Audiolab 8000CD/CDM/DAC/DAX users

Any folks in here from Scotland or near using Audiolab 8000CD or CDM/DAC/DAX

im interested in hearing how it sounds but its a hard thing to demo it would be great if someone was willing to let me hear theirs.

Also its always great to hear from fellow hi-fi nuts in the area.

Thanks

David

 

audiolab cdm/dax

i had a cdm2/dax for six months which i bought used for £1200. i borrowed a naim CDI from a local dealer just out of curiosity to hear the difference. the audiolab combo had much newer technology (24 BIT) compared to the 16 BIT of the naim player but the naim player wiped the floor with the audiolab.
the naim player sounded slightly slower but was three dimensional and a lot more rhythmical and had a lot more sparkle and life.
the rest of my system was audiolab Q and M's
great as the build and operational facilities were it was a slight dissapointment on sound quality after all the hype from what hifi magazine.
i changed the whole system to a full naim set-up after that and can honestly say after trying different components that the naim equipment is obviously overated, overhyped and just well marketed as well.
buy yourself a good turntable, some valve amps and some sensitive speakers and enjoy some real music!

 

hi shrink

why not say how much youve been offered them for, and people who have owned them will probably say if its a good price, if you can do better for the money etc?

Just a thought

NB Ive heard the Audiolab CDPs, and I think they are reasonableish... a lot depends on the price youve been offered, hence my comment above really...

Oh what the hell, might as well say.. - Id think a DAC and transport combo would be good value up to about 400-450 ish, after which careful shopping would get something that I would like more.

Cheers mate
Chris

 

I've been very impressed with the Audiolab gear I've heard and have owned a fair amount. I think that it's one of those 'sounds' that you either love or hate. Extremely transparent which makes good recordings sound great (but makes crap ones sound crap!)

I'd say that good prices are:

CDM/DAC - £600 to £800

CD - £350 to £500

*see my ad in 'Classifieds' for a CD!!!!!!*

 

I bought an 8000CD new in January 1998. It was streets ahead of anything else I heard, and I took my time listening before I bought. My dealer even let me take home a Marantz CD17 after I'd bought the Audiolab, just to be sure I'd got it right. I kept the Audiolab. 18 months ago I added a TAG DAC20, as much to upgrade my DVD and MD players as anything else, though the 8000CD sounds better too. It's happily followed upgrade to amplification and speakers, and I'm not thinking of changing it soon.
It all depends what kind of music you like, and how you like it presented. I listen to a lot of baroque choral music on original instruments (Bach!), so speed and transparency are very important to me. To my ears, it sounds fine on whatever I throw at it - jazz, large orchestra, chamber and pop.
I don't regret having bought, and if you can get one at some of the 2nd hand prices suggested, then I reckon you've got a bargain. It cost me £1 000 new.

 

its not that ive been offered one its that id like to hear one as i havent heard any of the audiolab cd players in a few years.

I think bottleneck is selling them well short and if he can get a CDM/DAC combo for £400 id be very very impressed.

The relazed evenness of audiolab is a sound that i like and certainly the CDM/DAX combo is a bit more up to date and is one id like to hear.

i am also considering Naim CD5 though and LINN Genki/Ikemi

 

theres one side of me that says...

'if you dont like the answer, dont ask the question!'

the other says..

'we all like different stuff, and you're going to get different opinions on an open internet forum'

I think theyre both right really

Its not that Ive seen one for 450, its that Ive heard things for that amount that I find a lot more to my own personal liking.

NB You might want to PM HENRYT, Im fairly sure he had a full audiolab setup once, and could probably tell you more from a living-with-it experience than I.

Cheers
Chris

 

yeah i bought henry's 8000Q pre amp. i have owned a fair amount of higher end stuff.. naim, cyrus, meridian etc and i fine each one puts too much of its own character into the music... that can impress a lot on a short demo.. but over a long term arrangement is harder to live with.. particularly cyrus which i find over bright and forward.

Part of me would love to have a complete audiolab setup but the sensible side is telling me to also hear some LINN, NAIM players etc. Thats why im trying to get a demo of an 8000CDM/DAC/DAX setup so that i have something on which to base an opinion of newer players.

From memory the full 2 box system at its best could still compete with a decent £2000 single box player of today and is better than some (primare = dull... yawn)

WIll ask henry what he thought as well. but still open to opinions from current owners.

many thanks for all that have replied so far