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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
oddiofyl's avatar
oddiofyl
3,696 posts
 

Does it compete with $10k DACs. ?   I don't know the answer to that but it definitely has a unique presentation.    So many songs that were tough to listen to are a lot better with this DAC, it's smooth and very forgiving to poor recordings.  It has a great bottom end,  drums and bass guitar have real delineation and texture .  

With great recordings it sounds fantastic.    Sounds "bigger" than the DAC it replaced .   Imaging goes way beyond the speaker boxes.   This DAC is a good example of something that measures worse than the DAC it replaced but for whatever reason sounds much better.

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fuzzbutt17's avatar
fuzzbutt17
74 posts
 

The first review was just posted for the new Mystique X SE DAC in Audiophilia.

The reviewer used to own a Mystique EVO Pro as his reference DAC but he was to taken by the new Mystique X SE he sold his EVO Pro and bought the demo unit.

Needless to say he awarded the X SE Star Component..

More reviews and awards should be posting over the next few months :^)

https://www.audiophilia.com/reviews/2022/8/13/608mtkw85c1oncpqf68o9b80nng10b

jorjlien's avatar
jorjlien
52 posts
 

Same as Lemay Audio at Montreal Audio Fest using a $1300 portable as reference DAC the iFi Diablo to replace $20,000 DAC. 

this is madness. 😂 

auroravengeance's avatar
auroravengeance
134 posts
 

@oddiofyl 

Yes, it's a lot more comfortable listening to this Lab12 Dac1 Reference compared to my previous Musician Pegasus. 

I've compared it to Weiss DAC 502 and MSB Discrete and I don't feel the Dac1 loses out to them. It does not do DSD and does not have pre-amp, but who cares. 

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