Many audiophiles reject equipment using integrated circuit operational amplifiers op amps preferring discrete circuits. In this tutorial dave explains what operational amplifiers opamps are and how they work. Now theyve decided to start making high end audio equipment themselves using those discrete devices. Open loop configuration the basic comparator circuit is an op amp arranged in the openloop configuration as shown on the circuit of figure 1. Numerous devices that are compatible with these exist on the market, and after buying and evaluating a hand full of them we decided that we could do better. These devices are drop in replacements for many common, yet inferior audio op amps and are uniquely compensated for troublefree swap out into virtually any circuit. An op amp consists of differential amplifier s, a level translator and an output stage. Towards the end of this tutorial note data are presented for a number of other popular general purpose operational ampli ers. Sparkos labs has a 18 page datasheet available in pdf format here. The instrumentation amplifier, which is usually built from three op amps and. You can operate op amp both with ac and dc signals. Similar equations have been developed in other books, but the presentation here emphasizes material required for speedy op amp design. Sparkos labs have been manufacturing discrete op amp and discrete voltage regulator products for high end audio use for around 4 years.
Its just wider, deeper and got the music in more focus. Handbook of operational amplifier applications bruce carter and thomas r. Output shortcircuit current iosc this is the maximum output current that the op amp can deliver to a load. Sparkos discrete opamps ss3601 and ss3602 with comparisons to. Mar 25, 2017 the ss3602 arrived in antistatic bags with pins protected by plastic extenders. Discrete op amps are best op amp for amplifying audio signals. Refer to this note for guidance when using op amps and comparators. The op amp introduction in this chapter we will discuss the basic operation of the op amp, one of the most common linear design building blocks.
I needed a device known to be good, using op amps in sockets and easily obtainable. The symbol of the op amp with the associated terminals and ports is shown on figure 1a and b. Though i tried to push the 804 more with a more stiff power supply the sparkos was superior. Ti precision labs is the electronics industrys most comprehensive online classroom for analog engineers. Hope this helps everyone get more out of their spark amp. Output resistance zoi the resistance seen looking into the op amps output. A discrete high current class a diamond buffer is also included in this stage to drive the low impedance feedback network, and drive the low input impedance of the 2nd stage. The owner then ordered a set of sparkos pro ss2590 discrete opamps. Operational amplifier circuits comparators and positive. In addition to being a practical upgrade component, it outperforms most other dip8 op amps in terms of. Operational amplifier, also called as an op amp, is an integrated circuit, which can be used to perform various linear, nonlinear, and mathematical operations.
Short circuits to vcc or vee may damage the device by overheating if they are prolonged. Note also that all real op amps have a positive and negative power supply terminal, but rarely if ever will they have a separate ground connection. A major concern is to ensure the stability of such a configuration. As with all op amps using a closed loop negative feedback structure, the frequency response for the op amps is set by the loop gain characteristics. The operational amplifier op amp is a voltage controlled voltage source with very high gain. They can be found in virtually all audio gear in the form of tiny integrated circuits. That is for a two input noninverting summing amplifier, the op amps gain is equal to 2, for a three input summing amplifier the op amps gain is 3, and so on. I purchased the sparkos opamps at a reduced rate after. An example of the effect of the slewrate limitation on the output waveshape in a certain finite gain amplifier, realized with op amp. Projects sparkos labs dip8 discrete opamp thanks to its remarkable design and use of the dip8 format, sparkos labss discrete operational amplifiers are some of the smallest commercially available examples, with an ability to integrate into most any circuit that uses an op amp. Sparkos labs has created a family of discrete op amps in an 8 pin dip compatible package optimized for high performance audio applications.
Mar 25, 2017 sparkos labs has created a family of discrete op amps in an 8 pin dip compatible package optimized for high performance audio applications. The op amp is characterized by an openloop gain a and lets assume that the output voltage vo can go all the way to vdd. Discrete op amps do not have these limitations and are a vastly superior opamp for amplifying audio signals than their ic counterparts are. The aries isnt a dac, nor is it a streamer, and it doesnt even have a remote control. A email to the team at maverick audio and the d2 dac was dispatched. The bursons are also much more detailed and revealing. To illustrate the operation of the modular op amp macromodel the values of the block parameters are calculated for the ua741 op amp and used in a series of example simulations. Refer to this note for guidance when using op amps.
