Discrete Op-amp Round-up - Burson vs Sparkos vs Staccato 

You'll love them!

For me v6 classic is great, running in the output stage of Arcam Alpha 5 CD player diy dac. Gives a detailed sound, without ever sounding harsh or bright. It doesn't sound "digital" it just sounds like music. You listen to the music, not at the gear.

It's great to be able to adjust and upgrade products so easily like that, isn't it? Glad you're enjoying the Classics

Fantastic! Glad I could help and happy op-amp rolling when you get to it 🙂🙂

Glad you enjoyed it! Happy op-amp rolling 😁

My pleasure 🙂🙂

Glad you liked it!

It can be really fun and quite affordable because op-amps, unlike tubes, are fairly interchangeable across amps and even DACs

Piqued your interest as well I reckon.

Great news! So glad I could help!

Glad you liked it!

My pleasure

Very interesting! Thank you for sharing!

So glad you liked it!

I'll check it out. Thanks Brandon!

So glad I could help! Thanks for letting me know 🙂

Hello! I'm actually thinking about to remove that harsh top end on the soloist. Would it be better To use 4 Sparkos, or just like you mentioned. 2 sparkos on the volume stage. I always use the Power Amp mode, not sure if that relevant.

I would probably start with two in the volume stage which, from memory, remains influential over the sound even though the volume control chip is bypassed. If you buy two to begin with and the volume control isn't influential as I think it is then you'll only need two anyway - just move them across to the input stage 🙂

Glad you liked it!

Glad it was helpful!

I'm still in two minds about op-amp rolling in the GT. Scared to mess with a very good thing 🙂 That's no good about the Sonic Imagery op-amps! Sometimes certain circuits don't work with certain op-amps due to voltage levels, etc. ☹️

Interesting! Do make sure they're dual versions and not singles. Hope you like the results!

I agree. The op-amps provide a more significant change to the sound, but still a tweak rather than a huge upgrade (unless you're coming from an IC op-amp). Glad you liked the review 🙂

For me I went with 4 SS3602 op amps in the 3XP and that was the best combination. I'm feeding it with a Holo Spring KTE (r2r) dac so smooth input. My primary Hps with this amp are the 1266 Phi TC which have great bass detail and impact, a slight mids dip, and a 12k peak in the treble. So the Sparkos help tame the treble peak, smooths the mids, and retain the bass impact. I'm still awaiting the supercharger so that may change for my setup so only using the standard power.

That makes sense if you're looking to pull back on the upper treble a bit. It'll be very interesting to see if the Super Charger makes enough difference that you feel the need to split the op-amps or stay all Sparkos...

@@PassionforSound I’m definitely going to try the way you have it split. I’ll report back once I receive it.

got the supercharger in tonight and boy I'm wowed... Holo Spring KTE -> 3XP + 4 sparkos + SC -> 1266 Phi TC is quite the chain. TBH I really dont' think the 3GT will be necessary for my needs. I will try the Vivids in input this weekend and try swapping out sparkos and vivids in the volume control and see what we get. I'll just say the SC really cleans up the entire signal from upper mids all the way up to 15k. I'm still getting the warmth from the sparkos but the detail in the treble is way better now. The cranberries - something else is a great album to show off the differences. All the different instruments to accompany her vocals are just so much more present and defined now.

My pleasure. I'm glad it helped. I've got another one coming soon with the new V7 op-amps from Burson.

@PassionforSound I have the geshelli j2 socket so the change will be easy.

Thanks for sharing your experiences

That will be a nice tweak for the sound you're after IMO. Good luck!

Thanks for adding your experiences to the mix! To add further clarity for people reading this, I felt like the Classics (back when I first tried the Soloist 3XP) were a touch smoother than the Sparkos SS3602 so you can choose your flavour based on preferences: V6 Classics = more smooth, SS3602 = moderately smooth, V6 Vivid = most transparent/bright

I have rolled in v6 classics in my GT in the volume stage and had the same results vs the stock vivids. I subsequently rolled in a pair of SIL 994 opamps into the input buffer and observed a lush boost to the entire lower end of the frequency sprectrum say below 2khz. If you are still searching for a stronger sense “drive” to the lower end, try the SILs. Techno/electro music lovers take note!

