Introducing Top-of-the-line Audiophile Op Amps!

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Introducing Top-of-the-line Audiophile Op Amps!

Some time ago I recorded video comparing many different Op-Amps to find the best ones for audio.
In that test, I soldered two NE5532 together to get a Super-Opamp. Sonically it was one of the best sounding Op-Amps out of all including discreete ones like Sparkos, Staccato, Burson, LHY, Muses and few others.

Since that time I purchased probably all currently available opamps on the market and in my lab I were working hard to create a true Monster Op-Amp.

My experiments resulted in a series of Four Op-Amps.

Virtual HiFi Supersonic V1, Supersonic V2 and Hypersonic Mono use 2 High End IC Op Amps to double the drive capability and output current.

Virtual HiFi Hypersonic use 4 High End IC Op Amps to quadruple the drive capability and output current.

Virtual HiFi Brute Force One use 8 High End IC Op Amps to octuple the drive capability and output current.

Tracklist
00:00 - Virtual HiFi Opamps introduction
05:29 - Cherry - Hara Noda
08:29 - Falconeer - Lovren
10:29 - World Goes By - Houses On the Hill
13:29 - Love You For It All - Daniel Gunnarsson
16:29 - Hotel Lalo - Harry Edvino
17:59 - Virtual HiFi Opamps

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[konino]

Dear Greg, thank you very much for your excellent job. Great effort, accurate info, and real passion define it. Unfortunately, I can't afford any of your products now, but I appreciate your overall work. Once again, thank you very much, and keep on rockin'!!

[johnkyle-klvk]

Just ordered 4 V2's for my Fosi ZA3 mono blocks! Super stoked to hear the difference. Love your content! You are a true Audiophile!

[johnbravo]

I couldn't tell any difference between them, if there were, they were so subtle, that you would need to be a bat to hear it.

[tallpaull]

Nice, remember I commented on the heat sink idea when you first gave us the news about stacking Op Amps? Maybe I could get a deal... ? would love to try some. I have a pair of Fosi V3 Mono, a pair of Aiyima A70 Mono, and thinking of getting a Fosi ZD3 soon. Either way, good work, good videos..

[bassheadlife]

How does the super sonic v2 compare to the sparkos labs ss3602?

[ancientalien]

I like the op amps but you should just tell us what op amp chips you used in each.

[larsv]

Please compare to the Sparkolabs SS2590 dual opamp.

[peterlarkin]

The current draw on some of these is insane. Many preamp / DAC regulators max out at 500mA and provide power to multiple opamps and other components. The 'Brute Force 1' requires 290mA. Probably worth thoroughly assessing a power circuit's abilities before installing a few of these.

[DacMaster]

Hi! I'm glad that this idea, which I tried and made a video for, now has a factory implementation! Did you manage to find out which op-amps are included in parallel in these assemblies?

For the YT app. Settings - advanced - switch off stable volume may help a bit.

[banginghats]

This is really interesting, I was a serious tweaker back in the eighties to the noughties and this has got me thinking. It's getting a bit like serious overclocking in the computer world. I'm half expecting water cooled amps at some point, LOL!

[everydaylikeasummer]

funny to see how you compare devices on song with dynamic range of few dBs, i think any op amp can do it well in 7-8 bit audio resolution

[KL-kxdj]

Near the table on the left side, I see an IcePower 1200AS2 amplifier. It seems to be a very interesting module. Could you tell me more about it and compare it to other amplifiers?

[RobWhittlestone]

Great work, Greg. They all sound good in different ways.
Perhaps the 8x was my least favourite.
I prefer (without detailed listening) the x2V2 and x4.
All the best, Rob in Switzerland

[phillipmorris]

Your a genius, thank you.
I would like to see more about what looks to be some interesting power supplies you have there on my left.
This 1 is tough, I'm leaning toward v2 but not sure, i think i would need to hear 15 - 30s clips with time stamps of each to compare.

[voiceofreason]

This op-amp upgrade is new to me and since I watched one video, YouTube now wants me to watch them all as that's just about the only thing that comes up on my feed!

The newbie question is, does my high end Denon 6700H AVR use op-amps? Feel free to tell me what I need to know.

[SERKAN_HOT]

Dude, you're doing great things, BRAVO 👋👍

[ThorstenBude]

For me it's a bit like comparing record player cartridges. The V1 reminds me of the famous Denon DL 110. Natural and very good resolution. I like them all in their own way. Listened with quadral titan mk iv speakers. Switches modified in the crossover with Mundorf Capacitors for the good TH800. Its a legenary ribbon tweeters by Technics . Dac Playmate with v6 vivid and v6 classic. Funny that I can also hear the differences with Burson. Thanks for the introduction

[fx-studio]

From the slew rate (27 V/μs) and distortion I am guessing that they are all based on the OPA1612, except the SUPERSONIC-V1 which is based on the OPA1642 - 20V/μs. They are OK Opamps the OPA1612 is used in the Topping Pre90 for example, but they are too slow for audiophile use where the 150μS of the OPA627 and OPA828 reign supreme. Personally I would only use them for the filtering not amplifying stages.

I think the noise reduction is working like Summing Opamps together - whereby multiple Opamp circuits are designed in parallel with each other but with double the supporting discrete components (resistors/ caps) as well. In summing, both Opamps have the same function but any noise generated by one will be slightly different from the other and as a result when they are summed together it will be cancelled out.

From what I can hear it all sounds a bit average - I'd like to know what is the ADC audio interface you are using?
Because if that's got a load of meh opamps and ADC in it, that will be bottlenecking the sound we are hearing.

[matytinman]

My real-time impressions. Magnat MA 900 (mod) in Direct OFF (JJ 12AT7 preamping). Convolution with brightness at 6.5kHz, +0.3dB, Q=2. KEF Q100 5.25" coaxial (mod) in near field. With Kimber Kabnle 8PR cables, now with 5 mm cotton rope inside (as Danny Richie suggested weeks ago and does with his cables, with similar geometry to Kimber's).

05:29 - Cherry - Hara Noda
Super Sonic V2 - the best, more musical

08:29 - Falconeer - Lovren
Super Sonic V2 - the best, more musical

10:29 - World Goes By - Houses On the Hill
Super Sonic V2 - the best, more musical

13:29 - Love You For It All - Daniel Gunnarsson
Super Sonic V2 - the best, more musical

16:29 - Hotel Lalo - Harry Edvino
Super Sonic V2 - the best, more musical

Super Sonic V2 - 10 points (more bass, highs OK)
Super Sonic V1 - 8 points (more highs, too much with your speakers)

👉Hypersonic and Brute Force one - UNREAL SOUND, not credible. It is the same thing I notice in most 24/192 vinyl rips, too much spatiality, not credible, liking it better in 24/96 FLAC 0. Sometimes it is not like that, I have to decide in each rip