Xonar DX

greenhorn said:
Got info from naga that it would cost ~6k via KMD (he's planning to buy 2 )
Click to expand...
The price is an approximation from my side:bleh: . Kmd should be able to get it for less. Didn't ask for a quote as I want to clear some deals with kmd before getting a proper quote.

My apologies to kmd and everyone here for any misunderstanding :)
 
From what ive heard that Barracuda is all marketing no talk, while the Xonar seems to be decent. Wait for the experts to reply tho
 
nothing is said about the op amps on the card, but from the pics i gathered that they're NE5532. they're good enough for me. The review just says that the DAC's are good. Even the best DAC can sound crappy if it is buffered by a lame op amp :P
 
The 5532 was a great opamp for audio. Ten years ago.

I switched out the 5532s in my Delta66 for LM4562. The difference is spectacular. This is connected to good speakers which will reveal the differences.

The 5532 does duty in my (now Vandal's) modded MX5021. Compared to the stock 4558 opamps, they are spectacular. But really good units such the 4562 would be wasted in the MX5021, as the following stages are low quality and would degrade the sound.

The whole chain matters, really.

NE5532 = $0.50

OPA2134 = $2.50

LM4562 = $5.50

The card is built to a price point. Thank God it doesn't have 4558 opamps which are the bane of audio, and the first choice of manufacturers. they cost 10 cents each, and are exactly worth that.
 
hey sangram, you forgot about the AD8066 and OPA637, aren't they supposed to give more detail than LM4562?

btw, i am new to this stuff and wud really prefer a tutorial from brethren here than from diyAudio.
 
1. The 637 is mono, and needs a gain of >5 to work properly. It is not pin-compatible with these.

2. Opamp rolling is subject to taste. There's no way to find which is the best save for rolling a few types. I don't have the time or inclination to do so, I just put in the lowest distortion spec part I can find at the target price. With the kind of downstream chain most people would connect such cards to, I suspect the difference between high-end opamps would be minimal, though the upgrade itself would be of substantial impact.
 
Back
Top