Onboard Preamps hardwired vs microchip

[gimmeagig]

Hi,
I have used several onboard premps in the past.Bartolinis, several different Aguilars a Noll and the Sadowsky.
I just received another Sadowsky to replace the Noll which broke after only 4 months of use in my KSD bass.
I just realized that most preamps are in these little epoxy boxes probably microchip based.Much easier to fit but what about the sound?The Sadowsky is made of individual components and is a little larger than the others.I have the OBP1 in a similar bass with identical pickups and the Sadowsky sounds a little fatter, even though the OBP1 and the Sadowsky have been designed by the same person and the frequency centers are the same.I read that audiophiles dislike microchip based components and prefer the more old school electronics.Would that theory come into play in onboard electronics as well? Is that the reason why the Sadowsky sounds so good?

 

[bongomania]

It's all in how well the functions of the IC's or discrete components are implemented. For example, Burr-Brown IC's are exceptionally well-designed to make the best use of their micro-components, and they are regarded as among the best op-amps out there. It is comparatively much easier to design a discrete opamp with gourmet components than it is to design a gourmet IC. Even though the same person may have designed both the OBP1 and the Sad, that person did not AFAIK design the opamp IC in the OPB1, they just selected an ordinary off-the-shelf inexpensive IC.