2-Channel AD Converter

U

urobolusmusic

New member
Hi there, I've found some great "shoot-outs" for DA converters between Apogee, Benchmark, and Lavry, with the Lavry DA-10 coming out on top in almost anyone I could find. I've been trying to find a good side-by-side comparison for a 2-channel to 8-channel AD converter: anyone know of one? I haven't really found anything, even on GearSltz. Suggestions and discussion definitely welcome. Thanks!
 
well, if you're thinking of spending thousands on an a/d, this might be worth considering for purchase first:
http://www.3daudioinc.com/catalog/p...id/31?osCsid=5899e175f80c6211fb00539b87d876f2
unfortunately, it doesn't have the lavry's and some of the a/d's are either a little outdated or incorporated into other products, but i imagine the comparison methodology is pretty sound.
the black lion 2 channel a/d converter sounds kind of interesting...
are you looking for a comparision that features high end a/d's from 2 to 8 channels or a comparison between 2 and 8 channel converters? it was a little unclear to me
 
kojdogg said:
are you looking for a comparision that features high end a/d's from 2 to 8 channels or a comparison between 2 and 8 channel converters? it was a little unclear to me
Click to expand...

Sorry, I wrote the thread kind of quick, so it is a little vauge. I'd prefer a 2-channel, but if there is a better model in 8-channel, I'd definitely be willing to go that way. But basically, what I'm looking for is a "shoot-out" (really hate using that term, but that seems to be what most people call it) between differen't AD converters: Apogee vs. Lavry vs. Benchmark, etc...

Like I said, I found some really good ones were the writter took each unit and compared features, sound dimension and clarity, etc. some really good informative stuff, and that is kind of what I'm looking for.

Thanks for the links, I'll check those out too.
 
If you've already found some good reviews, why do you need more?

As far as the converters, "any of the above" will no doubt do a good job for you. I personally would go with the Lavry converters. That's based on his reputation and some message board conversations I've had with him and read between him and others. Just my opinion.

However, the other units offer other features as well. So part of your decision making process needs to be determining what you really need feature-wise, in addition to the quality of conversion.
 
Hi there, sorry to revive this thread, but have some more questions.

I think I've decided to go with the Lavry AD10, though it is hard to find comparisons with other units, but I've heard nothing but great things about their customer service and quality. In fact, my limited research hasn't yielded anyone yet that would pick anything else over a Lavry.

But my questions regard word clock and jitter (which actually has to do with the DA10 :confused:):

The debate on jitter and word clocks seems almost as ambigious as the debate on sample rate. Half say it makes a difference, the other half says it doesn't. From what I got of one of Lavry's essays is that jitter is a real problem and shouldn't be ignored. My question is the DA10 doesn't have a word clock in, but apparently it can detect the word clock through SPDIF, AES, or optical. Is there a disadvantage to this? I'm also thinking about getting a Big Ben (or some other synchronizer) to hook up to the converters and RME sound card; would this be a wise investment?

Thanks again for all the help!
 
The AD10 has a word clock generator built in. So the AD10 would become the master word clock for your studio. You'd simply distribute the AD10 word clock to any other devices that need it. You'll have no need for a Big Ben.

Other digital devices can certainly clock to the incoming SPDIF, AES, or TOSlink signal. A word clock BNC connector is a convenience, but not completely necessary. Maybe it's better, or maybe not, but it's real close and it's *supposed* to be the same thing.

I think you've made a great choice with the AD10.
 
Thanks sonicAlbert!

How do the LavryBlue and Black compare to each other? Are the Blue basically the same, but in a modular system? Being the neat freak that I am, it would be kind of nice having two channels of AD, DA, and pre's in a single unit, but I'll have to do more research on Lavry's pre's to see how they compare with other units.

Also, so what is the point of outboard sync gear that is like $1400+ if it only improves audio marginally? Are they just fancy boxes with lights that make companies a lot of money like I hear some people say? Some people say they are worth it, some say they aren't, and most of the tech explanations are way above my head.

Thanks!
 
Although the source of the test would lead to questions of bias, there are converter tests on the Mytek site. Their 2 channel AD wouldn't break you bank, either.
 
urobolusmusic said:
Also, so what is the point of outboard sync gear that is like $1400+ if it only improves audio marginally? Are they just fancy boxes with lights that make companies a lot of money like I hear some people say? Some people say they are worth it, some say they aren't, and most of the tech explanations are way above my head.
Click to expand...

It's not fancy boxes with lights, it does serve a purpose. But if you already have a good master clock like what's in the Lavry, then you don't need an external one. In fact, there's a good argument to be made that syncing a high quality converter like the Lavry to an external box will actually degrade the performance as compared to what it can do synced to it's internal clock.

You could also get a sync distribution box and send the Lavry clock to any other digital units in your studio that have a BNC word clock connector.

You can mount 1/2 space units next to each other in a single rack space. So if Lavry doesn't make their own rack mount kit, you could get one from Middle Atlantic for example, and mount them yourself. It's really not a big deal.
 
Thanks for the reply Albert! After I posted this I actually found something over at GS regarding the quality of the Lavry master clock and using an outboard clock so I'm just going to stick with the Lavry. I think I'll probably just sync the Lavry AD, DA, and RME card through the AES and be done with it.

However, how do the Blue's and Black's hold up together? The Blue's are just a little bit more expensive, but I haven't really found any side-by-side comparisons.

I got to admit, besides not being able to find a single negative review about Lavry products, one of the other reasons I want to go with them is the extent of their customer service. Who has ever heard of the CEO and the owner/engineer going out of their way to forums to provide customer service for their products... pretty F'in impressive. :cool:
 
as reguards your external clocking questions.... IMO you dont really need to worry about this untill you're providing what's called house sync within multi room facilities...
 
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