It’s the pulsating heart of your hi-fi system and, as anyone who’s read this publication knows, to ignore its sonic relevance in your setup would be foolish in the extreme.

Several long-established and highly revered audio firms started out when one or two individuals shared a common goal: to release a decent stereo amplifier – something better than whatever was currently powering their system.

We have seen and tested many (though not all) of these amplifiers and their successors over the 50-year history of What Hi-Fi?, and here we’ve picked out nine of the very best, in our humble collective opinion.

These little powerhouses have left indelible marks on hi-fi history, paving the way not just for the brands that blossomed in their wake, but for the agile, transparent and joyous music systems we enjoy today.

Naim NAP 200 (1973)

Julian Vereker’s shift from building cars to designing amplifiers and loudspeakers (for London’s Capital Radio, no less) led to the founding of Naim Audio in 1973.

With both Julian and his co-founder Shirley Clarke as directors, their shop in the centre of Salisbury, England, was the birthplace in that same year of the company's first consumer product: the NAP 200 power amplifier.

Vereker originally designed the NAP 200 in 1971 and, although its descendants differ greatly – the line continues to evolve with products like the excellent NAP 100 to this day – Naim still shoots for the same performance goals of pace, rhythm and timing.

Cyrus One (1984) 

The Mission Cyrus One – back when Cyrus was a part of Mission – was a piece of kit very much aimed at audiophiles, despite its budget-friendly price tag.

It had no tone or balance controls and carried plenty of inputs for sources. Early examples had a plastic case to eliminate the distortion effects of eddy current, but later versions switched to a cast metal case – sophisticated for a budget amp.

In the What Hi-Fi? review, we concluded that the inaugural One communicated a precise soundstage, but it was also capable of handling low-level details that other amplifiers "repressed or simply rendered messy".

Combine that sound with the superb build quality, and you had an amp whose performance could rival pricier options.

• Old amplifier vs new amplifier: which is better?

Cambridge Audio P40 (1968) 

Cambridge Audio's first ever product, the P40 integrated amplifier, was also the first ever amp to use a toroidal transformer – a significant innovation at the time.

These days, it's a standard component inside high-end amps; a sure sign that what the firm tried back in 1968 worked out really rather well.

The follow up to the P40 arrived just a few years later in 1970 with the P50, a much more powerful amplifier with a unique active volume control.

However, one glance at the lines and craftsmanship on the P40 is to know that this is a stunning debut amp.

A&R A60 (1976)

Amplification & Recording Cambridge was founded back in 1976. Now known by a far snappier moniker, Arcam (see what they did there?), the company’s success was built on its first amplifier, the A60.

Pictured above is our review from August 1981, though the product was launched five years earlier.

Back in the early 1980s, this slimline integrated amp would set you back £190 and was considered the go-to middle-market amplifier, comparable to the Crimson 510/520 pre/power combination (remember that?). It proved the ideal upgrade from budget champions such as NAD’s original 3020 (which we will get to shortly).

It was a functional unit with a decent array of line-level inputs plus a capable moving-magnet phono stage – hardly a surprise considering vinyl was still the dominant media of the day.

The tone controls were subtle in their action and as such could, on occasion, prove useful when any recording or partnering kit wasn’t quite balanced.

The A60 also had a filter switch which progressively rolled off frequencies above 7.5kHz in a bid to reduce hiss from a tuner or the impact of a pop from vinyl.

NAD 3020 (1978)

A power output of 20W per channel was hardly earth-shattering but, at £85, the 3020 could drive speakers better than pretty much any of its rivals. The 3020 amplifier put NAD on the map, such was its impact.

The story goes that when NAD’s managing director, Marty Borish, hired a quiet audio engineer called Bjorn Erik Edvardsen, the pair noted a space in the market. Edvardsen got the bit between his teeth.

Initially headquartered in London, NAD’s growing team, led by Edvardsen, obsessively experimented and refined the electronic designs, seeking a eureka moment. When it finally came, NAD delivered perhaps the best-selling hi-fi amplifier in history.

