Audiolab has designed and engineered hi-fi in the United Kingdom since 1983, and that long focus shows in how neatly the current lineup fits together. Whether you want a single tidy box or a full stack of separates, the ranges share a common design language and a consistent house approach, so building a system is largely a matter of matching your budget, your sources and how far you want to scale. As an authorized Audiolab dealer, All Elite Audio put this guide together to help you plan a system with confidence.
Start With the Heart: Pick Your Amplification
Every Audiolab system begins with amplification. You have two philosophies to choose from: a one box integrated that combines preamp, power amp and often a DAC and phono stage, or a set of dedicated separates for maximum flexibility. Audiolab integrateds use a Class AB output stage with the brand's CFB Complementary Feedback topology, and each one offers Integrated, Pre-Power and Pre-only modes so you can grow into a system rather than replace it.
The 6000 Series: The Accessible Entry Point
The Audiolab 6000A MKII is the natural starting place. It packs a great deal into one chassis, including an ES9038Q2M DAC, a moving magnet phono stage for a turntable, a current-feedback headphone stage, and a clear IPS display. For a first serious system or a compact room, this is a genuinely complete heart that only needs speakers and a source to sing.
The 7000 Series: The Step Up
The Audiolab 7000A continues the same integrated formula with a refined presentation and a crisp IPS display. It also carries the ES9038Q2M DAC, MM phono, and a current-feedback headphone output, along with the same Integrated, Pre-Power and Pre-only modes. Think of the 7000A as the choice when you want more room to grow while keeping the convenience of one box.
The 9000 Series: The Flagship, One Box or Separates
The Audiolab 9000A is the flagship integrated. It steps up to the reference grade ES9038PRO DAC, keeps the MM phono and current-feedback headphone stages, and offers a large IPS display along with the same three operating modes. Within the 9000 range this model sits at the top of the integrated tier, so if you want the most capable single chassis Audiolab builds, this is it.
When you are ready to go fully separate, the 9000 Series splits amplification into two dedicated boxes: the Audiolab 9000Q preamplifier and the Audiolab 9000P power amplifier. Separating the preamp and power amp into their own chassis is a classic route for those who want to isolate the delicate control stage from the muscle of the output stage. You can also begin with the 9000A in Pre-Power or Pre-only mode and add the 9000P or 9000Q later, which is one of the most satisfying upgrade paths in the lineup.
Add Your Digital Source: Streamers and DACs
Most modern systems live on streaming, and Audiolab covers this with dedicated network players and standalone DACs.
Network Streamers
The Audiolab 7000N Play is a network streamer that feeds your amplifier a clean digital or analog signal from your favorite services and your home library. Step up to the Audiolab 9000N for the flagship streaming source, matched in build and presentation to the rest of the 9000 range. Both carry certified MQA full decoding, so hi-res catalogs are handled properly. A streamer pairs beautifully with any of the integrateds, and the 9000N is a natural partner for a 9000Q and 9000P stack.
D Series DACs
If you already have digital sources and simply want a superb converter, the D Series is for you. The Audiolab D7 uses the ES9038Q2M DAC and includes MQA full decoding, making it an excellent hub for a computer, transport or streamer feed. The Audiolab D9 steps up to the reference grade ES9038PRO, the same class of converter found in the flagship 9000A, for those building around a dedicated DAC as the digital centerpiece. Either can feed an integrated running in a suitable mode, or partner with the 9000Q and 9000P.
For the CD Library: Pure Transports
Audiolab's CDT models are pure CD transports. This is important to understand: they read the disc and output a digital signal, and they have no built-in DAC of their own. That means a CDT must feed either a DAC or a DAC-equipped integrated. Because the 6000A MKII, 7000A and 9000A all include their own DACs, a transport pairs with any of them out of the box. If you are running the 9000Q and 9000P separates, feed your transport into a D7 or D9 first.
- The Audiolab 6000CDT is the accessible transport, a tidy match for the 6000A MKII.
- The Audiolab 7000CDT steps up in build and presentation and pairs naturally with the 7000A.
- The Audiolab 9000CDT is the flagship transport, styled and engineered to sit alongside the rest of the 9000 range.
Keeping the transport and DAC in the same tier is a sensible way to plan a balanced system, and it keeps your components visually and sonically of a piece.
Refine the Foundation: DC Block
The Audiolab DC Block 6 is a mains optimizer that cleans the power feeding your system. It is worth being clear about what it does: the DC Block makes no sound on its own. It sits between the wall and your components and works on the incoming mains, giving your amplifier and source equipment a cleaner supply to draw from. It is a thoughtful finishing touch once the core system is in place.
Putting It Together: Three Ways to Build
The One Box System
Choose a single integrated as your heart, then add speakers and a source. A 6000A MKII with a 6000CDT, or a 7000A with a 7000N Play, gives you a complete, elegant system with minimal boxes. Because these integrateds already include a DAC, phono and headphone stages, you may not need anything else.
The Scalable Integrated
Begin with the 9000A as your integrated, then use its Pre-Power and Pre-only modes to add a 9000P power amplifier or a 9000Q preamplifier down the line. This lets you spread the investment over time while heading toward a full separates system.
The Full Separates Stack
For the most flexible arrangement, pair the 9000Q preamplifier with the 9000P power amplifier, add a 9000N streamer for digital, a D9 for other digital sources, and a 9000CDT for discs. Finish with a DC Block to tidy the mains feeding the stack.
Choosing by Budget and System
If you are starting out or working with a compact room, the 6000 Series gives you a complete and satisfying foundation. If you want more headroom and a more refined presentation while staying with the convenience of one box, the 7000 Series is the step up. And if you are building a reference system, the 9000 Series gives you both a flagship integrated and the option of true separates, with the D9 and 9000N ready to serve as your digital sources. Match your transport and DAC to the same tier where you can, keep your streamer and amplifier in sensible balance, and the system will come together naturally.
Come Have a Listen
All Elite Audio is an authorized Audiolab dealer with a showroom in Timonium, Maryland. Demo units rotate and not every model is always set up, so if there is a particular integrated, streamer, transport or separates combination you would like to hear, please contact us and we will be glad to arrange a listen and help you plan the right system.