A DAC that crushes price vs. performance ratio

@teajay I have the Lab12 Dac1 Special Edition and Lab12 Gordian since last May, and the Lab12 Integre4 Amplifier with the KT150 output tubes since March.  Speakers are Audium Comp 7 passive. Streaming Qobuz Studio via a Bluesound Node 2i as streamer only to the Lab12 Dac1 SE via coax. Works great and absolutely no issues.

Thank you for your review of the Lab12 Dac1 SE and more recently the MHDT Orchid. Is there a possibility you will compare the just released Lab12 Dac1 Reference to the Special Edition version and the MHDT Orchid?  That would be of real interest to me. Thanks again. 

@teajay I forgot to mention that one of the reviewers of the Lab12 Dac1 SE said there was no anti jitter circuitry after the inputs. I can’t verify that but nevertheless I put a iFi spdif iPurifier at the input end of the Bluejeans coax.

Subject to my own bias I felt there was more ‘air’, better leading edges and sustain. It seemed reproduction was more ‘organised’ and at the same time more relaxed. More ‘body’ and timbres. I have not removed the iPurifier to verify my impressions as I suffer discomfort from osteoarthritis and tend to avoid crouching at the installation, hence my qualification at the outset.

Maybe you might acquire a iFi spdif iPurifier and if so report if you experience benefit and if so how it might affect your comparisons.

Regarding tubes I already have the necessary converter and seven different NOS tubes two of which are Western Electric 396A, the rest being 2 GE 5670 5-Star, CBS, Raytheon, and Tung-Sol. I had these for experimentation with an iFi iTube. I’m encouraged by your comments and will experiment fairly soon starting with the WE396A.

Reviving this thread.

I know the reviewer moved on to MHDT since but what about the redesigned LAB12 Reference Dac introduced later on? Are there members that have tried the revised dac and your opinions. Thanks.

Just picked up a used LAB12 DAC 1 Reference.  Sold by original owner who bought it May 2021.  Waiting for it to arrive.  I would like to hear from owners there impressions and any suggestions on tube rolling success…or any other comments.

Thanks as well! 

LAB 12 DAC arrived and I have to say Wow!  Glad I picked this DAC up at half price. Couldn’t be happier with the realism and comforting crystal clear sound.  Waiting for some NOS Amperex 6922 gold pins to arrive to see how they perform vs the stock Electro Harmonix 6922.