The original NAD 3020 had a balance that was smooth and full-bodied, delivering a good, coherent sound which worked well with the some of the less–refined budget kit of the time.

The cult-like following generated by the 3020 was so great that NAD would have been foolish to shelve it. In 2013, some 35 years after its initial release, we gave the latest NAD D 3020 iteration a coveted five-star review and a What Hi-Fi? Award.

Burmester 777 (1977) 

As a musician, Dieter Burmester (founder of Burmester Audiosysteme) always wanted to make his sound system reproduce music as naturally and purely as possible, and it was the malfunction of his preamp that led to him fashioning the first Burmester product.

Preamps on the market couldn’t satisfy Dieter Burmester’s high demands, so he built his own from parts of medical machines – the Burmester 777.

According to the firm, the 777 – so named because it was released in the seventh month in the year 1977 – remains a core element of Burmester's products today.

In 2007, Burmester even released a 30th anniversary update in its honour, a preamp called the Burmester 077. Did we like it? You could say that. In our review, we concluded, "If you can afford it, buy it right now."

McIntosh 50W-1 (1949) 

Before you write in, the amp pictured is the 50W2 (two pieces, which form one 50W-per-channel mono amp), McIntosh's fourth amplifier, circa 1951 – think Elvis and Frank Sinatra territory.

Why are we not showing you the original 50W-1? Well, photographs of hi-fi separates from 71 years ago are quite hard to come by, it turns out.

In 1946 Frank McIntosh, a design consultant for broadcast and TV stations, hired Gordon Gow to help him design a high power, low distortion amplifier for his clients. This amplifier would be the 50W-1.

It included McIntosh’s first patented circuit, the Unity Coupled Circuit – still used in the company's current products.

Musical Fidelity Dr. Thomas Power Amplifier (1982)

Musical Fidelity chose to keep the naming of its inaugural product simple with The Preamp. It was released in 1982 and quickly racked up rave reviews.

Evidently, the designer of its shoebox-style power partner, Dr. Martin Vincent Thomas, didn't like the idea of designing 'The Power Amp', and chose to take matters into his own hands when it came to establishing a moniker for Musical Fidelity's first power amplifier. Thus, the Dr. Thomas was born.

With its black acrylic casework and name (what a name!) illuminated in red on the fascia, the 100W+ Dr. Thomas power amplifier cut a fine figure – a great visual match for the similarly-styled Preamp.

It was also surprisingly powerful. Sadly, this casework design was dropped quite quickly – but what a lovely-looking setup it must have been.

Audiolab 8000A (1983)

Audiolab's 8000A caused quite a stir in the early 1980s thanks to its "superb finish and styling" – just take a look at our review (below).

Admittedly, today it looks a lot like a grey-tinged box with lots of dials, but it offered excellent sound and features, including bass and treble controls, a stereo balance control and a separate record selector, so you could "listen to one source while taping another". And the sound was smooth with "plenty of presence and detail".

Audiolab was formed in 1983 by Philip Swift and Derek Scotland, quickly earning worldwide acclaim in that same year with the 8000A – an integrated stereo amp that was both a natural ‘step-up’ from budget models of the time and, latterly, a classic hi-fi component.

Thanks to its fine build and features, the 8000A was great value for money too.

MORE:

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For many, your music system will consist of your laptop and a pair of wired headphones.

A laptop gives you access to a host of music online, from music streaming services offering millions of songs from all genres, to download sites where you can buy and store your favourite albums in the highest file quality, to internet radio, and more.

Paired with a good pair of wired headphones, the laptop is a compact and convenient source – and it’s a system with so much hi-fi potential.

Whether you stream music from Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal or Qobuz, or have gigabytes of 24-bit FLAC downloads, you'll want to hear your tunes at their very best, at their full resolution, to get maximum enjoyment.

So in enters a DAC.

What is a DAC?

A DAC converts the digital music files (the binary 0s and 1s) into an analogue wave form that you can hear through your headphones and speakers. While your laptop (and smartphone) might be one of the main ways you listen to music, the DAC circuits built into these multi-tasking products are simply not efficient enough to accurately process the crucial digital-to-analogue conversion; and this has a knock-on effect on the resulting sound quality.