I'll need to look at the SIL op-amps. Thanks for the tip!

My pleasure!

It's a pretty cool setup, isn't it? Glad you like it 🙂🙂

@@PassionforSound for sure. I never had the idea the difference would be so big. I also ordered a muses02 to put in another small unit dac I have. I actually prefer these smaller chips, as they are more versatile, being able to fit almost any unit. Those 3 seem excellent but are too big for what I have. Maybe I'll try the opa627, also according to your suggestions on other videos. They're actually a lot cheaper now and may be the best value out of all of them. Thanks a bunch!

I love the Muses02 and OPA627 both for when a discrete op-amp is too big. Remember that the OPA627 is a mono chip so you need two on an adapter to replace dual chips

They're a beautiful op-amp. Thanks for sharing your experiences.

Glad you liked the video and thank you for sharing your experiences with the op-amps! I think it's an excellent example of the fact that personal taste and product synergy will always play a part.

I have found that the Sparkos ss-3602s take about a month of solid listening for them to play in. Before then (ie: brand new) they can be kinda tipped up and sharp in the treble, IMO.

I didn't personally find that, but it is always a good idea to let devices (and our brains) settle in before making any judgements

@@PassionforSound No worries though. I don't know about Sparkos Labs recommendations (I didn't check w/ them, but theydid mellow a bit after a while) but Burson actually recommends 100hrs (or 30 days) to allow them to play in before serious evals (I got this from a Burson rep). Keep up the excellent work...

Awesome! It's great having the ability to tweak the sound and improve gear if it's using IC op-amps to start with.

Thanks so much ​ @Passion for Sound for taking the time to review these op amps, and all your other vids as well. @V1ralBlack, I'd recommend upgrading the op amps on the p26. I have tried both the burson v6 vivids and the Sparkos ​ SS3602s in my p26, and found the Sparkos to be cleaner sounding - more detailed. They're both great but I'd rate the vivids a 7/10 and the Sparkos 9.5/10. I only use speaker setup so head fi might be a diff story. Best of luck with your op amp rolling. :)

@@georgedrakopoulos2906 Thank you for the advice. I'll go with the sparks ss3602s then. 😊

Thanks for suggesting the additional op-amps! Glad you liked this video 🙂🙂

Hi, between Burson Audio V6 Vivid and V6 Classic, which has more tweeter or produce more fatigue?.

@@slaving300 The Vivid has more of what you describe in regards to accentuated details in the treble area. It doesn’t automatically translates into fatigue but if you have a system that is bright and prone to that, the Vivid will accentuate it over the Classic.

The Vivid is a little crisper/brighter IMO

I have used it that way before, but not while rolling op-amps. A patron of the channel just tried power amp mode with op-amps removed from the volume stage and has proved that there is still signal passing through that stage, just not being processed by it so the same conclusions apply - Sparkos SS3602 in the volume stage and V6 Vivids in the input stage.

@@PassionforSound Interesting, surely the Muse chip is taken out of the equation then as the difference between the two modes on this amp is so big on my system that I don't think I could ever go back to the stock form. Burson 3XP with a Supercharger and in by-pass mode is a significantly more convincing amp than it is in its stock form (and I already liked it in its stock form).

Yes, the volume stage might still require the signal to pass through, but not be altered by the Muses chip

Haha. That's a unique use Nice one

I'm yet to find any delta sigma DAC (other than the Chord DACs thanks to their custom algorithms) that produces depth and a 3D presentation like the Schiit Multibit DACs. The Staccato op-amps in the Composer didn't really help much in that regard - I just preferred the overall sense of space (in a fairly 2D sense) and general tonality they brought to the DAC

I know you didn't ask me but, yes, there is a difference in opamp SQ - depending on the application and the component it's placed in. I have replaced opamps in my Gustard H20 headphone amp with several different ones. They each have a slightly different SQ presentation but your amp, DAC, and HP need to be revealing enough to reproduce them. There are some sites (like ASR) that, as a philosophy, don't believe in such changes outside of FR, distortion, and noise, etc, but I don't think measurements tell the complete story of how we hear. As always, YMMV.

