This Amp Hack is Changing the Hifi Industry! No more Gate Keeping
Summary
TLDRThe video enthusiastically promotes upgrading inexpensive class D amplifiers by replacing their operational amplifiers (opamps) to customize and optimize sound. It describes swapping various opamps in an FZYA Audio amplifier, assessing impacts to clarity, warmth, soundstage, etc. The sparkos opamps excel, intensely pulling the listener in with expansive, immersive sound. Opamp rolling mimics changing phono cartridges. Upgrade costs start small, so those with limited budgets can incrementally improve their systems and resell unwanted opamps.
Takeaways
- 😀 These budget amps can be upgraded to get high-end performance for a fraction of the cost
- 🤔 The opamps significantly change the sound characteristics like clarity, warmth, sound stage etc
- 🧐 You only need to change 2-3 opamps in the amps to get most of the benefit
- 😮 The Sparkos opamps gave the biggest improvement in sound stage, imaging and dynamics
- 🤩 The Burson opamps made the sound smoother and more laidback
- 😲 The TI opamps emphasized cleanliness and clarity in the treble
- 🔧 The amps are easy to modify by swapping opamps in sockets on the circuit board
- 💰 Start with cheap amp, upgrade opamps incrementally as budget allows
- 👍 Can resell opamps later if you don't like them after trying out
- ✅ Overall changing opamps is an inexpensive way to tune the sound of budget amps
Q & A
What was the first high-fi product the narrator purchased?
-The first proper high-fi product the narrator purchased was a used 12 watt per channel receiver that cost about $100.
How much power can the class D amplifiers discussed put out?
-The class D amplifiers discussed can put out 70, 80, or 200 watts per channel depending on the power supply.
What does the narrator recommend to help protect yourself from getting hacked?
-The narrator recommends using a quality VPN service like NordVPN to help protect yourself from getting hacked when using public Wi-Fi.
Why does the narrator think upgrading cheap amplifiers makes sense?
-The narrator thinks upgrading cheap amplifiers makes sense because you can upgrade components over time as your budget allows, much like upgrading a car.
Which op amp did the narrator say adds warmth and smoothness?
-The narrator said the Burson Audio V5i dual op amp adds warmth and smoothness, making it good for taming harsh-sounding speakers.
What op amp did the narrator say was his favorite for the amplifier?
-The narrator's favorite op amp for the amplifier was the SparkOS SS3602, which he said made the sound more intense, immersive, and dynamic.
How did the narrator compare op amp rolling to other audio upgrades?
-The narrator compared changing out op amps to changing phono cartridges on a turntable in terms of altering and customizing the sound.
What speaker was used for the op amp comparisons?
-The speaker used for the op amp comparisons was the PSB Alpha 3.
How can readers support the narrator's channel?
-Viewers can support the narrator's channel by signing up on Patreon, using affiliate links, liking videos, subscribing, or sending money via Thanks on YouTube.
What does the narrator recommend listeners do instead of binge watching tv/movies?
-The narrator recommends listeners "binge listen" to music through their favorite new op amp rather than binge watch shows.
Outlines
😊 Introducing Class D Amplifiers That Can Be Hacked for Better Performance
The paragraph introduces new class D amplifiers that provide high power at low cost. These can be hacked and modified, like upgrading components in a cheap sports car, to improve their Hi-Fi audio performance substantially. Different op amps create different sound profiles and can help tailor the amplifiers to one's preferences.
😎 Comparing How Different Op Amps Change the Sound Characteristics
The paragraph describes the author's process for comparing different op amps in an amplifier. Using an amplifier switcher and high quality speakers, the sound character with stock op amps is compared to alternatives like the 1656, Bon v5i, and Sparkos. The Sparkos op amp provides the most intense and immersive experience.
😃 Sparkos Op Amps Take the Amplifier's Performance to the Next Level
The paragraph elaborates on how the Sparkos op amps dramatically improve spatial imaging and dynamics of the amplifier. This creates a more engaging and lively sound. The op amp rolling process allows customizing an amplifier's sound at reasonable cost.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Amplifier
💡Op-amp
💡Soundstage
💡Imaging
💡Dynamics
💡Warmth
💡Clarity
💡Analog
💡Transistor
💡Audiophile
Highlights
These amps like this could be the most important invention in Hi-Fi since the transistor.
You can get started with these amps right away, then hot rod and upgrade them over time as your budget allows.
Upgrading components is common in car culture, but often questioned in audiophile circles. However it allows you to start small and improve incrementally.
All these op amps sound different and provide a way for audiophiles to tune the sound.
The TI NE5532 op amps are very clean and even sounding. Good baseline reference.
