Audiolab 7000 series !?!?

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podknocker

Well-known member
The Audiolab range is a mess. The 7000A has HDMI, but no aptx HD, with version 5.0 bluetooth, but the 9000A DOES have aptx HD and LDAC support, with version 5.1 bluetooth, but no HDMI, but you do get a fancy display, like my Omnia, with useless VU meters and XLR inputs, that nobody will use and the matching CD transport doesn't have the XLR outputs anyway. I'm sure they could have 1 model range, giving every option and feature, currently offered across the 6000/7000/8300/9000 model ranges and make this range affordable AND make a profit. The tooling and production costs must be very similar. I remember when they only offered the 8000 range and it was enough. What do I choose, if I want 100W per channel into 8 Ohms and bluetooth 5.1 and full aptx HD/LL and LDAC support and full streaming capability, with the DTS PlayFi module and a display, like my Omnia and the 9000A, with HDMI and XLR for my fancy, non Audiolab CD player? OMG.. You can't buy an Audiolab product, that has ALL the features of their current range, at any price. They've turned into Cyrus. It's so confusing.
 
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newworld

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Feb 24, 2015
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The Audiolab range is a mess. The 7000A has HDMI, but no aptx HD, with version 5.0 bluetooth, but the 9000A DOES have aptx HD and LDAC support, with version 5.1 bluetooth, but no HDMI, but you do get a fancy display, like my Omnia, with useless VU meters and XLR inputs, that nobody will use and the matching CD transport doesn't have the XLR outputs anyway. I'm sure they could have 1 model range, giving every option and feature, currently offered across the 6000/7000/8300/9000 model ranges and make this range affordable AND make a profit. The tooling and production costs must be very similar. I remember when they only offered the 8000 range and it was enough. What do I choose, if I want 100W per channel into 8 Ohms and bluetooth 5.1 and full aptx HD/LL and LDAC support and full streaming capability, with the DTS PlayFi module and a display, like my Omnia and the 9000A, with HDMI and XLR for my fancy, non Audiolab CD player? OMG.. You can't buy an Audiolab product, that has ALL the features of their current range, at any price. They've turned into Cyrus. It's so confusing.
Funnily enough, I bought amplifiers from both Audiolab and Cyrus recently for the features I wanted.
 
Mmm, it looks very smart. I guess the pricing is the key bit of info, because the ranges all look very close to each other now.

They claim 9amps peak current for both 6000A and 7000A so they can’t be significantly different, on the face of it.
 
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podknocker

Well-known member
Yes, it's a bit of a muddle really. Having one range with everything is better and sell it at a price to make a profit. Audiolab and many other companies used to do this. I'm sure there would be enough interest and anyone would buy, or save up for a while, to buy a state of the art HIFI range, knowing it didn't lack features. Too much choice isn't always a good thing. I remember watching an experiment in a women's clothes shop, in the US and there were fewer purchases, per visit, with 20 pairs of jeans, than when there were only 5 different styles etc. I forget the exact numbers, but women bought more jeans, when they only had a few to choose from. It's a similar thing with Audiolab and other companies. Just look at the number of TV model ranges and models within each range, from most TV companies. So many options. It is bewildering and it certainly has put me off buying kit, as I really can't be bothered, going through a thousand different TV specs to buy the most suitable one and guarantee a modicum of future proofing. We're bombarded with so much choice these days and I don't think it's necessary. One range, all the specs, make it affordable and make a profit. This used to happen.
 
The Audiolab range is a mess. The 7000A has HDMI, but no aptx HD, with version 5.0 bluetooth, but the 9000A DOES have aptx HD and LDAC support, with version 5.1 bluetooth, but no HDMI, but you do get a fancy display, like my Omnia, with useless VU meters and XLR inputs, that nobody will use and the matching CD transport doesn't have the XLR outputs anyway.
The CD won’t have XLR outputs as it’s a CD transport.
 
It’s nice to have an HDMI on an amp for those who want to plug their TV audio into the amp, but this can just as easily be done with an optical connection, which is a cheaper option than HDMI. HDMI might be able to carry a wider bandwidth, but when dealing with Dolby Digital Plus (which is the best you’ll get from any streaming service), it’s not really needed, especially as it’s only being used for stereo reproduction.
 

newworld

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Feb 24, 2015
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It’s nice to have an HDMI on an amp for those who want to plug their TV audio into the amp, but this can just as easily be done with an optical connection, which is a cheaper option than HDMI. HDMI might be able to carry a wider bandwidth, but when dealing with Dolby Digital Plus (which is the best you’ll get from any streaming service), it’s not really needed, especially as it’s only being used for stereo reproduction.
In an ideal world I would want just the front two speakers and to use one remote to control the volume and automatic input switching (i.e. turn off the tv and automatically switch to AUX 1 as soon as I hit play on my iPhone and vice versa). Will the HDMI input into an integrated amplifier make this a reality for me? Will it sound better than the Sonos Beam I'm using? I'm hoping that the Audiolab 7000A and the upcoming replacement of Marantz NR1200 will be the answer for me.
 
In an ideal world I would want just the front two speakers and to use one remote to control the volume and automatic input switching (i.e. turn off the tv and automatically switch to AUX 1 as soon as I hit play on my iPhone and vice versa). Will the HDMI input into an integrated amplifier make this a reality for me? Will it sound better than the Sonos Beam I'm using? I'm hoping that the Audiolab 7000A and the upcoming replacement of Marantz NR1200 will be the answer for me.
You can use HDMI control for auto switching, but enabling this is usually when wierd things start happening, and people get miffed at their equipment for not working properly. HDMI was never a great connection, and HDMI control has always been flaky.
 
D

Deleted member 201267

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There’s no need for it to have DACs. The amps have DACs. Lots of amps have DACs. AV receivers have DACs. There’s CD transports that cost 10 times this. The Roksan Attessa CD transport costs more.

Esoteric Grandioso P1X Super Audio CD Transport - £45k plus...
 

manicm

Well-known member
It’s nice to have an HDMI on an amp for those who want to plug their TV audio into the amp, but this can just as easily be done with an optical connection, which is a cheaper option than HDMI. HDMI might be able to carry a wider bandwidth, but when dealing with Dolby Digital Plus (which is the best you’ll get from any streaming service), it’s not really needed, especially as it’s only being used for stereo reproduction.

HDMI is just more convenient than optical as you can use the TV's remote to control the volume. This can be sometimes achieved with optical but it's iffy and inconsistent across different TVs, and may require a universal remote.

HDMI is becoming more prevalent and I'm all for it, for those who want to connect their TV without fuss, and who don't want to watch movies in more than stereo.
 

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