Note: for the full suite of measurements from the SoundStage! Audio-Electronics Lab, click here.

I still recall Audiolab’s first product, the 8000A integrated amplifier, from back in the 1980s and ’90s. It had a sleek, compact design and fine performance for the price of US$999, making it one of a handful of high-quality integrated amps within the reach of cost-conscious audio enthusiasts. I lost track of Audiolab in the years after they were acquired by TAG McLaren, and more recently by International Audio Group (IAG). Nonetheless, IAG has revitalized the brand, which now offers four comprehensive lines of components.

Diego Estan reviewed their entry-level 6000A integrated amplifier–DAC in October 2019 and 6000CDT CD transport in January 2020 on SoundStage! Access. He found them to provide commendable performance and extremely high value. The 6000A even received a Reviewers’ Choice award. The company’s most ambitious product line to date is the 9000 series, with the latest products being the 9000Q preamplifier‑DAC, the subject of this review, and the 9000P power amplifier (review forthcoming). The 9000Q is priced at a modest US$1999, CA$2499, £1499, or €1799, while the 9000P costs US$1499, CA$1999, £1099, or €1499. The line is rounded out by the previously released 9000A integrated amplifier–DAC, 9000N streaming DAC, and 9000CDT CD transport.

Outside . . .

The 9000Q and the rest of the 9000 series of components look a little different from other current Audiolab components. Measuring 3.5″H × 17.5″W × 12.9″D and weighing 13.7 pounds, the 9000Q is aesthetically quite snappy, with its bright IPS display of white text and red highlights nicely complementing the silver finish of the review sample I received. The line is also available in black.

Instead of the centrally located, oval-shaped display common to other Audiolab offerings, the 9000Q’s display is rectangular and situated on the left side of the front panel. The knobs are a little less rounded on the 9000 series, and the overall aesthetic is more angular. I actually like the softer lines of Audiolab’s less-pricey components, but considering the reasonable cost of the 9000Q, the build quality and cosmetics are surprisingly good.

The front panel is dominated by the 4.3″ (diagonal) 800 × 480-pixel color display. The home screen provides plenty of information on the status of the unit, including the selected input, volume level, data type, and sampling frequency. Users have the option to turn off the display or to show the Audiolab logo, analog or digital VU meters, or the home screen. In addition to a large volume-control knob to the right, there is a smaller input-selection knob near the center, and a 6.35mm (¼″) headphone output between them. I appreciated how changing the volume caused the display to momentarily show the numeric level of the volume in a large font along with a graphic mimicking the position of the volume control. Both knobs have a positive feel and provide uncomplicated control over their functions, but the majority of functions are accessed through the menu system on the display via the remote control. The standby button is on the extreme right with a red LED, which glows more brightly when powered up, and the company logo is imprinted below it.

The back panel is populated with two coaxial (RCA) and two optical (TosLink) S/PDIF inputs and a single USB‑B PC input. There are three pairs of unbalanced (RCA) and one pair of balanced (XLR) line-level inputs, in addition to a pair of RCA MM phono input jacks and a grounding post. A USB‑A port allows firmware updates, and there is a Bluetooth antenna. There are two pairs of unbalanced outputs (RCA) and one set of balanced outputs (XLR). One set of RCA outputs bypasses all processing, including the volume control, for use with a home-theater processor or recording device. Two 12V trigger outputs are on 3.5mm jacks, and a standard IEC inlet is provided for the included power cord, along with a mains power switch and fuse.

The large, squarish remote is the same one used with other Audiolab components; as such, some of the buttons—like the numbers and playback controls—have no effect on the 9000Q. Volume, the most important control, is placed centrally, but as part of a large ring combining it with track-skip and menu-navigation buttons. Otherwise, the non-backlit remote is fairly standard and quite serviceable. The menu system is logically set up, with easy-to-understand icons and text, and is supported by excellent documentation in the comprehensive instruction manual. There is also a helpful USB and DSD setup guide, complete with extensive Windows and macOS screenshots. Additional menu functionality includes further display options, languages, maximum startup volume, standby time, firmware version, and factory reset.

. . . And inside

The circuitry of the 9000Q is based on that of the 9000A integrated amplifier–DAC, but is said by Audiolab to be improved in many critical aspects, including through a fully balanced signal path for the XLR input with the signal passing through only the four-channel analog volume control. A newly custom-specified toroidal transformer is utilized in addition to RFI/EMI filtering, similar to technologies used in their DC Block power conditioner, to lower the noise floor. Analog bass and treble tone controls can be bypassed or adjusted in 2dB steps, and balance adjusted in 1dB steps, all to a maximum of ±6dB. The input sensitivity of each analog input can also be adjusted in 1dB steps to ±6dB, and the gain of one of the RCA analog inputs can be fixed for connection to an external A/V processor.

