2. digital
  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
seanheis1
630 posts
 
Also in 30 years of professional sales experience we have seen products that have performed well for less money like the Auralic Vega but again that was a $3,500 dac that matched in some ways a $7,000.00 Meitner but again, not a $2k dac that is sounding close to a $10k one.
Pardon my ignorance, but I’m having a difficult time trying to figure out how we are getting to 10k with a DAC. A $20 chip, a nice $200 case, maybe another $100 for a special power supply...sorry just not understanding the parts breakdown in relation to the final cost.

Seems that 2k could get you a top shelf product. I realize that we are talking very small batch products. I imagine a company making a 10k DAC might only sell 20-30 of them. Defining better might just be defining different. 
audioman58's avatar
audioman58
4,228 posts
 
I remember back in the early 90s the Sony walk man cd player
was using a good digital  converter ever a few reviewers 
mentioned it as a option to hook up to your system.
a great builder of this Phillips chipset  .Jerry Osmet- Audio Logic
fame . I owned 2 of his units .my brother still has 1 .look on the used  market for one maybe $1k or under.
janehamble
123 posts
 
Has the Lab 12 DAC1 SE been born again? Still wondering why all the fuss over a 5 year old DAC. Not saying being 5 years old is necessarily a bad thing, just can’t understand the comments about it being "new". It’s not the only DAC with great reviews that uses the cheap Philips chip - the Border Patrol DAC is another.
captelee's avatar
captelee
44 posts
 
Always enjoy reading about the new DACs on the market here with you guys....and have listened to many. Most on this forum have been overlooking iFi Audio's "Black" Micro iDSD DAC that at $550 has been reigning superior for a couple of years in my book.
However iFi just released their "pro" DAC a couple of months ago that comes in at around $2500. Hands down the best DAC I have ever heard in my life and brings my system to life like never before.
Can I get a witness?!
-Captain E
roxy54's avatar
roxy54
8,098 posts
 
captelee,
I'm sure that the ifi pro is a good modern DAC, I just went to the website and had a look, but to me, there is nothing that compares to the natural sound of a good, non oversampling DAC like the Lab 12.
More to discover