Audiolab

[Gbeer7]

Hi All,

Just wondering when people ask for suggestion's for hi fi kit why no-one really mentions Audiolab anymore? I think its good mid-range kit. I own a new 8000cd and 8000s and they both great. Just curious why people don't seem to buy this make. Asked the same thing on What Hi Fi forum, and someone's comment was " That's the problem with Audiolab, since its re-introduction about 4 years ago it is a good, solid make.....not outstanding."

I thought that was a little off the mark myself ! What do you guys think ?

Gbeer7

[hifi_dave]

If you're happy with it, that's really all that matters.

[Gbeer7]

Your right. I always want people to say what i've got is good !

[The Grand Wazoo]

Other people's experiences of your gear are pretty worthless as they haven't heard it in your situation & in combination with your other bits & bobs.

You rarely hear anyone here saying kit that people actually own is bad - though it does happen from time to time. If you ask a question like what should my next move be, you'll get a deluge of help!

If it sounds good to you, then it's doing it's job properly. What more can you ask of a component?

[DSJR]

Audiolab of old seems to generate the opinions of a "workmanlike" product, but perhaps a little "charmless" for want of a better term.

The 8000CD players, as well as the two box version they did, needed a lengthy time to bed down for some reason - and I was able to compare brand new to 24/7 powered demo stock. The integrated player was bettered comprehensively by TAG, who re-designed it shortly after takeover, but the 8000S is still a worthy old amp, especially for the £300 or so it fetches on fleabay. Just use decent copper interconnects or ones with silver but with a sweeter tone (Chord Chameleon springs to mind of their oldies).

One day before too long, the second hand Naims will have been bodged (sorry, modified) to death and someone will take the better Audiolab products and start on them.

[Kris]

Fashions come and go. And it's the media which dictate the fashion. Audiolab isn't in fashion these days.

On the other hand you could say many brands have moved on in recent years, and Audiolab hasn't.

[Alex_UK]

I used my Audiolab 8000S in my main system for 13 years, and only replaced it because it was starting to fall to bits (the heat of only being turned off about 4 times in 13 years made some of the plastic brittle and the tape loop RCA's disintegrated) - I loved it, still use it in my second system and only really changed brands to the Creek I have now because I fancied a change. In fact, I quite like the idea of using the Creek as a preamp and adding an 8000P for power duties.

[DSJR]

They're a dirty word, but the AVI S2000 130W mono-blocs actually wipe the floor with Audiolab 8000 *anything!* They're a simple circuit that's easily serviced or recapped etc and late ones can be bought for £400 or so - look out for S/N 97*** or higher preferably, as the transistors were changed as better ones came along and the power went up as a result...

Oh, yeah, the measured distortion in the AVI's is rather lower than the 8000P/PX too and in this case, it's clearly audible - so there!!!!!!!

[Haselsh1]

Up until February of this year I owned a Creek OBH-22 passive preamp and a pair of Audiolab 8000M monoblocks. I now own a Croft pre/power combination which is massively superior to the Audiolabs and not made in China.

[YNWaN]

I've not heard the most recent Audiolab offerings but am familiar with the older stuff. Their fault is largely one of omission IMHO; heard in isolation they seem solid sounding and nothing irritates - the balance is good. However, when direct comparisons are made the Audiolab gear can sound quite opaque and flat sounding with a lack of low level detail.