OPAMPs and AMPs?

Over the summer I'm going to grab some new OPAMPs for my auzentech forte. Currently torn between the AD8620BR or the OPA627 SuperChips and pair them with some new Grado 125is. But I'm wondering what the difference is between OPAMPs and your normal AMPs?

People say they can tell the difference. Many reviews support those claims as well.

Cheers on input.

NS ratio?

op-amps = operational amplifiers, those cute little IC (integrated circuit) packages that usually contain a series of transistors in a voltage gain (amplifier) configuration (oscillator circuits are also common).

amp = ? as a 4th year electrical engineering student i have never heard that term used to describe, what i think you are using it to describe, or contrast from an op-amp.

of the two op-amps you linked the 627 seems better on paper, faster response time, less noise/hz at listening frequencies (though both values are pretty much negligible to one another in comparison, i'm not an audiophile), but that's on paper and can vary significantly in application.

*edit* after looking at the card it looks like they let you replace the opamp/s for the headphone amplifier circuit. cool. its however uncool that the auzentech site sells their opamps for 3-4 time markup from what mouser does. for example $250 for the 627sm from them, ouch! its $80 bucks from mouser, or 45 for the 627AM which i would say with some degree of certainty you probably couldn't hear the difference (though again i'm not an audiophile) *you could also send Texas instruments an email and ask for a 'sample', never hurts to ask right?* **side note you will have to get 2 opamps for both channels in stereo but still, it's considerably cheaper . **

Thanks for the info. And you work in the field too, niiice. I'm trying to get into Aerospace engineering.

So I guess an amp (amplification) is just short for op-amp? Typically, I hear that "amps in a receiver tend to be better then a sound card" while the amps on the soundcard are called op-amps.

Cheers for the info. It looks like I can get the 627 on a dual slot opfor a solid price of 50 bucks. Not bad compared to the stock ones.

Domino said:

So I guess an amp (amplification) is just short for op-amp? Typically, I hear that "amps in a receiver tend to be better then a sound card" while the amps on the soundcard are called op-amps.

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kind of, an op-amp is just a voltage amplification device. they can be configured in many ways using resistors/inductors/capacitors to act as oscillators, amplifiers, and signal filters so they're not limited to sound or simple amplification (though all their functions resound from the fact they are differential amplifiers, basically sense two input voltages and output a voltage based on the inputs). but when it comes down to it, an op-amp is nothing more than a small neatly packaged configuration of transistors. for referencing vacuum tubes of old act in much the same way solid state transistors work today though slower (also why you still see them in audio applications and not used inside your computer)

Cheers for the info. It looks like I can get the 627 on a dual slot opfor a solid price of 50 bucks. Not bad compared to the stock ones.

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before jumping in on it just be sure you are getting what you need for the board. the 627's should be purchasable in the cylindrical can or 8-pin dip packaging. there are datasheets for the devices freely available on the net so check them out before pulling the trigger.

best of luck to ya.