[Cortes]

Hi everyone,

I used to have some Etys ER4p/s, but unfortunately they were stolen in a flight to Buenos Aires (btw two flights there, two thefts). After reading the rave reviews of the JH13 I decided to burn my wallet and replace my ER4p/s for the JH13, for the sake of avoiding new upgrades in some years

. The problem I have now is that the headphone output of my DAC (Lavry DA 10) is geared toward high impedance phones and drives too loud my JH13 (they have an impedance of 28 ohms). So I simply can't use the JH13 with my current setup.

My setup is this: Laptop+Waveterminal U24 (to get digital signal from the USB port of the laptop)+Lavry DA10+ earphones/Genelec 8020.

I use the XLR output of my Lavry DA10 to drive the monitors Genelec 8020. Thus, I had until now the DA10 driving the monitors (from XLR out) and driving the old earphones (from headphone out).. That was a tidy an not too expensive solution for a rig placed in my office desk.

Now, with the new JH13pro I don't know what to do. To buy cheap passive attenuators that destroy the dynamic range?. To buy a bulky amp to drive the JH13 and the Genelec 8020?. To buy a portable dac/amp combo just for the JH13, and leave the Lavry DA10 just for Genelecs?. To sell the JH13 -in case is possible-, to sell the DA10?.

Please, give me your suggestions. I would like to find a solution not very bulky and if necessary to spend extra buck, but only it that's really necessary. I'm also willing to sell part of my rig if necessary to find a better solution.

Thanks!.

 

[AmanGeorge]

The DA10 is supposed to be a very good DAC - if your budget allows, I would hang on to it.

Do you feel the need for a portable DAC/amp setup? If so, go for it, grab a Pico or something, and when you're at home, feed the portable amp's input with a line-in signal from your DA10.

A lot of folks have been raving about the new ALO amp and its synergy with the JH13s - you could also just get that and do the same thing. It would be relatively inexpensive and certainly save you a lot of space.

 

[Cortes]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AmanGeorge /img/forum/go_quote.gif The DA10 is supposed to be a very good DAC - if your budget allows, I would hang on to it. Do you feel the need for a portable DAC/amp setup? If so, go for it, grab a Pico or something, and when you're at home, feed the portable amp's input with a line-in signal from your DA10. A lot of folks have been raving about the new ALO amp and its synergy with the JH13s - you could also just get that and do the same thing. It would be relatively inexpensive and certainly save you a lot of space.

AmanGeorge,

no, no need of any portable DAC/amp. The problem I see with these ideas is that DA10 has only two balance XLR outputs. No sure if I can feed from them the Gennelecs and an amp for the JH13.

thx.

 

[shamu144]

As far as I know, the internal amp of the Lavry DA10 is not geared towards high impedance cans at all... Rather the other way around, it exels with low impedance cans. But your JH13 might have such a high sensitivity it is impossible to use with the Lavry. That's too bad....

I can drive my DT48 which are 25ohms with no troubles at all from the DA11 headphone output.

Your Gennelec don't have a line pass-through to hook up a small amp for the JH13 ?

 

[Cortes]

Quote:

Originally Posted by shamu144 /img/forum/go_quote.gif As far as I know, the internal amp of the Lavry DA10 is not geared towards high impedance cans at all... Rather the other way around, it exels with low impedance cans. But your JH13 might have such a high sensitivity it is impossible to use with the Lavry. That's too bad.... I can drive my DT48 which are 25ohms with no troubles at all from the DA11 headphone output. Your Gennelec don't have a line pass-through to hook up a small amp for the JH13 ?

no, they dont have. They are the lowest version. Volume from the headphone out of DA10 is way too loud with the JH13.

 

[StudioTan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cortes /img/forum/go_quote.gif The problem I have now is that the headphone output of my DAC (Lavry DA 10) is geared toward high impedance phones and drives too loud my JH13 (they have an impedance of 28 ohms). So I simply can't use the JH13 with my current setup.

Not to state the obvious, but why not just turn down the volume? I own the DA11 and the JH13s and it's a great match. Isn't the amp in the DA10 similar? Dan?

Do both your monitors and the JH13s need to be driven at the same time? If so, that obviously could be a problem, but not if your monitors had attenuators (don't think your Genitalicks do, however). Mis-spelling intentional.

 

[Cortes]

Quote:

Originally Posted by StudioTan /img/forum/go_quote.gif Not to state the obvious, but why not just turn down the volume? I own the DA11 and the JH13s and it's a great match. Isn't the amp in the DA10 similar? Dan? Do both your monitors and the JH13s need to be driven at the same time? If so, that obviously could be a problem, but not if your monitors had attenuators (don't think your Genitalicks do, however). Mis-spelling intentional.

Glad the DA11 works fine here. Volume is too loud when DA10 volume is at minimum (1). I've been told other DA10 users are having the same problem.

Seemingly the headphone out of the DA10 gives a sound pretty similar to the XLR outputs, so a possible solution is to buy a stand-alone amp and feed it with the headamp output of the DA10.

 

[shamu144]

Maybe upgrading from DA10 to DA11 then ?

 

[DarKu]

I have a very simple solution: Use an impedance adaptor. It will not degrade SQ, it will do nothing to the SQ, but the volume will be a lot lower due to increased impedance in the adaptor. You can use this one: APureSound - Where The Music Is Always Pure - APS Audio LLC.
PS: go for the 120 Ohm version (not the 75 Ohm one)

 

[Cortes]

Quote:

Originally Posted by shamu144 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Maybe upgrading from DA10 to DA11 then ?

that's true, that might be a good idea. However I would have to sell the DA10 first.

 

[Cortes]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarKu /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have a very simple solution: Use an impedance adaptor. It will not degrade SQ, it will do nothing to the SQ, but the volume will be a lot lower due to increased impedance in the adaptor. You can use this one: APureSound - Where The Music Is Always Pure - APS Audio LLC. PS: go for the 120 Ohm version (not the 75 Ohm one)

Thanks. I have not first hand experience, but from what I've read I'm afraid that wouldn't preserve dynamic range as volume is reduced. Also from my experience with ER4p+adaptor to S changing the impedance changes the character of the sound. Anyway, this would be the cleanest solution.

 

[shigzeo]

Seconded. I don't have good experience with impedance adapters and balanced armature headphones. They work very well with dynamics and the ER4, but every other BA headphone I have heard sounds worse (usually with compressed treble)