I stumble down a fcking rabbit hole right now. And if it were the 2010s I just wouldn't have to, and it sucks.
It started innocent. Bought a cable for my headphone, one I could just yank into my computer. Thought I might go for a usb-c cable with integrated converter dac and amp. Because I wouldn't need that much output. How hard could it be?
Got that, it sounded like shit, no problem I sent it back.
So I ordered some of one of those usb-c to 3,5mm jack dongles with a little case and a piggie tail. Those have 2 to 3 chips in there and enough space to get a decent implementation in there. How hard could it be, my Nokia 5800 sounded terriffic, right?
Long story short: Most had the same problem (absolutely no dynamics, like it was compressed, no bass, and they were nasty... you know, that 5k nasty cheap condensers have).

Oh, I forgot, disclaimer: We are talking driving a 32ohm headphone. Something a handcrank should handle.

I remembered I had one of those dongles somewhere, one I liked. Went digging. Found it in an drawer.
Surprisingly: That one DOES sound decent. None of the problems the modern ones have. Bought it about 8 years ago, and no, that one is not available any more. The chipset is EOL (some Realtek stuff).

Then I paniked a little. I don't use headphones that often. When I do its on a Yamaha Amp from 2007 or a store brand headphone amp from 2017. So.. is it possible any off the shelf solutions a manufacturer can choose today are bad sounding dac/preamp sets that are optimized for using as little power as possible while compromising quality?
I started checken my outboard interfaces. The most modern ones were a steinberg (yamaha) usb-c interface with 2 mic inputs and a Presonus one, that 'go' thingie. Yes, these sound like shit to over headphone.
Checked back with a fcking behringer u-phoria 204 from 10 years ago (60 bucks and still available): That one sounds terriffc!

After opening everything and spotting the chipsets I found something interesting:
The ones I like most (the behringer thingy for 60 bucks and the store brand headphone preamp) amplify oldschool. The Behringer seems to use some opamp and the store brand cranks old school to 11: it's got four of those 3 legged descrete transistors we had in our walkmen.

But there were decent digital amps as well. Like the usb-c dongle form 8 years ago or the pioneer amp my girlfriend uses. But these are from 2010 to ?? (lockdown?). And Stuff since covid seems to be trash.
Sure there might be good but expensive solutions (I guess?), it's just like: I am happy with 4 transistors that are worth cents. Do I really have to buy something for several hundreds of bucks to get measly 10 to 20000hz up to some hundreds milliwatts?
What am I gonna do when the tech I use now dies?
Soldering opamps to a brassboard?

 

Soldering is indeed the answer you are looking for. If you have any experience with soldering, I would find a DIY kit. I can't recommend any, but I know that I have seen them for sale over the years. You could also even likely design your own with the help of AI. Either using protoboard, or getting a small run of pcb's made.

What i would do, is find a DIY kit thats not too expensive and has good reviews. Then chat with AI and give it the specs of your kit, and see if there are any components you can swap out or add to make the kit even better. Either higher quality components (that are available for purchase on mouser etc, not some unicorn fairy dust component thats impossible to find), or different value components depending on your needs.

This sort of thing is extremely rewarding. Not only do you save money, but you get a great piece of gear, customized to your needs, that you built. Its a fun project, and gives you a one-of-a-kind piece of gear.

 

Head‑Fi.org is a great site for people with your headphones and cables affliction. They have a good DIY subforum.

 

I don't wanna be like that... I hate that. I ordered 4 different opamps today. I don't wanna be that stupid idiot who sais stuff like 'I like the soft silky touch of the OPA2134 and prefer it over the analytical sound of the LM4562". Just thinking of that makes me puke. Plus there is a huge chance of being all that bullshit with a lot of self hypnosis.
But I try doing it the right way. I teach girlfriend how to swap them and then good luck with a blind test, brain.

 

A little follow up:
I ordered some DAC with built in headphone amp from Amazon. Nothing fancy, the usual USB plus spdif opt/coax input on one side and headphone out on the other side. About 65 bucks. I chose one with a sockeded opamp.
Read a lot about "opamp rolling" the act of switching opamps. Educated people say that in a good circuit design it should not make a difference what opamp is in there.
I ordered 3 different opamps from mouser because most people write that with ebay and amazon chances are high to get fakes. Price range from 50 cent to 7 bucks per chip.
I wanted to have one absolute "high-end" type as well, because, fuck why not - that one would have been 21 bucks. That one was canceled by mouser. The page says its available though. I guess it's a type that could be used to build an atom bomb and that is why it's not allowed to be sent to europe.

So together with the type the machine came with I had 4 different opamps.
(I could have ordered one more, but people described the sound as 'overly analytical (harsh that means)' and that is exactly what I do not want.

I did not have to use my partner for blind tests because the type print was so small I could not see what I put in there.

Outcome: They were different, I would not say a huge difference, but big enough for me to clearly prefer one over others.
So I put them in a line from 'liked best' to 'liked least'. To my surprise the common descriptions one can find online match my blind-test notes.

NE5532 The one I like best. It is the cheapest, about half a buck. Nice round low end and soft top end.
People online say:
The NE5532 has been the studio standard for decades. Its neutral, no-nonsense sound is found in everything from recording consoles to DACs. It’s clean, stable, and affordable — a perfect baseline for comparison.

OPA2134 My number 2. Bass not as low as NE5532, rather an 'american sound' with strong low mids/upper bass. Top end ok, similar to the NE5532.
People online say:
A favorite among audiophiles seeking warmth and musical flow. The OPA2134 produces rich mids and silky highs, making it ideal for taming bright or analytical systems.

LM4562 I don't like that one.
There is nothing 'soft and gentle' about the high frequencies.
I would describe the top and as 'too fast' for me. Perfect for people who like Adam monitoring (Not meant as a bashing, just what one prefers).
People online say:
The LM4562 delivers deep bass, pinpoint imaging, and a wide soundstage. Its dynamic punch makes it a favorite in headphone amps and modern DACs.

4. LME49720 My least favorite. The opposite of 'Warm'.
Thats the one the device came with (about the 7 bucks area).
People online say:
Known for openness and micro-detail, the LME49720 enhances the sense of space and realism in recordings. Perfect for high-resolution playback.

//Disclaimer// I use a 31 bucks store brand headphone with 32 ohm. Because I like it more than my more expensive ones. (After putting 2 layers of tissue behind the earpads to tame the top end, something my DT770 does from the factory with some foam)

 

Last edited: Mar 21, 2026