]

What's that contraption hanging on the roof behind the panel lift motor?

Two ladders, one on either side of the beam. Hanging them frees floor space.

The one to the right is one of those adjustable bendy types that can be locked into different shapes.

 

[E-Stat]

The Bursons should arrive tomorrow.

Just carefully note the orientation of the notches before removing the originals and match it with the Bursons.

Last night I was enjoying them with harp and bell music by Marsha Heather Long and Jansen-Barbieri's Light Years. It's all about subtlety. They can be so delicate at the top.

 

[bimasta]

I researched this only three days ago, for a Phono preamp with three Signetics op-amps, dated 1990. Almost all the info I found said other changes must be made to the surrounding circuits, for the new op-amps to work right.

But this thread suggests the new ones are just "drop in" replacements. Is it really that easy? I read about the Bursons, and apparently they offer the kind of change I'm seeking — more warmth, "musicality", even "intimacy" (according to their own self-critique (hmm)...

I also have a superb DAC, a real keeper, and it too has older op-amps. I'd love to improve them too.

If it's just a drop-in, I'll do it — if other mods are required, I won't. So any clarification will be appreciated...

 

[BigElCat]

I'm not sure about phono preamps. We're focused on the MusicHall DAC 25.3

Here's the mighty Mullard CV2493 in the background...

This one came out of the center position of the threesome...

The other two are...

 

[BigElCat]

The Burson cases actually bump up against these caps, but everything seems to be okay.

I wish the cases slipped off, or at least had some vent holes down low.

 

[BigElCat]

 

[E-Stat]

But this thread suggests the new ones are just "drop in" replacements. Is it really that easy?

As I commented in the original post, replacement took literally minutes since mine were socket mounted. Surface mounted ICs would require soldering.

Scroll down to the bottom of the link I provided for a lengthy list of compatible op amps...

 

[bimasta]

Surface mounted ICs would require soldering.

Mine are socketed too. Thanks for the list — I'll study it, and may have follow-on questions, if you don't mind...? You have far more knowledge in this area than I do...

 

[BigElCat]

First listen was Cowboy Junkies Trinity Session. FLAC on WMP 12 using ASIO. XMOS 208.

OMG... ! I love it ! When I stepped down from WASAPI to ASIO, I was missing something in the sound stage. That 'something' has been rectified, and then some. I have more depth, soul, and clarity.

I have to say it...it's closer to analog. Much closer.

 

[E-Stat]

Mine are socketed too. Thanks for the list — I'll study it, and may have follow-on questions, if you don't mind...? You have far more knowledge in this area than I do...

I'd be happy to assist where I can.

OMG... ! I love it ! I have more depth, soul, and clarity...I have to say it...it's closer to analog. Much closer.

You'll continue to hear deeper into more recordings as time goes on...

 

[sKiZo]

When I stepped down from WASAPI to ASIO, I was missing something in the sound stage.

Why ASIO? That's a whole nuther layer of complication between the source and you? No comparison to WASAPI - that's the next best thing to bit perfect, and being built right into the OS, no chance for mfgs to adlib in how it's implemented. Changed over here as soon as it became available, and no looking back.

PS - I went with ASIO4ALL back in the day because the DAC didn't have any unique drivers available. Spent the next six months trying to exorcise that from my machine as it kept sneaking in and reinstalling itself ... DIE, ASIO, DIE !!!!

First listen was Cowboy Junkies Trinity Session.

Good test there - if your system can accurately reproduce that without getting muddy, yer cookin'!

Another good one to test the top end is Norah Jones Come Away With Me. Her voice and piano tended towards shrill and I put a LOT of work into tweaking to get that right. Everything else just kinda fell into place then.

 

[BigElCat]

Why ASIO? That's a whole nuther layer of complication between the source and you? No comparison to WASAPI - that's the next best thing to bit perfect, and being built right into the OS, no chance for mfgs to adlib in how it's implemented. Changed over here as soon as it became available, and no looking back.

PS - I went with ASIO4ALL back in the day because the DAC didn't have any unique drivers available. Spent the next six months trying to exorcise that from my machine as it kept sneaking in and reinstalling itself ... DIE, ASIO, DIE !!!!