The DAC section features an ESS Technology ES9038Pro DAC chip and can accept PCM data up to 24‑bit/192kHz from the optical and coaxial S/PDIF inputs, and 24/768 and DSD512 from the PC USB input. The 9000Q can decode and render MQA streams from the S/PDIF and USB inputs, and it has Roon Tested certification. Five selectable digital filters are provided, and signals can be upsampled to 352.8 or 384kHz, which will disable the DAC filter. The digital phase lock loop (DPLL) can be set to Wide for signals with abnormal jitter that are difficult to lock onto. Bluetooth connectivity is provided and supports the aptX, aptX HD, and LDAC codecs.

Setup

I employed the 9000Q primarily with the matching 9000P power amplifier provided by Audiolab, but also evaluated it with my reference Lyngdorf MXA‑8400 multichannel power amplifier, both using the XLR outputs. The rest of the system comprised my MartinLogan Masterpiece Classic ESL 9 hybrid electrostatic loudspeakers and a Beelink mini PC running Windows 11 and Roon, streaming Tidal, and playing back locally stored ripped files. Other sources consisted of an Oppo Digital UDP‑205 4K Ultra HD universal BD player and a Technics SL‑1500C turntable with Ortofon 2M Red cartridge. Power products and cabling were a mixture from Shunyata Research, Analysis Plus, Clarus, Blue Circle Audio, and ZeroSurge.

Because there is no bass management on the 9000P’s preamplifier outputs, I did not use subwoofers to augment the ESL 9 loudspeakers, nor did I utilize the tone controls or other related features, such as the digital-filter settings or adjustable input sensitivity.

Audiometric analysis

Both the Audiolab 9000P and Lyngdorf MXA‑8400 power amplifiers have enough power to comfortably drive the ML ESL 9 speakers, so I was confident I was hearing all of the performance that the 9000Q could deliver with either amp. With nothing holding the system back, the 9000Q was quiet and transparent while playing Asia’s eponymous album (DSD64 DSF, ripped from Geffen Records UIGY‑9041). This is far from the smoothest- or richest-sounding album in my library, but “Only Time Will Tell” has become one of my go-to tracks for assessing detail and transparency. The towering horn-like keyboards gave way to John Wetton’s bigger-than-life vocals, backed by a perfectly timed, rhythmic hi-hat, placed firmly back in the soundstage and just inside of the right speaker. The sonic perspective of “Heat of the Moment” is different, with the guitar having a grungier quality and Wetton’s vocals buried slightly in the arrangement, making it a little less transparent. With the 9000Q, I was able to appreciate these subtle differences in the production of the two songs.

Peter Gabriel’s recently released Live at WOMAD 1982 (24/96 FLAC, Real World / Tidal) is an excellent live recording just bristling with energy. “Shock the Monkey” begins with what sounds like a drum machine combined with Jerry Marotta’s live drumming in a tight, funky, infectious beat; in my opinion, this arrangement is superior to the studio version of the song. Gabriel’s vocals are presented with a lucidity conveying the urgency in his delivery of the lyrics. I was impressed by how well the 9000Q unraveled the complexities of this live production, keeping the varying primal beats separated from the energetic vocals.

This clarity was even more evident on “Mercy Street,” from a 2000s-era live Gabriel album, In the Big Room (24/96 FLAC, Real World / Tidal). The closely miked a cappella harmonies in the opening had a palpable sweetness, and the gently undulating electric bass of Tony Levin sounded inspired. Even though his notes were incredibly slow to develop, each flowed smoothly into the next, with prominent weight and differentiation between successive notes. Levin’s ability to mirror the sombre vocals with his intensely expressive but subdued bass is brilliantly captured in this recording and was magnificently recreated by the 9000Q.

The MM phono stage was just as clear and precise as the DAC section. All the Best from Prism (LP, Capitol ST 6477) was very quiet, with minimal noise. The grandiose production on “Armageddon,” which includes horns, electric keyboards, and a wailing guitar, sounded fantastic. The military radio chatter was startlingly realistic and imaged nearly as precisely as it did with the digital streaming version (16/44.1 FLAC, Renaissance Records / Tidal). The catchy melody of “Cover Girl,” co-written by Bryan Adams, made it sound as if there was an ’80s-themed party taking place in my room. But it was Ron Tabak’s vocals, placed dead center between the speakers and sounding powerful and lively in the best possible way, that had me rocking to this frothy gem.

On a high-quality pressing of Mozart’s Requiem featuring the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Karl Böhm from Deutsche Grammophon’s The Original Source (TOS) series (LP, Deutsche Grammophon 486 6720), I could hear plenty of microdynamics in the remastered 1971 four-track recording. The choir extended well back in the soundstage and had a big, enveloping presence. The tranquil strings and lonely woodwinds were gentle and comforting, but did not lack for definition as the 9000Q drew image outlines with precision, even at low levels. Crescendos were majestic, displaying the power of the string sections on “Rex Tremendae” and the huge swings in dynamics on “Confutatis,” where the sweet, ethereal choir sprinkled throughout the movement creates a striking contrast.

