Audiolab

7000A Integrated Amplifier

£1,099 RRP

Audiolab's flagship 9000A integrated amplifier received an enthusiastic welcome in StereoNET in April 2023. Offering 100W output and selling for £1,999 RRP, chief designer Jan Ertner claims it's the best integrated amplifier Audiolab has ever produced…

Suppose you're on a tight budget, however? Or maybe you don't need quite so much power? The 7000A offers broadly similar features and facilities for £900 less, a decent saving. Power is reduced from 100W to 70W per channel, and you lose the option of balanced XLR line inputs. Instead of the 9000A's 320VA toroidal transformer with dual mono power supply, the 7000A has a slightly smaller transformer rated at 250VA. The 9000A can deliver 15A current, while the 7000A delivers 9A, but the 60,000uf reservoir capacitors remain common to both models.

The 7000A has the standard-issue Sabre ES9038 DAC, while the 9000A features the Pro version. The 9000A also has higher-spec Bluetooth 5.1 with LDAC and aptX HD support; the 7000A uses Bluetooth 5.0 and doesn't include LDAC. However, the 7000A has an HDMI ARC input, which is not included in the 9000A. The 7000A has a steel case, available in black or silver, while the 9000A has an anodised-aluminium housing with a classier-looking finish; a deep rich black compared to the 7000A's flat dark grey. The 9000A is about 5mm taller and around 1kg heavier. So which would you choose?

UP CLOSE

Despite not being Audiolab's flagship, the 7000A still has virtually everything one expects from a modern integrated amplifier – a built-in DAC, USB B input, Bluetooth aptX/aptX LL, full MQA decoder, Roon capability, dedicated headphone amp, and an MM phono stage. As per the 9000, there is no built-in streamer – this was a deliberate decision, as Audiolab felt it would be better to offer one in a separate box. Likewise, the company reckoned that most vinyl fans would probably be using a moving magnet cartridge at this level rather than a low-output moving coil.

There are two coaxial and two optical digital inputs, plus three analogue line inputs, and an MM phono. With a nod to Audiolab DNA, and the original 8000A, the 7000A's power amp is a Class AB type rather than Class D. As with the original 8000A amplifier that launched Audiolab some forty years ago, this new one can be split so that pre and power sections are useable independently. This is done via the Mode knob, which selects Integrated, Pre, or Pre Power.

The Sabre ES9038Q2M DAC offers 32-bit resolution and native sampling rates from 44.1kHz to 192kHz. The USB type B input goes from 44.1kHz to 768kHz, with DSD playback for DSD 64, 128, 246, and 512. Five anti-aliasing filters let you fine-tune the sound. The 7000A can deliver full decoding of MQA files. The entire 'three unfold' decoding process is performed internally (not just the final unfold in the manner of an MQA renderer) making the 7000A good for subscribers to Tidal's 'HiFi Plus' where Tidal Masters (MQA) material can be streamed.

The 2.8-inch IPS LCD screen is outstanding and helps you easily navigate the various features and facilities. You can even set it so there's a VU meter display – either a conventional analogue type, or a digital one. The electronic volume control changes levels in 1dB steps from 0 to -78.

The analogue line input has a lowish sensitivity of 820mV for full output. Many integrated amps have a line input sensitivity around the 200mV mark, but Audiolab deliberately chooses to limit gain – more gain means more noise, they say. As a result, you tend to play with the volume control at a fairly 'high' setting – maybe 1 to 2 o'clock – this is normal and not a sign that something is wrong. You can alter the gain on the three line inputs and phono by up to +/-6dB, which helps if one of your sources is quieter than the others. The internal DAC has a fixed gain. If playing CDs transferred at a low level, you may need to set the 7000A's volume a wee bit higher – maybe around 3 o'clock – but this won't be necessary very often.

By default, the DAC upsamples incoming signals to 352.8kHz or 384kHz, but you can turn this off if desired. There's also the option to change the bandwidth of the digital phase-lock-loop, with a 'wide' mode for signals with excessive jitter. There are five anti-aliasing filters to choose from, with Linear Phase (slow roll-off) being the default. For the most part, sonic differences between the filters didn't seem to be huge, but much depends on your system and individual recordings.

