[Ferbose]

Quote:

Originally Posted by elnero I'd like more information on this if it's true.

Totally ignore the post below because the link provided was actually talking about Iriver player. People who heard Lavry's amp all report no noise issue at all.

See this post from Edwood:
http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showp...&postcount=141

For an SS amp that sounds very hissy with Grado, it's just not a good sign.
My high power tube head amp (1.5 W into 300 ohms) sounds hissy with Grado, and that is more or less acceptable because it is has tubes and can drive K1000 with ease. Then you have hi-end tube amps like RSA Raptor that can drive K1000 beutifully and Grado without hiss--that's a piece of art. For a ~$1000 DAC to come with a hissy headphone amp is simply not a pretty thing.

 

[Borat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ferbose See this post from Edwood: http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showp...&postcount=141 For an SS amp that sounds very hissy with Grado, it's just not a good sign. My high power tube head amp (1.5 W into 300 ohms) sounds hissy with Grado, and that is more or less acceptable because it is has tubes and can drive K1000 with ease. Then you have hi-end tube amps like RSA Raptor that can drive K1000 beutifully and Grado without hiss--that's a piece of art. For a ~$1000 DAC to come with a hissy headphone amp is simply not a pretty thing.

I'm fairly certain Ed is talking about the iRiver iHP-120 there, not the Lavry Black.

 

[grandenigma1]

Nero, I have been listening for about 2hrs now and cant detect the slightest bit of hiss. I tried it with my Senn, Shures, Koss, and everything else I could find laying around and could not detect any hiss, high impedance and low. That said I do not have any Grados to test it with but for my listening habits I do not experience it. I would also recommend using the balanced outputs instead of the headamp as they, like any balanced amp, sound much more dynamic and punchy.

I agree with Borat... that certainly sounds like they are talking about the iRiver and not the Lavry.

 

[elmoe]

I use the XLR outputs with very good gold tri-braid interconnects but still think the highs aren't natural sounding.

 

[Mikenet]

Quote:

Originally Posted by grandenigma1 I agree with Borat... that certainly sounds like they are talking about the iRiver and not the Lavry.

Yeah, the first time I read that post it made me jump, and then I realized it was the iRiver. You can't exactly put RockBox firmware in the Lavry

 

[Mikenet]

Quote:

Originally Posted by grandenigma1 I would also recommend using the balanced outputs instead of the headamp as they, like any balanced amp, sound much more dynamic and punchy.

Are you referring to using the headphone output to drive another amplifier vs. driving that amplifier with balanced out(maybe that M3 in your profile), or are you driving headphones directly from the Lavry's XLRs? In the later case, which headphones?

 

[grandenigma1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mikenet Are you referring to using the headphone output to drive another amplifier vs. driving that amplifier with balanced out(maybe that M3 in your profile), or are you driving headphones directly from the Lavry's XLRs? In the later case, which headphones?

Yes, I am talking about those who would consider the Lavry for an all in one solution. The balanced outs sound much better then the headamp (which is still quite good). Headphones used were the HD600, HD650, and K701.

On the same note... the DAC1 could hardly drive the Senns to a reasonable volume.

 

[thomaspf]

I got myself an Iriver H120 after playing with it at a mini-meet.

And yes the headphone output on the H120 has a high noise floor.

The headphone amp in the Lavry Black is very quiet and at least to my ears (and I hope I don't get bashed again for saying this) quite a bit better than the Earmax Pro it replaced in my system.

Cheers

Thomas

 

[Ferbose]

Quote:

Originally Posted by thomaspf I got myself an Iriver H120 after playing with it at a mini-meet. And yes the headphone output on the H120 has a high noise floor. The headphone amp in the Lavry Black is very quiet and at least to my ears (and I hope I don't get bashed again for saying this) quite a bit better than the Earmax Pro it replaced in my system. Cheers Thomas

Are you using low-impedance, high-sensitivity headphones?
Maybe not all units are noisy.
As SS amps, they should not be to begin with.

 

[Mikenet]

Mmm...balanced setup...

Can't
keep
it
in
pants

(my wallet

)



(and not to add fuel to the fire; both the DAC1 and the DA10 will do here...now I have 2 options)

 

[applebook]

I, along with many here, appreciate Iron Dreamer's opinions expressed here - and make no mistake about it; they are just his opinions, not facts - but there's now serious questions as to his prejudices and prejudgments.

He doesn't have to answer of course, but inquiring minds would still like to know why he wanted to sell his DAC1 even before receiving/ extensively testing the other DACs.

