Zero OPAMP Rolling for Gaming

C

Carter54

Limp Gawd
Joined
Feb 4, 2007
Messages
168
I have been using the zero for a couple months now and am very please with it. I purchased my unit used so it came with a good size collection of OPAMPS. I have been playing a little bit with swapping them around based on the recommendations over at Head-Fi but I am having a hard time figuring our what combination is best for gaming.

The problem I have is that the Games vary so greatly online that I never get a scenario that is good for comparison.

So I have two questions:

What is a good audio sample to compare OPAMPS for sound stage and positional audio?

Does anyone have experience OPAMP rolling for gaming? If so what combos might you suggest in these chips?

Current Config:
OPA627's (DAC)
LT1364 X 2 (Head AMP)

Extra OPAMPS:
LT1361 X 2
LT1469 X 2
LT1057 X 2
LT1358 X 2
LM4562 X 2
OPA2604 X 1 (Stock for My Zero in the DAC)
NE5532 X 2 (Stock for My Zero in the Head AMP)
 
your combo should be pretty good for gaming

the opa627's have a wide soundstage which you need for gaming and the LT1364's are fast opamps so you should be getting the detail needed
 
The OPA627 in generally regarded as one of the best op-amps you can buy. It's also very expensive but since you already have it that's not really an issue.
 
Semi-related question:

Any place to buy opamps aside from ebay? I's like to purchase 2x OPA627 and (or on) a 2:1 PCB, but I can't seem to find any source aside from ebay :(
 
Sure. I get most of my electronics from Newark. www.newark.com. If you want components, they gots components. There are plenty of other supply houses like them, they are just the one I prefer.
 
NOt to spoil your fun, but I doubt the opamp are a SQ bottleneck in the ZERO DAC.
 
H-Money said:
your combo should be pretty good for gaming

the opa627's have a wide soundstage which you need for gaming and the LT1364's are fast opamps so you should be getting the detail needed
Click to expand...

I agree this is the best combo for music but I am thinking it might be too bass heavy of a combination for my A900's for gaming. The 1364's and the 627's are both known to accentuate bass.

When I switched to this combo from stock the bass started to over power the mids a bit which made it very difficult to hear fine details during an air stike or helicopter raid in COD4.

I am really looking for a good test bed for the different chips I have the online game play varies so much that it is hard to compare setups for gaming.
 
coolhandluke said:
Brown dog has the 2:1 adapter which you can purchase separately or buy with 2 premounted 627's. Not cheap at 50 bucks a pop for the premounted ones though.

http://cimarrontechnology.com/twopre-mountedopa627auop-ampson020302adapterpnopa627au-020302s.aspx
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I got mine from someone at Head-Fi who has recently upgraded to an HDAM. It was a good price plus free shipping.

This is what it looks like it comes with the upgraded Zero unit.

a362_1_sbol.JPG
 
Thanks guys. Yeah, $50 is kinda painfull for an opamp upgrade. I'll give it a go anyway :D

edit: I just saw that "gigaworks" stamp on your pic. I browsed the gigaworks ebay store, looks like it's a legit seller as I see that's where everyone is picking up the upgraded Zero from. I like his price on the OPA627 on the 2:1 much better.
 
coolhandluke said:
The OPA627 in generally regarded as one of the best op-amps you can buy. It's also very expensive but since you already have it that's not really an issue.
Click to expand...

LM4562 and AD8599 and another AD one that I forget are better. But the only difference in any of these will be SNR and power capability (for headphones), and the power capability depends more on the supply voltage anyway.

That isn't to say that SNR doesn't matter, though, especially for headphones. One of the reasons I got rid of my old NAD T753 receiver was because it had a SNR so bad that headphones were all but unusable.
 
dandragonrage said:
LM4562 and AD8599 and another AD one that I forget are better. But the only difference in any of these will be SNR and power capability (for headphones), and the power capability depends more on the supply voltage anyway.
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To each his own... I use the 627 in my dac and I personally prefer the BB sound to AD. I haven't heard the 4562 but maybe I'll give it a try.

I guess it really just comes down to personal preference. The sound of an op amp is pretty subjective.
 
dandragonrage said:
627s are single channel though... Do you use an adapter to put 2 into a DIP-8 socket or what?
Click to expand...

I got mine from someone at Head-Fi who has recently upgraded to an HDAM. It was a good price plus free shipping.

This is what it looks like it comes with the upgraded Zero unit. two chips one under and one over.

a362_1_sbol.JPG
 
Ok I have alot of opinions but does anyone have a good testing bed for the different scenario's?

I found a bunch of EAX demo's on you tube but the quality is pretty poor.
 
Well, regardless of whether or not there are audible differences, you really need to ABX test with several clips multiple times to really tell the differences. We start forgetting details about stuff when we stop listening. It starts immediately, though the rate is different for different people. But even after a minute, we forget the really fine detail even if we remember enough of the sound to think that we remember it perfectly.
 
strend said:
Semi-related question:

Any place to buy opamps aside from ebay? I's like to purchase 2x OPA627 and (or on) a 2:1 PCB, but I can't seem to find any source aside from ebay :(
Click to expand...

Mouser, Digi-Key, etc...you know, electronics parts supply companies. :D
 
I ended up creating a 10 minute Demo in CS source for my test bed its pretty sufficient and I get the same scenario's every time.

I am putting the Zero back to original configuration and start from there.

Ill post back what I like for combo's based on this demo.
 
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