The Audiolab 6000 Series at a Glance
Audiolab has been engineering British hi-fi electronics since 1983, and the 6000 Series distills that experience into an approachable, sensibly sized system. The two components AEA carries in this range play complementary roles: the Audiolab 6000A MKII is a full featured integrated amplifier and DAC, while the Audiolab 6000CDT is a dedicated CD transport. Together they form a tidy front to back system, but each also stands on its own depending on what your setup needs.
Shared Audiolab Design Thinking
Across the 6000 range you get the same clean design language: understated casework, an IPS display for clear at a glance information, and finishes in Black or Silver so the two units visually match when stacked. Audiolab keeps the signal path purposeful and the ergonomics friendly, with build quality that punches above its footprint. The engineering ethos is consistent whether you are choosing an amplifier or a transport.
Model by Model
Audiolab 6000A MKII: The Heart of the System
The 6000A MKII is the do it all integrated amplifier of the series. Its amplification uses Audiolab's Class AB design with CFB (Complementary Feedback) topology, rated at 2x50W into 8 ohms and 2x75W into 4 ohms. Onboard you get an ESS Sabre ES9038Q2M 32-bit DAC to handle your digital sources, Bluetooth 5.1 with aptX and aptX HD for wireless listening, a dedicated low noise MM phono stage for a turntable, and a current-feedback headphone amplifier for private listening.
One of the most useful aspects of this integrated is its flexibility of operation. It offers Integrated, Pre-Power and Pre-only modes, so it can serve as a complete one box amplifier today and adapt later if you add a separate power amplifier or want to use it purely as a preamp. That makes it a component you can grow with rather than replace.
Audiolab 6000CDT: The Dedicated Disc Specialist
The 6000CDT is a pure CD transport, which means it reads discs and outputs a digital signal but has no built-in DAC of its own. It is designed to be paired with an external DAC, and in this series the natural partner is the ES9038Q2M DAC inside the 6000A MKII. The 6000CDT uses a slot loading mechanism, a read ahead digital buffer, and a temperature compensated crystal oscillator for stable clocking, then sends the signal out through low jitter coaxial and optical outputs.
Because it focuses solely on retrieving data accurately and leaves conversion to a dedicated DAC, the 6000CDT suits listeners who value a clean division of labor. If your amplifier or DAC already handles digital conversion well, a specialist transport lets each stage do one job.
How to Choose by Scenario
If you are building a first serious system
Start with the 6000A MKII. Between its amplifier, DAC, Bluetooth, phono stage and headphone output, it covers streaming, vinyl, and headphones from a single chassis. It is the foundation everything else connects to.
If CD is central to your listening
Pair the 6000A MKII with the 6000CDT. The transport reads the disc while the integrated's ES9038Q2M DAC handles conversion, giving you a matched two box CD system with a shared look. Remember the 6000CDT needs a DAC to make sound, so it should not be bought on its own unless you already own a suitable DAC.
If you already own an amplifier or DAC
The 6000CDT can slot into an existing system as a quality transport, feeding its coaxial or optical output into your current DAC.
If you want to expand later
Choose the 6000A MKII and lean on its Pre-Power and Pre-only modes. You can begin with it as a complete integrated and later add a dedicated power amplifier, using the 6000A MKII as a preamp.
Building the System Together
For most listeners the ideal 6000 Series setup is the 6000A MKII paired with the 6000CDT, matched in Black or Silver and connected by a single digital cable. Add a pair of bookshelf or compact floorstanding speakers appropriate to the amplifier's power, connect a turntable to the MM phono input, and you have a complete source to speaker system with room to evolve.
Come Listen at AEA
AEA is an authorized Audiolab dealer with a showroom in Timonium, Maryland. Demo units rotate and not every model is always set up, so we invite you to contact AEA to arrange a listen and confirm what is currently on display.