Separate, external DACs only have one job to do, and they do the essential job of carrying out this conversion process more faithfully and with the least amount of errors that can degrade the audio signal. Thus, this one addition is the simplest way to get the most out of your digital music, while still sticking with your trusted laptop-and-headphones set up.

A dedicated DAC is also more likely to support and relay all the hi-res audio formats and sample rates in full – up to and beyond 24-bit/192kHz, for instance, and even the more esoteric ones, like DSD files.

To drive your best wired headphones, you’ll also need a headphone amplifier. Luckily for you, most external DACs these days also have a headphone amplifier built-in, along with a socket or two to plug in your favourite wired cans. These DAC/headphone amp products can transform your laptop and headphones listening into a true high-fidelity music system – and the trio we are focusing on here are some of the best examples of this type of product.

The three DACs we've chosen to test here, from Audiolab, Cambridge Audio and Chord Electronics, occupy the mid-priced £350-£450 range where you’re stepping out of budget convenience and into serious hi-fi territory. All three DACs are neat, desktop sized products that make natural companions for your laptop – one is even portable – and, best of all, all are five-star performers already.

These desktop DACs share many features, and each has its own quirks, foibles and strengths – with different sonic signatures to boot. But which model is best for you?

For the test, all three DACs were hooked up to a MacBook Pro playing Tidal, with a variety of wired headphones used, including the Award-winning Grado SR325x, the Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro X and a pair of old favourites, the Shure SRH1540.

Versatile connections and user-friendly

If you’re after the most versatile connectivity and features, the Cambridge DacMagic 200M and Audiolab D7 are neck and neck. Both feature a full complement of analogue and digital inputs, along with aptX Bluetooth streaming. They even give you scope to grow when branching out into a full hi-fi system down the line.

Both feature USB type B inputs (ideal for connections to a laptop), optical and coaxial inputs, as well as both RCA and balanced XLR outputs. The D7 further adds digital outputs, while both sport a full-size 6.3mm headphone jack on the front.

We have next-to-none complaints when it comes to the usability of both these desktop models, with clearly laid out buttons and easy to use controls. The Cambridge’s labelled LED system makes it easy to discern source and incoming sample rate at a glance, while the newer Audiolab D7 has a display screen for relevant information and even comes with a remote control.

Both are well made and user friendly, and both Cambridge and Audiolab get top marks, with the Cambridge feeling just that bit classier and sturdier in build quality than the plainer and smaller Audiolab.

• Read our full Cambridge Audio DacMagic 200M review

Quirky portability

The Chord Mojo 2 is another beast altogether. It actually offers many of the same functions as its rivals, but with fewer (and via different) connections. In contrast to the other two, the Mojo 2 keeps things simple with USB type B and USB-C ports for connecting to your laptop.

You get two sets of 3.5mm headphone outputs here. Do note that the updated 2026 version of the Mojo 2 will swap out one of those 3.5mm for a 4.4mm Pentaconn headphone jack to meet the increasing popularity of this type of wired headphones connection.

Those same headphone outputs can be used as audio outputs if you want to plug the Mojo 2 into a hi-fi system, but you'll to invest in some adapter cables (e.g. 3.5mm to RCA line level) to do so.

Let’s not forget this is a portable model, with eight hours of battery life, charged via USB. This means you can take the Mojo with you on your daily commute, on a flight, on holiday – something that’s simply not possible with either the Cambridge or Audiolab mains-powered models. This is certainly a boon, and the Mojo is small enough that you can carry it in a backpack easily.

There’s no Bluetooth here, and usability requires a little bit more work thanks to the multi-coloured, multi-button interface that will usually require the manual at hand. Our tip: just remember the colours for how high or low the volume goes, and you’re golden.

Benchmark sound

But put up with the Chord’s quirks we will, as the Mojo 2’s sound quality is simply phenomenal; it remains the standard to beat at this price. The Mojo’s handling of rhythmic precision and punchy dynamic subtlety, and its superbly insightful and clean, cohesive sound, is fantastic.