Good test there - if your system can accurately reproduce that without getting muddy, yer cookin'!

Another good one to test the top end is Norah Jones Come Away With Me. Her voice and piano tended towards shrill and I put a LOT of work into tweaking to get that right. Everything else just kinda fell into place then.

I hear you, bro...but WASAPI won't run on Windows 10, unless one knows how to write their own codex. It, apparently, is a huge over sight by Microsoft.

And I'm sticking with WMP. Tried all the others, can't keep them working. Not JRiver, nor MusicBee. I can't figure them out.

I'm on to something, here. ASIO sounds great with my digital chain.

 

[Beau Geste]

5532 is not bad but easily bested with later offerings. Am going to try OPA1612 next, have the adapter boards from SOIC8 to DIP8 headed my way. To date, OPA627 is the best sounding IC I've tried in DAC or anything else. Hard to find fault with it from top to bottom. Pricey but cheaper than the Burson.

www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/opa1612-q1.pdf

Absolutely agree about the OPA 1612 .But it's not at OP AMP FET. It'a bipolar OP AMP. The OPA 1642 FET op amp sounds more detailed and spacious than the OPA 627 and the OP A827, IMHO...

 

[sKiZo]

?

WASAPI is still the standard in W10, but I've heard some folk have issues due to fersh!t drivers supplied with some audio equipment. Technically, you should be able to run without those, letting windows handle all the audio chores, but ... lot depends on what the DAC's firmware insists on. Also an issue with some audio software like Ableton and SoundForge, forcing you to upgrade to the latest version.

Twere me, I'd try uninstalling existing drivers supplied with your gear and seeing if WASAPI becomes available. If that's still an issue, I'd look for undated drivers specific to your gear.

OR ... if you're happy with ASIO ... eh ... leae well enough alone I guess.

Another thought - try changing the resolution on your DAC an see if that allows you to enable WASAPI? I know some modes work on my Maverick, and some still default to DirectSound, which sucks, so I avoid those. I forget i those are dependent on which connections you're using. I run off USB 96/24 with nary a problem.

 

[gvl]

Afaik, ASIO is the most direct bit-perfect path to h/w intended for pro-audio and has lowest latency but requires a special driver. Of course the latency isn't something you need to worry about for just playing music but it is important for music editing. I've never had any issues with Wasapi and have always assumed that any Windows audio device can be written to using Wasapi in exclusive mode, especially the ones that don't require drivers and work through the Windows built-in UAC1 support.

 

[BigElCat]

?

WASAPI is still the standard in W10, but I've heard some folk have issues due to fersh!t drivers supplied with some audio equipment. Technically, you should be able to run without those, letting windows handle all the audio chores, but ... lot depends on what the DAC's firmware insists on. Also an issue with some audio software like Ableton and SoundForge, forcing you to upgrade to the latest version.

Twere me, I'd try uninstalling existing drivers supplied with your gear and seeing if WASAPI becomes available. If that's still an issue, I'd look for undated drivers specific to your gear.

OR ... if you're happy with ASIO ... eh ... leae well enough alone I guess.

Another thought - try changing the resolution on your DAC an see if that allows you to enable WASAPI? I know some modes work on my Maverick, and some still default to DirectSound, which sucks, so I avoid those. I forget i those are dependent on which connections you're using. I run off USB 96/24 with nary a problem.

I'm on board for using WASAPI. My OS (Windows 10) doesn't interact with my DAC, it interacts with my Singxer F-1, the SPDIF coverter.

I'll play around with this.

 

[gvl]

Btw, WMP doesn't support Wasapi, but you probably know that.

 

[BigElCat]

That's what I'm saying.

The ASIO plug-in for WMP sounds much better than what ever WMP uses as default. It sounds excellent with my current digital chain.

I've gone back, and shut ASIO off, done an A/B comparison with my test songs.

It's really confusing, all the stuff on the net about WASAPI and WMP. There is a way that it can be done, but you have to be a code writer.

For now, it's WMP and ASIO for me.