I also ran the analog outputs of the Oppo UDP‑205 through the fully balanced volume control and signal path of the 9000Q’s XLR inputs. David Piltch’s stand-up bass on “I Can See Clearly Now” from the Holly Cole Trio’s Don’t Smoke in Bed (SACD, Blue Note Records / Analogue Productions CAPP 049 SA) had a big, bouncy quality. The soundstage, and the images within it, appeared slightly larger than I am used to, albeit in a pleasing manner. Sibilance on “The Tennessee Waltz” was nicely toned down, and the harmonica was smooth and lyrical—but everything still appeared in sharp, crisp contrast to the dark, silent background. Compared to a DSD64 DSF file ripped from that SACD and played back through the Audiolab’s internal DAC, the presentation was a little less transparent, but a tad richer sounding.

The headphone output sounded very good when driving a pair of Sennheiser HD 580s, with a clean and open character, reminding me of the system’s sonic signature with the ESL 9 loudspeakers. Lana Del Rey’s vocals on “Hope Is a Dangerous Thing for a Woman Like Me to Have – but I Have It” from Norman Fucking Rockwell! (16/44.1 FLAC, Polydor Records / Tidal) had stunning presence, with Del Rey’s vivid and breathy enunciation of each syllable clearly rendered.

I could easily differentiate the simple electric-bass line from the drum beat and searing guitar riffs on Billy Idol’s “White Wedding (Clubland Extended Remix)” from the expanded edition of his eponymous album (16/44.1 FLAC, Capitol Records / Tidal). His low-key angry vocals were properly edgy and terse. But the 9000Q had some difficulty driving the more-demanding HiFiMan HE400se headphones. The imaging of “White Wedding” collapsed a touch into my head and was thus less out in front of me, at the same time slightly congealing the bass and drums so that their individual rhythms were less discernible.

Alternative hypothesis

Many of my recent reviews have been of network streamers, usually with variable analog outputs utilizing the built-in digital volume control of their DAC chips. While these streamers can function as preamplifiers, there is something to be said about having a dedicated preamplifier-DAC like the 9000Q with a balanced analog volume control and a capable MM phono input along with its multiple analog and digital inputs.

By way of comparison, you could purchase the Bluesound Node Icon streaming preamp for US$1199—but I don’t recall it sounding quite as full-bodied, even though it did exhibit a great sense of transparency, just like the 9000Q. It also does not have a phono stage, but it does feature Bluesound’s excellent BluOS streaming platform and, perhaps more importantly, is Dirac Live Ready to provide room correction for an additional US$159 for the limited-bandwidth version. However, as much as I believe that room correction is a vital feature in a preamplifier, I know that there are many audiophiles who would find the 9000Q’s phono stage to be much more useful and might not use room correction, even if it were available.

If you are in the market for a preamplifier‑DAC in the 9000Q’s price range, there are other options available from manufacturers such as Rotel, Musical Fidelity, and Parasound, although I have not had any of these products in my system. What I can say about the Audiolab, though, is that it performed very well in my system, even when compared to pricier components like the Lyngdorf MP‑40 2.1 A/V processor (US$11,999). The overall presentation was a little softer, with less dimensionality than I am used to with the much more expensive Lyngdorf processor, but the 9000Q did not seem out of place in the company of the Lyngdorf or when used with the MXA-8400 power amplifier (US$8999) and MartinLogan Masterpiece Classic ESL 9 loudspeakers (US$7500/pair).

Clinical results

Whether it was with the internal DAC, the MM phono stage, or the fully balanced analog XLR inputs—all run through its four-channel analog volume control—the Audiolab 9000Q was always musically satisfying while maintaining a precise and balanced presentation. For the audiophile on a budget, this Audiolab preamplifier-DAC offers an entry into the world of separates and provides excellent performance, solid build quality, attractive cosmetics, and an impressive feature set well beyond what I expected at its price point.

. . . Roger Kanno
rogerk@soundstagenetwork.com

Note: for the full suite of measurements from the SoundStage! Audio-Electronics Lab, click here.

Associated Equipment

• Speakers: MartinLogan Masterpiece Classic ESL 9
• Headphones: HiFiMan HE400se, Sennheiser HD 580
• Preamplifier: Lyngdorf MP-40 2.1 audio/video processor
• Amplifiers: Lyngdorf Audio MXA-8400, Audiolab 9000P
• Digital sources: Beelink mini PC running Windows 11, Roon, and Tidal; Oppo Digital UDP‑205 4K Ultra HD universal BD player
• Analog source: Technics SL-1500C turntable with Ortofon 2M Red cartridge
• Speaker cables: Analysis Plus Chocolate Oval 12/2
• RCA and XLR interconnects: Analysis Plus Chocolate Oval-In
• USB link: Analysis Plus Purple Plus
• Power cords: Essential Sound Products MusicCord-Pro ES, Clarus Aqua
• Power conditioners: Blue Circle Audio PLC Thingee FX-2 with X0e low-frequency filter module, ZeroSurge 1MOD15WI

Audiolab 9000Q preamplifier‑DAC
Price: US$1999, CA$2499, £1499, €1799
Warranty: Three years, parts and labor

Audiolab
IAG House
13/14 Glebe Road
Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE29 7DL
England, UK
Phone: +44 (0)1480-452561

Website: www.audiolab.co.uk