It seemed like the sparkos had more control and were more neutral, but with no hence of clinical presentation. We will concentrate on the op amp from the black box point of view. Sparkos ss3602 dual discrete op amp red hill audio. For simulating an op amp circuit where you dont care about the model, insert the generic op amp from the component library. The op amp is one of the basic building blocks of linear design. Another current is assumed to feed from the output back to the inverting input through resistor rf. In practice, the op amp 1 such an op amp generates its own power, has two input pins, an output pin, and an output common pin. On the back of this interest in his op amps, andrew sparks has produced his first mainstream commercial product. Sparkos labs ss3602 dual dip8 discrete operational amplifier dual the ss3602 are dual discrete op amps in an 8 pin dip compatible package optimized. The inputs take no current the output is 106times larger than the difference in input voltages the two golden rules of op amps in negative feedback input currents are 0. I was asking him about what op amps he would recommend for his minimax jr.
The current feedback op amp, developed by texas instruments, provides a very wideband, dc coupled op amp that has the distinct advantage of being relatively gainbandwidthindependent. Operational amplifiers, or op amps are integrated circuits used in audio amplifiers to perform various functions related to audio amplification. The standard symbol for the op amp is given in figure 1. Model of voltage controlled voltage source amplifier op amp, vs is the input signal source, rs is the signal source output resistor, ri is the input resistor of the op amp, ro is the output resistor of the op amp, rl is the load resistor, and av is the amplification factor of. Ss3601 ss3602 sparkos labs ss3601 ss3602 sparkoslabs. They provide performance enhancements that ic op ams are unable to deliver. The ondemand courses and tutorials include introductory ideas about device architecture in addition to advanced, applicationspecific problemsolving, using both theory and practical knowledge. Sparkos ss360x discrete operational amplifiers a definite. Kcl and op amps the number 1 indicates the main node of significance. Sparkos labs ss3602 dual dip8 discrete operational amplifier. The table below details the superior performance of the sparkos labs discrete op amps to an array of audio grade monolithic ic op amps. That unit came with the sonic imagerys 990enh discrete operational amplifier opamp in the buffer stage pre amplifier. These devices are intended for use in professional recording studios, mic amplifiers, eqs, and consoles. How op amps work first, a little tutorial on how op amps work.
Sparkos labs discrete opamp opamp type ss3601 single. Sparkos labs, inc specializes in high end audio systems and discrete op amps and voltage regulator upgrades for hi fi audio use. A differential amplifier, which is a circuit that amplifies the difference between two signals. Op ampsoperational amplifiers introduction to operational. Sparkos labs ss3601 single dip8 datasheet and specifications pdf. An op amp has countless applications and forms the basic building block of linear and nonlinear analogue systems.
The ss2590 pro discrete audio op amp represents everything we ever wanted in an op amp, but were unable to achieve in the ss3601ss3602s smaller package size. Gustard with sparkos labs discrete audio op amps labs, audio, labradors, labrador. Several people have told me i should be getting paid for this th. Absolute maximum rating typical items of absolute maximum rating op amp comparator include the following. This gave me a chance to compare the two in the same platform. The circuit is designed so that the output voltage. The v to i section is comprised of numerous parallel current source biased jfets, and the i to v is accomplished by a sparkos labs ss3601 discrete op amp. Spark is a powerhouse 40 watt combo that packs some serious thunder. The op amp features, and the need for dual power supply for the ic is also explained.
The op amp can be considered to be a voltage amplifying device that is designed to be used with external feedback components such as resistors and capacitors between its output and input terminals. At this node, a current is assumed to leave the inverting terminal v of the op amp and go through ri to ground. Handbook of operational amplifier applications rev. At very low frequencies, the openloop gain of an op amp is constant, but starts to taper off at about 6hz or so at a rate of 6db. Oct 27, 2020 sparkos labs discrete op amps have become popular in the audio community, with folks often using them to replace the standard op amps from texas instruments et al in their headphone amplifiers. Introduction to comparators, their parameters and basic. Check out my thoughts on how it compares with the burson. An op amp tutorial based on material in the book introduction to electroacoustics and audio ampli. Apr 21, 2019 this also goes a long way to explain why it is that sparkos labs advertises the ss360x as a nearly universal swap as its internal compensation negates the need for slew rate, voltage, and gain matching between old and new op amps as is often required if dealing with noncompensated designs nearly all ic op amps are noncompensated designs.
