Background
I do own/have owned discrete(ish) devices (R2R dacs, Sapphire discrete amp etc) and loved the analog sound out. I primarily use iems and headphones and have done a fair share of opamp and tube rolling on dacs and amps.
I had read up a lot of blogs about discrete opamps, and I wanted to see what the fuss was about. I had also read a lot of reviews calling out that the discrete opamps have more noise due to the design than tightly packed single die IC opamps. In order to satisfy this itch, I ordered the Sparkos dual discrete opamps from the manufacurer site directly. A couple of weeks later, I received it in a simple but well protected packaging.
Disclaimer: All devices mentioned in the review were purchased by me, and dont have any influence or compensation of any kind from anyone else.
Platform
I am partial towards my old Xduoo XD05 (original version), as it provides me an excellent platform to test out different opamps, while supporting high bitrates, while also providing a powerful amp section.
The XD05 with the LM 6172 was my preferred dacamp of choice, with the Hifiman Arya being the transducer to validate the chain.
I had to use another dip switch to provide some height to the opamp DIP on the board, (hack, yes, but easier than having to move the capacitors out to make space. This worked well, btw). Once the second dip adapter was added, I was able to install the Sparkos with no further issues.
What did the Sparkos do?
I had to put the amp on high gain, keep the bass on low (to prevent a Protect being triggered).
The LM6172 made the soundstage spacious with good sparkle on the treble. It made an otherwise ordinary dacamp to a fantastic dacamp. This is easily my favorite recommendation over bursons (v5i or v6).
In comes the sparkos. In terms of drivability, the sparkos offered the same output levels as the LM6172. However, what it added was magical. There was a very analogy sound from the amp. The lows were nicely rendered with a little bit of smoothness over the clinical sound from the LM6172.
The mids got a lot of support and male and female vocals sounded full and rich.
String instruments were more lifelike (slightly less treble than the 6172, but more real). The plucks felt real, the violin felt emotional in a way that the LM6172 hasnt.
The soundstage was very similar to the LM 6172. Wide open with a lot of air. This is incredibly close to the R2R sound. All the talk about noise being added to the stage goes through the window. Noise is still sound, and some of it added to the "Patina". The music became more lifelike. What is not to like about this..
And then the realization sunk in. I cant close the case of the xduoo as the opamp projects out from the dimensions of the case. Well.. I guess you cant have em all.
Comparisons with Orange Dual Discrete Opamps
I had ordered the Orange dual discrete opamps and coincidentally, received the Orange on the same day as the Sparkos. This made comparisons much more easier! Talk about luck.
(
https://orangeamps.com/product/op-amp/)
The Orange layout is more vertical than horizontal. (Pics will be updated later today). This allowed me to plug the Orange straight into the primary DIP socket.
In terms of sound, the Orange has a more active treble (sizzly), and a slightly better soundstage.
Both opamps are brand new and havent been used for more than an hour in total. I will update back once I have used them for sufficient time.
Comparisons with NewClassD Dual Discrete Opamps Ultimate Edition (2021 version)
I had ordered the NewClassD 2021 edition from Lars (
https://www.newclassd.com/index.php?page=125&hv=1) and had an excellent turnaround! Thanks Lars!
The NewClassD is the largest among the opamps that I have tested, dwarfing the Orange even. It also has LEDs on to indicate operation. Again, I havent used the opamp for more than 5 hrs (similar to the other opamps).
Overall, the NewClassD is a lot more V shaped, with emphasized bass with a lot of detail in the upper mids and treble sections. As a result, the mids are pushed back a bit. The stage is as wide as the other 2 opamps, with lower current draw ( the XD05 did not go into protect mode even on very high volumes with high gain and high bass). This was promised as per the update from Lars, and it does hold out the promise well.
The notes are very rich and organic, with excellent heft. Layering is excellent too, with equal performance from all 3 opamps.
Conclusions
I will recommend the discrete opamps for someone that has a platform that supports opamp rolling and is looking for an analog sound on the cheap (in comparison to a discrete amp or an R2R dac).
My personal preference, and this is quite subjective to the device and music used.
Sparkos > NewClassD > Orange, by very slight margins.