To quote Audiolab - "The 9000A is the first component in Audiolab’s new flagship range, the 9000 Series. It is also the best integrated amplifier Audiolab has ever made" That is a bold statement from a long standing industry manufacturer but if the popularity of the 6000 series is anything to go by, you can bet the 9000a is a serious performer at its price point. 

Taking styling queues from the Omnia, the new 9000 series looks firmly Audiolab. Available in Silver or Black, with a matching CDT at launch and a new platform streamer to follow, the 9000a has analogue and digital inputs, a high quality MM Phono Stage and Bluetooth 5. 

The gorgeous colour screen will show you bit rate, input levels and even VU meters. The 9000A incorporates the ES9038PRO – an eight-channel DAC chip that represents the pinnacle of ESS Technology’s current Sabre range. This is accompanied by proprietary circuitry to make the most of the chip’s HyperStream II architecture and Time Domain Jitter Eliminator technology for unprecedented dynamic range and ultra-low distortion. 

The 9000A also delivers full decoding of MQA, the hi-res streaming technology from a custom engineered MQA certified DAC solution. This means that the complete ‘three unfold’ decoding process is performed internally, as opposed to just the final unfold in the manner of an MQA ‘renderer’, which makes the 9000A an excellent system choice for subscribers to Tidal’s ‘HiFi Plus’ tier where Tidal Masters (MQA) content can be found.

The 9000A’s discrete Class AB power amp stage delivers 100W per channel into 8 ohms (160w per channel into 4 ohms!). Unlike over-specified competitor models, the genuine 100W per channel will put the 9000A up against the best in its class. Referring to the standards set with the audiolab 6000A (rated at 50W per channel), the 9000A’s 100W per channel will undoubtedly satisfy the most demanding of loudspeakers and their power-hungry masters.

A key to the audiolab performance is the world-famous CFB (Complementary Feedback) topology, which ensures superior linearity and excellent thermal stability, as the idle current is kept independent of the temperature of the output transistors. An all-new and custom specified 320VA toroidal transformer, followed by 4 x 15,000uF reservoir capacity (60,000uF in total), helps the amp to maintain firm control of the music whilst enabling excellent dynamic range.