Audiolab 7000 Series Review Review – HiFiReport
Audiolab has long been synonymous with high-value Hi-Fi, offering a comprehensive product lineup that caters to discerning consumers who prioritize performance over price.
Recently, Audiolab expanded its already extensive product range with the introduction of the 7000 Series. This new series bridges the gap between the flagship 9000 Series and the entry-level 6000 Series, while also addressing some perceived shortcomings of the earlier 8300 Series, providing consumers with even more choice.
The Audiolab 7000 Series currently comprises three models: the 7000A DAC integrated amplifier with Bluetooth, the 7000CDT CD transport, and the 7000N Play wireless streaming player. All three units arrived at HiFiReport for review, and I will introduce each of them in detail below.
7000A DAC Bluetooth Integrated Amplifier
The 7000A, like its siblings the 9000A and 6000A, is a two-channel integrated amplifier equipped with a DAC and Bluetooth connectivity. However, a key distinction of the 7000A is the inclusion of an HDMI ARC input. This allows it to receive audio signals from a television, enabling users to enjoy TV sound through their Hi-Fi system, a significant upgrade from the often lackluster sound of built-in TV speakers.
The front panel of the 7000A also features a full-color IPS LED display, inherited from the 9000A and Omnia models. This screen displays essential information such as input source, volume level, digital signal sampling rate, and artist/track names when streaming via Bluetooth. Furthermore, it can be configured to display one of two VU meter modes, adding a visual element to the listening experience as the meters dance in response to the music’s dynamics.
The display can also be turned off to minimize potential interference.
Thanks to Audiolab’s proprietary CFB (Complementary Feedback) amplifier circuitry, the slim chassis of the 7000A houses a Class AB amplifier delivering 70 watts per channel into 8 ohms, with a peak current output of 9 Amps. This design ensures both robust power and excellent linearity and thermal stability.
The power supply is anchored by a 250VA toroidal transformer and a substantial 4 × 15,000uF of filter capacitance.
The 7000A offers a generous array of digital inputs, including 2 optical, 2 coaxial, 1 USB, and 1 HDMI ARC. The USB input utilizes an XMOS XU216 receiver chip, supporting asynchronous transmission and handling PCM signals up to 32bit/768kHz and DSD512.
For digital-to-analog conversion, the 7000A employs a high-performance ESS 9038Q2M 32-bit DAC chip, leveraging ESS Technology’s HyperStream architecture to minimize jitter.
The 7000A also supports full MQA decoding, capable of unfolding up to the third level.
To further enhance the listening experience, the 7000A incorporates several adjustable digital processing features.
Firstly, digital filters are available for the optical and coaxial digital inputs, offering a choice of five modes: Linear-phase / Fast, Linear-phase / Slow, Minimum-phase / Fast, Minimum-phase / Slow, and a Hybrid mode (combining Linear-phase and Minimum-phase). The default setting is Linear-phase Slow.
The 7000A also includes an upsampling function. When engaged, all digital inputs are automatically upsampled to 352.8kHz or 384kHz before the DAC stage.
Additionally, a PLL (Phase-Locked Loop) bandwidth adjustment allows users to fine-tune the PLL frequency during DA conversion, tailoring the sonic character to their preference.
While the digital section is impressively equipped, the 7000A is equally capable in the analog domain.
The MM phono stage in the 7000A is an improved version of that found in the 6000A, offering enhanced sonic performance. The 7000A also provides pre-amplifier output and power amplifier input connections, increasing system flexibility. Furthermore, the three analog input stages feature adjustable input sensitivity, allowing users to match the levels of different analog sources, preventing abrupt volume changes when switching between inputs. Finally, the 7000A includes a built-in headphone amplifier, enabling private listening sessions.
7000CDT CD Transport
In contrast to the slot-loading mechanism of the 6000CDT, the 7000CDT reverts to a more traditional drawer-type disc tray, which many users may find more intuitive to operate.
The tray mechanism is mounted on a robust aluminum base, designed to minimize vibrations generated by the high-speed rotation of the CD.
The entire mechanism is enclosed in a metal case, providing effective shielding against electromagnetic interference. The laser pickup assembly also has its own dedicated power supply, further isolating it from noise.
