Audiolab 8000CD CD-player
British Audiolab has managed to become quite a popular hi-fi brand, despite the relatively modest production capacity and a limited range. Fame came to it more than twenty years ago with the release of 8000A amplifier, which ranked among the best designs of that time, standing out by a neutral sound and at the same time having a very attractive price tag. Currently, Audiolab is part of the international corporation International Audio Group, which allows the company to produce equipment with an optimal quality/price ratio.
Audiolab 8000CD player is the best illustration of above. Design is modest in the British manner. The player differs by a simple, but well-made and durable chassis, the front panel is devoid of decors and all the extra buttons. A simple two-line display is behind a large window in the center. According to the external parameters, as you can see, it is modesty itself. But the filling cannot but arouse respect - this model uses a "specially designed" mechanism for playing a CD, expensive digital deltas/sigma converters of the fifth generation of the 24 bits/192 kHz format are installed in the digital path. The power supply system is divided into two parts and serves the analog and digital stages independently. In addition, 8000CD has a dual analog cascade - you'll find two pairs of line outputs on the back panel.
The player sounds in the best traditions of the brand. It has a very clear, balanced, neutral sound, in which there is not even a hint of coloring. Lovers of emotional open sound will rather find the device too boring, unemotional and pedantic. Meanwhile, it behaves in an exemplary manner at the edges of the range. The bass is rich, dynamic and informative - in the lower register you can feel a lot of potential. It can surely beat not only its direct competitors, but also much more expensive models. The lower middle also does not cause questions. But the main band is transmitted formally. Informativeness is very high, but the plastic is a bit lacking. The upper range is not rich with sparkling dynamics, however it is not aggressive. At the same time it is crystal clear. The player's detailing here can be described as very high.
In Audiolab 8000CD player, the depth and clarity of distant plans attracts first of all - by this criterion, 8000CD looks advantageous even against the background of much more expensive High End players. There is not even a hint of a veil. There are also no false sources in the sound scene. The foreground is explicitly focused. Despite some virtuality of the scene, it is impossible not to admit that 8000CD has a knack for showing the stereo musical picture in the smallest details.
