If I understand what you are saying, each part has it's purpose. One is best suited for one job while other is best suited for something else. As far as the 741 being the best Op amp, I have to say, see AG's post above. The op amp is somewhat hard to explain I think. It is much more versatile than a LM386 which has limited uses. An op amp is a high gain differential amp that can be configured in a myriad of ways, yet most op amps do not have the current drive of a LM386 as in a audio amp.