Most hilarious post I've read on op amp sound.

[k brown]

From the Audiokarma forum:

 

[Ricardus]

Well why DOESN'T he like them?

 

[Chandra]

Does the actual characteristics of a discrete BJT or FET lost when a BJT or FET input opamps are used instead? Heavy feedback of IC will linearize the specific characteristics of individual devices.
Lower noise, higher input impedance and supply rejection looks like more favorable for IC.
Only for Hi-Fi applications, more linear is useful.
Regards.

 

[k brown]

For the record, the comment I posted was in the context of 5532 vs other op amps, not IC vs discrete.

 

[Chandra]

Please, Please.. Not intending for any war. Wanted to share my observations.
Best regards.

 

[k brown]

Not intended as argument, just wanted to clarify the context.

In the context of that forum discussion, I got the impression the poster was looking for a place to drop that humorous rant; he probably thinks 5532 are just fine ; - ) Poking fun at 'chip rollers'.

 

[metalockpick]

Ken's a funny man. In the middle of a rapid fire rant in the early 90s,, he said "No highs, no lows, it sells, it's Bose".

 

[k brown]

https://www.stereophile.com/interviews/232/index.html

 

[iomegaman]

I like it...for the record I think Jim Williams has done more for opamp rolling than Jimmy Pages Tele did for Les Paul sales...

I did it for a while...and then realized I couldn't hear enough of a difference to make a difference...there's about a 1000 other things more important than trying to tweak what a lab coat designer created...

Of course the lowly NE5532 has gotten a bad rap...mainly because its a blue collar chip in a white collar industry.

 

[CalavoBob]

I've done a lot of recording studio maintenance for years, and let's face it: Most of your favorite recordings over the last 40 years have gone through 5534s and 5532s to make it through the recording process, and finally come out of your speakers. They were one of the first OP amps that had a useful slew rate, and a low noise floor so they have been used in a lot of front end stages, yet they can also drive a 600 ohm load. They actually have a reasonable sonic signature compared to a lot of other stuff. Their two biggest drawbacks are the surprisingly low input impedance for an OP amp and they draw about twice as much supply current as other chips they are often replacing. Sure, there's better OP amps out there now, but when you compare price, equivalent input noise (EIN), and output current they're not bad. Replacing them with an LM4562NA gets better EIN, way better distortion, offset current and voltage, but these draw even more supply current for just a little more money. The AD797AN kicks butt on all those specs, but they're about $17 apiece, and draw even more current. When I've got to upgrade an entire mixing console that involves possibly replacing hundreds of OP amps, you can't demand that kind of increased current draw from the console's power supply. What about telling the client that they need 200 OP amps at about $12 apiece in large quantities? Compare that to about $1 for the NE5534AP. Be very careful to check all the features you can before settling on an OP amp. Make a spreadsheet so you can compare soic or dip, GBW, slew rate, supply voltage, EIN, input offset voltage and current, CMRR, supply current draw, THD, open loop gain, unity gain stability, input impedance, output impedance, output current, minimum load impedance, and of course price. Oh yeah, and try to listen to them carefully. When the stars align and you find the magic one, the last thing to check is going to be availability. Good luck my friends.

 

[Dan Mills]

The AD797 kicks butt when the source impedance is sufficiently low, but it has current noise for DAYS.

The LM4562 is nice but has so much GBP that it is often NOT a drop in replacement for a 5532 because it does not like capacitive loads (100pF limit as I recall) and is picky about supply decoupling, stability is very much something to check here especially if dropping it into an older mixer design with thru hole design. As stated they do run somewhat warm, especially the SOIC versions.

The opamp is part of a CIRCUIT and it is that which determines the proper choice of silicon, there is NO SUCH THING as the 'best' opamp, only the best opamp in a particular circuit.

A dirty little secret (Of which I am sure most folk here are well aware) is that with modern low noise parts, the Johnson noise due the the resistors in the feedback network often dominates the noise from the active devices.

Best thing to replace a 5532 with is usually a 5532A unless you are prepared to do some actual circuit analysis.

 

[k brown]

Chip rolling = eye rolling . . .

 

[Newmarket]

Their two biggest drawbacks are the surprisingly low input impedance for an OP amp and they draw about twice as much supply

Datasheet input impedance of an opamp is seldom an issue. The input impedance of the associated circuit is usually much much higher due to closed loop op amp action.

 

[iomegaman]

I actually prefer the sound of the NE5532/NE5534...every time I've replaced them and then changed them back...

The only time I replace them now is if I think they are suspect because of age...(I have some really old gear)...

You know what you're gonna get with a bunch of the older chips.

Newer chips are too "Gen Z-goth my life is hard someone pay attention..."

Ie: darker.

 

[Ricardus]

Newer chips are too "Gen Z-goth my life is hard someone pay attention..."

Best quote I've heard in a long time!