No matter what music you play through it, it just sounds right. The tactility of instruments, the interplay between the musical arrangement and the vocals, the sense of space – it’s all conveyed with such insight and ease.

We said in our review that when listening through the Mojo 2, "music has the vividity of a stained glass window here – bright, intricate and demanding of your attention."

The Mojo communicates the message and feel of the song with great talent, while also revealing oodles of texture, along with a toe-tapping, ferociously agile presentation that’s just heaps of fun to listen to.

• Read our full Chord Mojo 2 review

Two excellent alternatives

The Cambridge Audio has a smooth, full-bodied presentation that’s appealing on the ears, with fat basslines and a fluid handling of dynamics. It’s pretty easy to get grooving to the funky tunes of Act Like You Know by Fat Larry’s Band, or get contemplative with a Nick Cave track.

We said in our review: "That smoothness clings to the violins leading Ólafur Arnalds’ Spiral (Sunrise Session) (24-bit/96kHz) in a way that makes it enjoyable without clouding the textural finesse or dynamic undulation of the strings that communicate the piece’s beautiful fragility. The Cambridge rides the dynamic ebbs and flows nicely, showing its grace in the quieter moments and its authority in the louder ones."

A former Award-winner, the Cambridge DAC has served us perfectly fine over the past few years. The DacMagic 200M’s age starts to show only when listening to its rivals in comparison, as the newer Audiolab D7 and Mojo 2 both offer a clearer, more detailed and more precise sound overall.

The D7’s soundstage is more spacious and layered, basslines hit deeper and sound tauter, and overall it is able to dig up greater detail than the Cambridge. High frequencies in particular have more clarity, shine and sparkle, and it’s that bit more agile and evenly balanced throughout. It simply paints a clearer picture than the Cambridge.

We said of the D7 in our review: "It has a broadly neutral and even-handed presentation that impresses for its clarity and detail resolution. It’s a clean and crisp sound without being over-etched. We love the sense of spaciousness the DAC imparts, so the music we play rarely sounds cluttered."

The D7 comes close to closing the gap to the multi-Award-winning Chord Mojo 2, but the Mojo still races ahead when it comes to sonic performance. Its rhythmic prowess and dynamism are phenomenal, especially for this compact product and for this price.

• Read our full Audiolab D7 review

Overall winner: Chord Mojo 2

You'll get a great sonic upgrade by using any of these DACs in your system, no matter how modest. There is no doubt that the Cambridge Audio and Audiolab’s more conventional designs, ease of use and versatility will have their fans, and they remain firm recommendations.

But the Chord Mojo 2 remains our pick of the three for its clear sonic superiority. If you want the very best performance from your laptop-based music, the Mojo 2 is the ultimate option at this price. We think it’s great value, too.

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7 mistakes to avoid with a DAC

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Audiolab isn’t short of experience when it comes to making DACs. The company’s first outboard digital-to-analogue converter was the 8000DAC of the 1990s, but it was 2011’s Audiolab M-DAC that really cemented its expertise in the sector. The now-discontinued M-DAC remains a favourite at What Hi-Fi? Towers, and was something of a mid-priced benchmark for the best part of a decade.

What has all of this got to do with the new Audiolab D7? Despite its smaller size and more modest price point, there are undeniable echoes of the M-DAC’s design template and well-judged feature set, and that’s a good thing.

Features & connections

The Audio D7 is a pleasingly versatile unit that makes as much sense at the heart of a proper separates hi-fi system as it does on a desktop system fed by a computer.

Audiolab certainly hasn’t skimped on the connectivity, with the D7 including a generous spread of digital connections: there are two coaxial and two optical inputs, USB Type B and USB Type A inputs, alongside single-ended RCA line level and balanced XLR analogue outputs.

The USB-A port allows connection to external storage devices and is also used for software upgrades.

There is a front panel-mounted 6.3mm headphone socket as well as digital outputs (optical and coax), should you want to do extra processing on the digital signal. It doesn't end there.

Bluetooth wasn’t seen as a relevant input back in the day of the M-DAC, but it certainly is now, so the D7 is equipped with Bluetooth 5.1 and has aptX HD codec compatibility.

