lavry swap to ndac

Posted by: pylod on 07 August 2010

allow me one question without heating up a discussion. has all lavry 10 owners swapped to the nDAC by time ?...

i would like to invest in a solution soon now after waiting for almost 1,5 to 2 years. vinyl spined in that time here.

where i am unsure is the different views on the position of the n dac in the naim chain. i was one of the lucky lavry da 10 owners, who got one of the models , which convinced in every way Winker.
after owning it for 2 months and comparing it blind and with others, my cds 2 went on sale. when naim launched the n dac i sold my lavry in the hope it will be available soon and much better. it took another 8 months. so here i am without a solution right now.i like the serve + n dac solution. price wise and from the space and functionality, since i can just store everything in the half box and don´t need to build up a network or additional ugly computers.i just find them disturbing, sorry - no offense please.

where i am insecure is the performance of the combo. some position the n dac in the cd5 xs region. n dac + serve recently in the hdx or bit above. but in general everything under the cds 2 performance ? where the lavry made me sell my cds 2 . and believe i really loved this machine. so how does the n dac compares to the lavry in the end. ? something seems to be illogical here. would be nice to hear some posts from people , who appreciated the lavry not those , who didn´t like it. for them it is clear anyway, obviously.

thank you
Posted on: 07 August 2010 by js
Never heard those comparison remarks before. It clearly improves the CDX2.2 when added. I guess you need to try for yourself.
Posted on: 07 August 2010 by AMA
My advice -- buy Lavry 10 again, do A/B demo against nDAC and sell Lavry again with a sigh of relief Big Grin

Meanwhile I'm not sure nDAC comes on par with Lavry 2002 (I didn't auditioned the new Lavry). It seems that Dan is marching half foot ahead of the others.

pylod, I didn't meet posts with claims that nDAC is in CD5XS level. Nor I agree with that claim.
Posted on: 07 August 2010 by Guido Fawkes
quote:
position the n dac
with an Apple/hiFace front end, I'd say nDAC/555PS is between CDS3 and CD555 - closer to the more expensive player ... with UnitiServe who knows - hopefully even better.

I didn't like Lavry at all - preferring the £400 Chordette Gem by a huge margin; the nDAC sounds better to me than the Gem, as it should for the price.

The only DAC I've heard that I think is as good as the Naim DAC is Chord QBD76 - however for the sake of synergy I opted for the Naim DAC and am delighted with it.

Sorry just noticed you didn't want to hear from me.
Posted on: 07 August 2010 by pylod
quote:
Originally posted by js:
Never heard those comparison remarks before. It clearly improves the CDX2.2 when added. I guess you need to try for yourself.



who sad something about a cdx2.2 ? there is a lot of discussion in other thread right now, where the nacked n dac is placed within the naim line. with other words cd 5 xs niveau . you get , what you pay for money. the 5 xs is clearly under the cds2.

but please respect , that i posted i would like to hear some comments from preview satisfied lavry owners not those, who never liked it. i understand , that some moved to weiss over.
Posted on: 07 August 2010 by paremus
pylod,

Having been my primary source of music for the best part of 2 years (Mac/Mini, Amarra/PM, HiFace) I recently sold my DA10. I really liked the DA10 and it had extensive use during its stay!

I also owned a CDS2 for 10 years and recently parted with this also.

I had a home demo of the nDAC very late last year. At that point, based on limited listening, I had a preference for the nDAC - see https://forums.naimaudio.com/ev...142918727#5142918727 (indeed you posted on the thread).

However, there are several alternatives that I intend to audition over the next couple of months before making a final decision.


Cheers

Richard
Posted on: 07 August 2010 by pylod
quote:
Originally posted by paremus:
pylod,

Having been my primary source of music for the best part of 2 years (Mac/Mini, Amarra/PM, HiFace) I recently sold my DA10. I really liked the DA10 and it had extensive use during its stay!

I also owned a CDS2 for 10 years and recently parted with this also.

I had a home demo of the nDAC very late last year. At that point, based on limited listening, I had a preference for the nDAC - see https://forums.naimaudio.com/ev...142918727#5142918727 (indeed you posted on the thread).

However, there are several alternatives that I intend to audition over the next couple of months before making a final decision.


