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
audioengr
3,282 posts
 

Listen to CharlesDAD and Almarg.  They both have the experience.

The #1 issue with digital playback is jitter.  The #2 issue is digital filtering.  When you consider NOS DAC based on these older chips, you are minimizing the digital filtering problem.  The problem with older chips like this is that you will sacrifice a bit of speed, so transients/leading edges may not be as live as a newer D/A chip.  They deliver a very analog sound though.

The best of both worlds is a chip that you can tune the digital filtering and it is newer so it's faster.  If you can find a DAC that has these attributes, I recommend that one.

I also don't like to see a DAC with built-in reclocker on the S/PDIF inputs.  This limits the ability to get better sound by applying lower jitter external sources as they become available.

Steve N.

Empirical Audio

roxy54's avatar
roxy54
8,032 posts
 
If you’re an ordinary guy, like myself, and not an electrical engineer, this can really become confusing and intimidating. This is something that we didn’t have to deal with way back when. I was reading a review of a DAC last night, and I was honestly lost with 90% of the explanation of the piece technically.

So, Steve N., can you comment on the design of the Holo Spring Kitsune as compared to the Lab 12 regarding jitter/filtering? Other opinions are welcome as well.
Thanks, John
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 
Roxy54,
I do understand the appeal of NOS and R2R chips and ladder topologies. I would just say that there’s more to the "big picture" viewpoint. I haven’t heard the Lab12 DAC SE but have no reason to question Teajay’s enthusiastic review.

A friend let me borrow his Holo Springs level III DAC so I could hear it in my system. As you know it is NOS and R2R discrete resistor ladder design. It was actually a very good  sounding DAC in my 300b SET/DHT Line stage based system. In direct comparison to my Yamamoto YDA O1a DAC we felt that both were organic in nature,   the Yamamoto was more ’alive,  extended and dynamic in presentation . In reality more emotionally involving. 

The Yamamoto is delta sigma(Texas Instruments 1794 chip) and over samples 8x (but with minimal digital filtering) no NFB or OP-amps. My only point is that you really have to listen to these DACs to judge their sound quality. Delta sigma versus R2R is only part of the story and I don’t believe that one can be declared superior to the other.

I hope you do get to hear the Lab 12 DAC SE in your system. Best of luck to you.
Charles
dgarretson
2,599 posts
 

Based on specs and forum buzz, the $2.5K ifi Pro iDSD DAC looks like a potential giant-killer.  Any experience with this one?  It has some features that appeal to me, such as a 10mhz master clock input and the ability to take power from an external 12Vdc LPS.  (I already have an SRS PERF10 and a Hynes SR7 for this purpose.)

https://ifi-audio.com/products/pro-idsd/ 

roxy54's avatar
roxy54
8,032 posts
 
Charles,
Thanks, and I hear what you're saying loud and clear. I guess I'm not really being practical about this. I just want to get a DAC that is better than the one that I have without much bother, because I can't try either before I buy them. I have actually loved my ANK 2.1 for several years now, but felt that it was time to take the next step up. I guess nothing is that easy unless I stay with ANK, and really know what to expect, although I had an email exchange with Terry (Teajay) today, and was heartened to hear from him that he was familiar with some upper end Audio Note DACs, and found the Lab 12 superior.  
More to discover