i was planning to use this setup for the preamp in a DJ mixer that i'm about to embark on building. The site suggests either NE5532 or OPA2134 to be used as the opamps for the pre. then i stumbled upon this website, which puts those (among others) in the "OpAmp list of shame"

while i'm not about to spend $60 on a pair of these opamps anyways, i'd like to have some clarification on what this site is saying. are they just trying to push their own shit?

are there better opamps to use for a phono pre?

while there might be *some* difference, i'd go with the OPA2134 amps. Burr Brown makes some good stuff. plus, i'd have a REALLY hard time justifying that much of a cost difference for a couple of op-amps, especially when most people use the BB amps when they upgrade from stock amps anyways.

if you look at the part numbers for their "high performance" parts, each of the part numbers (like the OPA627) are also available from Burr-Brown (now owned by texas instruments). they're like $12/chip from TI, but hey, there might be some difference. (and it's a hell of a lot better than paying $74/chip. that's just silly).

http://focus.ti.com/docs/prod/folders/print/opa627.html

the other 2 part numbers listed on the site are Analog Device parts.

they're just charging you more for having the cute little adapter board to allow for a surface mount SO-8 package to be dropped into a DIP-8 socket.

if you're curious, i'd buy some of the pricier amps and try them out (not from that crappy site. buy from either TI or AD). but, i think that for what you're looking to do, the OPA2134 should be just fine.

if you do listening tests between them, let me know how they turned out. i'd be curious.

-mikeC

For what it's worth:

I built that exact same circuit (the one from sound.westhost.com), using 2134s. I didn't try comparing the 2134s with any other op-amps, but the phono amp sounded very good. I have a Hagerman Technology Oboe preamp, with which my home-made preamp competes admirably.

I've never found any reason to doubt the 2134; the "list of shame" is just silly.

naoko wrote:For what it's worth:

I built that exact same circuit (the one from sound.westhost.com), using 2134s. I didn't try comparing the 2134s with any other op-amps, but the phono amp sounded very good. I have a Hagerman Technology Oboe preamp, with which my home-made preamp competes admirably.

I've never found any reason to doubt the 2134; the "list of shame" is just silly.

excellent. for now i'm going to stick with the 2134.

maybe later i'll try the other ones out, but i gots ta get to scratchin as fast as possible. (heh)

That list of shame is silly.
I would use the machined pin sockets so you can swap amps easier. We use the Mill-Max low profile sockets (not gold plated). They make a wonderful connection.
If you're curious-
www.mill-max.com
Stay away from the flat tab, Radio Shack style sockets.

I personally would stick with what is cheap but decent, and the 5532's fit into this category. They get a bad press from HiFi gurus but they are used in tonnes of mic preamps - Maudio, Digidesign, Tascam to name a few (Did mackie not use them too?). Anyway, Circuit design is more important than op-amp choice. Great opamps in a crap circuit will sound crap. If you were really wanting a great, highend preamp then you would probably go discrete anyway.

naoko wrote:For what it's worth:

I built that exact same circuit (the one from sound.westhost.com), using 2134s. I didn't try comparing the 2134s with any other op-amps, but the phono amp sounded very good. I have a Hagerman Technology Oboe preamp, with which my home-made preamp competes admirably.

I've never found any reason to doubt the 2134; the "list of shame" is just silly.

hey, what wattage did you use for your resistors?
i couldn't find any information about that on the site.

also, did you use the updated wiring for the opamps?

thanks

GL wrote:I personally think the webiste in question is way off base. I have done a
lot of work with all of the aforementioned chips and in a lot of circuits and while my experience with 627's (and the others mentioned) is that while
they are all capable of excellent sound quality they are certainly not
universally better than the OPA604 or 2134. Nor do those ICs belong in
"the hall of shame". If the 2134 does not produce excellent sound quality
its because the designer doesn't know how to use it. (this from an admitted tubeaholic and discrete circuit nut). Even a few highly regarded hi end audiophile preamps use these. And the prices they are charging for a chip with an adaptor. The "627 is 20 some dollars at Digi Key. So fifty something for the adaptor!?

The 553x or 2134 should work great for your purposes. I have found the
2134 quite easy to work with. Go for it.

I still don't have a clue as to what wattage the resistors and capacitors should be (maybe it's just the resistors.. i don't remember and am too lazy to check the site right now)...

any insight into that would be much appreciated (or into what different wattages will accomplish, how and why they will or won't work for what i'm doing, etc.)

thanks

from the picture of the assembled unit on the website, all the resistors look like 1/4 watt, 1% resistors. probably over-designed, but it won't hurt.

capacitors typically have voltage ratings instead of power (wattage) ratings. i'd say buy 50V caps and you should have tons of margin.

i was thinking of buying this kit too. it doesn't come with a parts list or a bill of materials or anything?