Build & design

Take a look inside and you will find ESS Sabre’s ES9038Q2M DAC chip at the heart of the D7’s digital circuitry. This allows hi-res compatibility with up to 32-bit/768kHz PCM and DSD512 music files, which should be more than enough for most people’s digital music library.

While other manufacturers use this very same DAC chip, Audiolab claims that its experience, along with proprietary clock and power supply circuitry, achieves better results. Full MQA decoding is on the menu, should you have the need, as is Roon compatibility.

The DAC’s analogue outputs can be set to work in either fixed or variable mode. If the output is set to variable, it opens up the possibility of the D7 being connected directly into a power amplifier, or perhaps, more interestingly, directly into a pair of active speakers. The active route would lead to a pleasingly neat and uncluttered system.

This Audiolab is neatly made with little to criticise when it comes to solidity or fit and finish. The aluminium casework has been put together with care and is available in a choice of either silver or black.

The crisp OLED display on the front panel is handy for setting up, but it proves just a little too small to read comfortably from any kind of distance.

There is a choice of five digital filter options. The default ‘Linear (Slow)’ is a well-chosen starting point, but we ultimately settle on ‘Minimum (Slow)’ as the most natural-sounding choice in our systems.

As usual, the sonic differences between the various settings aren’t huge, and some of the others may match your taste and system better. There is no harm in experimenting.

You also get a remote control, which helps when this DAC is used in a full system context. It’s a simple, small plastic handset, but it is well-designed and easy to use.

Our test process includes a range of digital sources, including the Naim ND555/555 PS DR music streamer, a Cyrus CDi CD player and a MacBook Pro loaded with Audirvana music playing software and plenty of high-resolution files.

We also plug the D7 DAC into our reference system of Burmester 088/911 MkIII amplifier and ATC SCM50 speakers, as well as a more price-compatible set-up of Naim Nait XS3 integrated amplifier and KEF LS50 Meta speakers.

Sound

Audiolab tends to make sonically well-balanced products, and the D7 is no different. It has a broadly neutral and even-handed presentation that impresses for its clarity and detail resolution. It’s a clean and crisp sound without being over-etched. We love the sense of spaciousness the DAC imparts, so the music we play rarely sounds cluttered.

This kind of presentation works particularly well with dense classical music such as Tchaikovsky’s Marché Slave Op.31 or Gorecki’s Symphony No.3, where the Audiolab delivers a pleasingly large-scale and authoritative performance. There is good insight into the music and the ability to track low-level instrumental strands without losing the impact of the whole.

The D7 handles strong dynamic shifts with fluidity, though it doesn’t quite exhibit the verve and drama of its rival, the Award-winning Chord Mojo 2. Still, the Audiolab remains an interesting and entertaining alternative that holds our attention all the way through, thanks to its ability to capture the texture and tone of instruments so well.

This DAC sounds controlled and composed regardless of the music you play, which helps the listener relax, confident in the belief that the D7 won’t be wrong-footed by anything thrown at it.

You can add good stereo imaging to the list of plus points. The soundstaging is decently expansive, delivering more in the way of precision and focus than many of the alternatives that we have heard. The imaging stays admirably stable, too, even when the music becomes demanding.

As we work our way through the likes of Womack & Womack, Grinderman and Kid Cudi, it becomes clear that this Audiolab is a capable all-rounder. It delivers plenty of punch and power when the music demands, but also doesn’t ignore subtleties in the process. The distinctively gritty texture in Linda Womack’s voice comes through effortlessly on the song Love Wars, backed up by a pleasing sense of momentum.

The D7’s lows are pretty well defined and articulate with it. While the communication of rhythmic drive doesn’t match that of the aforementioned Chord Mojo 2, we’re still having fun.

We’ve mentioned the Award-winning Chord Mojo 2 a couple of times, and for good reason. It has long dominated this part of the DAC market, and it genuinely sounds great. Talented as the D7 is, we feel the Chord edges ahead in most sonic areas. But that isn’t the end of the story.