The TI OPA1656 adds more clarity, dynamics and treble compared to stock op amps.
The Burson V5i smooths the sound, adds warmth and calms harshness.
The Sparkos Labs op amps greatly improve imaging, soundstage size and dynamics - big upgrade.
Rolling op amps brings tube-like sound tuning without the downsides of tubes.
The OPA1656 brings slightly more air and soundstage space.
The Burson V5i is laidback and relaxed sounding.
The Sparkos op amps make the sound intense, immersive and engaging.
Upgrading allows customizing sound in an incremental way, great for those starting their audiophile journey.
Op amp rolling brings significant sonic changes, like changing phono cartridges.
The Sparkos op amps provide excellent sound quality even with imperfect speakers or rooms.
Transcripts
these amps like this like this could be
the most important invention in Hi-Fi
since the transistor I kid you not
really good it completely changes things
so sit down grab a cup of coffee and
let's talk about how these amps are
changing the entire Hi-Fi industry and
how you can hack them to get even better
performance
[Music]
[Applause]
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[Applause]
[Music]
when I was a kid this my friends was my
first receiver 12 WTS per Channel I paid
about a 100 bucks used for this same
model of receiver in the80s while it
wasn't the first high-fi product I had
ever purchased on my journey it was the
first proper high- five product today
you can get a bunch of these class D
amplifiers for around the same price the
difference is these are putting out 70
880 200 watts per Che Channel depending
upon the power supply these amplifiers
in a way can be hacked with this or this
or even this so let's hack these amps
but first a word from our sponsor to
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today's
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video These are not expensive amps and
some of the op amps I'm going to talk
about today can be fairly expensive
especially when you're buying multiple
opamps and I was talking to one of my
patrons which by the way we have an
awesome community and you should check
it out it's
patreon.com audioman we were talking
about doing upgrades on an amplifier
that turn out to be more expensive than
the amplifier itself kind of like when I
was 16 and I had a $600 stereo and a
$500 car but you see that's kind of the
point when you're first starting out
your Hi-Fi Journey you may not have a
lot of money I know I didn't and with a
product like a fzy AIO za3 or an Aima
a07 Max you can get started right away
with the product but then you can Hot
Rod the heck out of it you can spend a
little or you can spend a lot and in my
experience you will hear a
[Music]
difference my son has a Mazda Miata he
loves it it's kind of a running joke
because every time we talk we're talking
about the next thing that he's upgrading
sway bars coil overs short shifter
steering wheel extension there's so many
things things that you can do to that
car to upgrade it and I think in car
culture everybody upgrades their cars
but in our culture the Hi-Fi the audio
file culture people always get in the
comments and say why would you spend x
amount of money to upgrade $150 an why
not just spend that on something used
well because not everybody has that
money upfront and these can also be run
in mono and stereo so initially you can
run them in Stereo when you get more
money you can run them in mono
and when you save up more money you can
upgrade the opamps the thing about it is
though all these opamps sound different
or they have a different flavor but I
think I found the one that I like the
[Music]
best did a little comparison on the fzy
audio za3 with three different op amps
the sparos Dual op amp SS what is it
3602 the Bon audio V5 ID and this Texas
instrument 6
1956 and the ones that came in the za3
the 5532 also from Texas
Instruments one does not need to change
out all five opam and I didn't I only
changed out three frankly I really only
needed to change out two depends on
whether you're listening through XLR or
RCA so you can keep your upgrade costs
down by only buying the necessary amount
of opamps bored in the py audio za3
really well done it's labeled so you
know exactly which op amp you're
changing out I don't think you need to
change out the subwoofer op amps
personally the stock
5532 off amps have a very clean even
Dynamic Sound compared to something like
the Fato V3 I don't know what opamps are
in the Fato V3 you can change those out
as well the reason why I like the za3
though is because you can run it in mono
so you can add an additional amplifier
improve Channel separation and have a
dedicated power supply appi to each
amplifier anyway that's another video so
the stock op amps super clean but you
don't really know how they sound until
you change them out and compare them
what I did was put them on an amp
switcher so I used the aatika preamp
because it can output to both amplifiers
a and amplifiers B at the same time so I
could use the same Source The Source was
the su1 it's a Dack from smsl about $80
I had a weam pro going into the su1 one
going out to the amplifiers via RCA then
into the amp switcher and then into
these really good PSB Alpha 3 speakers
that's going to be another video so if
you're not subscribed make sure you
subscribe because I got a lot to say
about this PSB
[Music]
speaker the
1656 takes everything the stock op amp
5532 does and turns it up to
11
these count to 11 more clarity more
