Lavry DA10 - Headphone Socket

Posted by: PS on 11 February 2009

...any good? How does it compare to a Headline?
Posted on: 11 February 2009 by Graham Russell
It's not too bad. For casual listening I would say it's certainly good enough. For long serious listening sessions the Headline is better.

My Headline and Hicap are now in the loft as the Lavry is good enough for my headphone needs.

The XLR outputs do not mute when listening to 'phones. The new DA11 fixes this.


Graham
Posted on: 12 February 2009 by Rockingdoc
If some posters are to be believed, the DA10 may be the best audio component since man first hit a hollow log with sticks BUT, even without hearing it, I guarantee that its headphone stage can't match a dedicated headamp like the Headline/Hicap. The Headline can't really be discussed in the absence of the power supply it is combined with 'cos a Headline/wall-wart is not the same thing at all as a Headline/Supercap.
Graham, I have serious concerns about your abandonment of the decent headphone system in favour of a few components tacked onto the end of your DAC's board. Perhaps these L***ys really are the work of the devil, and are making you deaf.
Posted on: 12 February 2009 by DeltaSigma
quote:
Originally posted by Rockingdoc:
BUT, even without hearing it, I guarantee that its headphone stage can't match a dedicated headamp like the Headline/Hicap.


I would be interested to hear the basis of this definitive statement (since it has been made without hearing the DA10's headphone stage or presumably even the unit itself). Is it guaranteed to be inferior because it's much cheaper and is not a dedicated stage and, if so, why?
Posted on: 12 February 2009 by Graham Russell
quote:
Originally posted by Rockingdoc:
If some posters are to be believed, the DA10 may be the best audio component since man first hit a hollow log with sticks BUT, even without hearing it, I guarantee that its headphone stage can't match a dedicated headamp like the Headline/Hicap. The Headline can't really be discussed in the absence of the power supply it is combined with 'cos a Headline/wall-wart is not the same thing at all as a Headline/Supercap.
Graham, I have serious concerns about your abandonment of the decent headphone system in favour of a few components tacked onto the end of your DAC's board. Perhaps these L***ys really are the work of the devil, and are making you deaf.


I hardly use headphones so I'm not concerned.

Have a listen to one and then decide for yourself. I'm not the only person to "retire" their Headline once they bought a DA10.

As I said earlier, for serious listening the Headline is better. And so it should be!!
Posted on: 12 February 2009 by u5227470736789439
The headphone out is good enough for me on the very rare occasions when I actually would be forced to use headphones at all.

I have a very reasonable home-built headphone amp, which I have not connected up since the Lavry came.

For the dedicated headphone user, then the choice of extra discrete amplification may be the prefered option.

ATB from George
Posted on: 13 February 2009 by Rockingdoc
quote:
Originally posted by jazzfan:
quote:
Originally posted by Rockingdoc:
BUT, even without hearing it, I guarantee that its headphone stage can't match a dedicated headamp like the Headline/Hicap.


I would be interested to hear the basis of this definitive statement (since it has been made without hearing the DA10's headphone stage or presumably even the unit itself). Is it guaranteed to be inferior because it's much cheaper and is not a dedicated stage and, if so, why?


Because the 'phones are an elecro-mechanical device driven by the power supply of the headphone amp. The power supply of the Lavry is not going to be able to compete with a HiCap for controlling a mechanical device.
I haven't driven a Mini or a Range Rover, but I know the Range-Rover would be better at pulling a trailer.
Posted on: 13 February 2009 by DeltaSigma
quote:
Originally posted by Rockingdoc:
quote:
Originally posted by jazzfan:
I would be interested to hear the basis of this definitive statement (since it has been made without hearing the DA10's headphone stage or presumably even the unit itself). Is it guaranteed to be inferior because it's much cheaper and is not a dedicated stage and, if so, why?


Because the 'phones are an elecro-mechanical device driven by the power supply of the headphone amp. The power supply of the Lavry is not going to be able to compete with a HiCap for controlling a mechanical device.
I haven't driven a Mini or a Range Rover, but I know the Range-Rover would be better at pulling a trailer.


I would have thought that there was a lot more in it than just having a dedicated power supply (the example you have given is rather artificial in my view, since the power of the Range Rover is the only important variable there).

My experience with the DA10 has taught me to be extremely careful not to prejudge comparisons between hifi kit purely on the basis of price, specifications or even reputation. The ability to provide musical pleasure cannot be simply boiled down to a few easily measured data points and a personal audition is a must before absolute statements like yours can be made (IMO of course).
Posted on: 13 February 2009 by u5227470736789439
Going back into the mid-1970s some of the greatest listening pleasure I had was with a crystal set radio which I made from scrap bits and a proper crystal from the Geology department of the Hereford Sixth Form College mounted in copper parts.

That simple set drove headphones splendidly with only the power contained in the radio signal as picked up by the antenna! No additional power, battery of cells, or mains power supply was used - only antenna and earth of course.

Radio Four and Radio Three could both be received in good quality without interference ...

Nothing can be taken for granted without an audition ...

ATB from George
Posted on: 15 February 2009 by J.N.
I have a DA-10 and a Headline/NAPSC. The latter sounds much better through my Grado SR80s, as it should.

John.