Here's a little opamp review for Zero headphone amp. In the DAC section, I used the OPA627.

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LT1361
My favourtie of the bunch, it is very musical and provides adequate amount of details. The midrange is pretty good too. Listening to this, makes your feet go tapping

LT1057
This opamp is not for everyone. It has a very prominent midrange at the expense of the highs. You could say it gives a very "acoustic" sound. It isn't very musical, and rock songs on this lacks excitement almost to the point of being boring.

LT1469
This opamp is kind of the opposite of the LT1057. Highs and lows at the expense of the midrange. I'm not sure bout this, bout I do find it rather revealing. Have you ever been to band performance, whereby the guitar and drums is really loud compared to the singer mic. That's what I think this opamp sounds like..

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I don't think there is a good or bad opamp in the Zero. It all comes down to your own preference. Some might looks for a easy going opamp while others prefer a more musical setup. Have fun rolling opamps!

Steve,

You know where I can get those opamp chipset heat sinks? I think I might need some since the LT1361 runs quite warm..

What happens if you mount the opamps in the wrong direction. Will I still get music, or it will be dead silent?

Thanks for the info. So in total you'll have 3 dual OPA627s in your Zero. And you already upgraded yours with better caps/components earlier. I think the upgrades already cost as much as your Zero if not more

Ultimate Extreme Zero DAC/Amp?

After one day of listening intensively to the LT1361 in the amp section, I changed it to LT1364. I think this will be my final setup for now.

The LT1364 is very close to the LT1361 in everything except for midrange. For most songs, I found it rather lacking at the midrange and after listening for some time, it was fatiguing. LT1364 adds on to the midrange to make listening more natural while preserving the qualities of LT1361.

LT1057 is a no go for me, too much detail is lost in music. Didn't like the LT1469 either, too much of midrange is lost. How about you guys, what setup are you using?

I think Lawrence's sound preference is more towards the "tube" sound signature. You can notice it in the stock Zero sound. And further stated with his support for the LT1057

Sure, where's your location?

I think if you want to put it in the amp section you would need (2 units).

Not really well burnt in yet but the LT1364 is really scary la. It is so hot you can't touch it for more that 2-3 seconds with your finger.

The LT1057 is the best, runs very cool.

I guess yours will be super revealing. Haha You'll have a tough time looking for music which will sound perfect

I can't believe the 2nd bulk taking so long to complete the MOQ. I think this is the perfect for those buying their 1st amp/dac. One of the best value you can find, and it's relatively cheap!

I ripped some old CDs in lossless and couldn't stop grinning ear to ear Even my el crapo Panasonic Mini Compo sounds better with the DAC feeding it music.

A few days back I took out all my opamps LT1361, LT1364, LT1469, LT1057, OPA2604, OPA627 and NE5532 for a 2nd listening.

I didn't exactly take down notes of each combination but after going through all of them and swapping them between DAC and amp, I still prefer the OPA627 for dac and LT1364 for amp. The combination of LT1364 and LT1469 is worth trying out and I would rate them as 2nd best if not for the OPA627.

Sure, no problem. I've been busy with my exams and I'll be available from June 19th onwards Probably by then, the 2nd bulk of Zero DAC would have arrived and we could have a Zero gathering.

The HDAM model is really overkill , I think the most likely upgrade for me is the ALPS pot.

Stock headamp till I puny up enough cash for a tube amp. Little dot MKIII perhaps...

I also placed an order for the LT1358, still waiting....

According to the Head-fi thread, the HDAM replica from China costs only USD80 compared to the Australian's Burson Audio USD150. I'm waiting till the guy gives a complete review of OPA627 and HDAM before deciding

I tested the LT1358 in the amp section. Previously, I had the LT1364 in the amp. The OPA627 remains in the dac for this test.

What I like...
Improvements in vocals, male vocals are noticeably better. Very smooth mid range. The midrange sounds more natural on the LT1358 than the LT1364.

What I don't like...
Narrower soundstage, instrument separation is not as good, as a result, you will have to listen harder to hear the details. Background noise is more noticeable, if you have sensitive headphones, this might be a issue. Overall, it is slightly less musical than the LT1364, and less likely to get your feet tapping to your music.

I think the LT1358 is a mixture of the LT1057 and LT1364. It's not as biased towards the midrange like the LT1057 and it has a more natural mids compared to the LT1364. I'm using this in my setup

ps : it also doesn't run as hot as the LT1364. the opamps are fresh, i'll post my findings if there is any change after some hours.


This post has been edited by kwekeugene: Jun 16 2008, 04:30 PM

The review for HDAM and OPA627 is already out So anyone here going to order the HDAM?

Or you can DIY to extend the socket so that the HDAM module can lie sideways. I wonder if it's worth it to splash out the cash for the "25%" improvement. I think I need a tube amp to tone down the slight harshness of Grado.

If you like a more tube like mid range, go for the LT1057 instead. The LT1358 has a very nice, colored mid range that seems to work wonderfully with male vocals. But at the expense on sound stage and details. The LT1358 doesn't show much details and the instrument separation is kinda odd.

Do you think OPA627 in DAC and DY2000 in the headamp is a good combination? That would probably help to tame the OPA627.

Is the DY2000 similar to the LT1057 or the LT1358?

You might want to specify which sound card that you are using. Some sound cards require you to "enable" optical out. Do keep in mind that your soundcard must have either a coaxial or optical output to feed the DAC.

If you have a recent Mac, it's just plug and play. You'll require a mini toslink to toslink cable.