@@Ezees23 Thanks. I value all opinions. I am looking for tests that aren't usually done that pick up that sound differences.

It would be great to see these measurements, but I think a part of the issue is that we don't fully understand yet what we're measuring for. I do think there are measurements like slew rate, intermodulation distortion and impulse response that might tell some of the story, but I've not yet seen a collection of data for a number of op-amps where we can compare the data and see how it predicts sound.

@@PassionforSound yes I'm sure the answers are out there somewhere.

yes there is a great deal of sound presentation difference but not sure it will show up on any measurement graph. Check out Sandu (soundnews) he recently did a super review of the Susvara. In his written article he does quite the comparison of hp and power amp pairings with Sus. He basically describes how differently the sound presentation is made but it doesn't show up on meaningful differences on his frequency response measurements. Which basically means that what we can measure thus far doesn't fully account for what we are hearing.

System synergy is so important, isn't it?

@@PassionforSound Unbelievable so. I would have a sprarkos then put in a Burson then maybe the OPA627 then end up with a $2 TL082 that sounds amazing compared to the $80 op amps.

@@PassionforSound Also like you found you can take the same 2 op amps and reverse them in the "chain" and get a different synergy.

@@PassionforSound It's scary to think with that being said, your setup may still have room for improvement STILL, and only costing $2, haha. It will drive you nuts if you let it, haha.

I also wanted to add real quick for clearance issues they make risers almost like tall 8 pin adapters and they make 2 adapters attached with wires so for example the tall burson can be layed down flat for clearance.

It would be a great resource for sure! While this is my secondary "hobby" and not my main job it will be very hard to find the kind of time needed, but maybe one day - that would be great!

@@PassionforSound maybe just a few more videos like this one. Also about opamps. Like best value ones for example.

@@obfuscationstation Since then I've joined a group that has tested most of the better ones.

I have a bunch of opamp collections and i can tell you their sound signatures.

@@daghetto101 Have you heard a OPA1656lD please?

Some people have mentioned certain Gustard models, but I'm not aware of many others either - sorry!

If I was only changing the op-amps in one of those it would be the two SS3602 going into the volume stage of the Soloist for sure

Thanks for sharing your experiences!

It would be worth a try for sure! I'm yet to go down that path myself. Just be sure to check that they'll fit before you order them and maybe double check with Andrew from Sparkos that they're a straight swap into the circuit instead of the V6 Vivids.

⁠@@PassionforSoundHi Lachlan- considering the Sparkos 33602/1 for my Burson C3P (not x version) and wondering if I should swap for buffer stage or volume stage? I have Vivids in all positions currently. For the C3P, I/V or buffer stage is dual, and LP or volume stage is single, so I can’t swap in both, thus wondering where the Sparkos will have the most impact. Thanks for any advice!

I haven't tried the C3P with swapping and I don't have one to try it with. Based on my experiences with the Soloist, the volume stage is a bit less impactful so I'd base my decision on how much you want to adjust the sound. If it's pretty close to perfect already, go with the volume stage. If you want a more significant shift away from the treble of the Vivids, go with the buffer stage.

That's really interesting. The K9 Pro lacks some sense of dynamics in the amp stage so maybe that's what you're noticing because the Sparkos are great in that regard.

@@PassionforSound I ordered another x7 and added a warranty on it so just gonna buy some more sparkos op amps and enjoy the ride my first x7 from 2015 finally died out the mic and power still work but it won't output any sound and the application in windows hangs and I think that is due to the faulty x7

My pleasure 🙂

That's correct about my preference for the op-amps. I haven't used the Classics alongside the ss3602, but I found the Classics a bit too rich in the Soloist when I originally reviewed it.

