[akwok]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beauregard The DAC1 was a hit with pros and the professional audio press before it was discovered by audiophiles. I just googled Lavry DA10 and didn't come up with any hits from pro audio forums (at least in English). I'm curious if anyone who's familar with pro audio discussions knows if there's as much buzz among the professionals about the DA10 as there is here and on a couple of other consumer audio forums. Best, Beau

Lavry Blue

 

[xand1x]

Interesting

I need to hear a da10!! Also, you guys need to hear a Stello DA 220

 

[Ferbose]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iron_Dreamer 1) I have heard a few reports from people who have owned one then the other, but I am not aware of anyone else who has both to compare side-to-side. If you have not already read it, check out the so-cal meet thread, there are some comparisons of my units there, and everyone that I talked to who listened to it preferred the Lavry to the Benchmark.

I was there and in a four-way shoot-out: Benchmark, Lavry, AQVOX and modded Bel Canto. In a single blind test, I picked Benchmark and Lavry as tied first. Then someone changed some settings on AQVOX, making me feel all three sounded equally good. Keep in mind I am a Benchmark owner so I may already be used to its sound.

 

[applebook]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chrisfromalbany This only confirms my believes that DAC1 wasn't going to be worth the money. At the DAC1 price point, I don't want to feel the need to upgrade for awhile. Compared to getting an expensive amp which I think will hold it's value longer and isn't as quickly outdated. Only because I have a limited budget and think I get more value else were. Maybe I am making a mistake. But threads like this make me think not.

Your beliefs are not borne out by the facts. The DAC1's resale value right now is as high as ever. In fact, when the DAC1 was released around 2 years ago, it retailed for around $850, and used units from that era should still fetch around $700. Name one single high-end amp that has that sort of value rentention.

You also need to read this thread more closely. Never has Iron Dreamer or others who've listened to other high-end DACs like the Aqvox, Lavry, and Stello claim that the DAC1 is mediocre or bad.

 

[applebook]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AndreasG Hi everybody, question: How do the built in headphone amps of the Benchmark and the Lavry compare? The Benchmark's doesn't seem to be all too bad -- can the Lavry keep up with that? Do you all have seperate headphone amps or do you use the built-in amps?

I don't use the headphone amp of the DAC1 anymore but did live with it for a few weeks without an external amp. Right now I'm using the XLR output (via Iron Dreamer's mod! Thanks!

), and it absolutely blows away the DAC1's headphone amp, which, IMO, is decent for around $150.

 

[Beauregard]

Quote:

Originally Posted by akwok Lavry Blue

??? I checked out this product at the Lavry site. Is the DAC component of the Blue series the equivalent of the DA10? So that comments made about the Blue DAC are appropriate in evaluating the DA10?

Thanks,
Beau

 

[thomaspf]

The Lavry Black DA10 has been on the market for about 4 weeks and the first 100 units are sold out.

It might take a bit more time to get reactions. The Blue and Gold are highly regarded.

btw. Is there a lot of buzz on the Weiss DAC?

Cheers

Thomas

 

[AlanY]

Quote:

Originally Posted by applebook I've not read of the DAC1's "harsh" treble anywhere other than on head-fi and think that the cans of choice here (e.g. Grados, Sonys, etc.) might account for part of this potential flaw.

I've read plenty of talk about the DAC1's slight treble harshness and slight leanness on other forums. There has been a decent amount of discussion about each of these things on AudioAsylum. (The DAC1 also made several people's "most underwhelming piece of gear" lists on AudioCircle in a recent thread, though some of those guys are obviously exaggerating or being dramatic.) I'm not saying the DAC1 is bad. I haven't heard it. I'm just saying that I've seen a lot of discussion about the DAC1 elsewhere that mirrors what's being said here. It's not just a Head-Fi thing. In the DAC1's early days, it really was a lovefest over at AudioAsylum, but things have changed and become a bit more realistic, as they usually do with the flavor of the month.

 

[applebook]

Alan, I've definitely read about the DAC1's "leaness" and tend to agree a bit, but sources like Empirical Audio and others have noted that the DAC1's highs are one of its major strengths, and that the lower-mid was the weakest link (probably in no small part due to the DAC's questionable power supply). In fact, Empirical considers "The stock op-amps deliver the best HF extension and clarity that we have ever heard in a DAC."