The 7000CDT inherits high-end technologies from the flagship 9000CDT. Its servo system incorporates a data buffer design, where CD signal data is temporarily stored in a buffer before being passed to the DAC for playback. This reduces read errors and significantly improves the ability to play scratched or imperfect CDs, increasing the read rate of discs in less-than-perfect condition.
Moreover, the 7000CDT’s optical and coaxial digital outputs utilize differential drive circuitry, ensuring more accurate digital signal transmission. The master clock for the servo system is governed by a high-precision crystal oscillator, guaranteeing exceptionally low jitter in the digital output.
Beyond CD playback, the 7000CDT also features a rear-panel USB-A port, allowing direct playback of music files from USB storage devices, supporting formats such as WAV, AAC, WMA, and MP3.
Following the lead of the 9000CDT, the 7000CDT is equipped with a full-color display, clearly showing playback status, time, format, track information, and folder navigation, facilitating easy playback of music files from connected USB storage devices.
7000N Play Wireless Streaming Player
The 7000N Play continues to utilize the DTS Play-Fi streaming platform. A significant advantage of DTS Play-Fi is its integration with Chromecast built-in, allowing operation via the Google Home app and enabling playback from Google Home-compatible streaming services like YouTube Music.
Through DTS Play-Fi, the 7000N Play offers access to a wide range of streaming music platforms, including Spotify, Tidal, KKBOX, Qobuz, Deezer, Amazon Music, and more. It also supports DLNA playback of music files stored on NAS devices, and access to countless internet radio stations.
To broaden its appeal, particularly to Apple users, the 7000N Play adds Apple AirPlay 2 functionality, addressing the previous limitation of DTS Play-Fi’s lack of native Apple Music support.
The DAC chip in the 7000N Play is also a step up from the 6000N Play, upgrading from the ESS ES9018K2M to the higher-spec ESS ES9038Q2M. This upgrade brings increased supported sampling rates, now reaching up to 24bit/192kHz PCM.
The 7000N Play’s output options include RCA analog outputs, as well as digital coaxial and optical outputs. The analog outputs feature adjustable volume control, making it convenient to connect directly to a power amplifier.
The volume control can also be bypassed, allowing the 7000N Play to function as a pure streaming transport.
In the power supply section, the 7000N Play employs a custom-designed high-quality toroidal transformer, contributing to improved power quality.
The 7000N Play also receives a significant aesthetic upgrade compared to the 6000N Play. Like the 7000A and 7000CDT, it features an IPS LCD full-color display. This display not only provides an interactive GUI interface but can also be switched to display virtual VU meters, similar to the 7000A, offering a choice of analog or digital meter styles, combining user-friendliness with visual appeal. Alternatively, the screen can be turned off to minimize any potential impact on sound quality.
The 7000N Play also offers the same five digital filter modes as the 7000A, allowing users to tailor the sound to different music genres and personal preferences.
Banana Plugs Recommended
The listening tests were conducted in the HiFiReport listening room. I primarily used the 7000CDT as the source, connecting it to the 7000A’s digital input via an Acrolink Abraham coaxial digital cable. All settings, such as digital filters, upsampling, and PLL, were initially set to their default positions. The speakers used were Audio Physic Step 35 bookshelf speakers.
When connecting the speaker cables, I realized a minor issue: the rear panel of the 7000A is quite compact, with connectors positioned closely together. Furthermore, the speaker terminals for each channel are arranged vertically. This means that when using spade connectors, the speaker cables must be inserted from the left and right sides. In this configuration, the right channel connector is obstructed by the power cord, and the left channel is also somewhat awkward to access. If the speaker terminals were arranged horizontally, spade connectors could be inserted from above or below.
However, this was easily resolved as I also had banana plug terminated speaker cables available, which worked perfectly for the listening session.
Clear Soundstage and Defined Imaging
It must be said that Audiolab’s decision to continue producing CD transports is a wise one. Many audiophiles today utilize DACs, either standalone units or integrated within their amplifiers, making a dedicated CD transport an ideal partner for CD playback.
