Audiolab 8000q

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Amilcar Labrosse

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Aug 4, 2024, 7:57:38 PM8/4/24

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Forthe last 10 years I've listened to a Cambridge Audio C500 preamp. I've been very happy with it but always felt it lacked a bit in detail. It can be really warm and musical. Recently I purchased a second hand Audiolab 8000q preamp. It's definately made in the UK, being made prior to the Tag take over. Last night I really gave it an audition. At times I was absolutely transported into the recording studio but after a night of listening, I don't think I could continue with it.

My setup. is Vienna Acoustics Bach Grand speakers, off the floor on iso acoustic stands. Dynavector HX 1.2 Power amp. Speaker cable is Dunlavey. Interconnects are high end Audioquest. Source is Marantz DV9600 SACD player and Bryston BDA-1 Dac which I put an apple tv into via optical for Tidal. This current setup is warm, punchy exceptionally musical, superb warm deep musical bass, never over bearing, always detailed. Voices and musical instruments are very natural, although at times a tad laid back. I experiment with power cables often and I have the ones in my system I like. I have about half dozen spare power cables I can swap out when my mood changes, so I can really vary the overall experience of what my system is doing. I know the character of each cable and know which component likes what.

After listening to the Audiolab last night, I came away thinking I don't know if I could listen to that sound again. At first I thought there was no bass at all, but swapping out cables I managed to get a lot of bass, proably from about 100hz down. There seems to be a real hole in the 100hz to around 500hz or so. After that the machine really starts to come alive, moreso in the 3000hz and upwards. The sound is exceptionally detailed. I've never heard detail like this on my system ever. On warmer discs it really works well but on discs that are a bit bright and detailed there's nothing warm about it at all. I had to put the covers back on my speakers last night to tame them. I feel like I want to put tissue over the tweaters like we used to with the old Yamaha monitors.

My question is, could the amp have aged and be causing a huge shift in it's frequency response or is this just the nature of this preamp? I've put all my warmest cables into the system. It's accentuated the extreme low end. My room sound like a hollow chamber and sounds like it now needs a huge amount of accoustic treament and bass traps etc. I've never needed anything like this before. Recently I had a Schiit valve preamp in the system and it was fabulous sounding, just a tad 2 d for my liking and not quite as warm and natural as the Cambridge, although it did a very good job in deed. It was totally uncoloured, just not quite as engaging as the cambridge. I'm a musician, and play piano, bass, acoustic guitar. I've got pretty good ears and do live mixing as well so I know what it takes to make a really nice mix. The Audiolab isn't doing that.. It's a tad shouty and bright and never laid back.

Anyways, that's my question. Just wondering if anyone knows about these items and if there's a fix, such as new caps etc? The unit was made around 1998. I've read the newer ones ( chinese ) have really crap components / caps in the power supply.

I ended up going back to my Cambridge Audio C500 preamp. So much smoother, warmer and easier on the ear. I just put the Audiolab back in the box and left it there. I might give it another go but I reckon it will end up back in it's box.

The Audiolab amps were a bit too bright in combination with my Usher's diamond tweeter. I bought a secondhand pair of Consonance valve monoblocks, hot treble solved and the joy of good valve amplification has been with me ever since.

You mean try something other than Audiolab? Problem is, every time I try something, it's quite a costly prospect. I thought the Audiolab would suit my taste as people raved about it. I just don't know if the gear I purchased recently has aged badly? It's certainly not a particularly warm sound, that's for sure, and the bass is all over the place, and missing in the important registers.

Thanks for your reply.. Sounds like Audiolab is a bit audiocrap? My speakers are very warm and easy to get on with. Silk dome tweeters, and the bass up till now has been really full and balanced. NOT so with the Audiolab.. BRIGHT and bass all over the place, and missing in the important lower frequencies.. VERY bizarre.. I really was wondering if the unit itself was so old it's caps needed replacement and bias needed redoing etc? I'm not willing to really put money into a unit and find it hasn't really changed. It's probably time to buy something newer.

I forgot to remember that I had also used both amps with Focal 716v before I had the Ushers with similar results. And I was also using a valve preamp with the 8200MB. I am a bit sensitive to treble frequencies due to tinnitus so factor that in to my input.

I have had the Audiolab 8000Q in my system for 20 years. My power amp is the Bryston 4BST, Audiovector 5 speakers, CD player a Meridian and Chord Co. cables throughout. My system (note that I am using that term and not referring to the 8000Q alone) is warm and not in the slightest harsh. When I put it together, I knew the Audiolab had a reputation of being on the bright side, whereas the Meridian was often described at lush and the Bryston described as neutral. I did lots of testing with CD players once the amps were married up. Alongside the Meridian I tried CD players from Naim, Quad, Linn, Musical Fidelity and Cyrus. The combo I ended up with had the most synergy and that's the key. I didn't care about reputation, nor public opinion, I just wanted to get the right combination. I have getting on for 6000 CDs and only ONE is harsh sounding on my system (just for info that's the original CD of Rainbow's debut album - an audio nightmare) and the only one that induces fatigue. I would say that if you find the Audiolab to be too harsh, it is simply not well matched to the rest of your gear. Synergy, synergy, synergy.

I'm going to give the Audiolab one more chance to work in my system. It's weird as I've had a few preamps in my system and had never had this experience. My amp is a Dynavector which is very open and warm, and not harsh at all. My Dunnlavey speaker cables are on the mushy side if you know what I mean, being warm and not bright at all.

I'm using copper power cables and audio quest copper interconnects, so essentially there's nothing in my system that is on the harsh or bright side, till I put the Audiolab in . Interesting you say it's reputation is to be bright. I do reckon with the right amp it would probably work well, and possibly with different speakers. Are yours the QR5 speakers ? Ribbon Tweeter? I have Vienna acoustics Bach Grande. Silk dome tweeter which can be very sweet, and with the dunnlavey cables, a bit understated. I'm trialing some other speaker cables that wake up the high mids and top end a bit. Purchased some Einstein greenline cables which have woken my system up a bit. My main concern regarding the Audiolab is that maybe it's out of whack with caps needing replacement etc. I am a tweaker and a fiddler. I can hear the difference between every cable in my system so I've spent years getting the balance I like. My streaming is done via iPhone to Apple TV via optical into the bryston. Is fabulous. No mga unfortunately. CD is from Marantz high end machine. Very happy with big warm open musical sound, so I know my components well. Just shocked at how horrible the Audiolab sounded. Anyways, I'll give it one more go .

Rob - No, don't know that speaker - mine are "F3 LYD" (see this ... -audiovector-f3-lyd-tower-speakers-with-focal-drivers). If you've only just got it, good luck with any hopes of longevity. Audiolab don't support it anymore and I just had a problem with the volume control - some parts are available and some are not. It's still in for repair in my local Hi-Fi specialists now.