Thoughts on Audiolab 8300CDQ please

[AJSki2fly]

Nearing the end of the building work in the bungalow I have just got my CDs out and racked them up on the wall, I have been thinking for some time of improve the CD and possible digital side. Current I use a Panosonic blu-ray for CD, and all digital goes through a a Caiman SEG DAC. The CD replay is OK but I know it can be improved and I have a large CD collection worth listen to, also I stream a reasonable amount using Qobuz or Tidal, through RPI/Volumio, I could also stream using Audvirna hooked up using USB from my MacBook Pro.

I am considering getting a CD Transport in the mix is Audiolab 6000CDT, obviously with this one I would need to keep the Caiman SEG.

The Audiolab 8300CDQ would give me a good single box solution and has a headphone output so I could also get rid of the Schitt headphone amp as well.

Having read up on both they seem pretty hard to beat, does any AoSer have experience of the Audiolab 8300CDQ and any thoughts would be appreciated?

Thanks

Adrian

[Macca]

cost over a grand! If I were you I'd just buy the transport, keep the DAC, save £600

[AJSki2fly]

cost over a grand! If I were you I'd just buy the transport, keep the DAC, save £600

Yes I tend to agree with you, and I think it would probably give a very good result based on what other have said in the past about the 6000CDT, but it would be nice to de-clutter and simply my setup a bit. Not that I anticipate going to a modern one box solution yet, although if my dodgy ankles and muscles keep going as they are I could see me being forced down that path sometime in the future although I will resist it. Getting up and down regularly to change and LP or CD probably does me some good.

[Macca]

I expected the 8300CDQ to be about £600 but it's twice that. Really worth £600 just to get rid of two little boxes?

Also no guarantee that the headphone output on the 8300 will drive your headphones optimally so there's that too.

[AJSki2fly]

I expected the 8300CDQ to be about £600 but it's twice that. Really worth £600 just to get rid of two little boxes?

Also no guarantee that the headphone output on the 8300 will drive your headphones optimally so there's that too.

Can get it for £995, not cheap but would not be that taking the other gear into account, headphone amp section is class A and will drive low to high impedance according to them.

[Macca]

I'm pretty sure all headphone amps are class A aren't they? Same as any pre-amp.

I guess if you can get one for £995 it's worth considering. I've no complaints so far about the transport version though, if I had the slightest niggle about it I'd have got rid already.

[struth]

I'm pretty sure all headphone amps are class A aren't they? Same as any pre-amp.

I guess if you can get one for £995 it's worth considering. I've no complaints so far about the transport version though, if I had the slightest niggle about it I'd have got rid already.

most are.. but op amp based ones arn't.

[Mr.Ian]

I have been using a toshiba sd9500 as a transport, thi serious high end build but swapping to the audiolab dedicated transport gave a small but noticable improvement in detail and clarity
.

[AJSki2fly]

I have been using a toshiba sd9500 as a transport, thi serious high end build but swapping to the audiolab dedicated transport gave a small but noticable improvement in detail and clarity
.

Thanks Ian, good to know


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[hifinutt]

really want a new transport soon, i put my onkyo on instead of my rotel and it was much better in terms of detail and sonics , slightly forward at times . i can hear the drive sometimes hence wanting another . not keen on the slot loader when i read stuff like this

it sounds very good but scratches discs. I've had two of these units and they both left significant scratches on some discs (as shown in the picture). Not worth it. The warranty duration is shorter than other products in this price range as well. Dim display.

https://www.amazon.com/Audiolab-6000...ews/B07HS2PDBM