EQ will only ever alter frequency response whereas you'll find that op-amps change things like soundstage size, instrument separation, etc. EQ can have a more dramatic impact on frequency response so they're for different purposes IMO

Glad you liked it! It's been a long time since I recorded this, but I'm pretty sure I did use the stock op-amp (V6 Vivid) as the control.

Oh, I see! I went over your video again. I didn’t realize it came with the V6 Vivid at the stock. I will rephrase it. Why didn’t you use an IC Op Amp like a 5532 or 2107 as a control since those are more available than the $50+ Op Amps. Have you compared them before? What was your opinion in comparison to the discrete ones? If you ALSO covered this in your video then I’m super dense and I apologize!

No, I didn't cover that - you're not dense 😁 The reason I didn't discuss IC op-amps is because the surrounding circuit is quite important in the sound of an op-amp. If the amp came with IC op-amps, it would have made sense, but my emphasis here was more on rolling from the stock setup in the Soloist and Composer to the Sparkos and Staccato op-amps. Apologies if that was unclear!

Hi Joe, I'm not sure if you're just stating that or asking something. Can you clarify?

I think the Jot 2 is a bit unique. The Sparkos op-amps will definitely smooth out the slightly enhanced treble from the Soloist so it brings it closer to the tonality of the Jot 2, but the slightly enhanced, punchy bass from the Jot 2 is impossible to replicate with the op-amps I've tried in the Soloist.

@@PassionforSound well shucks

Enjoy!

Yes, I think that's how I would set it up for the Elites. Hope you love it!

@@PassionforSound thank you!

It's a good question, but I don't have any here to compare right now. I think the Classics should be a lot like the OPA627 only better.

I haven't checked the temperature of them, but that seems quite extreme. Maybe try them in the other pair of sockets and see if they are the same there.

Hi Kam, for the Soloist 3XP you can use 2 or 4 op-amps. The Sparkos won't make it sound tubey, but a bit smoother than the Vivids. It's also potentially worth considering the V6 Classics too.

@@PassionforSound thank you.

I haven't played with the DX7 to know for sure, but op-amps are part of the output stage from the DAC so it should make a difference

Thank you for your answer! 👍

That's great, Eric. It will be interesting to see which you prefer and why. Both are excellent in their own ways IMO

update?

@@tor13128 I wrote a longer update but it somehow got erased. Here's the shroter version: The Sparkos are my "high-end analog playback" opamps. The offer seemingly limitless deep bass and "unrestrained" dynamics. They're revealing and "holographic" with very natural timbre. They are excellent spatially with excellent staging and very good "depth" and "distance" presentation in every dimension (ie: HxWxD). The Bursons are my "squeaky clean digital studio" opamps. They excel in clarity and cleanness with midrange and treble that is very revealing and "transparent" as opposed to the Sparkos more laid back "holographic" presentation. The bass is more "nip/tuck/clean" than the Sparkos more unrestrained/dynamic presentation. I am keeping both but which one you prefer will depend on your use case. The Sparkos work better for me in my HP setup (Gustard H20 discrete balanced amp/Hifiman Arya Stealth HPs - with the Sparkos more laid back - but still revealing presentation). The Bursons in use for my speakers setup that leans a little warm in the treble (Gustard preamp/Niles SI-275 amp/ Energy RC-10 speakers) - their treble clarity, focus, and forwardness compared to the Sparkos is welcomed to bring in slightly more treble focus to the speakers. Both are still excellent and you can't go wrong with either one - they both outshine all of the IC based opamps I've tried in the Gustard's preamp section (ie: LME49720, Muses 8920Ds, OPA2134Ps, NE5532s). It's much more cost effective and satisfying to be able to change out opamps when you want a change of pace rather than to change out whole components in your chain. I'll also leave you a useful link: www.head-fi.org/threads/the-opamp-thread.432749/; It was one of the threads I used to gather more info. Hope this whole reply is useful to you in some ways.......

@@Ezees23 tyvm!

I do believe in burn-in, but I find that any significant shift in sound occurs fairly early in the process. That said, each of these were used for extended general (non-critical) listening for a few days each before doing the direct comparisons.