I'd rather base my purchasing decisions on a broad number of reviews from multiple sources, and from users who have no emotional and financial investment in the equipment involved than on the sole opinions of a handful of people, particularly when those people have already stated very clearly that they disliked one of the products to begin with.

Having never heard either the Aqvox or the Lavry, I've never commented on their respective SQ and never will until I audition them; however, many DAC1 owners like me take serious offense with Iron Dreamer's raving assertion that we're all "victims of marketing hype." To me, the DAC1 is a great DAC for $1000, probably equivalent to other $1000 DACs out there that I've never heard, but I purchased it because of tremendously positive reviews from all over the world and AFTER having heard it for myself. The DAC certainly has its weaknesses, and those faults have already been raised by many people, but having "distorted" highs is not a general consensus. In fact, I defy anyone to point to one single professional review that agrees with that claim. The 6moons review that I linked to is an interesting rebuttal, and those folks, I think, have "battle-tested" many DACs themselves.

 

[applebook]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beauregard Follow the branch beginning with audioengr's reply to the OP and draw your own conclusions about his credibility. Uncle Beau's thoughts are in the thread; he got a little ticked at Empirical's approach to empiricism and sharing information on the web. FWIW, if you read the Head-Fi thread and the AA threads I linked to, you'll discover that audioengr only recently discovered the difference between a stepped attenuator and a potentiometer. And he can't seem to tell when opamps are in a signal path. My favorite touch was when Benchmark's chief engineer corrected the record on the latter point and audioengr condescended to say that Mr. Siau was "technically correct" - about the product he had designed! Sheesh... Also... it seems I've done my bit at spreading unverified information about the DAC1. When I posted in the AA thread about Benchmark's $50 upgrade I hadn't rechecked Siau's Head-Fi post and didn't realize that it applied to an earlier product revision. I'll contact Benchmark this week to get info about current upgrade availability and pricing and post my findings here and on AA. Best, Beau

Ouch! Thanks for the link. You just potentially saved me a $1000 worth of upgrades, which I will now never attempt.

 

[applebook]

Lastly, here's a heads up. "Jon L" from audioasylum will do his own Aqvox/ DAC1/ Black shoot-out in a few days.

http://cgi.audioasylum.com/scripts/m...3849&f=general

He's a known DAC1 supporter, so his review will be interesting.

 

[AlanY]

Quote:

Originally Posted by applebook I, along with many here, appreciate Iron Dreamer's opinions expressed here - and make no mistake about it; they are just his opinions, not facts - but there's now serious questions as to his prejudices and prejudgments.

Dude, give it up already! Iron_Dreamer actually bought all three DACs to compare for himself. How much more unprejudiced can you be? You're the only person here who sees "serious questions as to his prejudices and prejudgments." This is getting silly. This is just one guy with his opinions, but he's actually heard all three, so his opinions have a decent amount of relevance. Don't flame the guy for just reporting what he hears. What would you rather he do, just say glowing things about the DAC1, even if that's not what he hears?

Plus, if you go back in the archives, you'll see that Iron_Dreamer was quite a fan of the DAC1 going into the comparison and before that. If anything (i.e. if he was like you), he might have been tempted to prefer the gear he was already emotionally invested in (i.e. the DAC1).

I haven't seen any evidence he wanted to sell the DAC1 prior to the test other than just hunting around seeing if there might be any interest. If he truly was biased, he would have sold the thing before posting his impressions. Obviously, his impressions (preferring the LavryBlack) hurt the resale value of the gear he's got on hand right now. He's posting opinions that aren't in his financial best interest, however minor. That's a strong sign that he's honest and shooting from the hip.

Quote:

The 6moons review that I linked to is an interesting rebuttal, and those folks, I think, have "battle-tested" many DACs themselves.

6moons is not a good source for any kind of info. They're building a reputation as a hilarious rag that consistently recommends low quality gear and has an editorial policy that prohibits negative reviews. For a good laugh about 6moons, see this Head-Fi thread:
http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=151655

 

[applebook]

Check your PM. He did try to sell his DAC1 before testing the other DACs.

He also never bought the DAC1 for the test but had it long before. There is a difference, and he was ready to sell the DAC1 prior to the test and was clearly becoming unhappy with the unit.

I don't want a glowing review of anything but will respond to personal attacks --re: Benchmark marketing hype and the dogmatic assertions that the DAC1's treble is distorted. Does Iron Dreamer think that it's just his opinion? Not based on what he's written. He seems to think that it's a fact.