A DAC that crushes price vs. performance ratio

@teajay Nice review of the DAC product. I’m in Evanston, so Libertyville is just a shot up north on I-94 or US-41. 

Sounds like there is a need for a group hug here. @teajay probably should review and endorse some under-the-radar product line carried by @audiotroy 

Though I remain unconvinced about the usefulness of those VU-meters. Pretty gimmicky on all audio equipment. 

I respect all those who offer their genuine opinion of their listening impressions of audio equipment, regardless of the circumstances whereby they audition the gear.

Audio reviewers should clearly state their conflicts of interests, including a statement of the price paid for any reviewed samples.

@teajay I appreciate your viewpoint. A “no conflict” statement is easy to make for publications, so why the pushback? It’s simply a general statement that reviewers should make about what their conflicts of interest are with respect to products under review, particularly when they are making statements in a commercial, for-profit, publication that might lead to inducing others to make a purchasing decision, as this thread amply demonstrates in spades. This is common in even scientific publications, where no commercial transaction is even contemplated. If none exists, then so state it. Period. End of story.

And with all due respect, stating something is an economic, high value product sort of depends on what the value is to that person. That is, the cost to them. The publication can make its policy a blanket statement that applies to all reviewers. But to endorse a product with the statement, “I bought the reviewed product” suggests that the price offered to ordinary consumers was paid. Your audience is not like-minded reviewers who can get the gear at your cost, but folks who pay full price for their gear.

I reread this review before scheduling a visit to the Libertyville shop that carries this DAC. It appears that the review’s critical listening commentary pertains to the DAC fitted with a NOS CCA 1962 Siemens tube rather than the DAC fitted with the stock 6922 tube.

Since consumers are going to audition the stock unit, I’m wondering whether Terry might provide additional insight about his listening impressions of the stock unit.

I could not find a supplier of the NOS CCA 1962 Siemens cited in the review. So it will be challenging to capture all of the sonic qualities reported in the review.

@teajay Thank you. This is very helpful info! 

@d2girls  Dump them. Clients deserve better treatment. 

I don’t understand all the pushback regarding the use of a DAC chip simply because it’s inexpensive. It’s not like Redbook playback warrants the use of expensive DAC chips to justify a DAC purchasing decision.  

Reviewers always amaze me with how much manufacturer’s text they use in their reviews. I’m sure a lot is justified, such as essential product features. But their borrowed texted often extends well beyond that basic info. 

☝🏻☝🏻And what I said above doesn’t really apply to this review. The only bit of confusion was the usage of “NOS” for describing both the DAC chips and the 6922 tube. But it’s clear what’s meant from context. 😂😂

Language is always difficult. And the language descriptors used in hi-end audio is a lexicon dating back to at least J. Gordon Holt of Stereophile days. I seem to recall having or seeing such a compilation back in the 1980’s. Perhaps @teajay has seen such a compilation, too. 

@teajay adequately addressed a question I asked about the sonic differences of the stock tube and the exchanged Siemens tube in the DAC of his review. It sounds like a DAC worth auditioning. 

I don’t know why folks do things without verifying they make a positive SQ improvement against the supplied stock parts. Simply replacing a tube or fuse for what is the stock counterpart without verifying the replacement part actually improves SQ is blind faith at best and stupidity at worst. 

Teajay, Since your review is out now and because this thread has served its purpose to those wanting info about the Lab12 DAC, I would kill this thread. 

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/why-do-members-hijack-threads