stuart1927
100+ Head-Fier
I'm not an expert in the chips used, but I think the implementation overall has a much bigger influence on the sound. I've heard great dacs with fairly cheap and cheerful (older) chips being used. My old Musical paradise MP1 was a perfect example. The use of good components and of course someone who knows what they are doing, is by far the best indicator. The Lab 12 Dac 1 ref uses superb parts and just looks to be very well executed. The fact that the designer spent more time listening than aimlessly measuring everything in sight says a lot in my book. I don't know the exact reasons for 8 chips, but I've read that it's effectively configured as a parallel resistor ladder arrangement, which may help explain the natural sound signature. I suspect such an arrangement would be far removed from a unit using a single or even dual chip. Interestingly, the original Lab 12 SE dac got great reviews, including one by HTR, who said it was better than dacs costing $10,000 more! The reviewer then did a review of the orchid dac a week later and said it was better! This particular reviewer reviews lack credibility IMHO as it's not the first time he's reviewed a product to say it's a game changer and is better than products costing 5x etc.......only to review something else the next week and claim it was even better than the game changing/seismic shift product he just reviewed! Perhaps he should just calm down and not get so carried away! The new lab 12 Dac 1 Reference looks to have upped the game considerably though, and is has been substantially upgraded in every aspect v's the original SE version. There are a few great reviews out there.....some are actually linked in the Lab 12 website.Nice thanks for this info. Wonder why they went with the TDA1543 chip, probably the one they were able to get in volume since they use 8 in each DAC. The Orchid is based on the supposedly « legendary » TDA1541. My old Paradisea, the first MHDT made was based on the TDA1543 if I remember well. On the other had, they use a 6922 based tube buffer which is what the newest version of the Orchid use, so it must be nicer sounding then the first version I have.
Anyway, hopefully LAB12 gets a bit more attention soon, some pro reviews and stores in NA selling their stuff.