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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
lwin's avatar
lwin
571 posts
 

  I am late to this discussion as I wasn't aware of it until today or I would have joined it much earlier. I may be wrong but I think Teejay is an audiophile first and a critic second. As an audiophile he enjoys sharing his insights on gear that punches well above it's price point. As a critic, he has access to a lot more equipment then most of us do. He was spot on with the Tekton Design speakers so when he raves about something ; I listen.

As for retailers joining discussions, I have no problem with them contributing as long as they state that they sell audio gear and if a discussion is about a product they sell, they should inform us. I have seen numerous very informative postings by retailers and look forward to reading more in the future.



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simna
165 posts
 

@teajay

I’ve been giving the Lab12 DAC1 SE a chance for some days now and I wonder how you will describe the difference between the stock tube and the Siemens tube (you used in your review)?

facten
2,878 posts
 
simna


here's his response from earlier within this thread to that question

"  All the details regarding how the DAC sounded/performed presented in the review apply to Lab12 with the stock tubes and the Siemens.  

3) Yes, with the Siemens you get a little more of an "organic" sound then with the stock tubes, but either way the DAC sounds wonderful."

simna, what are your impressions of this DAC with the stock tubes?


simna
165 posts
 
@ facten

Hej

I have compared Lab12 with my present DAC, Hegel HD12, which was crushed in every respect. Except for on thing;  ”edge”.

Bad productions will gain from the ”politeness” in Lab12 but I feel that rough (ment to be ”dirty sounding”) rock and blues records sounds like they lack a little ”edge” (don’t know the correct expression in English, hope you understand). They don`t sound as ”dirty” as I expert them to.

Good recordings sounds very good, but even there I can feel that I lack a little ”edge”. 

I don`t know how many hours the unit has got to burn in. Maybe the sound will change after some more hours, but I will be surprised if the sound will ”turn harder”.


For the record; I have also compared Lab12 with Line Magnetic, CD-player, LM-515. LM-515 sounded too sweet, too bass heavy, veiled and with much less ”air” between the instruments.

So (IMHO) the Lab12 DAC1 SE sounds homogeneous and well balanced, warm (not negatively warm), musical (makes me wanna keep on listening), big  airy soundstage, but is a little too ”polite”.


My listening was made with my BeyerDynamic T1 headphones and Feliks Audio Elise headphone amp (tubes, upgraded). Kimber Silver Streak between DAC/CD-player and headphone amp. 


You have to excuse my bad English. Sorry. 



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