Switching OP-AMPs in an Auzentech card

[thesecond]

Have Audio Technica AD-900X headphones, Auzentech Bravura.

Love it, want more.

Anybody played with opamps in one of these? Any recommendations for a different opamp in the headphone output? My internet reading has only really pointed me towards switching the 7.1 opamps and not the headphone one.

 

[westrock2000]

I wouldn't put too much effort into it, unless the stock op-amps are purposefully cheap or there is an inherently bad design I don't think there should be too much difference.

Electronics these days, aside from fakes, are made to VERY demanding tolerances. Audio frequency range is the easiest of all ranges (because it is the lowest). You're headphones, no matter how good a brand, should add more distortion then any op-amp. I would venture to say your headphone will add 10-100x more distortion then any competent op-amp.

I used to be an audiophile. Then I got a job in the semiconductor industry and saw how tight modern electronics are.

 

[thesecond]

Eh I'm not going for reduced distortion. Just different sound really. The stock opamps are pretty cheap, they can be had for under a dollar on Mouser. Auzentech offers opamps that run up to 200$ a piece, some special texas instruments audiophile chips. I was just fishing for anybody with experience with actually switching them.

Thanks for the insight though.

 

[dandragonrage]

Any changes to the sound will show up in the distortion measurements. And how much do you think a chip that has a distortion of like 0.01% is going to change the sound? Forget the idea completely.

 

[thesecond]

Any changes to the sound will show up in the distortion measurements. And how much do you think a chip that has a distortion of like 0.01% is going to change the sound? Forget the idea completely.

In english? Perhaps with an explanation to what you're talking about would be nice. As I said before, I don't care about the measured distortion, I do not perceive it. More interested in EQ differences.

 

[Skripka]

I wouldn't put too much effort into it, unless the stock op-amps are purposefully cheap or there is an inherently bad design I don't think there should be too much difference.

Electronics these days, aside from fakes, are made to VERY demanding tolerances. Audio frequency I range is the easiest of all ranges (because it is the lowest). You're headphones, no matter how good a brand, should add more distortion then any op-amp. I would venture to say your headphone will add 10-100x more distortion then any competent op-amp.

I used to be an audiophile. Then I got a job in the semiconductor industry and saw how tight modern electronics are.

Tolerances are tight, but our ears are amazing sensors if left unabused.

I swapped op amps on my STX and I like the card a hell of a lot more for the music I listen to on my Senn HD595.