@teajay I remember and took notice of your Lab12 Ref DAC review a while back. I have enjoyed and have been very impressed with mine. How would the LSA and the Lab 12 Ref compare in your mind? Thanks
Review on Linear Tube Audio Aero DAC
Hey Gon members,
I just submitted to Stereo Times my review on the new ,and the first, DAC that Linear Tube Audio has just released. For right now I would strongly suggest anyone in the market for a stand alone DAC, regardless of price, consider the Aero. Its build quality, R2R chip set, power supply, internal part selection and the tube based ZOTL analog conversion section leads to one of the most musical and analog type presentations I have heard in the last ten years. Not inexpensive at $3,950, but competes with my reference which sells for $10,000 more. You get a 14 day home . trial. So far no one has returned the Aero after hearing in their system. I go into many details about the Aero in my review, but wanted to give a heads-up for anyone considering a DAC purchase. I believe the Aero is a break through product based on price vs. performance. I'll let you know when the review goes up. Hopefully in the next ten days.
Terajay (Terry London)
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Hey tksteingraber, Your Lab12 DAC is an excellent performer. It does not become null and void because something performs at a higher level. The LTA Aero, in my opinion, significantly/qualitative is on a higher level of performance across the board. In my review I mention two DACs that I own that cost 10K and 25K more. Yet, the Aero's level of performance rivals these two DACs. Teajay |
@teajay Based on your comments here, and the Audiophiliac (Steve Guttenberg) review, the Linear Tube Audio Aero DAC sounds like a really great deal on a very musical DAC for $4K. Since the LTA Aero is an R2R DAC using the AD-1865 DAC chip, I am curious whether you have heard any of Benjamin Zwickel’s Mojo Audio DACs, which are also R2R DACs and which use the AD-1862N DAC chip? I currently own both the Mojo Audio Mystique EVO Pro and Mystique X SE DACs, each of which use AD-1862N-Z chips, which were apparently a special version of the AD-1862 chip developed for high-end Denon DACs back in the day and incorporate the "Z" designation. If you have seen the Soundbsessive DAC Chip List, they have good things to say about both the AD-1862 and AD-1865 chips:
Although the output stages are different between the Mojo Audio and LTA models (Mojo Audio DACs do not use tubes), there are similarities beyond the AD DAC chips and R2R design, which include dedicated power supplies for each section and Belleson-regulated, multi-stage choke filtration. I was interested to hear Guttenberg’s comments regarding the LTA Aero vs. the Mola Mola Tambaqui, since I owned a Tambaqui last year and compared it directly to the EVO Pro DAC. To my ears, the Tambaqui sounded basically "perfect" while the EVO Pro offered a sound that I perceived in comparison as more musical and fun to listen to, if that makes any sense. I also found that the Tambaqui displayed a bit more "high-frequency air and spaciousness" as described by Guttenberg in his comparison between the Tambaqui and the LTA Aero. However, in my system, the relatively small differences in high-frequencies between the Tambaqui and EVO Pro were overshadowed by my favorable perception of the EVO Pro displaying more tonal color and body. After listening to both over an extended period, I ended up selling the Tambaqui and kept the EVO Pro. If you have heard any of the Mojo Audio Mystique DACs, from the v3 on up, I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on how those compare with the LTA Aero. |
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