Collating Favourite OPAs To Replace X-Dac V3 5532

[XTRProf]

sandyk said:

XTRProf
Now that you have come this far, why not go to the next stage and supply it with regulated +-15 or 16VDC ?
Don't forget that the analogue section still has a mediocre unregulated supply.
Alex

That will be in the pipeline when I have the backlot of OPAs to clear and have the time. I will even be comparing regulated and unregulated with maybe a gaint 12,000uF added at the analog stage for unregulated.

[Deleted]

That will be in the pipeline when I have the backlot of OPAs to clear and have the time.

XTRProf
Many modern ICs with their higher slew rates will not perform at their best with such a rudimentary, unregulated power supply as employed by the X-DAC V3. I expect that most sources using these more modern devices will have some kind of voltage regulation for their analogue section.
It is highly likely that the results may be very different, SQ wise, with different ICs when they are fed by a lower impedance, regulated power supply.
Alex

[XTRProf]

sandyk said:

That will be in the pipeline when I have the backlot of OPAs to clear and have the time.

XTRProf
Many modern ICs with their higher slew rates will not perform at their best with such a rudimentary, unregulated power supply as employed by the X-DAC V3. I expect that most sources using these more modern devices will have some kind of voltage regulation for their analogue section.
It is highly likely that the results may be very different, SQ wise, with different ICs when they are fed by a lower impedance, regulated power supply.
Alex

Totally agreed with you at the technical level. But I also wanted all and that is KISS as well as KISS always win sound wise. However, here KISS unregulated with 12,000uF may not be what is expected. Hence, I will implement both to compare. Don't worry I saw you point of view and is always open minded to try anything as long as it is to expectation. I will get back to you when I'm ready for regulated. Most probably, when I have the time, I will do the simple unregulated first after uprating the diodes to 60V 10A schottky diodes. But I need some time to see what's the effect of diode change to see what "improvements" have gone in. Ya, improvements in qoutes as they may be only barely be audible.

Ya, is it true that putting a 100uF low ESR cap like BG across the V+ and V- of the OPAs will also be another way for better stability other than regulation. Your technical comments, please.

[Deleted]

Ya, is it true that putting a 100uF low ESR cap like BG across the V+ and V- of the OPAs will also be another way for better stability other than regulation. Your technical comments, please.

XTRProf
Stable ? Yes. Sound good ? Not necessarily.
I have had excellent results with Elna Starget 100uF capacitors in both sides of the voltage regulators with the X-DAC V3,though.
IMHO, low ESR capacitors should not be used with analogue circuitry. You often end up with metallic sounding treble.
BTW, a well regulated , low impedance supply can work wonders, even with simple circuits as the CMOY amplifier which was featured recently. In conjunction with GOOD power supplies, including the "super regulators" it makes a fine test bed for evaluating opamps.
Leo and Mike should be able to give further details if you haven't seen this project discussed here previously, or can't locate via "search".
Alex

[XTRProf]

sandyk said:

Ya, is it true that putting a 100uF low ESR cap like BG across the V+ and V- of the OPAs will also be another way for better stability other than regulation. Your technical comments, please.

XTRProf
Stable ? Yes. Sound good ? Not necessarily.
I have had excellent results with Elna Starget 100uF capacitors in both sides of the voltage regulators with the X-DAC V3,though.
IMHO, low ESR capacitors should not be used with analogue circuitry. You often end up with metallic sounding treble.
BTW, a well regulated , low impedance supply can work wonders, even with simple circuits as the CMOY amplifier which was featured recently. In conjunction with GOOD power supplies, including the "super regulators" it makes a fine test bed for evaluating opamps.
Leo and Mike should be able to give further details if you haven't seen this project discussed here previously, or can't locate via "search".
Alex

Good, at least now I can compare. So off I go to to get an Elna Audio grade 12,000uf and some BGs 100uF. So a super regulator will be even be better than what you had implemented? Do I need to do all, ie the 2 7805s n the 3.3V regulators to super? Sorry, I had forgotten the 3.3V regulator code.

Nope, I had not seen that discussion. I will search for it though as now I'm off again to somewhere else after having sometime to log in at a public pc to check for emails and, of course, here.

[Deleted]

XTRProf
TBH, I don't believe that super regulators will make for much greater improvement over the outboard dual regulated supply, and the additional regulators for the analogue section.
Don't forget that there isn't a great deal of spare room inside the case. If there was , I would have fitted a JLH shunt regulator for the analogue section.
Alex