Audiolab love or hate?
- Thread starter Galty
- Start date
djftw
Heterodox Member
Interesting, I have had/have and like both - the only reason I don't have the Audiolab anymore is that it fell victim to my dyspraxic twitch. I would not have said they were anywhere near as black and white as that!
This was the major failing of the 8000A to my ears, but then a lot of amps can't cope with Slayer
Martyn Miles
pfm Member
Yes, this ‘grey’ has been used before in reference to amplifiers.
I don’t understand it either...
Paul Hudson
New Member
I was seduced by the 8000A in 1989. The sublime looks and 'hi-fi' credentials sealed the deal. A clean, neutral sound emitted from my (Monitor Audio) speakers. The tone controls were subtle in operation and the MM/MC phono inputs gave a choice of cartridge unusual at the time. I then purchased an 8000P in 2005 and the 8000A sounded ''free-er" if that is a word!!.
I then decided to go the whole way and bought a 8000C which brought a "cleaner" sound altogether.
I can well understand criticisms of 'sterile' and 'neutral' but surely that is the function of an amplification system - let the source and speakers modulate the output to many different ears!
The great thing about 'hi-fi' is that we all have different sensors so no particular amplifier, turntable, CD player, speaker will sound the same to others.
What I have learnt over 40 years of upgrading is this....
Spend no more on the hardware and just buy the music!!
I then decided to go the whole way and bought a 8000C which brought a "cleaner" sound altogether.
I can well understand criticisms of 'sterile' and 'neutral' but surely that is the function of an amplification system - let the source and speakers modulate the output to many different ears!
The great thing about 'hi-fi' is that we all have different sensors so no particular amplifier, turntable, CD player, speaker will sound the same to others.
What I have learnt over 40 years of upgrading is this....
Spend no more on the hardware and just buy the music!!
Caledon1297
pfm Member
Hate.
I bought then sold the original 8000A amp not long after launch - bass-light on the phono input. The original M-DAC was & still is a legendary product I still have it but was replaced by the M-DAC+ that I preferred over a Chord Hugo TT (£800 rather than £3k).
Their amps seem to be somewhat controversial by comparison.
Their amps seem to be somewhat controversial by comparison.
Paraheadache
pfm Member
I bought the last of the line 8000Q/8000MX amps from HiFi Experience in Darlington as Tag had now took over (nice bit of discount too) I thought they rocked the joint perfectly well. When I eventually advertised them I could have sold them a hundred times. Does anyone know how the MX differed from the M?
notevenclose
pfm Member
Personally I always found the original Audiolab stuff hugely disappointing. It looked grey, it sounded grey. The people behind Audiolab had previously been at the helm of Lentek, which I rated very highly. Never met Derek Scotland, but Phillip Swift always struck me as both likeable and genuine.
I suspect though that while Lentek was critically acclaimed, it wasn't a huge sales success, so once bitten... Audiolab kit was a lot cheaper (by 50% plus). I don't know if Audiolab was self-funded or whether they had external investment. I owned a 8000 power amp for a while, it was decent value if you needed high power but ultimately pretty ordinary in the grand scheme of things.
The Tag McLaren Audiolab I heard was awful. If asked to describe in one word, that would be 'clang.' Or possibly 'strewth.' Either way, not good. And not cheap. The market, despite What HiFi's best, if completely tone-deaf efforts, definitely got that right. Sayonara.
I've heard the M-DAC twice, if that's representative of the IAG output, then I'll happily go to my grave without a (third) close encounter. As so often with Audiolab, so much hype about not very much at all once the dust settles. Who wants to mention quality control? Oops.
Glad to see PS has found success with Spendor.
Progmeister
The Progmeister
I use an original 8000 pre as a headphone amp ant it is a cracking piece of kit.
Martyn Miles
pfm Member
I don’t really know why I’m reviving this thread, but my recently serviced 8000A sound sublime with
my LS3/5as.
my LS3/5as.
What did they do to it? ( and who?)
Martyn Miles
pfm Member
Kevin Green of Bicester.
Complete recap. and replacement of two phono sockets.
Full clean of controls and switches.
I can give you Kevin’s email address ( by PM ) if you wish.
deebster
Half Man Half Biscuit
He did mine too and it certainly came back sounding better.
As for how it stacks up against any other another amp I don't know, but hope to tomorrow when I welcome an Exposure into the mancave.
I have just had a phono socket die on the 8000a though. Wish I'd asked Kevin to replace them all rather than the broken ones.
As for how it stacks up against any other another amp I don't know, but hope to tomorrow when I welcome an Exposure into the mancave.
I have just had a phono socket die on the 8000a though. Wish I'd asked Kevin to replace them all rather than the broken ones.
I have only owned some 8300MBs and an 82CDQP.
I bought some NCC200-based Avondale power amp's and put those in place of the 8300MBs and within 1-2 minutes of firing them up, the other half looked round and said something like "hell, I bet you're chuffed with those" and she had and has not a clue of details of what gets changed. The Avondales were massively better across the board (I still use Avodale monoblocks, but higher spec' ones.)
The 82CD against my Denon B-410 depended on what you played. Compared on a few CDs which I have duplicates of, so switching "instantly" between players - for some CDs one was far clearer, more open and precise than the other. Change the CDs and it was the opposite way around.
FWIW.
My very boring, oft repeated advice, that is borne entirely of experience - "Curious? Buy carefully second-hand. Listen for a week or two. Keep, or sell-on at minimal or no loss if ultimately not something to your own liking."
I bought some NCC200-based Avondale power amp's and put those in place of the 8300MBs and within 1-2 minutes of firing them up, the other half looked round and said something like "hell, I bet you're chuffed with those" and she had and has not a clue of details of what gets changed. The Avondales were massively better across the board (I still use Avodale monoblocks, but higher spec' ones.)
The 82CD against my Denon B-410 depended on what you played. Compared on a few CDs which I have duplicates of, so switching "instantly" between players - for some CDs one was far clearer, more open and precise than the other. Change the CDs and it was the opposite way around.
FWIW.
My very boring, oft repeated advice, that is borne entirely of experience - "Curious? Buy carefully second-hand. Listen for a week or two. Keep, or sell-on at minimal or no loss if ultimately not something to your own liking."