During normal use, the amp gets mildly warm after an hour or so. It's virtually silent in terms of mechanical noise, and hardly any transformer buzz was audible. The user interface is very simple, with just three controls, and I found the operation straightforward and intuitive. Despite this, Audiolab provides a comprehensive instruction booklet that explains each feature in depth. It's excellent and a model of its kind. There's also a separate booklet with illustrations to help you download and install USB drivers when using the 7000A with a computer or with Foobar2000 – very helpful. For Microsoft users, it's compatible as far back as Windows XP.

Partnering the Audiolab with my highly efficient Klipsch Cornwall IV loudspeakers, its 70W power output was more than ample. My regular cartridge is a low-output moving coil, so I used a Music First step-up transformer. For CD, I used Audiolab's 9000CDT transport into the 7000A's DAC, but I also tried a Marantz 30n SACD player.

THE LISTENING

My first impressions were of a clean and open sound that was tonally natural and smooth. Musically the results were crisp and detailed, and there was power to spare. Allied to this was an attractive ease and refinement; the amp sounded cultivated and gracious. But was the musical presentation maybe a tad circumspect? I felt so at first, but after a few days of use, the sound began to open out, becoming freer and more flowing. Focus and precision were maintained, but overall the results felt crisper – less contained, less constrained.

The 7000A certainly showed its mettle on classical music – recordings of acoustic instruments in a natural acoustic sounded great. It was excellent on jazz, too, delivering a clean, precise sound that was detailed and natural – but be warned, there is no added richness or depth and no fake warmth. What you hear is truthful and accurate, not something spiced-up with euphonic additives. This is very much a 'nothing added, nothing taken away' sort of amplifier. Given a sound so clean and precise, you're almost encouraged to listen at slightly increased volume levels…

Playing a 1974 Decca analogue recording of Schoenberg's Pierrot Lunaire on CD with Mary Thomas and David Atherton, the 7000A faithfully conveyed the richness and depth of the vintage Decca sound, which had impressive sonority and a palpable sense of space. However, on Blood, Sweat and Tears' eponymous 1968 album (again CD), the 7000A's precision and lack of smudging sometimes exposed how multi-miked and multi-tracked some songs sounded – clear but just a tad artificial and one-dimensional. Great album, though! Judy Collins' 1975 album Judith (vinyl) was notable for the sweet, open purity of the vocals. Her voice sounded smooth, natural, and very lifelike.

The 7000A proved excellent on massed violins, where its lack of tonal hardness was a big plus point. Playing Rossini's opera La Donna del Lago with Maurizio Pollini on CBS, the sound was wonderfully lifelike, with excellent separation between the different voices and a believable sense of space and depth. Tonal balance was light and forward, rather than warm and rich, but still realistic. Back to CD for Sonny Rollins' classic album Way Out West, and this amplifier reproduced the fruity, raspy sax with great immediacy, while Shelly Manne's drums and cymbals sounded crisp. Clarity and dynamic attack were hugely impressive – especially after I increased the volume slightly. Down south, the bass proved to be lean and tight. A slightly fuller, fatter bottom end might give the subjective impression of added power and heft, but I'd rather have a taut bass than one that's fat and slow. Overall, this integrated amplifier sounded darn good and better than one might expect, given its reasonable price.

THE VERDICT

Although perhaps not the most viscerally exciting performer, the new 7000A is always believably authentic and truthful. It is wholly natural, comfortable to listen to, and therefore easy to forget – you just hear the music. Yet it's also capable of snappy attack and crisp dynamics too. This company has always made quality amplifiers that do everything that needs to be done without getting into trouble. That neatly sums up this new design, which is unobtrusively competent and always in control. It offers great value for money, giving those on a restricted budget a large taste of Audiolab's flagship model for much less money.

For more information visit Audiolab