This chapter discusses the characteristics and types of op amps. For months now, they have been developing a phono amplifier product that aims to compete with the best on the market. They can be found in virtually all audio gear in the form of tiny integrated circuits ics like the one laying on its back in the picture. In section 1 the basic operation of the op amp will be discussed. Were far from those cute plastic boxes burson ships their opamps in but im not going to complain since apparently the bags and bubble wrap padded envelope were enough to ensure safe travel across the globe. This ignores the power supply terminals, which are obviously. The ss3602 are dual discrete op amps in an 8 pin dip compatible package optimized.
An op amp may contain a number of differential amplifier stages to achieve a very high voltage gain. An operational amplifier or op amp is simply a linear integrated circuit ic having multipleterminals. Cottage industry is the name of the game, and sparkos labs is an. Operational amplifiers are typically used to provide voltage amplitude changes, oscillators, filter circuits, etc. Sparkos labs have created a following for themselves in audio circles in recent years as purveyors of discrete audioelectrical components in particular, their op amps, and voltage regulators. All of sparkos labs discrete op amps are based on lin 3 stage topology consisting of an input stage differential pair, a gain vas stage, and an output stage all biased in class a mode with two pole. For other op amps, you can insert their spice model, often found on the vendor web site. This is because the currents which flow in each input resistor is a function of the voltage at all its inputs. The harmonic texture seems more complete and realistic compared the the sparkos devices. Op amp basics operational amplifiers are convenient building blocks that can be used to build amplifiers, filters, and even an analog computer. These devices are intended for use in professional recording studios, mic amplifiers, lunch boxes, eqs, and consoles. Operational amplifier circuits comparators and positive feedback. As soon as i knew the sparkos labs discrete op amps were on the way i had to come up with an evaluation platform.
Each circuit is presented as a definitionbyexample. The burson supreme sound op amps deliver a wonderfully deep and rich sound. Oa11 a tutorial on applying op amps to rf applications rev. It also describes about the popularity of th 741 ic, among th different types of op amps available in the market. An operational amplifier, or op amp, is a very high gain differential amplifier with high input impedance and low output impedance. Operational amplifier circuits comparators and positive feedback comparators. Opamp comparator application note operational amplifier,comparator tutorial this application note explains the general terms and basic techniques that are necessary for configuring application circuits with op amps and comparators. So, i buy a pair of their single discrete op amps and wow.
This also goes a long way to explain why it is that sparkos labs advertises the ss360x as a nearly universal swap as its internal compensation negates the need for slew rate, voltage, and gain matching between old and new op amps as is often required if dealing with noncompensated designs nearly all ic op amps are noncompensated designs. A fullrange guitar amp designed for all levels of players. Even the coveted opa627 monolithic op amp, with a price tag of over 25 dollars, has 30db less gain and around twice the noise of the ss3601 ss3602. Review sparkos labs discrete op amps ss3601 tntaudio.
Op amps were originally developed to perform mathematical operations in analog computers, hence the odd name. Introduction op amp topologies op amp structures op amp. The op amp is a device which is designed to be used with negative feedback. With bass, mid and treble tone stack controls, plus handy mod, delay and reverb effects, tone starter preset programs, a builtin tuner, tap tempo and more, youll be blown away by sparks versatility and authentic feel. Ltspice has a library of op amps from linear technologies. Stolp, 42201 rev, 12505 an operational amplifier is basically a complete highgain voltage amplifier in a small package. Here we talk about op amps, discrete op amps, and how to upgrade your audio gear by op amp rolling.
Other parameters like slew rate and maximum bandwidth are tradeoffs with current consumption and the architecture of an op amp. First, the folks at sparko labs are very cool and very patient in answering even the most silly or elementary questions i had. Thanks to its remarkable design and use of the dip8 format, sparkos labss discrete operational amplifiers are some of the smallest commercially available examples, with an ability to integrate into most any circuit that uses an op amp. In its classic form it consists of two input terminals, one of which inverts the phase of the signal, the other preserves the phase, and an output terminal.
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