AUDIOLAB 8000AV & 8000X7 COMBO

[admin_exported]

Hi All,

I am about to buy my first AV Receiver, principally I am looking for great sound quality, rather than HDMI switching etc…

Is the:

AUDIOLAB 8000AV & 8000X7 COMBO, is this the best system I can get for a grand?
Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

Sam

 

[Clare Newsome]

Not heard the Audiolab combo, i'm afraid - Andrew may have done for Gramophone, but i'll leave him to comment if so.

However, we do have a four-way Group Test of the very latest @£1000 AV receivers in our October issue, out next Thursday. The test includes:

Arcam AVR280; Onkyo TX-SR875; Pioneer VSX-LX70; Sony STR-DA5300ES

 

[Andrew Everard]

Yes, we reviewed it for Gramophone and I seem to recall we quite liked it, but have an inkling the latest £1000ish receivers might give it a run for its money. And I have a feeling WHFSV did review it fairly favourably, albeit a while back, but at 11.30 on a Saturday night don't have a magazine to hand to check. If you'd like to email me via the WHFSV address, I'll try to dig you out the Gramophone review...

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Clare,

I noted this entry posted a while ago, I am looking to compare the Onkyo , Pioneer & Sony as in your post, I therefore ordered a back copy of that issue from haymarket so I can read the review - its the October one, I hope that is when it went to press? They say it takes anything up to 3 weeks to get a back issue, do you have the 4 way group test on PDF - I want to make my choice and purchase as soon as possible. The Onkyo doesn't have enough Optical audio inputs on the back for my needs ( I need 3), so its more likely to be between the Pioneer ( I already have a Pioneer Plasma ) or the Sony.

Any help please!

 

[Anonymous]

Whether it's the best or not is conjecture. It'll probably do you stereo sources more justice than an integrated would.

It is more flexible though, when it comes to upgrading, should you want to, since you only have to change the processor and not the amplification as well. This is one (but not the only) of the reasons I bought this set-up, because I got annoyed at ditching an integrated when I wanted to upgrade the processing side.

Also bearing in the mind the X7's RRP of £1500, you are effectively getting it for free, by paying £1000 for the pairing.