Cheers

Richard


thank you richard,

very helpful. i now remember the thread. i was searching for that kind of answer. as you i have made the same experiences with a cds2 and the lavry. this will help to sort things out

regards p
Posted on: 07 August 2010 by pylod
quote:
Originally posted by ROTF:
quote:
position the n dac


Sorry just noticed you didn't want to hear from me.


Winker
Posted on: 07 August 2010 by js
Thanks paremus. That's in line with what I would expect. Hope your search goes well.

Pylod, CD5x is less good than CDX2 and CDS2 is close to a CDX2 depending on whether supplied and vintage so that's why the CDX2.2 comment. It fits nicely into the 2 you did mention and can be DAC'd for comparison. Good luck to your dems also. Smile
Posted on: 07 August 2010 by Keith L
My Shek Nos dac gave way to the Benchmark Dac1. My Benchmark Dac1 gave way to the Lavry DA10. My Lavry Da10 gave way to the Ndac. My Ndac gave way to the Weiss Dac2. It really depends what you're after. The Ndac is definitely a good choice for multiple digital sources; the Weiss for musical enjoyment.
Posted on: 07 August 2010 by ferenc
quote:
Originally posted by Keith L:
... The Ndac is definitely a good choice for multiple digital sources; the Weiss for musical enjoyment.


The nDAC is at least as musical as the Weiss if not more in a Naim system.
Posted on: 07 August 2010 by JYOW
quote:
Originally posted by Keith L:
My Shek Nos dac gave way to the Benchmark Dac1. My Benchmark Dac1 gave way to the Lavry DA10. My Lavry Da10 gave way to the Ndac. My Ndac gave way to the Weiss Dac2. It really depends what you're after. The Ndac is definitely a good choice for multiple digital sources; the Weiss for musical enjoyment.

Similarly, my Benchmark gave way for the Lavry. my Lavry gave way for the Transporter, and the transporter gave way for the Weiss DAC2, the DAC2 gave way for the nDAC+PS, and the nDAC+PS gave way to DC202. Agree with you that overall both Weiss DACs are very enjoyable off a Naim system. I'd say the DAC2 and nDAC are about the same level, and the DAC202 better than both.
Posted on: 08 August 2010 by Joe Bibb
quote:
Originally posted by JYOW:

I'd say the DAC2 and nDAC are about the same level, and the DAC202 better than both.


That's my experience too. That DA10 is superb for the money though and by and large, I feel the quality you can achieve if you know your way round a PC/Mac with these units represents superb value compared to CDPs of a few years back. Great fun.

Joe
Posted on: 08 August 2010 by Briz Vegas
I didn't get the musical enjoyment from the Weiss DACs in my non-Naim system. I preferred my 5X/flatcap to the DAC2, and the Naim DAC to both of the Weiss DACs.

I fully expected the Weiss 202 to be the best of the three but it just didn't make the same impression on me in the way that the Naim did.
Posted on: 08 August 2010 by Joe Bibb
quote:
Originally posted by Briz Vegas:
I didn't get the musical enjoyment from the Weiss DACs in my non-Naim system. I preferred my 5X/flatcap to the DAC2, and the Naim DAC to both of the Weiss DACs.

I fully expected the Weiss 202 to be the best of the three but it just didn't make the same impression on me in the way that the Naim did.


Glad you like it. I thought the DAC2 was equally as good and I slightly preferred it's balance. Others will like the 'life' of the nDac. I felt the 202 was a significant step up on both of them. I would liked to have saved the cost difference but hey.

Joe
Posted on: 08 August 2010 by JYOW
I think the Naim synergy thing especially of the nDAC in a Naim setup may be slightly overrated.

In one of the rave magazine reviews one things the reviewer pointed is that the unfortunate thing is most people may think that the nDAC is best for a Naim setup only, in which case they are missing how good the nDAC is standalone.

And I agree with that, the nDAC is one of the most "round earth" Naim gears with slightly better soundstage and imaging than the DAC2. And details wise it is at least on par with the DAC2.

Similarly, the DAC2 and DAC202 matches with the Naim kit very well. In fact, in terms of the fabled Naim PRAT, when I brought the DAC2 over to the dealer for initial comparison with the nDAC, I thought the DAC2 had more PRAT than the nDAC sounding more energetic.

I also tried connecting the DAC202 direct into my NAP200, and it does not blow up, does not sound half bad. Except compared to the NAC282, it just did not have as much gain, but it sounded very nice.

