Founded in 1983, the company was brought to market to offer great value, very high-quality hi-fi electronics, with each being easy to use. Their first range, their 8000 series, is now considered a classic, warmly remembered by those who used them and who can attest to their build and audio quality.
The business was adversely affected by ownership changes and the economic slump of the early 2000s and the then owner ceased development in mid-2003. Eventually the audio side of the business was purchased by International Audio Group (IAG) which also owns Luxman, Quad, Mission, Wharfedale and Castle Acoustics.
Audiolab was re-launched in 2005 under the leadership of Nick Clark with a new range of products under the 8200 Series to multi-award-winning, critical acclaim. The company has steadily grown since this time and has won many accolades for products including the legendary M-DAC, a stand-alone digital to analogue converter which rewrote the rule book of what was possible for the money.
Audiolab now has three ranges: the 6000, the 7000 and the 9000 Series. All offer a very fresh, clean and modern aesthetic. They offer truly exceptional value offering above average sonic performance, excellent build quality at very reasonable prices. Their ranges consist of a gamut of very well reviewed electronics including:
- CD players - with additional digital inputs (plus optional analogue inputs) and with the ability to work as preamplifiers if required
- CD Transports – as huge fans of CDs we love this addition to their range offering a purpose built, no frills transport at a, frankly, ridiculously good price
- Stand-alone DACs – with great integrated headphone outputs and some with the ability to work as a pre-amp if required. This includes the successor to the original M-DAC, the M-DAC+.
- Network streamers – their newest model to market
Audiolab CD Transport 6000-CDT
We make no secret of being fans of CD. We believe there is still superior sound quality to be had from this physical format compared to other digital sources. Audiolab has developed this stand-alone CD transport only to maximise the performance of this medium for those with either an existing stand-alone DAC or those with amplifiers with an integrated DAC with digital inputs. Focussing myopically on the one specific task of CD playback has maximised performance and is simply incredible for the money. It offers a wide and deep soundstage with great tonal accuracy which is exceptional on the market at such a bargain price.
6000 CDT - silver or black £399.95
CD Transport 6000-CDT
Audiolab M-DAC+ (DAC/Pre-amp/Headphone amplifier)
This M-DAC+ is the evolution to the original M-DAC and offers fantastic performance, in a compact chassis, for a very reasonable cost. This unit has been upgraded over the M-DAC to now include an integrated power supply, as opposed to the external switch mode unit used before in the original M-DAC and a more modern DAC chipset to allow M-DAC+ to now additionally offer DSD decoding, as the original MDAC was limited to 24 bit/ 192kHz sample rates.
MDAC+ - black or silver £849.95
M-DAC+ (DAC/Pre-amp/Headphone amplifier)
Audiolab 7000 series
This unit is part of the new 7000 series, which comprises of the 7000A integrated amplifier, plus the 7000 CDT Transport (featured here) and the 7000N streamer. All designs build upon the class-leading 6000 series and look particularly striking as a stack.
This range has been designed to sit between the 6000 series and the new 9000 series. It has improved build quality over the 6000 series as well as some technical improvements. The 7000 series has a smaller size than the 9000 series, which is a level up again in build and performance.
We have been impressed from our listening tests and this is a step-up sonically, as well as aesthetically, from the 6000 series. The entire 7000 series offers exceptional value for money with a sound quality above it price point.
Audiolab 7000CDT - CD Transport with playback from USB storage
7000CDT improves on the, multi-award winning 6000CDT with a new mechanism, USB HDD playback and a new full-colour IPS LCD screen. More compact than the 9000 series and perfectly matched aesthetically to the 6000 and previous 8300 series. The new GUI makes interacting with the unit a joy.
The 7000CDT uses a high-precision optical system with an electronic data buffer for accurate and seamless CD playback. Using very similar technology to the 9000CDT, the 7000CDT uses a read-ahead digital buffer to reduce disc-reading failures. This is useful in it being able to play even scratched CD that other CD players would not be able to access.
The master clock is controlled by a high-accuracy crystal oscillator, enabling the digital output from both coaxial and optical sockets to have extremely low levels of jitter (digital timing errors). The coaxial output of the 7000CDT is fed from a differential line driver to minimise noise and maximise the signal quality available.
Audiolab 7000 CDT in black or silver £549
7000CDT - CD Transport in black with playback from USB storage
7000CDT - CD Transport in silver with playback from USB storage
Audiolab CD Transport: 9000CDT
This unit is part of the brand new 9000 series, which comprises of the 9000CDT (featured), plus 9000A integrated amplifier (with integrated DAC) and the 9000N streamer. All have very clean and fresh designs.
The full aluminium construction of the 9000CDT has a premium feel and weighs almost 6kg, with superb design aesthetic. The 9000CDT, 9000A amplifier and 9000N streamer share a similar appearance with a full colour, 4.3 inch IPS LCD screen on all models. In operation, the large rotary encoder of the 9000 makes accessing tracks (and the various other options) easy and feels great to the touch, with excellent damping. Just turn and click.
Making life easier for the modern age, this unit will also allow a USB-A thumb drive to be plugged in the back, allowing playback of stored files.
The 9000CDT is a significant step up from the 6000CDT in build, design and sonics. In our listening tests we found the 9000CDT to offer a more expansive image than with the 6000CDT which continues to present an excellent sound at its price point. The 9000CDT paints a more convincing holographic image with greater density and depth, with a rich tone and a smooth presentation. This level of sound quality is rare at these price points. With this CD drive, Audiolab once again offers exceptional value for money and demonstrates how good CDs can sound, for a very reasonable level of investment.
Audiolab 9000CDT Transport in silver or black £999
Audiolab CD Transport: 9000CDT - black
Audiolab CD Transport: 9000CDT - silver
