You touched on an interesting point here that I have thought about myself. Namely that your mood can definitely affect your critical faculties. Often we hear improvements when we are not ‘trying’ to. This is why proper auditioning of hifi equipment takes time imo
Thanks for the review. I'm excited to get mine in a few days time. I live in China and bought one from the factory for only 6500 Rmb/715 Pounds! I also got some 13 year old Kef XQ40s for about the same price.
Hi again! I bought this beauty 3 weeks ago and i can say that i am really happy with the 9000a. It drives a pair of monitor audio rx2 and it sounds amazing. For those who are hesistating and they are thinking to go for the cheaper 7000a, i heard them both and there is no comparison between the two amps. The 9000a is superior with no doubt. The phrase that i could borrow from Paul is "it makes music sounds expansive"
Lovely review as always Paul. How would you compare the overall sound quality of the 9000a to the likes of a Marantz 30 or Yamaha AS1200 that have a similar power ratings but not the bells and whistles of the 9000a?
I have the 6000a + cdt great combo, one point on 6000A it's very friendly to many speakers, that cannot be said for most integrated amplifiers . The thing is I have my own dac, network, phono stage etc, so the 9000A will not in all likelihood be a good buy . I wish Paul could review the Exposure 2510 because its top of my list, and would love his thoughts on this amplifier . Great review as always .
I've demo'd the 9000A against the 7000A for almost 2 weeks. I've worked in electronics/hifi manufacturing/testing/process design. After 30-40 minutes warm-up they sound remarkably similar. But whereas after 45 minutes the 7000A has peaked... the 9000A just keeps improving! After 2 hours it is simply a different animal. The bass/midrange/treble are simply sublime, but the soundstage is awesome... way, WAY better than the (still good) 7000A. Put a CD on 'repeat' play and then you will also hear the overall clarity/separation on the 2nd listen as the power circuitry warms! A stunning amp for £1999!!
I’ve owned the 6000a paired with some Q Acoustics Concept 50’s for about a year now but fancied climbing further up the Audiolab ladder hoping to extract more from the concepts so I borrowed the 7000a and the 9000a from my local dealer to compare. If I’m honest, the differences were minimal between all three amplifiers and not what I was expecting given the huge price differences. The 7000a gave a slightly more full bodied sound sacrificing a little top end detail and less spacious sounding than the 6000a imo. The 9000a certainly looks and feels more premium compared to the 6000/7000 with a touch more refinement and control. The biggest improvement I found was connecting a Quad Artera stereo power amp to my 6000a, wow, very impressive combination!
Hey, i am curious to know if you only add Quad Artera stereo power amp to your system and nothing else to find a lot of difference. Could you also explain what difference did you hear.
Unfortunately I don't think I'll be able to afford the 9000 series in this lifetime. Fortunately I currently have the 6000 setup, and will be investing in the 7000N Play when it's released next week. Thanks for another super review, Paul!
Had my current system nearly 20 years now. Looking around at reviews and this with the 9000A CDT is my top choice atm. My aging Avi Lab Series Amp has served me well but I feel its time to change.
Great review , i`m seriously contemplating demoing this amp, I`ve previously owned an XS2 , Caspian M2, Cyrus 8 plus others around this price point. The aesthetics of this unit are sublime. And i`m not bothered what anybody says, you must find your equipment pleasing on your eye.
That's interesting. My next upgrade I want to demo the caspian and the naim xs3 . I'm currently using a roksan k3 . I wonder why you got rid of those amps when they are in a similar price range to this audiolab?