We really should evaluate equipment in their own merit. Instead of just relying on the magic mojo that makes Naim fit into a Naim system. Some of that may be true, but not always.
Posted on: 08 August 2010 by ferenc
This hype is getting very similar to the Mac/Lavry hype not so long ago, when it was said "better" than a CDS3 ... Now it seems all the Lavrys gone/changed and there is a new king in town. Smile
I wonder for how long? Smile

Sorry guys, do not want to query your experience, it is your decision and experience anyway, but let me be brutally honest, it is kind of funny. Smile
Posted on: 08 August 2010 by JYOW
Yes it is funny, we audio fools are funny.

Same with our climb up the Naim ladder. IN a sense that is what makes it fun. Not fun for the wallet though.

One or two people thinking the Weiss sounds better than nDAC does not make the nDAC sounding bad all of a sudden.

The nDAC sounds very nice indeed. And if I did not have the previous association with the DAC2 which was also very nice, I would not have pursued another DAC. But the DAC202 was too much of a temptation. Frankly I thought it was overpriced for a shoe box. But when I added up the nDAC plus a XPS, I thought I would give it a shot.

But anyway, I think there is no need to get a bit defensive. There is space for people to try out different gears and sometimes liking them too.

Oh and the Lavry was and still is very nice for the price. People just expected a little too much for it.
Posted on: 08 August 2010 by Guido Fawkes
quote:
Originally posted by ferenc:
This hype is getting very similar to the Mac/Lavry hype not so long ago, when it was said "better" than a CDS3 ... Now it seems all the Lavrys gone/changed and there is a new king in town. Smile
I wonder for how long? Smile

Sorry guys, do not want to query your experience, it is your decision and experience anyway, but let me be brutally honest, it is kind of funny. Smile
+1
Posted on: 08 August 2010 by Guido Fawkes
quote:
Oh and the Lavry was and still is very nice for the price.
But Chordette Gem is better(?) for half the price Big Grin
Posted on: 08 August 2010 by JYOW
quote:
Oh and the Lavry was and still is very nice for the price.

Really?
Posted on: 08 August 2010 by pylod
quote:
Originally posted by ROTF:
quote:
Originally posted by ferenc:
This hype is getting very similar to the Mac/Lavry hype not so long ago, when it was said "better" than a CDS3 ... Now it seems all the Lavrys gone/changed and there is a new king in town. Smile
I wonder for how long? Smile

Sorry guys, do not want to query your experience, it is your decision and experience anyway, but let me be brutally honest, it is kind of funny. Smile
+1


the n dac + an xps is absolutely to my taste. i heard it several times with an hdx in front. but i simply don´t have the space for so many boxes and want to find the best combination with the highest musical and enjoyable factor. i wonder, if a weiss or the lavry can also be fronted with a N serve. i like the thought of the serve, since it allows to keep it tidy within a halfbox. as i get it through the lines,best would be a combination of a halfbox n dac ( with 202 content ),so you can drop the external power supply and the N serve...many wold drop the serve here maybe, since they using their own computer.
Posted on: 08 August 2010 by pylod
no lavry discussion... please !!!

the lavry is here just as a reference point for those , who appreciated it and can now relate to its performance against other dac´s

as richard described in his thread, i could very well relate to his comments and by that this thread is very useful.
Posted on: 08 August 2010 by Eloise
Yes, you could use the UnitiServe with the Lavry or the Weiss*: in fact can use it with an DAC with SPDIF input.

Eloise

Note *: The Weiss is generally considered superior through it's FireWire connection not via SPDIF or AES and you can't connect the UnitiServe that way.
Posted on: 08 August 2010 by Joe Bibb
quote:
Originally posted by Eloise:
Yes, you could use the UnitiServe with the Lavry or the Weiss*: in fact can use it with an DAC with SPDIF input.

Eloise

Note *: The Weiss is generally considered superior through it's FireWire connection not via SPDIF or AES and you can't connect the UnitiServe that way.


Quite right. Even with Hi Face to SPDIF, the Firewire connection is considerably better.

Joe
Posted on: 08 August 2010 by pylod
yes, i get the firewire point.maybe the whole advantage of the 202 would be gone to connect it with SPDIF then.

i wait and see what kind of comments comes up on the n dac + the serve shortly. another thread starts to pick up on the theme, since the serve finally arrived...