Eastern Electric Minimax DAC

[richidoo]

Just tell her you joined AudioNervosa, buy her a T shirt, or make her a pair of earrings with your discarded opamps... hehe

[AcidJazz]

I also think opamps rolling have a bigger 'effect' on the sound vs the tube. Tubes I have tried so far, Brimar, Madza, Sylvania and currently, RTF. 
I find the SS output to be more neutral with the tube output adding a little more mid bass punch.
I should add that I have changed the tube output caps.

[mfsoa]

With the op-amp-upgraded SS path, I can always hear deeper into the recording. Details exist deep down in the mix that are glossed over with the tube stage. Just more info there, or it's presented in a different way...

And Martin, I do like the RFT tube, but I'm sure Return to Forever makes a swell tube too 

tmazz - The dual op-amps are in use when the tube output is used, so dedicating onesself to the tube output does not mean that you can't season to taste w/ the op-amps as well.

-Mike

[tmazz]

With the op-amp-upgraded SS path, I can always hear deeper into the recording. Details exist deep down in the mix that are glossed over with the tube stage. Just more info there, or it's presented in a different way...

And Martin, I do like the RFT tube, but I'm sure Return to Forever makes a swell tube too 

tmazz - The dual op-amps are in use when the tube output is used, so dedicating onesself to the tube output does not mean that you can't season to taste w/ the op-amps as well.

-Mike

Thanks Mike, I didn't realize that. I was under the impression that switching on the tube stage replaced the op-amps in the circuit. You learn something new every day.........

[AcidJazz]

And Martin, I do like the RFT tube, but I'm sure Return to Forever makes a swell tube too 

-Mike

 
Hell yeah...RTF is playing the Beacon 8/12&13...I should check them out.

RFT...RAF...they all look alike. 

[etcarroll]

Mike -

When I was over the other day, were these the opamps I heard?

"I currently have OPA2107 in the I/V spot and OPA627 for the SS output. I know that the sound can be slightly tipped down (too much of the Burr-Brown chocolaty sound), lacking some sparkle, but there are good things to be had in the mids and bass that my system likes. I brought this DAC (and my preamp and amp) to Barry_NJs house and the sound was just too lifeless on his system which, to me, is not at all a forward sounding system."

[mfsoa]

Hi Gene,

Just saw your question now...

No, we heard the OPA2107 duals and the OPA827 singles.

827 is a little more lively than the 627 but not as romantic through the mids.