Audiolab 8000S (UK Made) - value?

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Hi,

Newbie here. Finally putting a hifi system together after purchasing some luurvely Spendor S3e's from a frequenter of these forums ;-)

Being cash-strapped I can take a punt on Amps or save and audition something new at Lintone Audio. I've decided to take a punt and am looking at a second hand Audiolab 8000s (no remote) based on the fact that my Big Brother had an 8000A (loved the sound) plus I'm advised this amp has previously been used with the S3es I bought.

My question is; what's a reasonable value for the UK version of this amp? It's had a refurb.

ta

Ed
 
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Anonymous

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Have a look on ebay mate and see what they are selling for. They are good amps always better with the pre power if you can afford it.
 

ESP2009

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Interesting.
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Anonymous

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Hey, what can I say, I'm on a budget and it seemed like a fine idea at half one in the morning.

Anyway it looks as if it's coming my way, I'm hoping it'll add a bit more magic to the setup, obviously it's a risk buying gear you've never heard but after 5 years of being hifi-less I need to take some action and a trip to buy new is out of the question!

I think I've got a reasonable price on the 8000s, what looks to be a newer model has sold for £250 and I've paid less than that...I'm also led to believe the older models built in the UK are better due to their blighty-built nature (throws bulldog a beef-bone and salutes the Queen).

take care y'all
 

WishTree

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Hi - I recently had this amp for few weeks and it is sensational. I had been very conservative in only listening to Marantz and their top line PM-11 was what I had before. Though Audiolab has a little treble harshness but for that price it is best musical amp. The timing, speed and control of the bass is amazing. I would have kept if it did not had a glitch (One of the channel turn off and on due to some loose wire and did not have enough energy to get it correct as my seller was nice enough to offer a full refund!)
 

ESP2009

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I doubt that you will be disappointed in the amp. Those Spendors should tame excessive harshness, although the top end is very clear. At the risk of attracting cable discussions, you may also consider careful choice of interconnects and speaker cables - copper is less likely to result in over-bright sound. Plenty of forum discussions to be found on the subject.
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mitch65

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I was disappointed with the later Chinese made 8000s both it's sound quality and build quality (thankfully they seem to have addressed both with the 8200s) but the originals, when partnered correctly, were great. I still have an late model 8000a (IMO the best of the lot) simply because it takes a lot of beating. ESP is right, the Spendors are a great tamer of harshness.
 
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Anonymous

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Thanks for the comments guys.

Out of interest in checking out my new S3es I changed my ipod (using headphone out as temp measure) for my old Cambridge Audio CD4SE which has been sat in the loft for 6 years...still works, and wow, what a difference! I think I may rekindle a love affair with my CD collection. Hopefully this combo will really come to life when the 8000s arrives....I suspect my cheapo studio power amp is currently the weak link in the chain.

Was good to go and look at the CDs again. I found myself listening to things that are on my iPod but I always skip past...interesting...
 

ESP2009

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Goodness gracious! Am I assuming you were feeding mp3 files from your iPod into my Spendors?!?!
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Yes, I noticed a surprising(?) difference when running iTunes mp3 files from my laptop into the hi-fi and then comparing directly with the same CD. Suddenly, there was more life, more space, more 'headroom' to the music. It isn't until you do a comparison that you notice (which, I suppose, is good) but when you try the experiment, the difference is most certainly there. Keep playing that CDP and the discs!!
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When's the Audiolab arriving, then?
 
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Anonymous

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Forgive me, for I have sinned
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In my defence, they're mainly 256 AAC...

The Audiolab arrives next week hopefully, I'm really hoping for a bit more magic as I suspect the ole' power amp is the weakest link currently...goodbye! (banished not binned). Good job I bought it when I did....went to take off some sealant in our bathroom due to "minor" leak, tiles fell off and now I am advised we need 3.5K of work to rebuild our bathroom as the walls have gone behind the tiles
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Never would have justified any hifi purchase with a bill like that hanging around. Still, that's what you get for opening cans of worms.
 
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Anonymous

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Oh, as an addition, I thought I had a dodgy CD player when I played Steely Dan's "Aja" due to the presence of what sounded like a lisp on the vocals - never heard this before...googled it, and apparently he DOES have a lisp, so whadya know, I'm hearing new things already
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ESP2009

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Oh yus!
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There is a whole range of new sounds that suddenly crop up as you refine your system. Often you find yourself going back and re-playing a track when suddenly an unfamiliar detail crops up. I have found myself smiling and nodding appreciatively as an added 'something' is revealed that enhances the overall sound unexpectedly.

Sadly, of course, it is a double-edged sword: sometimes the poorer recordings are shown up by good kit. Disappointment can lurk around the corner.

Bad luck on the tiling front! At least you have some great hi-fi to relax and de-stress to.
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Anonymous

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Insurance assessors coming to give the place a look on Friday....

on a positive note, Spendor have transferred the warranty for the S3es :)

So if anyone is wondering about second hand Spendors, if they're in the warranty period it looks like the benefit is conferred the the buyer. Good ole' Spendor.
 

philb42

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I find the Audiolab 8000/Spendor S3e combination very enjoyable, albeit I also use an 8000P biamping the Spendors, but if anything this is probably a bit overkill and the 8000s/Spendors are fine together. I'm sure you'll get a lot of enjoyment from the pairing.
 
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Anonymous

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Hi there,

I've been following your thread with some interest. I have a 16 year old 8000a, still as good as new, if not better!! I bought it with Rega ELA floorstanders, also still sounding awesome and an Arcam Alpha 5 CD, now sadly no more, but have just bought a s/h cambridge audio cd4se to slot into the empty space and am looking forward to dusting down the ears - happy listening to all!
 

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