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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
teajay OP
1,702 posts
 
If my take is correct about simna's experience with the Lab 12, "makes me wanna keep listening", I think it's mainly a thumbs up perspective.  I do not experience a loss of leading edge focus, which I think simna means when he refers to "edge" on certain music.  A lot of digital sounds somewhat "hard" because the leading edge of the harmonic is "razor sharp" compared to a more natural presentation that listeners often refer to as having an analog quality.  Think metal/ceramic vs silk dome tweeters.  

However, my hunch is that if he tube rolled in brands like Mazda/Telefunken/Seimens he would get more of a "harder" sound that he is looking for.  

Redphu72, if you contact Mike Kay, Audio Archon, he can provide you the information you are seeking.  He is the North American retailer for Lab 12 gear..
simna
165 posts
 
@teajay 

You may be right that tube rolling is the solution. But still I wonder how you would describe what impact on the sound you heard when you changed the stock tube (Genalex Gold Lion I think it is) to the NOS CCA 1962 Siemens tube (about $350, yes?)?
simna
165 posts
 
Can anyone please explain what ”organic sound” means?
Post removed 
teajay OP
1,702 posts
 
Hey simna,

To answer your two questions:

1) As I stated in my review when you go from the stock tube to something like the NOS CCA Siemens tube you get across the sonic board improvement (transparency, soundstaging/air around instruments, improved tonality/color density, dynamics and more liquidity/ease).

2) I use the term "organic" to mean that that piece of gear, or and overall system, sounds less like "mechanical/electric" device and more like the illusion of music.  I also use the term "HiFi-ish" in the same breath, meaning it sounds like a great sound system, but not like natural music.
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