Opamp rolling

[prerich]

Originally Posted by Badas

Ohh Yeah! You bet I will.

I will listen to the stock tubes and then ask on the forums what tubes do what to the sound signature.

I want something dirty.

Deep bass (gotta hear the individual notes tho), Bloated mid-range and lazy treble.

It won't be accurate at all and that will be the point. It will suit Jazz / Blues. Everything else can be listened using my Oppo HA-1.

Well I don't know if they fit - but if you want dirty, gritty, deep bass, bloated mids, and lazy treble...the A028 for the preamp in the Hammond B3 fits the bill!!!! LOL!!! Johnathan Butler had a cut on an album he put out about 2 years ago that featured a grimmy B3! I loved it!!! Everything else was clear and clean until that B3 hit certain chords (that's not a mistake - that was purposful). On a Kirk Whallum cut (Ta-Ta ya) I can actually hear the organist flipping his slider bars - too cool!

The Muses seem to be very musical (pun not intended). The OPA 2132P's are kinda analytic - but mates well with the Muses02 - I've got to wait until my 8920's to get here to listen to a fully Muse'd out Xonar Essence ST. I think it will be a fine match indeed!

Can't wait for you to experiment with your new head-amp!!!!!

[Badas]

Originally Posted by prerich

Well I don't know if they fit - but if you want dirty, gritty, deep bass, bloated mids, and lazy treble...the A028 for the preamp in the Hammond B3 fits the bill!!!! LOL!!! Johnathan Butler had a cut on an album he put out about 2 years ago that featured a grimmy B3! I loved it!!! Everything else was clear and clean until that B3 hit certain chords (that's not a mistake - that purposful). On a Kirk Whallum cut (Ta-Ta ya) I can actually hear the organist flipping his slider bars - too cool!

The Muses seem to be very musical (pun not intended). The OPA 2132P's are kinda analytic - but mates well with the Muses02 - I've got to wait until my 8920's to get here to listen to a fully Muse'd out Xonar Essence ST. I think it will be a fine match indeed!

Can't wait for you to experiment with your new head-amp!!!!!

Thanks for the recommendation. Do you know the name of the album?

[prerich]

Originally Posted by Badas

Thanks for the recommendation. Do you know the name of the album?

The gritty B-3 is on Johnathan Butlers album "Grace and Mercy". Kirk Whallum's "The Gospel According to Jazz Part II" is a monster of an album.

[Badas]

Originally Posted by prerich

The gritty B-3 is on Johnathan Butlers album "Grace and Mercy". Kirk Whallum's "The Gospel According to Jazz Part II" is a monster of an album.

Thanks heaps for that. I like hearing what others like listening to. I will put them on order.

Someone I would highly recommend from my part of the world is Gin Wigmore. She is amazing. Not sure that her albums are that easy in other parts of the world tho.

She makes the famous Lorde (also from New Zealand) look like an absolute amateur.

Also very easy on the eyes as well.

[prerich]

OK - i'm preparing my review of the op-amps that I've tried so far. These will include the Muses02 (the best so far), OPA2132P, OPA2107, LM4562, and the generic op-amps that came with the sound cards. If everything works out ok, besides the above op-amps, I will also review op-amp combos (to include the Muses8820/8920's when they get in from AudioTrak). Even better folks is a possible review of the Burson Op-amps if everythink works out ok.

The Burson's are physically in another league when it comes to op-amp construction. Their difference is that most op-amps are based on IC chips whereas the Burson's are based on discrete circuits. This will be a major upgrade and I'd love the possible opportunity to compare these side by side. I'm really excited about putting the Burson's against the Muses - that would fun!

[Johnny Vinyl]

[prerich]

Originally Posted by Johnny Vinyl

I'm holding my review...the Burson's were mailed out yesterday!!!!! I'm going to do comparison's and do a big review!!!!

So far if I were to rank op-amps - from what I have experienced

1. Muses02 (8820 and 8920 haven't gotten here yet) natural - wide open and spacious - warm character (I'd call them the Audio Note of op-amps...they just make music pleasant to listen to).

2. OPA2132p - very analytic, very detailed, paired up very well with the Muses Op-amp

3. LM4562 - Very spacious (almost too much for my taste). This is the op-amp of choice for my surround channels. It also provides some of the best bass slam of the op-ams that I've tried. I could actually go with these op-amps in every slot and be satisfied...until I heard the Muses.