I began by playing the familiar “The Dali CD Vol. 4” test disc. From the diverse range of musical styles on this disc, it became immediately apparent that the 7000CDT/7000A combination leans towards a rational and accurate sonic character. The sound is well-mannered, restrained, and composed. Whether assessing imaging, soundstage, or separation, the performance was consistently satisfying.
The sonic images are notably focused and cohesive, with a dense texture, which contributes to a slightly smaller perceived image size, and enhances the sense of separation.
The sound gains in solidity and fullness at higher volumes. The background quietness and overall sonic purity are also commendable, suggesting that pairing the 7000CDT/7000A with a quality pair of speakers is a worthwhile investment.
Moving to track 8, “Verano Porteno,” a tango piece performed by a viola quartet, the 7000CDT/7000A rendered the string tone with less overt brilliance than some might prefer, but the textural detail was clearly present. The subtle stickiness of bow on string was evident, and both detail retrieval and resolution were impressive. The sound density was particularly noteworthy, and the clarity of individual instrumental lines was excellent. The well-defined lines contributed to a more three-dimensional and palpable image.
At this point, I decided to explore the 7000A’s PLL (Phase-Locked Loop) bandwidth adjustment feature.
The PLL adjustment is not available for all digital inputs on the 7000A; it is selectable only for the optical, coaxial, and HDMI ARC inputs, offering “Normal” and “Wide” settings.
The default “Normal” setting presented a sound that was clearer, more precise, and articulate, but the string textures could sound a little hard-edged. Switching to “Wide” immediately softened the sound, making it more relaxed, comfortable, and easy to listen to. However, the image focus became slightly less sharp, and separation was marginally reduced. Conversely, the perceived image size seemed to increase slightly, becoming more subjectively pleasing, which could be advantageous in smaller systems.
The difference between the two settings is quite noticeable. Personally, I preferred the “Wide” setting. I recommend experimenting with these settings to find the optimal balance depending on system components, room acoustics, and personal preference.
Unrestrained Dynamics and Scale
Next, I played the soundtrack to the movie “Pirates of the Caribbean,” specifically the track “Wheel of Fortune.” The diminutive Step 35 speakers, driven by the 7000A, delivered a surprisingly powerful and expansive performance. The overall sense of scale was impressive, with a reasonably open soundstage, exhibiting good width, height, and depth. The sound was far from constrained and possessed considerable grandeur without becoming congested. The structure across the frequency spectrum—highs, mids, and lows—remained clear, and the lower registers displayed commendable layering, indicating good control from the amplifier.
Returning to track 1, Eva Cassidy’s “Ain’t No Sunshine,” with the “Wide” PLL setting engaged, the vocal image became slightly larger and less dense, but still retained a pleasing fullness. The sound also gained a touch of warmth and became more relaxed.
Soundstage imaging and separation remained at a high level. The image definition of each sonic element was remarkably good, even excellent.
The soundstage possessed a natural sense of openness, while maintaining a well-focused image—a balance that was just right.
Essentially, achieving good sound with the 7000CDT/7000A combination was effortless, reflecting their inherent sonic qualities.
Performance is More Than Enough
Moving on, I played the 2017 Hi-Fi demonstration CD, featuring selections from the Steinway record label. Track 2, the cello and string ensemble from the third movement of Prokofiev’s “Symphony-Concerto,” exhibited a pleasingly smooth texture and excellent density, with appropriate weight and thickness. The tonal color was rich enough to be engaging without being overly lush, resulting in a comfortable and musically rewarding listening experience.
Track 3, a solo piano piece, revealed that the 7000A’s sonic character is not overtly bright or transparent, but this is not a detriment. Its quiet background and pure sonic quality allowed for a sense of tranquility and peace when listening to Bruckner’s “Fantasy in G Major,” enabling focused musical appreciation.
Furthermore, the 7000A convincingly conveyed both the weight of the piano’s lower register and the overall scale of the instrument. The articulation of the piano keys and the weight of the bass notes were rendered with satisfying realism. The performance was well-rounded, possessing both smoothness and fluidity, alongside power and impact.
For its price point, this level of performance is more than sufficient.