My unanswerable question would be: would I be able to equal the performance of the 9000a using my 6000a as a preamp with an audiolab power amp? Or is it likely the preamp section of the 9000a is significantly better than that of the 6000a and so not viable. I am using a mojo 2 with my 6000a for the dac, fed by pi with volumio via a d10s as usb to spdif converter
@@dynodin81 I'm happy with the improvement for the money. I'm running the pi through a galvanic isolator into the mojo 2 now (mojo is not isolated) and it's really rich and enjoyable. That said I have not compared the d10s galvanically isolated as spdif converter to the 6000a, but I had both without it previously and it's an upgrade. Not sure the 6000a has the quality overall to expose how good the mojo 2 is, but I'm happy with the combo for sure. Especially since adding room treatments. It's a captivating and almost enveloping experience
@@MrChoppington I'm glad you're enjoying your set-up; fortunately that's what counts. Thank you for the response. I am happy with my 6000a but at some point I want to upgrade and get a little more magic.
What is bad about the 9000a (and 6000a) is what is missing: a connection for a recorder. It would have been so easy and cheap to include one, but no....
I'm an amateur speaker builder and have the 6000A. Guess what...my best instrument on my speakers is piano! Crazy but it's cos of my unique acoustic driver mounting. Half way in the box yet half way out of the box. I deal with coaxials and single drivers. A point source nut case! Seems like the best way to hear the difference point source can offer is on piano. I reckon many 2-ways can make the piano sound "broken" when you compare with point source piano (that seems more solid and more coherent and concise). This can explain why piano is "difficult" to reproduce, since most speakers are conventional 2-ways and 3-ways. Another problem is that piano is so rich that it can vibrated a speaker to pieces. That sound can get harsh instead of rich on some speakers, making piano difficult to sound good. Again, my unique acoustics also can manage the tone well. I hear completely even piano, xylophone and flute, hard to make these sound good but easier with the half out of the box mounting.
After watching lots of reviews and all saying good things, except this review which was more in depth, to me anyway, i purchased this amp and all i can say is iam now the happiest bunny in the camp, paired with ae509.
Great review Paul but it has put my mind into a turmoil! I am now completely housebound so it’s impossible to get out and audition hifi so I am having to narrow things down by RU-vid reviews. I was fancying either of the Rega Excel, Atoll IN100 or Audiolab 7000A all around the same price or Elicit at a push in the higher price point but then I viewed this. I also fancy a new CD player to replace my Cyrus 6 so was considering all the Audiolab line or maybe something from Atoll. Speakers would probably be from Wharfdale the Evo 4.4 or Lintons. I would add a streamer from Wiim later. I listen to all genres of music but rock would be the most popular such as Led Zeppelin, Mike Oldfield and Neil Diamond. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
The 7000 would be a good compromise if cash is tight, Tony. Haven't reviewed it - I must emphasise - but I have reviewed the box above and below it so my educated guess says it's decent. The EVOs would be good, yes. Big sound. Mix of new and old sound directions. I like the EVOs.I hear good things about the WiiM but I've never reviewed one. CD? Integrated units are great but I prefer the separate transport and DAC. Then upgrade the DAC when/if you fancy improved sound quality. Depends on your available space, of course. Hope that helps a bit.
Thanks for the review as always. I have a 8300a and wondered if this is a step up. I am getting confused with the numbers. I am more for separates but intrigued. I was also thinking of the Copland Amps which don’t seem to get much review love. Thanks
I am going to buy this amplifier. I am wondering which floor standing speakers would compliment it. I am looking at the SVS Prime Pinnacles. What do you think?
Thank you for your reply. I have two systems: 1- Musical Fidelity A308 Amp B&W CM9 Roksan M2 CDP 2- Amp to be purchased Audio physic Scorpio 25 Premier CD31 TIA
Paul, I feel about your excellent reviews in the same manner as you described the difference between average equipment and true hi-fi. Just need to sit back, quiet one's mind and let the refinement wash over you 🙏
Thanks, Paul for the review! I’ve been waiting for some more reviews of the 9000A. I originally started out my hifi journey a few years ago with the 6000A. After one year I traded the 6000A to a Rotel A11 Tribute. The 6000A felt a bit lean and lacking emotions in my setup (Wharfedale Evo 4.4 ) and I think the Rotel’s voicing was a bit more to my liking (sacrificing a bit of soundstage). Do you think the voicing of the 9000A is warmer than the 6000A? If I wanted to upgrade I would certainly like to see how it compares against some latest generation of Class D amps with room correction such as the Technics SU-G700 MKII or the NAD C-3050 LE. I think around the price point of the 9000A there are some amps that have Dirac, tone controls and switching power amplification has come a long way I guess. Would you consider those as competition to the 9000A?