The Audiolab D7 has vastly better connectivity than the battery-powered Chord and is notably more flexible in use. It has Bluetooth, for example, which connects swiftly and works without issue, whereas the Mojo 2 is limited to physical inputs.

Also, the choice of balanced XLR and stereo RCA analogue outputs makes integrating the Audiolab into a conventional system far more straightforward than trying to find suitable cables to cope with the Chord’s 3.5mm output sockets. Most cable brands make such options, but you have to go looking for them.

Lastly, the D7 is far more straightforward to use, with logical and easy-to-understand controls. The Chord, on the other hand, still has us looking at its user manual to access some of its functionality, notably the clever but rather convoluted tone controls.

We’re pleased to note that the Audiolab works well as a digital preamp. It drives our Burmester 911 Mk III power amp well enough, given its price, and we see no reason why it can’t be the hub of a system built around a pair of price-appropriate active speakers. Acoustic Energy’s long-running AE1 Actives would be a great option, for instance.

Equally, the sound through its headphone output is consistent in character with that which we hear through its analogue outputs, be they balanced or not. We try Grado’s SR325x open-back headphones and enjoy the lovely yet refined sound produced.

Verdict

The Audiolab D7’s appealing blend of build, features and performance means that it deserves a place on the shortlist. Its performance is balanced and insightful, while the connectivity and build are as good as anything we’ve seen at this price.

If you are looking for a well-specified and talented outboard DAC at this level, it would be remiss if you didn’t consider this one seriously.

Review published: 9th December 2025

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 5
• Features 5

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Read our review of the Chord Mojo 2

Also consider the Cambridge DacMagic 200M

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We're counting down to the end of the Cyber Monday sales for another year, but there's still time to nab a bargain, especially if you're in the market for an entry-level amplifier at a great price.

You might be looking to build a budget system from scratch, or maybe you want to inject some new life into an older system. If so, we have a trio of amazing options, all of discounted to less than £500, plus a special entry right at the end.

All the models listed below have been tested by our crack team of reviewers, and they're all five-star models too, which means we can vouch for their sonic abilities.

Take a look and see what you think...

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This stylish, compact turntable system is ideal for modern vinyl fans – I would recommend it any day of the year

Black Friday quick links

• Amazon: browse all of today's best deals
• B&W speakers: save £200
• Bluetooth speaker: 38% off five-star JBL
• Bose QC Ultra Headphones: save over £100
• Bravia 8 TV: lowest-ever price on 55in Sony TV
• Denon AV receiver: save £600
• Dolby Atmos soundbar: down to £268
• ELAC Debut 2: five-star speakers now £179
• Headphones: Sennheiser Momentum 4 now £165
• LG C5 55-inch: lowest-ever price at Richer Sounds
• JBL soundbar: now better than half price
• John Lewis: £200 off LG and Sony OLED TVs
• Richer Sounds: browse Black Friday deals
• Sevenoaks: £150 off Award-winning speakers
• Sony headphones: now just £29
• Stereo amplifier: Cambridge Audio now £299
• TVs, movies, home cinema: browse the best deals
• Vinyl: 3 for £66 at Amazon
• Wireless earbuds: Award winners now £75

The Audiolab 6000A is a fine example of the adage "old but gold". We tested the mid-priced stereo amplifier back in 2018, rating it as one of Audiolab’s “most capable, confident and competitive efforts”.

The Silver model is currently retailing for £299 at Peter Tyson, a whopping £350 off its original retail price, while the Black version is £399, a solid £250 discount in its own right. If you've been hunting for great deals on integrated amplifiers, the 6000A could be a very fine place to start.

Audiolab released the MkII version of the 6000A earlier this year, but as we haven't yet reviewed the newer model, we feel more confident in recommending the older version at its terrific discount price.

The Audiolab 6000A is an excellent option for anyone after an upgrade or their first integrated amplifier. If you require pre or power amp configurations, however, it has these too, so whatever your requirements, you should be well covered by Audiolab's eminently able performer.