 

[Scrith]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlanY In the DAC1's early days, it really was a lovefest over at AudioAsylum, but things have changed and become a bit more realistic, as they usually do with the flavor of the month.

Um, if ever there were a flavor of the month, I'd suggest it is the Lavry.

I guarantee you that the Lavry will never get the amount of praise and attention the DAC1 has gotten from the entire hi-fi press.

 

[applebook]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scrith Um, if ever there were a flavor of the month, I'd suggest it is the Lavry. I guarantee you that the Lavry will never get the amount of praise and attention the DAC1 has gotten from the entire hi-fi press.

That remains to be seen. I don't think that the Lavry will achieve the sort of success that the DAC1 has mainly because it's not technically far superior (though I'm not saying that it is or isn't better), and most people might not be compelled to make a side-step or a minor upgrade for the same price.

 

[J-Pak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scrith Um, if ever there were a flavor of the month, I'd suggest it is the Lavry. I guarantee you that the Lavry will never get the amount of praise and attention the DAC1 has gotten from the entire hi-fi press.

Somehow I doubt this. It costs the same as the DAC1 and it's only been out for 4 weeks. It's a bit early to say if it's flavor of the month.

 

[sonance]

The Lavry Blue has been considered a heavy hitter in the pro audio world at least since the Stereophile review of the Benchmark DAC1 made consumers take notice of it, which is around when I started looking for a new DAC to replace my traditional CD player.
When I was investigating the pro audio forums looking for a DAC, I remember reading descriptions of the upcoming "Lavry Black", as it was called at the time, although people thought it would be a slightly compromised Lavry Blue, as solid details were not available. I read several posts by the designer of the Blue/Black on that forum (to be honest he sounds slightly nutty - some of his opinions on high end audio equipment would either make you laugh or insult you to your head-fi loving core. I remember thinking that this guy would never make it in the consumer audio world.)
I didn't want to buy the Blue as it is a large pro audio piece that wouldnt even fit on my audio rack, and look out of place. At that time there was some debate about the relative merits of the Benchmark vs the Blue but it was generally considered a close thing, and I could actually audition the DAC1 at home, so I went with it. Looks like a DA 10 will be joining a revised DAC1 for an in home audition soon now that it is actually something that's consumer and head-fi friendly.
So Lavry has been following the same path as Benchmark, it's not like they've come out of nowhere. This DAC design is also not completely new, since the Blue has been out for a while, but like Benchmark they've probably been tweaking the design over time.

 

[Iron_Dreamer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scrith Um, if ever there were a flavor of the month, I'd suggest it is the Lavry. I guarantee you that the Lavry will never get the amount of praise and attention the DAC1 has gotten from the entire hi-fi press.

I don't know how you could call something FOTM when only 100 of them exist right now (other than the fact that I like it, which seems to naturally lead to the use of that dreaded acronym for some reason). Also, I didn't know that praise and attention are what these devices are built for, I though it was actual PERFORMANCE. I could care less how well-known a product is, so long as it is good, and I know it.

This is not about putting down the DAC1, as I have written several times, however it was inevitable that someone devised a DAC that would challenge it in the same form-factor and price range.

 

[Scrith]

I never meant to call the Lavry flavor-of-the-month...I agree that it is far to early to call it anything like that (after all, has it even been out a month yet?). But the idea that the DAC1 was somehow a flavor-of-the-month piece of equipment was utterly ridiculous to me; this DAC has been receiving very serious attention both here, and everywhere in the hi-fi world for that matter, for years now.

However, with some people already saying that they prefer the Aqvox, the less-than-one-month old Lavry black is being called into question pretty early, in my opinion.

I definitely agree that the DAC1's days are numbered. I, for one, have been searching for something better since the day I got it.

And I've heard a lot of devices that are said to be better...only to be disappointed. I look forward to hearing these two new DACs (Lavry and Aqvox) and any others that come along.

Keep in mind that the DAC1 itself has undergone some significant changes. I will be posting some more detailed comparisions between my brand-new DAC1 and 1.5 year old DAC1 soon, hopefully (I want to do a very detailed, careful comparison so I can fully appreciate what affect the hardware changes have had on the sound).