I know Dirac et al is a ‘thing’ but I dislike it. It averages out the room and removes much emotion and passion. Not for me, even though others love it, I know. As for your other point? I see the 9000A offering more grunt but also a richer, fuller bass than the 6000A.
I own both the 6000a and the Rotel A11 Tribute. My experience matches closely with yours. The 6000a matches well with speakers that need a tightly controlled amp, it is the best amp I have tried for my Polk R200's, which can sound muddy powered straight off a receiver or low quality amps. My Focal Chora's sound lacking with the 6000a. They are already a 'fast' speaker and sound amazing with the Rotel, which gives them needed body. I haven't heard the 9000a yet but my guess is that there is a family resemblance between it and the 6000a. More refined sure, but I bet it will favor similar pairings as the 6000a. I would try another amp for the Evo's (I also own the 4.2's and didn't really care for them paired with the 6000a).
Drama is a great record & is also in my opinion a transitional record for Yes. Not 90125 or Tormato but somewhere in between. Should sound good through the 9000A......
Speaking of headphones, I would like a review of the best headphones under £1000, Sennheiser, Grado etc etc....featuring the new Sennheiser 660S2 or Grado RS1 for examples.....would be nice 😁🎧
I was thinking about audiolab when buying an amp but went with cambridge edge a better in every way. One thing i notice about modern amps is that most compainies use cheap powet supplies and not enough capacitence and the result is a non linear power supoly and not enough dynamic headroon
Hello Paul, I just watched your review of the Audiolab 900A and you mentioned pairing it with the best DAC possible. What would you r thoughts be pairing it with the Cambridge Audio Azur 851N?
Biggest fail must be the black paint job then… is it the same as 6000? How did they manage to make a matte finish a smudge magnet (let alone go with it) is perplexing. It does my head in. If anyone has a tried and tested solution to suggest (treat the metal with a lacker or something?) it would be much appreciated. Cheers
I had one on demo and it sounded very nice and with so many useful functions. Personally, I found the screen to be the biggest annoyance to me and it wasn’t anything to do with it being LCD. I just found it all very distracting and yes I know it can be turned off but that also seems a waste of one third of the front. I constantly felt I had to interact with it - and why don’t Audiolab put markers on their volume controls? The only way to check the volume is via that screen again. I realise these are just personal things and if it had been, say, £1600 I may well I have bought one but not at £2000. The guarantee isn’t that long and I have a feeling that the visuals may look slick now but in 5-6 years they will look dated - that is if the screen is still working by then!
Mein Eindruck ist, das mein Magnat MR 780 sehr nahe an diesen Audiolab 9000A heranreicht! Es sind beide herausragende Audiogeräte! De Audiolab ist britisch, der Magnat ist deutsch... beide aber Made in China! Beim Preis ist der Magnat mit 1098,- Euro günstiger.
Добрый день ! Подскажите пожалуйста, как лучше поступить . Так получилось , что имею два , примерно равные интегральника: Hegel h95 и мне прислали в подарок audiolab 9000а, вопрос в следующем : можно ли их как-то использовать совместно , вроде биампинг и что для этого требуется , и можно ли подключать к ним саб , как раз svs 1000pro через pre out ? Работает сейчас сабик через высокоуровневое подключение .