Deriving technology from the top of the range 8300A series, the Class A/B 50W amp is equipped with four digital inputs – two each for optical and coaxial – that are capable of playing hi-res files up to 24-bit/192kHz. Wireless connectivity is available via Bluetooth, while a responsive control dial or sleek remote control makes altering the amp’s output easy.

Sound wise, we found the 6000A’s presentation large and airy, with plenty of clarity and detail. It didn’t offer quite as much punch and grit, however, as the Rega Brio, but its clean, crisp presentation make it easy to recommend at this (reasonably) affordable level.

While the Black model is heavily discounted, the Silver version is where the real savings are. If you’re after a five-star mid-priced integrated stereo amplifier for your hi-fi set-up, this £299 deal at Peter Tyson could be just what you’re after.

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IAG owns some of the biggest hi-fi brands in the business, with the likes of Audiolab, Quad, Mission and Wharfedale all under its umbrella.

With design, engineering and virtually all manufacturing for all its brands under one roof, sustainability has been on IAG’s radar for some time now.

As part of What Hi-Fi?’s Sustainability Week, we spoke to Jamie O’Callaghan, the IAG Group’s Global Sales & Marketing Director, to hear how the company approaches the topic and evaluates how performance and cost fit into the equation.

“Long before the word ‘sustainability' was everywhere, we were already recycling sawdust into pellets for heating or repurposing into MDF, recycling water on-site, using solar power, and reusing cardboard and paper pulp for drivers and packaging,” says O’Callaghan.

And it continues in today’s manufacturing process. “We design them [products] so they can be repaired: modular parts, replaceable drivers, serviceable amps.

"We manufacture about 95 per cent of what goes into our products in-house. For the rest, we only source from suppliers who meet the strict standards (RoHS, REACH, etc).

"We’ve cut down on plastics in our packaging, and we recycle as much as possible on-site. Our lacquer and paint processes conform to extremely strict environmental regulations – far ahead of many current standards.

"In addition, we have a dedicated project management team working on material considerations – paints, materials, techniques that follow the demands for even less environmental impact and even higher levels of sustainability.”

At this point, it's probably worth remembering that the product turnover in the world of hi-fi isn’t as quick as in other consumer tech, such as smartphones, headphones, and TVs; there’s already a certain degree of sustainability built in.

“We believe sustainability starts with making products that actually last. If something is built well enough to be repaired and enjoyed for years – instead of being thrown away – that’s already a huge step.

"We still support some QUAD models that were released over 50 years ago. We keep spares, we have authorised service centres, and we’ve always believed a hi-fi system is something you maintain rather than discard.”

But does IAG think customers care about sustainability? “More than before, absolutely.

"We’ve had customers contact us asking if our speakers are vegan (which they are!) – ten years ago, it would have sounded odd, but now it’s a fair question. It shows people are thinking more consciously,” says O’Callaghan.

“That said, in hi-fi, sound quality and price are still the main drivers. Sustainability matters – but it’s rarely the number one reason someone buys an amplifier.

"What people do appreciate, though, is honesty. They can tell when a brand is actually making an effort versus just using marketing buzzwords.

"The biggest challenge is trying to balance sustainability with performance and price. In audio (and consumer electronics in general), the enthusiast community – audiophiles, reviewers, users – still expect things to sound exceptional and be affordable.”

And as O’Callaghan explains, what might be good for the environment might not necessarily be the right fit for a product, and even the eco-friendly options that look good on paper might have drawbacks.

“Eco-friendly materials don’t consistently deliver the performance our engineers require, or the cost-efficiency our customers expect. And the ones that do usually cost more – which then affects how competitive the product is.

"Sourcing components with a lower carbon footprint that still meet the quality benchmark is an ongoing challenge. And once costs rise, not all consumers or retailers are willing to absorb that, even if they support the idea of sustainability.”

It is a difficult balance to get right, though, especially in the affordable areas of the market where you’ll find most consumers.

As O’Callaghan puts it, “The inescapable fact is that most people like the idea of super-eco-friendly products and materials, but there is a ceiling as to how much of a premium they are willing to pay.”

