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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
simna
165 posts
 
@ facten

Hej

I have compared Lab12 with my present DAC, Hegel HD12, which was crushed in every respect. Except for on thing;  ”edge”.

Bad productions will gain from the ”politeness” in Lab12 but I feel that rough (ment to be ”dirty sounding”) rock and blues records sounds like they lack a little ”edge” (don’t know the correct expression in English, hope you understand). They don`t sound as ”dirty” as I expert them to.

Good recordings sounds very good, but even there I can feel that I lack a little ”edge”. 

I don`t know how many hours the unit has got to burn in. Maybe the sound will change after some more hours, but I will be surprised if the sound will ”turn harder”.


For the record; I have also compared Lab12 with Line Magnetic, CD-player, LM-515. LM-515 sounded too sweet, too bass heavy, veiled and with much less ”air” between the instruments.

So (IMHO) the Lab12 DAC1 SE sounds homogeneous and well balanced, warm (not negatively warm), musical (makes me wanna keep on listening), big  airy soundstage, but is a little too ”polite”.


My listening was made with my BeyerDynamic T1 headphones and Feliks Audio Elise headphone amp (tubes, upgraded). Kimber Silver Streak between DAC/CD-player and headphone amp. 


You have to excuse my bad English. Sorry. 



facten
2,723 posts
 
simna

No need to apologize I follow what you are saying; thank you for offering up your take on the DAC
redphu72's avatar
redphu72
78 posts
 
This Dac intrigues me.  Whats the real price after shipping and handling?  
teajay OP
1,655 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?)?
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