Practicality, solid build and a strong performance all in a neat single package
Integrated amplifier | £1999 | whf.cm/Audiolab9000A
Audiolab’s first product was the 8000A. This hugely successful integrated amplifier was launched in 1982 and was instrumental in establishing the brand as a major force in the market. It was also a serious attempt to offer a sensibly priced, fully featured stereo amplifier that needed no excuses While much has changed with the Audiolab brand since then, we can see strong parallels between that original and the 9000A. Apart from slim proportions and clean aesthetics, both amplifiers also share a common ethos, one that aims to please most of the people, most of the time and in a wide range of systems. No easy task. Both amplifiers look smart but understated, though the moment the 9000A’s 4.3in colour LCD screen fires up there is no doubt that things have moved on.
Out of the ordinary
It remains unusual to find such a display on a stereo amplifier, but it gives the newcomer a sophisticated modern feel and allows easy access to the set-up menu where it is possible to configure the product to taste. You can choose the digital filter setting, set the sensitivity for individual analogue inputs, adjust the balance between the speakers and control how long the amplifier idles before it enters standby mode.
On a more day to day basis, that screen can be switched to show VU meters (in digital or analogue form), the resolution of an incoming digital signal or just the volume setting. Or it can be turned off. It also indicates in which mode the amplifier is operating.
This mode feature is one that harks back to some of Audiolab’s earlier amplifier designs where it was possible to separate the pre and power sections and use them independently. This could be useful if you want to upgrade your system with something beefier than the 9000A’s built-in 100 watts per channel of power but still want to use the preamplifier section. Conversely, the 9000A’s power amplifier can be partnered with an external preamp.
We have no complaints about the 9000A’s build quality. The casework feels solid and nicely damped, while fit and finish are terrific. The front panel dials work with precision and that display is as crisp as you like, though we find some of the graphics on the small side to read from across a room.
Connectivity is great. On the analogue side, there are three single-ended inputs, a single pair of balanced XLR and a moving-magnet phono stage. There are also dedicated single-ended connections for the prea
