Op-Amp Rolling. Does it make sense?

Hari Iyer

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I have done a couple of op-amp rolling in my DVD & CD player replacing the JRC op-amp with LM4562NA op-amps with good results. I have now ordered a DAC kit which uses a PCM1794 DAC and has an AD827 op-amp in the LF stage. I have yet to receive this and check if op-amp rolling of this with LM4562 or NE5532 will be of any benefits.

Wanted to check with FMs if anyone has done any excessive op-amp rolling exercise and if any major difference in SQ was noticed with it?
 
op amps do change sound but I'd say about 3-4% tops, however someone once told me if I have to do op-amp to change sound, then I have bigger issues than the op amp :p
 
op amps do change sound but I'd say about 3-4% tops, however someone once told me if I have to do op-amp to change sound, then I have bigger issues than the op amp :p

I will love to disagree on this point.. there are Opamps ranging from 100 INR to 5000 INR.

So, it does change the sound, i will say 30%-40%.
 
Opamp rolling is fun:)

I do it all the time. Unless one has a taste for exotics like OPA627 which costs $25 a pop, or other costly ones like AD797 or LME49990, the experiment is cheap enough to have some clean fun.
 
Thanks for all your views.

Coming to the point, will changing AD827 with LM4562 be of any sonic value? The cost involved for this rolling will be approx Rs.800/-.
 
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I will love to disagree on this point.. there are Opamps ranging from 100 INR to 5000 INR.

So, it does change the sound, i will say 30%-40%.

That's what's interesting. Usually the op amp on a device is proportional to it's total value. So if you put a say..150$ op amp on a 100$ device, it cannot deliver more than marginal improvement. The 100$ device will physically not be able to reflect the improvement beyond a small %, it would require better topology, better capacitors, better hardware overall.
 
That's what's interesting. Usually the op amp on a device is proportional to it's total value. So if you put a say..150$ op amp on a 100$ device, it cannot deliver more than marginal improvement. The 100$ device will physically not be able to reflect the improvement beyond a small %, it would require better topology, better capacitors, better hardware overall.

Yes, now it makes sense.

If i put $2 Op-Amp on a $500 portable amp and will change the op-Amp to an expensive like Muses or something else around $100, then there will be 30-40% difference in sound .. do you disagree ? :eek:hyeah:
 
Yes, now it makes sense.

If i put $2 Op-Amp on a $500 portable amp and will change the op-Amp to an expensive like Muses or something else around $100, then there will be 30-40% difference in sound .. do you disagree ? :eek:hyeah:

Lol!

Well, not entirely, because a portable amp's primary components will take up most of the cost, the op-amp would best be around 25$, beyond that you'd get diminishing returns.
 
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