Both Burson and Sparkos suggest 30 days or 100 hours - at least. I own both the Sparkos SS-3602s and the Burson V6 Vivids - they both took that long to play in /burn in and sound smoother. Before then, they were both brighter/harsher/much less smooth and weren't anything special compared to IC based opamps. Now they're both crushing all the IC based opamps I have on hand.......

Of the top of my head, the volume pair is the pair to the right of the chassis when facing the front of the amp. It's also shown on the Burson website on the Composer page. 🙂

That's great to hear! They're excellent op-amps

If I knew how to solder, I'd put the SS3602 over the Burson Audio V5i Dual in my XDUOO XD-05Plus since all the songs are punchy, fun and really great to listen to.

does changing the op-amp change the output impedance of the dx7 pro?

It shouldn't do I think

I tend to avoid rolling on the GT level amps because they have SO many op-amps, but there'll definitely be a rematch somewhere with the V7s!

I generally don't do sound recordings because they're misleading by the time they go through RU-vid and then whatever source chain each person is running.

Thanks for sharing all this, Neil! I didn't realise the J2S was going to allow for op-amp rolling. That's cool! I will be receiving an A3 Pro in the near future and can't wait to try it!

@@PassionforSound The J2S fits the Sparkos SS3602 and any DIP8 modules. But the Burson is too tall, though they make a ribbon cable that could connect it at least. The most compact Stacatto *might* fit in the single ended socket? But I tend to think they won't fit in the balanced sockets?

The Staccato op-amps are pretty chunky, but maybe the most compact configuration? Not sure without checking specific measurements :)

@@PassionforSound The Burson units are small footprint (i.e. very slim) but obviously taller than the other options. The Sparkos SS2590 is the opposite - relatively much larger foot print, but not tall. The SS3602 is closest to a monolithic chip, and only a tiny bit larger than modules that are SOIC chip(s) mounted on a DIP8 plug. The Staccato units are in 3 different packages, with their heat sinks in various orientations. The Burson 35mm long DIP8 extension cable may be *very* useful for trying these, maybe?

Yes, the cable could be interesting. With the Staccatos, they're tricky because they're almost as tall as the Bursons and, depending on which version you get, have a footprint as big or bigger than the Sparkos.

Both of those would do well, but the SS3602 would be the better choice of you can fit it in

Vivid v6 with aune with original power supply plug to a clean ac power.. OMG experience.. In my rig, it was vocal to die for

I think size is the likely challenge with that, but it would be fun for DIYers

I really like the Muses02 in the D50S 🙂

@@PassionforSound excelent information to improve my system. Thanks a lot!!!!!!

My pleasure!

I've used the Burson, Sparkos and Staccato discrete op-amps in lots of different devices and never needed to worry about power supplies. Is the device you're using an amp with swappable op-amps or are you modifying a soldered circuit?

its a vintage multi bit pcm63 dac with a soldered circuit board but i want to say the opamps are not soldered but inserting pin@@PassionforSound

That's getting a little esoteric for my knowledge. If the op-amps are easily identifiable, you could always email the company who's op-amps you want to use (e.g. Burson or Sparkos) and check with them for compatibility.

Yes. The 5i is a great compromise between something like the V6 and a traditional IC op-amp

Nope 😉 The Bifrost beats any configuration of op-amps you'll put in the Composer IMO. It's down to the decoding stage in the DACs so the output stage won't fix the delta sigma limitations in the Composer. The Composer is a lovely DAC. The Bifrost 2 is just better

@@PassionforSound thanks, I admire your dedication!

Thank you 😊

@@PassionforSound What about the option to get the Soloist running in Power Amp mode, would you need the Composer for that?

I wouldn't personally bother with power amp mode unless the DAC is providing really high quality volume control. I felt like using the Composer to control the volume took something away from the Composer/Soloist stack

I don't recall which is which off the top of my head, but I'm fairly sure it's shown on the Burson website. Just check out the pics on the Composer page.

@@PassionforSound It doesnt. But thank you for the response. I will email them once again. Great Video by the way. Helpful to others. Happy Listening.

