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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
ahendler
416 posts
 
Audio-GD Master 7 at $2400 is as good if not better then any +$10000 dac I have ever heard. Even more shocking is I am enjoying the LitedacAH as much as my Master 7 and this dac is under $200. Both of these dacs are based on old multibit chips and the master 7 is a R2R dac Both are operating NOS with no digital filters
Alan
grey9hound
1,112 posts
 
@akg_ca
Really ?
WTF ? Dude.
At least hear it before you comment on anyone else’s review of it .I doubt you will find any other reviews of any equipment comparing it to more than 3 other pieces. Why do you consider the comparisons to be selective and restrictive ? 

nonoise's avatar
nonoise
10,810 posts
 
@grey9hound +1
Sounds like someone got out of bed on the wrong side.
melm
1,068 posts
 
I find it extremely odd that a reviewer for a magazine, even an e-zine, would find it necessary or ethically appropriate to "push" a piece of equipment he reviewed--along, of course, with "pushing" the review itself. Many similar boards would not tolerate this.

This is not at all a comment on the component under review; I had never heard of it before.  Moreover I am an advocate of small foreign companies that are pushing the boundaries of performance/price ratios especially in the digital arena.  But the reviewer does his component no favor by making it appear that something "fishy" is going on.
twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears
5,317 posts
 
Lab12 has been around for a while, and is known in Europe.  It's now got a couple of toes in the US market.  Mainly tube gear, plus this DAC, plus a very interesting power conditioner that I was very seriously considering.

It wouldn't surprise me if the DAC performed very well for the price, but the proof is always in the pudding (or the eating thereof). OP's motives may be disinterested/altruistic, or not, but there's no way--epistemologically speaking--that we will ever know.
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