I just got a DVX100A to go along with MY DVX100 classic. I noticed that there is about a 10/th of a second delay while monitoring with headphones -which is very distracting. My classic does not have this issue. Is this normal for the A model?
It is indeed. The 100A now records the audio in sync with the video, at the penalty of having an echo in the headphones. The 100 Classic recorded the audio 2 frames ahead of the video, in exchange for having no delay in the headphone jack.
I get that too. I find it a plus, actually, since I can distinguish the actual sound I'm receiving from the sound in the room. Or as we say in software, "it's not a bug, it's a feature."
Another serious problem, if the audio is not being delayed vs video during capture, is that the final video delay, due to the digital processing (remapping, deinterlacing) in modern flat pannel displays, can exceed 4 frames which deteriorates the viewing quality. Some home theater displays have internal audio delay correction, some high end AV amplifiers (Denon...) allow AV delay correction, and also in post the problems can be corrected.
Most NLE's allow for autmated correction of the audio delay during capture or as a batch process after capture. Check your NLE for information. Apple FCP has a plug-in to process post capture, Avid Xpress Pro does it during the capture via a menu setting right in the capture window.