I've not noticed significant changes in the sound of op-amps so if there is break-in, you'll be beyond any audible changes after the first couple of hours I think. I find that some headphones can take a week or so to settle, but I'm yet to find an electrical circuit that takes more than a couple of hours to settle.

100 hours. But not really night and day difference.

I don't know that one - sorry. The best bet is to see what chip is currently in the device and then search on whether it is a dual or mono chip. Depending on where you're located or how much shipping you're happy to pay, I have two Burson Fun headphone / pre-amps here that I no longer need and am planning to sell. They're made for op-amp rolling.

@@PassionforSound It has dual chips.. so i believe I will have to use some kind of adapter to fit 2 mono in one dual socket so thats a total of 4 mono chips in this preamp.. which may be cost prohibitive. I rather use 2 dual chips. So much to learn.. I'm not a electronics guy. Edit: I live in the US. How much are you asking for your Burson preamp? Which model?

It's the Burson Fun that I've got and I've got two of them to make it easier to compare op-amps. I'd sell them both for $150 AUD plus postage. If you're after adapters for single to dual op-amps, do a search for Brown Dog op-amp adapters. From memory they're not that expensive

@@PassionforSound your offer is generous but at this time I'm getting my feet wet in the tube & opamp rolling world. I already have an amp atm so maybe I'll have to wait. Question: Is the V6 vivid or the stacatos a significant upgrade over the muse02? How different do they sound?

No problems! As for your question, yes, both the V6 Vivid and Staccato op-amps are a significant upgrade over the Muses02 (which is already great). The biggest improvement you can expect is in the soundstage size and depth. I haven't compared them directly to comment on tonality

I'll see if I can find a demo unit somewhere

I haven't, but you should find similar results to what I described here.

Bummer that they won't fit ☹️ Glad you liked the video and t-shirt

Did you try Burson Audio "35mm Extension Lead x 2"?

It will be a bit tight I think. You might squeeze them in, but I haven't checked

No, you have 26 mm in height. Staccato is 30mm

Thanks for confirming

Can you explain a bit more about the BJT input?

@@PassionforSound bipolar junction transistor , drives current better than voltage drivers like jfet. I can send you a pair if you want.

@@PassionforSound bipolar junction transistor

Drives current better.

This is true. Some op-amps in particular can bend super easily.

Sound samples can be misleading because they're filtered by my recording setup, RU-vid's audio compression and then the quality of each person's playback chain. By the time it reaches you, a lot of the subtleties after gone. (I say this having tried in the past to demonstrate via recordings)

They're an excellent op-amp for sure

@@PassionforSound Beware, it's not easy to install, the cards are much bigger, the pinout different, knowledge and soldering iron and meticulousness required. 😉

Yes, that's why I haven't explored that option yet. I don't have the time at this point in my life for fiddly tasks 🙂 Hopefully in the future though

You can Order them yet soldered on mono or dual Dip8 support

It's more about making them fit and having to craft flexible adapters to mount them sideways, etc.

That doesn't make much sense, James. The algorithm doesn't reward longer videos that people don't watch through so stretching a video wouldn't help views if there were no value to keep people watching. I also don't actually think about the algorithm when I plan my videos - I think about the gear I'm interested in and that I think others will be and then I think about what I would want to know if I were watching.

It's a fair point that they might draw more power, but it could also be about maintaining a certain operating temperature or perhaps a less heat-efficient design. I've certainly had no issues with them

@@PassionforSound Thank you for your reply!

could you possibly expand upon this a bit more? I was nervous when changing out my op amps as I have carpet in my listening room. I was worried about static electricity from the carpet and not being grounded potentially zapping one of my components.

I generally ground myself before handling anything electronic (that's open and/or the components themselves). I can't honestly say if I did or didn't for the video - more focussed on the getting the recording right. My understanding is that ICs are the most prone to static discharge damage so most of what I was doing should have been safe and I've never had issues with discrete op-amps, but it is good advice and mine is not a good example to follow on this one.

