MHDT Orchid or Lampizator Amber 3?

Come on guys, lay off @teajay the Lab12 dac was well reviewed by @teajay and it was done in an A vs B vs aural memory of other higher end dacs. He stated his opinion and went on the record. He never said “this is the finest dac that will ever be made” he said “this is a fine dac”. He also never said “I’ve heard everything out there and this is it, the chosen one”.

To his great credit, and this can not be overstated, he has tried other gear and isn’t afraid to say “hey, I heard something better”. To me, this is a big deal and gives his impressions on a given item even more credibility. Unlike many who review gear, he isn’t afraid to say he has heard something he likes better. It doesn’t invalidate his prior reviews, it actually provides context and a hierarchy along his review chronology.

@teajay likes the Tubadour that came his way spontaneously and organically through this forum. That’s awesome guys! For those who are certain that all professional reviewers are “on the take” need only visit this thread to discover, on the contrary, we have someone who was open minded and open to the idea of trying something he hadn’t heard, objectively evaluating it and then going on record. Shouldn’t this be celebrated rather than people taking potshots that he didn’t marry the Lab12 for life?

Keep up the great work @teajay , you have alot of fans out here who appreciate what you are doing, how you go about it and most of all, for posting your opinions here and not just in your writings for web-zines. You and I may not always share the same level of appreciation for certain pieces of gear but most on here aren’t looking for someone to guide their purchase decisions, they are looking for another data point to determine if a test drive would be beneficial. To anyone who bought a Lab12 dac based solely on his review, you got a fine dac. If you are disappointed that he was unwilling to cast his affection for the Lab12 in stone there are many more of us out here who are thrilled that there is a “professional reviewer” categorically willing to tell the truth. Even if it means leaving a former love for a new love.

Thanks @teajay !,,

Has anybody compared Mojo Mystique V3 with AM Tubalour III SE, Amber 3 or Modded Orchid?

ghasley,
Terrific post re: teajay!  I agree with everything you stated and you did so beautifully.
I read something from somebody awhile ago that sort of went like this,"You may have the very best, and it is, until you run across something better."
- Bob

@ghasley. Please remind me of your main dac? Curious as to how it compares to the Amber 3.  Thanks! 

@grannyring 

My main dac is presently an Aqua La Scala MkII Optologic with a pair of NOS Mullard 6201 tubes installed. It replaced a Nagra Classic dac which replaced a Totaldac D1-Tube-MkII which replaced a Chord Dave. All have been fed by an Innuos Zenith MkIII via a Final Touch Audio Callisto USB cable. I’ve run it single ended and balanced and the balanced outputs sound ever so slightly better.

The Amber 3 and the La Scala are both terrific, the La Scala is overall more refined. A more elegant top to bottom presentation but there are some areas where the differences are negligible or even in the Amber’s favor(like bass and layering). The Aqua build quality is off the hook good, both dacs have a proven upgrade path.

If you were demoing the La Scala and the Amber 3, single ended, at home and didn’t own either it would be difficult to justify the price differential.