[Dominat0r]

im lucky enough to get to audition this which was a raffle prize at Canjam. I have to admit it was a great prize.

I love this thing...i have to say its really sonically one of the best ive heard. I have a cheap dac, however the difference in clarity is noticeable. Even the amp sounds somewhat decent. It seems like its having some problems pushing my 650s + oracle cable.

Im not a huge fan of the up down switch for the volume though. I like to quickly be able to turn down music.

Vocals sound fantastic, sound alittle more upfront then my zhaolu...about the same sound, just a tad more refinded.

Hats off for a fantastic product Lavry...im dreading the fact i have to give this up. Its almost perfect for what i need.

GOD I wish i would of won this in the raffle, thanks to Voltron (Al) for loaning it to me.

 

[Golden Monkey]

So your modded Zhaolu at approx. $300 (I don't know what you paid, but that's about what it's going for at diykits, plus your gates and clock) is almost but not quite as good as the $1,000 DA10? Wow, that's saying something for the Zhaolu!

 

[Dominat0r]

Once i get the balanced to RCA and can hook it up i can give you a better impression of the DAC itself.

Right now its really hard to tell since im using the Lavry built in for the DA10.

You can certainly tell a difference between the two. Its not a huge difference though, which makes me think if the Lavry is worth the money. If i sat someone down and the testing im doing now they will almost for sure say that the DV sounded a tad fuller then the DA10 Headphone amp. Its not bad at all though, its really nice for a built in amp.

My first impression is the Modded Zhaolu can hang with the lavry...its more refinded sound, mids sound alittle nicer..more of a light thump then the zhaolu. The Lavry seems much more upfront in presentation though.

Like i said, i will get the cables and run into my DV to give it a even base to test the dac on.

Also, normally things like this as subtle differences between $ and $$$.

 

[Dominat0r]

After some classical music, you can for sure tell a difference. The DA10 shines with its clarity. The Zhaolu sounds grainy compared. It does seem to give the impression of more detail. However when you hear a roll on a giant cymbal or a timpani, you can hear each tap with the mallet. You cant really hear this with the zhaolu as the texture and grain kinda melds it into a smooth roll.

 

[slwiser]

Yep! You are getting the since of things with the Lavry. The Lavry is considered to also be sensitive to the Power Cord that you are using. I am using an IeGO and a VD Power 1 PCs on mine.

I highly recommend getting one of the IeGO PCs if you keep it. The basic one cost 65$.

 

[Dominat0r]

im sure it has something to do with my recordings too, my classical collection has some really really nice recordings done in the late 80s.

There is a small level of distortion on my zhaolu which i always thought was just the recording of the music. Its not very noticeable and really can only tell a few times on a entire CD. The DA10 seems much cleaner, smooth in this regard.

Another thing i noticed...the Zhaolu seems to be a bit more bassey...again it could just be the amp in the lavry being better then the zhaolu. How both sound really nice either way.

Do i think the money is worth it? Depends our your recordings awesome? You have a good tranport? You listen to alot of classical? Then yes its worth it.

I just dont think you will notice that much difference unless you have great recordings of everything you listen to.

I told Voltron if he sells it i want first dibs =) I do love classical, have some decent recordings.

 

[luidge]

I just sold my DA-10 and by removing it from my stereo chain, i can say, even with my pretty cheap studio monitors, that i will be missing a lot without this DAC. I hope i can get satisfied with my Emu 1212m setup

 

[mrarroyo]

HighLife, how long will you have the Lavry? I ask because we could have a mini meet to compare your Zhaolu, my Oritek V4.1 and Lite Dac-Ah w/ the passive mods, with the Lavry.

 

[grawk]

Since I'm next in line with it, feel free to hold onto it as long as you'd like (or as long as Al's indulgence lasts). I'm interested in hearing it, but I am slammed at work right now anyway, so I wouldn't get a chance to give it a good listen for a month.

 

[Dominat0r]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrarroyo /img/forum/go_quote.gif HighLife, how long will you have the Lavry? I ask because we could have a mini meet to compare your Zhaolu, my Oritek V4.1 and Lite Dac-Ah w/ the passive mods, with the Lavry.

well it looks like i should have it about a month =)

we should do it, it would be awesome to hear how some dac stack up against each other.

I wish i would of won this guy, this is a really nice sounding dac.

Im going to talk al into selling it to me and sell off all my other stuff.

 

[Dominat0r]

I just swapped back and forth from my Zhaolu+DV to the Lavry. The music of choice is Metallica and San Francisco Symphony.

I was listening to Hero of the Day, which has a really nice opening. The bass on the lavry doesnt seem to extend as far...this is must be my DV over the SS on the Lavry. Its nice, its just not as much punch to it.

However...there are parts there the trumpets are going crazy and the lavry made these perfectly clear. The zhaolu push it back farther in the presentation.

Honestly for this song, im preferring the Zhaolu+DV combo more. The bass is nice to have for this, can really feel the beat of the music. Gets your toes tapping.

I have to find those cable so i can hook up the lavry to the DV and give it a honest comparison.