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Not only what listening environment outside of an anechoic chamber has 120
dB dynamic range, but also what recording environment?  I'd imagine the
breathing of the musicians would be well above that!

True, a mic pre-amp is a much more demanding application for an op-amp than
a line-level buffer.  Still, I'd be more concerned with the slew rate
limits of the 5532.  In my mind, the whole idea of DSD is to capture
transient information (at least that's what I hear with DSD or higher
sample rates, or direct-to-disc recording for that matter.)  I haven't done
the math though - maybe 9V/uS is fast enough, even at 5.6 MHz sample rate.

Ellis


On Fri, Oct 25, 2013 at 4:19 PM, Tom Fine <[log in to unmask]>wrote:

> You two are more expert than I, but I think a 5532 is fine in this
> application because you have built-in level limits by the nature of digital
> zero. So as long as you can design your analog sections to accomodate low
> distortion at digital zero (and leave a few dB headroom for over-sample
> problems with rate and format conversions), then I'm not sure what audible
> differences there would be in using a designer chip. Aren't the designer
> chips more appropriate for mic preamps or inside condenser mics?
>
> With the high-resolution formats in the download world, I'm starting to
> see marketing again based on crazy claims of dynamic range. Benchmark, a
> company that can stand on its reputation, showed a new power amp at the AES
> Convention. Their marketing hook is that they can demonstrate something
> like a 120dB range from their noise floor to whatever distortion figure
> they find objectionable. But, what listening environment outside of an
> anacholic chamber has 120dB dynamic range? And what music that provides any
> pleasure needs 120dB dynamic range? It's not good for your ears to be
> exposed to 120dB above silence, but no one seems to talk about that. I
> remember the dynamic range claims with early digital, which definitely had
> a lower noise floor than any tape recorder. The problem was, when there was
> sound, it often wasn't as good as the sound coming off the allegedly noisy
> tape.
>
> -- Tom Fine
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Paul Stamler" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Friday, October 25, 2013 6:48 PM
> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] $1K DSD recorder
>
>
>
>  On 10/25/2013 4:28 PM, Ellis Burman wrote:
>>
>>> But it's funny how manufacturers are still touting the NE5532 op-amp.  I
>>> used them over 25 years ago in my designs for Quad Eight.  They're fine
>>> (a
>>> lot of legendary consoles used them - Neve, Quad Eight, SSL, etc) but
>>> there
>>> are many better op-amps available now.
>>>
>>
>> Yes, the good ol' 5532  has been surpassed in many ways by more recent
>> designs -- but for an excellent balance of low noise and clean performance
>> *at low price*, it's hard to beat.
>>
>> Peace,
>> Paul
>>
>>
>>


-- 
Ellis
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