which tube dac? Lab 12 vs Line Magnetic vs Borderpatrol?

I have the Lab 12 DAC 1 Reference.    It's a great sounding DAC.   I bought it with a 1 year trade up to something 2X the cost but I knew early in that I wasn't going to do that.   I've had it three years , about 6 or 8 months ago I replaced the stock tubes with some mid 70's Refektor tubes.   

A friend has the Border Patrol.   He is a hard core vinyl guy and that's what he uses.   

It is unlikely that any Lab 12 DAC you see will have true balanced XLR.    The stock unit has XLR jacks but they are wired in parallel with the RCA.    I used them with a balanced pre to try that connection and it sounded great, just not a true XLR.  You can special order it with true balanced out but it is a $700 option. 

Canor Audio DAC 2.10  food for thought. I have their AI 2.10 Hybrid and love it, the 2.10 DAC is next.

https://verdantaudio.com/products/canor-dac-2-10?srsltid=AfmBOorU-UQnlyOYjtyZychPIzKq08cNRIfH5vhxvj0rQoK0ZplPwsJW

https://positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/canor-audio-dac-2-10/

@audiocanada the Border Patrol is not a tube dac (conversion or output stage) however it is tube rectified. 

Thr Lab 12  and Border Patrol both use the Philips TDA1543 chips

Look at MHDT DACs, nice tube sound euphoric 

great info thus far

thanks all

MHDT DAC or the LTA Aero

I have owned a Audio Mirror Tubador & MHTD Labs Pagoda balanced. Both were very fine sounding. I am now using a Holo Cyan 2. Which is a very good DAC, but i miss the luscious sound of tubes.  

No experience with the DACs you’re interested in, but the Lab12 continues to be on my short list.

Kinda wish I didn’t sell my MHDT Paradisea - rolling op-amps was both interesting and surprising. At the moment I’ve been taking a very strong look at Space-Tech Laboratories out of Canada. AL has been extremely responsive with customization and adding volume control to his DACs. Website is from 1996, and the looks may not be for many - but I love the almost industrial steampunk-like style. Plus, I can’t afford a new LampizatOr with volume control. 

Just picked up a MHDT Orchid yesterday and I'm listening to it now.  I rolled a few tubes through it (stock type 5670, Western Electric  JW 2C51, and an Amperex 6922) and the Amperex wins..super nice sounding DAC.  My now former DAC was a Paradisea+.  The Orchid is certainly a step up, not a big surprise I suppose, but the Paradisea, in it's day, was a nice DAC, still is(for a second system). 

https://pt.audio/2023/03/12/lab12-dac1-review/

It's a.so been on PTA Best of Digital three years in a row.  2023, 24, 25.   Best product list 2023.    

Guttenberg loved it in his You Tube review.   

Really great sounding DAC.  

@oddiofyl There is a balanced version priced at $4000, TMR has it as a special order.

The OP asked about Line Magnetic... I have an older LM 502ca that I've swapped its LM branded Electo Harmonix tubes out of for La Radiotechnique, Brimar and RCA clear top 12au7s; all are amazing tubes and ups the DACs performance exponentially. I use an Acrolink AES/EBU to my Lumin and an Audience AU24 Coax to an Enlightened Audio transport and it, on many days, outperforms my other tube DAC costing twice as much. If you can get your hands on one, grab it.  

As someone already said the Borderpatrol isn't exactly a tube DAC, though it does have a tube in the power supply for rectification. More importantly the sound is very "tube like" in character. I didn't love it in my system but I know a bunch of people who do, it is worth a try if that's the signature you prefer.