Dynamics more concentration on the top
end if you're into cleanliness you like
to hear that Reverb and the acoustic
guitar just hang out for a half a second
longer then the 1656 maybe the op amp
for you there's not a huge difference
between the stock op amp and the 1656
but there is one the problem with the
1656 is it does not come on a dip8 and
the dip8 is how you plug the opamp into
the amplifier there will be sockets on
the amplifier board that are dip eight
means eight pins the 1656 at least from
my research comes on a smaller chip that
won't actually fit into the op a
receiver but I did find some options
where the 1656 was already soldered onto
that traditional dip 8 connection the
prices varied widely if you're buying
just a small chip like $2 some of the
ones connected to a dip8 connector were
$17 to $50 a piece if you can find them
new it's a great way and an inexpensive
way to start to roll these off amps and
change out the sound a little
bit the
v5i all right now we're going to warm
things up a little bit this is a Smooth
Operator so you're going to lose Clarity
but you're going to gain flavor and that
flavor is caramel so if you have a
speaker that's a little bit harsh you
want to calm things down a little bit
the buron audio v5i is the way to go
these are all dual opamps by the way so
there's mono opamps and dual for the fzy
audio you want the Dual to get two of
the v5i it's
$79 50 bucks if you only want to get one
so you save a little money by getting
two what really surprised me the most
was how similar I thought these buron
audios were to this Naga Oka phono
cartridge and that's kind of the vibe I
get from changing out opamps is it's
like changing out the phono cartridge on
your turntable but if you want that
laidback sound the Bon is definitely the
way to
go I have two extra ones because sposo
is nice enough to send me five of these
SS 36 O2 opam and this is Far and Away
my choice for the opamps I'm going to
leave in this amplifier long term the
biggest reason why
is
intensity and Sound Stage basically all
of the placement in space things like
Center image things like Sound Stage
height were very noticeable when
comparing the sparkos to the stock off
aims already installed on the fzy audio
za3 livelier punch year I just did a
review on the advanced Paris A10 classic
and I described and if you want to watch
it I'll put it right up here how I
described that amplifier was it was
Lively and that's really the vibe I get
from these Sparkles opamps the sparkos
opamps come in looks like
$798 a piece you buy three of them
that's an extra $240 basically is it
worth it in my opinion yes even on a
speaker that may not resolve everything
perfectly there's still a there's still
an immediate difference in the center
image the center image I'm on my desk
right here the center image is pretty
much at camera angle so where you are
watching me anyway when I switched it to
the amp with the sparkos op amps in it
the center image just went Boop and then
things got deeper and things got wider
and way more Dynamic it was almost like
a switch on a home theater receiver when
you toggle dra or one of the DSP
settings on and off to make things a
little bit wider it was that much of an
improvement base impact also greater but
cleaner so you're getting more
separation in instruments a bigger Sound
Stage a higher Center image a deeper
Sound Stage more base impact highs were
also cleaner and a bit airier more of an
intense sound it almost pulls you in and
makes you listen because it's so Dynamic
and has so much life it's truly amazing
what the sparkos can do to this za3 it
really takes it to the next level I
could go crazy with these comparisons
but it's been a lot of fun just
switching out these opamps and comparing
them to the stock amplifier super broad
Strokes the
1656 adds a little bit more space and
air sonically not incredibly different
from the installed opamps Bon super warm
super laidback sparkos intense larger
more immersive and in my opinion the
sparkos just levels up that high highi
experience and if you don't have a
perfect room or you listen at lower
volumes the sparkos is going to be a
great way to get more immersive sound
and not a huge
premium so these different opamps these
discrete opamps that Bon and sparos are
making these Texas Instruments opamps
really give us the audio file the
customer so many different ways to
listen to our amplifiers this is like
tubes but not terrible and you have
actual power from these really good it's
really
good you want some class D amplifiers if
you're looking for a way to build out
your system incrementally the za3 the A7
Max from Aima the V3 from fzy audio
perfect Foundation you can add another
one and then you can start rolling these
op aims because it is a blast and if you
don't damage your op aims you can
actually resell them if you don't love
them so if you want to support the
channel you can sign up for patreon
patreon.com a man you can use the links
in the description I don't have an
affiliate relationship with sparkos or
Bon or Texas Instruments really please
make sure you like this video And
subscribe if you got any value out of it
you can use the thanks button down at
the bottom of the video send a few
dollars my way buy me a cup of coffee
but don't feel compelled to buy me
anything so don't binge watch anything
on Netflix or Hulu binge listen Maybe
through your new favorite opamp and fill
your soul with happiness and with that
I'm Randy I'm going a cheap Audio Man
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