Haha. Not quite - just a baby sleeping next door

I haven't tried the Sonic Labs products yet, but I don't think anything is so clear cut. In some setups the Sparkos are preferable. In others, the Burson or Staccato sound better. The synergy with the circuit is very important (and personal preferences too)

@@PassionforSound the thing is sparkos and Sonic use BJT transistors in the whole circuit and this is really the only way to provide a flat input to output responses the circuit is biased into Class A so that the audio has a continuous amplified active action 100% of the wave form. Now I will say that the other so called discreet class A A/B do have a good response but it’s not the class A response and it can’t be from an electrical point of view. But the others can still offer a great quality sound, it’s just important to note that this ‘great’ quality sound I’m talking about isn’t 100% of the input source it’s a modified version of the input source. So sometimes that will seem better because it could be preferable to the listener, but it’s really just different to the input source. If one was to go to the place where the big records are recorded they will find all the pre amps have most likely been Neve 1073, or Neve 31102, these amplifier modules were in most of the Neve consoles that have recorded most of the hit recorders over the years since the 60s to today. These modules 1073,1084,31102 a Neve channels are all BJT transistor amplifiers in class A mode design. And offer the ‘flat’ transparent response. This is exactly like sparkos. Sonic labs do this very similar thing to. Now the color form the records comes from the magnetic saturation from the tape, and the transformers in these decks. So what you want is a high voltage 15-20V +- and class A BJT based amplifier designed to run in Class A, Then you’ll have the most ideal representation of the record that was recorded in the big studio. Even the small records get mastered with this type of gear, so nothing escapes that hardware if it is any good sounding. Based on that, why would anyone want to bias’s the original sound source? It doesn’t make sense to do so… It cost a lot more R&D to do what Sparkos and sonic do than the others that’s for sure. Some engineers just look at the data and see some small lines on the output chart and think that doesn’t matter lol well, it may as well be in class B, if that’s the case. But audio electrical engineers know better, and want to see a flat line on the output chart. Thats what sparkos and sonic have, even from people that won’t buy them, their tests show the same response 👌

I don't doubt that the technicalities of the designs might be better, but the end result is all about what people enjoy. There are people who prefer the sound of integrated chip-based op-amps over the discrete ones and while I don't agree personally, each person is entitled to their preferences

@@PassionforSound yes true, tho it’s also really to say distortion or added EQ is what some people enjoy. I think each to their own, but in reality in a blind group test, for example 9 out of 10 people would choose class A discreet, over IC in class B, and even in my Neve console which is the best example of ICs used in high end equipment, the ICs were meant to be class A/B but they were probably class B.

At about the time I was recording this review, I was being careful to not wake my son who was sleeping in the room next door.

@@PassionforSound No worries

Op-amps have plenty of measurable information about why they perform differently. Not sure how you think that's snake oil

@@PassionforSound your ear can't distinguish between 0,02 THD and 0,002 THD.If you think it can,that's the result of marketing based on snake oil.There's no doubt you can MEASURE the difference between them but your ear isn't a measurement device to recognize the difference.It's all in your mind! The largest quantity of snake oil lies in those discrete opamps.Only very,very bad opamps can be noticed by ear

I put 3 sparko lab op-amps in a old dac I bought for 100 dollars tube magic d2 and the difference was amazing . Now maybe a new higher end dac may not make a difference but for my cheap dac it did

That's great to get such an upgrade for a cheap device

@@PassionforSound I don't think that measurements are a reflection of what we can perceive, experiments have proven this time and time again. And just look at the measurements of a tube SET, compared to a Class D, and yet when you listen to it, despite its breathtaking numbers, the Class D amplifier is not as pleasant to the ear. Try it for yourself, our ears have not delivered all their subtleties. 😉

A lot of that will depend on the space available within the case. The Bursons are quite tall so the Sparkos might be a safer bet. Beyond that, it's all about the tonality you're looking for

​@@PassionforSound Space wouldn't be an issue, since the sound card is installed at the very bottom *PCIe x1* slot on my mobo, and above that is a 3" gap (between *it,* and my graphics card). So... I think I'll go with the Bursons. Thank you!

Perfect. Enjoy!