4. OPA2107 - worked very well in the buffer slot of my ST. Like the OPA2132p it was very detailed up top - a little lean to me in the mid-lows and didn't have the bass weight of the LM4562 but the bass was tight.

I'm excited about the Burson's coming to the house!!!! They will receive their own review (this is not a review of the others either - just enough to wet your appetite)! The discreet or discrete (which ever way it's spelled kinda like theatre and theater) circuit design is something I'm looking forward to. These will be the new second generation Burson op-amps. I'm considering having a friend bring his Oppo 103 over for a comparison (we'd just disconnect my music drive - and connect it to the Oppo, and the Oppo to the amps - using the Oppo as a prepro). That would be something - if a PC could get close to the performance of an Oppo (I actually believe it can exceed it - with the right configuration).

[Badas]

^

You are as mad as the guys who get into Tube rolling. I love it.

My Woo is coming this week. I will have to resist what you are doing and use the stock tubes. My wallet has gone on strike.

[prerich]

Still waiting for the op-amps to get here!!! I wonder how big the Burson's will be (discreet circuts)?!!!! I've seen a few people that have modded their STX/ST sound cards with Burson op-amps. Some love - some don't - I think it has to do with the combination (the one negative I found didn't replace all three op-amps - due to cost). I will be replacing all of the op-amps for a solid Burson output. I'm also still waiting on my Muses 8820's and 8920's from Audiotrak!!!!

[prerich]

Originally Posted by Badas

^

You are as mad as the guys who get into Tube rolling. I love it.

My Woo is coming this week. I will have to resist what you are doing and use the stock tubes. My wallet has gone on strike.

Naw...once you buy a piece of new gear that's up-gradable or tweak-able, your wallet starts having contractions!

[Badas]

Originally Posted by prerich

Naw...once you buy a piece of new gear that's up-gradable or tweak-able, your wallet starts having contractions!

You must have read my mind. Already purchased some rectifier tubes and eying up some 1942 WW2 power tubes.

Unfortunatly my Woo is delayed another week.

[prerich]

Originally Posted by Badas

You must have read my mind. Already purchased some rectifier tubes and eying up some 1942 WW2 power tubes.

Unfortunatly my Woo is delayed another week.

Told ya!!! Hey, the 8920's arrived today!!!! Still waiting on the Burson's!!!!

[Johnny Vinyl]

Originally Posted by prerich

Told ya!!! Hey, the 8920's arrived today!!!! Still waiting on the Burson's!!!!

Are you sure Andre Marc send them out yet? Seems to be taking forever.

[prerich]

Originally Posted by Johnny Vinyl

Are you sure Andre Marc send them out yet? Seems to be taking forever.

Yes, I got an email from Burson telling me they were mailed out. I just got my Muses from Audiotrak and that was from oversees. I'm giving it this week they sould be here. I'll email my contact at Burson and see if he has a tracking number.

I will say this .... If they can beat the muses combo, they are truly great, because I'm loving the Muses 02/8920 combo!!!!!

[prerich]

Originally Posted by Johnny Vinyl

Are you sure Andre Marc send them out yet? Seems to be taking forever.

makes sense now Johnny....they are coming from Melbourne, Australia!!!!!

Badas! That's close to your neck of the woods! Can't wait till your Woo gets in! Let the tweaking begin!

[Badas]

Originally Posted by prerich

makes sense now Johnny....they are coming from Melbourne, Australia!!!!!

Badas! That's close to your neck of the woods! Can't wait till your Woo gets in! Let the tweaking begin!

Yeah Burson is in Melbourne I think. Damn their stuff is suppose to be great. My Woo is in Australia waiting to be shipped. Had big problems getting it. I was told it was in store and when I got there it was the wrong order.

[prerich]

Originally Posted by Badas

Yeah Burson is in Melbourne I think. Damn their stuff is suppose to be great. My Woo is in Australia waiting to be shipped. Had big problems getting it. I was told it was in store and when I got there it was the wrong order.

The kangaroo has made a delivery.....The Burson's have arrived!!!!!!!!

[Johnny Vinyl]

Originally Posted by prerich

The kangaroo has made a delivery.....The Burson's have arrived!!!!!!!!

Sweet!

[Badas]

[Badas]

Look what arrived: