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  3. 138060-3787

A DAC that crushes price vs. performance ratio

I felt strongly that I wanted to inform the Gon members about a new DAC that ranks with the very best on the market regarding performance, but costs around $2,000.00.  The Lab12 DAC1 SE was compared to three reference level DACS that retail for over $12.000.00 in my review for hometheaterreview.com and was at least on the same level sonicly, if not better.  This DAC from Greece is not just "good for the money" but competes with virtually anything on the market regardless of price!

For all the details about the Lab12 DAC1 SE performance and what other DACS it was compared to take a look at the review.  If you are shopping/looking for a new digital front end to drive your system, you owe it to yourself to check this DAC out, unless you like to spend tons of more $ without getting better performance.
teajay

Showing 2 responses by liam2

liam2's avatar
liam2
5 posts
 
@teajay I have the Lab12 Dac1 Special Edition and Lab12 Gordian since last May, and the Lab12 Integre4 Amplifier with the KT150 output tubes since March.  Speakers are Audium Comp 7 passive. Streaming Qobuz Studio via a Bluesound Node 2i as streamer only to the Lab12 Dac1 SE via coax. Works great and absolutely no issues.

Thank you for your review of the Lab12 Dac1 SE and more recently the MHDT Orchid. Is there a possibility you will compare the just released Lab12 Dac1 Reference to the Special Edition version and the MHDT Orchid?  That would be of real interest to me. Thanks again. 
liam2's avatar
liam2
5 posts
 
@teajay I forgot to mention that one of the reviewers of the Lab12 Dac1 SE said there was no anti jitter circuitry after the inputs. I can’t verify that but nevertheless I put a iFi spdif iPurifier at the input end of the Bluejeans coax.

Subject to my own bias I felt there was more ‘air’, better leading edges and sustain. It seemed reproduction was more ‘organised’ and at the same time more relaxed. More ‘body’ and timbres. I have not removed the iPurifier to verify my impressions as I suffer discomfort from osteoarthritis and tend to avoid crouching at the installation, hence my qualification at the outset.

Maybe you might acquire a iFi spdif iPurifier and if so report if you experience benefit and if so how it might affect your comparisons.

Regarding tubes I already have the necessary converter and seven different NOS tubes two of which are Western Electric 396A, the rest being 2 GE 5670 5-Star, CBS, Raytheon, and Tung-Sol. I had these for experimentation with an iFi iTube. I’m encouraged by your comments and will experiment fairly soon starting with the WE396A.
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