[Brinkman]

I plan on putting a handful of op amps I have through some trials to see which I feel are best suited for my upgraded Ripper, but before I start the evaluations, I have a question:
How much is the performance of an op amp affected by the choice of op amps in the other positions? In other words, if I were to evaluate the "sound" of the op amp in the 5th slot (right before the ADC) using my computer for playback, would the choice of op amp in the 6th position (line buffer) influence the qualities of the former? If so, does it also influence the sound of the op amp in the headphone driver position (7th position)?

I'm asking, because I plan on using my computer to evaluate the 5th position, and headphones to evaluate the 6th and 7th.

Thanks,
Brinkman
 

[hagtech]

It depends on what is in front of the opamp in question.  For example, the headphone driver will not affect the phono section.  Or a phono opamp will not affect DAC playback.  The opamps themselves are not interactive with each other, they each contribute their own signature independently.

jh

[Brinkman]

Fantastic!
I've been in home studios where mixing is performed with rather low-end monitors. The thinking being that if a mix can be made to sound good through low-end monitors, it'll sound even better in a real stereo system. Whether this is true or not, it's going to be interesting to hear ripped vinyl through my computer speakers vs. headphones or full system. Moreover, auditioning for the line-buffer position is going to reveal differences between my current downstream components (ST-70 and Klipsch Fortes) and a pair of Grado headphones.

Building your kits is an incredibly educational experience for me. Thanks for that.

I will probably create a poll in the coming months, comparing the same short musical suite ripped through various op amps so I can get others' feedback. Will also help me learn to use Audacity.

-Brinkman