Spatial Dimensions Rendered with Greater Clarity
Next, I switched the source to the 7000N Play, connecting wirelessly to the network and utilizing its digital output, again using the Acrolink Abraham coaxial digital cable to connect to the 7000A. In this configuration, I was using the 7000N Play as a streaming transport.
I played music files from my NAS using the 7000N Play, and compared it to the same CD played on the 7000CDT. In comparison, the 7000CDT exhibited a quieter background, with a smoother, purer, and more cohesive sound. This enhanced the focus on the vocalist or the primary melodic instrument. However, the 7000N Play seemed to offer slightly better resolution, rendering the spatial dimensions of the recording more clearly. The soundstage was wider and taller, and the sense of separation was a little more pronounced, especially noticeable on the “Pirates of the Caribbean” soundtrack “Wheel of Fortune,” where the 7000N Play sounded more open and expansive. The bass frequencies were more layered and defined, and dynamic contrasts were more apparent. Based on this performance, the 7000N Play proves to be a high-quality streaming transport.
Playing Tsai Chin’s “Chance Encounter” (), the 7000N Play/7000A combination demonstrated exceptional skill in rendering spatial information. The clarity of separation and imaging was noteworthy, particularly the impressive soundstage height. The structure across the frequency range—highs, mids, and lows—was exceptionally well-organized, presenting a well-defined and columnar soundstage, with a controlled and focused bass that was clean, articulate, and dynamically agile.
The vocal imaging was remarkably clear and three-dimensional, especially impressive for a system of this size and price point. Frankly, I have rarely heard such performance from a system in this category.
Of course, achieving this level of performance was partly facilitated by careful speaker placement. The speaker spacing and distance from the back wall were optimized. However, it is undeniable that the 7000N Play/7000A combination possesses inherent sonic virtues and capabilities.
Book a Listening Session Now
The introduction of the 7000 Series further solidifies Audiolab’s position in the mid-range Hi-Fi market.
The 7000 Series inherits many mature high-end technologies from the 9000 Series and adopts the full-color display also found in the 9000 Series. This feature is rare in products at this price point, and even in some higher-priced products, demonstrating Audiolab’s commitment to value.
When considering the Audiolab 7000 Series, there’s no need for lengthy deliberation. Just book a listening session and experience it for yourself.
Specifications
**Audiolab 7000A Integrated Amplifier**
* Type: Integrated Amplifier
* Power Output: 70W into 8Ω, 110W into 4Ω, Class AB
* Digital Inputs: HDMI ARC × 1, Optical × 2, Coaxial × 2, USB × 1
* Analog Inputs: RCA × 3, MM Phono × 1, Power Amp Input × 1
* Analog Outputs: Pre-amp Output, Headphone Output
* Wireless Transmission: Bluetooth 5.0 aptX
* Display: 2.8-inch IPS LCD
* THD: <0.003% * Signal-to-Noise Ratio: >110 dB
* Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20kHz / ±0.3 dB
* Supported Sampling Rates: Up to 768kHz PCM / DSD512 (USB Input)
* Dimensions: 444 × 78 × 340 mm (Width × Height × Depth)
* Weight: 8.4 kg
**Audiolab 7000CDT CD Transport**
* Type: CD Transport
* Disc Compatibility: CD, CD-R, CD-RW
* Digital Outputs: RCA Coaxial × 1, Optical × 1
* Digital Input: USB A × 1 (for USB Storage Devices)
* THD: <0.002% * Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20kHz / -0.01 dB * Dimensions: 444 × 78 × 322 mm (Width × Height × Depth) * Weight: 5.5 kg * Suggested Retail Price: NTD 23,900 (Approximately USD $747) **Audiolab 7000N Play Wireless Streaming Player** * Type: Wireless Streaming Player * Outputs: Analog RCA, Digital Coaxial, Optical * Supported Sampling Rates: Up to 24bit/192kHz PCM * THD: <0.0005% * Signal-to-Noise Ratio: >115 dB
* Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20kHz / ±0.01 dB
* Dimensions: 444 × 78 × 340 mm (Width × Height × Depth)
* Weight: 5 kg
