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PLEASE CHECK AVAILABILITY BEFORE CONFIRMING YOUR PURCHASE! Our stock can change any minute – we sell through various sales channels.Brand New! – Closed BoxWe are authorised dealers of the finest audio gear and musical instruments.Note 1: Free shipping within EU. Shipping price to any other country is an estimate. Please message us for specific shipping price to your particular location.Note 2: This product is custom ordered, please check availability and/or eventual shipping delay.Note 3: This product is factory set for 230V. For other voltage, please message us.Note 4: We sell without taxes anywhere outside Europe and to valid VAT ID companies inside Europe. Please ask us your price without Tax in those cases.Note 5: We can quote any kind of bundle with our products at the most convenient prices. Just visit our store and ask for it.LAB12 DAC1 REFERENCE – NON OVERSAMPLING DAC WITH TUBE OUTPUT With the ever-expanding market of digital audio, both files and online streaming services, more and more people are discovering the world of digital audio. Furthermore, in the past few years many of the most demanding music lovers and audiophiles have discovered the unique sound of non-oversampling DACs to make the most of their digital audio sources.The biggest challenge for any DAC is the sound and not the ‘’numbers’’. Digital by default sounds very different when compared to analog and we at Lab12 have spent countless hours striving for the perfect voicing that resembles the very best qualities of analog. We couldn’t be more proud of our newest creation Dac1 reference.In this new DAC, which is based on the same core and philosophy as the successful and multi- awarded Lab12 Dac1 Special Edition, we pushed the limits even more in all stages, such as power supply stages, digital inputs crucial paths and receivers, jitter reduction etc, in order to reach the closest approach to the original analog sound.Dac1 reference uses eight multibit Philips DAC chips in a complex parallel configuration right after an efficient layout digital receiver stage, allied with two dual triodes tubes in output stage. Each and every part has been selected for its sonic value that brings identifiable and coherent benefits to the final sound you will hear. The result is one of a kind emotional and transparent sonic performance.As all Lab12 products, Dac1 reference also comes with two colour choices of glass blasting anodizing finish.FEATURES• Input Sampling Rate up to 24bit/192 kHz• Non Oversampling mode• 8x Multibit Philips DACs network• 2x Dual Triodes tubes I/V analog output stage• 6 Separate Regulated Power Supplies• Analog retro Nissei VU meters• 6mm Aluminum face panelSPECIFICATIONS• Power: 210 – 240VAC 50Hz (110 – 120VAC 60Hz)• Power consumption: 70 VA max• Inputs: 2x SPDIF (Coaxial RCA), 1x USB2, 1x spdif (Optical Toslink)• Outputs: 2x RCA, 2x XLR unbalanced (balanced version available)• Frequency response: 20Hz to 20 KHz + 0dB/-1dB• THD: lower than 0.15%• Rated output level: 2.5Vrms• Tube complement: 2x 6922 dual triode• Available Colours: Matt Black, Frozen Silver• Dimensions (WxHxD): 43x11x29 cm• Weight: 7.5 Kg
Generating expert take…
Lab 12 is a Greek hi-fi brand founded in 2012 by Stratos Vichos in Athens, with a clear identity built around handmade tube electronics. The company was established to make valve gear feel more usable and less precious than the old stereotype of temperamental, obscure tube audio.
Its core product focus is tube amplification: integrated amplifiers, power amplifiers, preamps, phono stages, and DACs. Available coverage and dealer listings point to a catalogue centered on models like the Integre4, Mighty, and DAC1 Reference, which reinforces that Lab 12 is primarily an electronics brand rather than one spanning speakers, turntables, headphones, or cables.
In the market, Lab 12 sits in the high-end niche boutique segment. It is known for artisanal construction, valve-based designs, and a slightly adventurous engineering identity that appeals to experienced listeners who want something distinctive rather than mainstream. It is not a mass-market brand, and its reputation is strongest among enthusiasts looking for serious, characterful tube hi-fi with a European boutique pedigree.
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