Я бы не рекомендовал использовать двухканальное усиление с использованием этих двух компонентов Hi-Fi. Вместо этого я бы создал с ними две системы. Один для вашей основной комнаты для прослушивания, а другой для запасной комнаты/берлоги/пещеры и т. д. Альтернативно вы можете продать один из усилителей, чтобы профинансировать модернизацию в другом месте.
For connecting to an AV system - you would use the (L+R) Pre-outs of the AV receiver into the 'Power' in on the 9000a . Therefore the front L+R Speakers would be powered by the 9000a, rather than the AV receiver.
Thank you and Audiolab for taking Bluetooth seriously. Yes, it has it's limits, but nearly any one visiting can be invited to play their music on your main system.
@@Linux_LucyHi, I read a lot of good opinions about matching rega amplifier with wharfedale Linton's speakers. I was about to get the elicit mk5, but I got worry with that "tame the high" thing, as Linton's are already tame in that aspect. Do you know anything about that match? Thanks in advance
I don't like this new trend of including a built in DAC in integrated amplifiers. I don't see the internal DAC as a freebee. We are paying for them, and often these days, this means that we are paying for something we don't need, where the money could be have been better spent on higher quality amp components (or a reduction in the price of the amp). Many music streamers (for example the Cambridge CXNV2) have a built in DAC, as do all CD players, meaning that if I bought 9000A, I would own three DACS, two of which I don't need.
I completely agree - which is one reason why I made such a fuss of the company's 6000CDT, which does nothing but give you a CD transport. It's a fashion that is supposed to offer 'value'. HiFi companies are afraid to walk away from the concept because they think the public will favour the all-in-one, lucky bag approach of the competition. Which is exactly what will happen. Too few buyers recognise the sonic benefits of feature simplification. Hence demand for that philosophy tends to reside mainly in high-end kit where the niche nerds live.
@@Coneman3 they still do not have not the neutral detailed resolution and transparency of my late 90's pro studio quality twin monoblock AVI S2000MI amplification. Audiolab still do not sound like authentic realistic realism replayed from the best recorded source .
3000 dollars wow! I mean this unit looks great and I'm sure it does sound good but 3000 for something made in China is a bit over priced in my opinion! There can't be more than a thousand dollars worth of parts there.
There are way less than a $1,000 in parts inside it. The total production cost of any manufactured product is typically only a quarter of it's retail price. You'd go out of business if you didn't price this way. And that is the total cost of producing it, the parts cost is even less! Btw, China makes fine amps, no need to worry.
Thanks for the review which is a serious one I’m impressed. But this is made in the communist China blood & sweat factory. No, I prefer it was made elsewhere.
Just about all HiFi (and general technology) is either manufactured or features parts or components manufactured in China. I can’t think of one, off the top of my head, which is not.
And while the country has terrible human rights, I think it’s unfair to portray all Chinese manufacturers as the same. Chinese is more than capable these days of some of the finest engineering.
It is not good value for poorer sound quality at todays cost price compared to my better quality passive audio system with better quality amplification from the late 90's, namely from my two 175watt into 4 ohms and 375 watts into 2 ohms two AVI S2000MI monoblock pro studio quality amplification system, paired with my top of the range WiFi lossless streaming DAP player with a twin burr brown PCM 1792a 24/192 player played into my two way heavy weight sealed infinite baffle cabinet monitors. Audiolab audio components do not sound like real realism in how they perform the task of reducing and replying what comes from the recorded source. And they certainly cannot provide the sound quality realism of a pair of ATC SCM ASL three WAY ACTIVE super linear monitors can produce from the source recording. I do not call any of the new audiolab products good value or even good sound quality even in comparison to their price.
I have thee audio 6000a all curtesy of this channel and I enjoy it thoroughly...but I think audiolab have over priced this by 1000 pounds easily. Maybe more .
That is not a cheap price . My 6000a cost me 500 pounds . No way is that amp 4 times as good. 4 times price tho.. maybe my calculator is faulty ..who knows .
