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Audiolab love or hate?

I had a late black 8000a for 4 years between an Inca Tech Claymore 2 and an Exposure Super XV. IT was very good - with quad-like subtle tone controls and a pretty good phono MM/MC section. Phono sockets had a habit of disintegrating, though. Different to the Inca Tech, not as good as the exposure. I'd say it's a far better deal second hand than a cyrus or creek integrated of the same vintage. I have to say that, by common agreement, my mate's 8000c/p pre/power wasn't better than the exposure either, though and barely better than the 8000a.
 
Audiolab of old was a bit of a shower of S#/t if you ask me. I owned and had experience of a number of their amps, powers, cdp and dac and I could never get it. even though the hi-fi mags did.

The newer stuff maybe a diferent ball game but Ive just got that experience now, and I always see their drab black boxes as they used to sound (to me).
 
Naim (esp Olive) and Audiolab are probably diametrically opposed in presentation. Naim is forward to the point of being harsh, Audiolab neutral to the point of being grey and lifeless. I don't like either presentation.
 
stevec67 said:
Naim (esp Olive) and Audiolab are probably diametrically opposed in presentation. Naim is forward to the point of being harsh, Audiolab neutral to the point of being grey and lifeless. I don't like either presentation.
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So what amplification do you use then ?
 
A Rotel Michi pre from the mid 90's and an Amcron Crown STA-2. Used to use an EL34 valve amp in place of the Amcron, lovely midrange, loved it until the Amcron came along with MOAARRRRR POWAAAAR! I use 4xESL57s, they don't need 200+ wpc, obviously, but the grip you get off a hugely overpowered amp is impressive. ESLs seem to like either valves or very big SS amps, I'd heard this before and not done anything about it but just enjoyed listening to the valves until the Amcron turned up.

The valves are now in a spare system. That sounds great too, just an AE, tuner, a CD player and some midsize 80's Monitor Audios. Coloured? Maybe. All hifi is coloured, Naim especially, we choose the colour we like.
 
stevec67 said:
Naim (esp Olive) and Audiolab are probably diametrically opposed in presentation. Naim is forward to the point of being harsh, Audiolab neutral to the point of being grey and lifeless. I don't like either presentation.
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It’s just you opinion, as is your preference for the equipment you’ve listed above
 
Saying "Audiolab is this....or Audiolab is that..." is just BS, I'm afraid.

Hearing ONE Audiolab component and extrapolating that experience to ALL Audiolab components is just wrong.

There is good, bad, and some in between.

FWIW I've owned the 8000DAC, 8000C, 8000Q, 8000P and 8000CDM. Others have visited briefly.
 
Martyn Miles said:
It’s just you opinion, as is your preference for the equipment you’ve listed above
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As I said earlier either here or on another thread, we don't all hear the same. As regards my opinion, sure. One shared by a few others, FWIW. However subjective opinion is rather what hifi trades on. It's only my opinion that a Sondek sounds better than a Dansette, after all.
 
8000CDQ was decent IIRC.

I heard 8000Ms slaughter 8000P into hard-to-drive speakers. Then again 8000A sounded great into lighter load!
 
I really do not like dissing kit because everyone has the right to like what they want through their ears (unless it is Naim of course ;) ). So please take this opinion in that context...

Started with a new 8000C/P in the early 1990s, better than the equivalent Arcam at the time (based on audition) but, in retrospect, nothing special. Added an 8000DAC/CDM which was clinical (to put it mildly). A couple of 8000Ms arrived, cooler sounding than the 8000P but had more power. Next came an 8000Q which was quite the worst component I have ever had in any system, it sounded soft and cloudy with no dynamics. This was an epiphany and made me realise what I wanted in sound and how to listen for it when auditioning.

The Q and DAC were replaced by a Meridian 565/562 which totally transformed the system into something on which I could listen to the music instead of the audio components. The 8000P/Ms went to be replaced by a Chord which is when I realised how dull the Audiolabs were. 20 years on I still have the Meridian/Chord equipment.

So, for me, Audiolab were just mostly a mid-fi brand with good connections to the world of audio journalism.
 
It wasn't for me sonically but I thought it looked good, most competitors were very plain black boxes at the time.
They were/are very popular so obviously hit the spot for plenty of people and that's what it's all about, variety.
As for upgrades from where you are now, probably past Audiolab owners will have the most appropriate opinions.
 
I dont think Audiolab play rock or heavy metal or nasty compressed music ( eg Lana Del Reys stuff ) well - why some people here say they sound grey. But classical music or (simple) natural vocal sound a treat. Dont know about Jazz - would some one like to comment?
 
Well I tried a pair of Bel Canto M300 mono blocks and although the sound was different, could say more detailed the bass was not as full and the rhythm of music was not as good. Don' get me wrong the Bels were very good but I preferred the biamped 8200p's......does that surprse anyone?
 
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