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Lab 12 dac1 reference
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.
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Professional Reviews 85/100
Nicely Roasted
Sound Quality
87/100
Build Quality
88/100
Features Connectivity
76/100
Value for Money
85/100
The dac1 reference brings tube-warmed ease to digital, pairing a relaxed, near-neutral glow with deep, layered soundstaging and satisfyingly weighty bass. Part Time Audiophile found it consistently engaging for extended streaming, while Audiophiliac praised its lifelike vocal presence and unforced flow. This is a distinctive PCM DAC for listeners who value musical immersion over forensic analysis.
What Reviewers Are Saying
Pros
Warm yet informative tonality makes digital playback relaxed, engaging and suitable for long listening sessions.
Expansive, layered soundstage and weighty, driving bass add convincing scale and musical momentum.
Solid, consistent operation and substantial build quality, supported by an unusually generous five-year warranty.
&
Cons
Prioritises tonal beauty and ease over ultimate forensic resolution and transparency.
Feature set is intentionally sparse: PCM-only operation with no DSD, MQA or remote control.
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 87/100
Reviewers describe a distinctly inviting, tube-inflected presentation: warm and lush without being portrayed as heavily coloured, with an easy, relaxed flow that keeps music engaging over long sessions. The trade-off is ultimate forensic resolution; this DAC prioritises tonal beauty, presence and musical ease over extracting every last recorded detail.
Tonal Balance and Musicality
91/100
Part Time Audiophile found the sound both “seductive and informative,” praising a near-neutral balance with a lingering, comforting warmth. Audiophiliac similarly heard it as softer, sweeter, rounder and warmer, with a relaxed, unforced character that made voices, phrasing and dynamics feel more convincing.
Resolution and Detail
82/100
There is a clear limitation in ultimate resolution. Part Time Audiophile says the DAC could not deliver the level of resolution the reviewer had become accustomed to, while Audiophiliac advises listeners seeking the highest-resolution view into a recording to look elsewhere.
Digital Performance
88/100
The DAC is repeatedly characterised as smooth and natural rather than overtly digital or fatiguing. Audiophiliac praised the way it relaxes and opens up without shouting, while Part Time Audiophile found its performance notably solid and consistent during extended listening.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
88/100
Audiophiliac calls the build quality very solid and notes the substantial nearly 17-pound chassis. The included five-year warranty is also unusually generous for a DAC and adds reassurance, although the reviews offer little detail on internal construction.
Features Connectivity
76/100
Connectivity is intentionally sparse but useful, with USB, two coaxial inputs, optical input, and RCA and XLR outputs. It is a PCM-only non-oversampling design without DSD or MQA support, and the reviewer explicitly describes the rear-panel provision as sparse.
Value for Money
85/100
At roughly $2,795–$3,395, the dac1 reference sits in a competitive specialist-DAC segment. The reviews are strongly positive about its sound and one reviewer describes Lab 12 as a maker of great-sounding, affordable gear, but neither review directly compares its asking price with close alternatives.
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Authorized dealers for Lab 12 dac1 reference
- 8th Dimension Audio — United Kingdom (website)
- Alpha High End — online and in-store — Brasschaat, Vlaams Gewest, Belgium (website)
- Altitudo Audio — online and in-store — Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (website)
- ARK Audio — online and in-store — Borensberg, Östergötlands län, Sweden (website)
- Audio Ark — online and in-store — Edmonton, Alberta, United States (website)
- Audio Solutions - AU — online and in-store — Mascot, New South Wales, Australia (website)
- Audio Vision San Francisco — online and in-store — San Francisco, California, United States (website)
- Audiocompagniet — online and in-store — Odense C, Denmark (website)
- Can Hifi — in-store — İstanbul, Turkey (website)
- Cm Audio — in-store — Mönchengladbach Ost, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany (website)
and 23 more verified dealers