Building more sustainable products isn’t as simple as swapping out materials. There are the cost implications on final prices and also knock-on effects on quality and performance.

O’Callaghan explains, “We’re working towards standards where plant-based plastics and bio-resins can be used as alternatives to ABS, recycled wood fibre board can replace traditional MDF and so on. These materials meet the 'sustainability box' but in practice, they often fail during real-world testing – from cabinet resonance and acoustic stability, through to finishing and long-term durability.

Some materials we’ve looked at are fantastic but incredibly expensive, can’t be finished beyond ‘natural colours’, and are extremely difficult to work into forms familiar for loudspeakers.”

When you start to think about adding a new technology there are complex sums to work through, and that, according to O’Callaghan, “isn’t simply a matter of adding X amount to the cost of a loudspeaker.

"It involves detailed calculations of man-hours for engineering work (investigation, testing, modelling, sampling) and that’s before considering production techniques, machinery, tooling, etc.

"The cost chain is long, and the timeline is similarly affected. The work continues, but it’s a process of incremental R&D and concept, not just a quick swap-in.”

Alternative materials can be challenging to machine and achieve a consistent finish and there’s the cost element, plus the question of just how ‘green’ they actually are.

“Carbon fibre is acoustically excellent; stone or mineral composites are extremely inert; and recycled PETs clearly offer environmental benefits.

"However, these materials often cost significantly more than MDF or ABS. And in some cases, their CO₂ footprint during large-scale production is significant – the end product may appear ‘green’, but the production process is less so.”

O’Callaghan uses the five-star, Award-winning Mission 770 stereo speakers as an example of how adding eco-friendly tech could affect pricing. The speakers already use packaging and MDF from recycled materials, a PFAS-free lacquer finish on real-wood veneers (as opposed to vinyl or synthetic materials) and water-based acoustic damping glue.

“If we were to substitute our materials for carbon fibre, 3D printed bio-resins and bring in stone-based composite boards, for example, the 770 would be marginally more ‘sustainable’ as an end product, but significantly more expensive to produce and therefore – as a rough estimate – five times more expensive to the end customer. More Sustainable? Perhaps, yes. Viable for dealers and consumers? Not at all.”

So what does the future hold for IAG and its approach to sustainability?

Could it become carbon neutral? “That is the long-term goal, but we want to be realistic and responsible about it.

"First, we’re mapping out our emissions properly so we actually know where we stand. Then we reduce what we can. Only after that does offsetting make sense,” says O’Callaghan.

Besides working on a public product sustainability policy to show greater transparency, O’Callaghan has good news for fans of IAG brands on the product front.

“We’re exploring new materials for future ranges. One project that Peter Comeau (Director of Acoustic Design) and his team are working on for 2026 is especially exciting, and takes this thinking to a whole new level.

"Our industrial design team is already eliminating materials, processes and design habits that don’t comply with a logical sustainability mindset. Watch this space!”

MORE:

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If you're looking for a budget music streamer to add to your hi-fi system, it's quite likely that you will be considering one of WiiM's fine models, such as the superb Pro Plus. But I've spotted an even cheaper option.

You can now get the Audiolab 6000N Play streamer for the ridiculously low price of just £199 at Peter Tyson. That's even cheaper than the £219 you'll pay for the current five-star and Award-winning WiiM Pro Plus.

We reviewed the Audiolab 6000N Play in 2020 when it cost £449, but the price has dropped to £249 in recent years. Right now, however, you can get an additional £50 off if you sign up to Peter Tyson's VIP club – and it's free to join with no hidden charges.

£199 is dirt-cheap for any hi-res music streamer, especially one with Audiolab's pedigree. While it's an older model and may not have all the bells and whistles of newer units, its core network music streaming credentials remain solid.

The 6000N Play is superb value for this ultra-budget deal price. Whether you're looking to modernise an old hi-fi system with network streaming capabilities or simply have a strict budget, this is a fine option at a great price.

With its screenless front, the Audiolab 6000N Play is an unassuming piece of kit, but inside lies Audiolab's hi-fi expertise coupled DTS’s Play-Fi hi-res, multi-room streaming platform.

You have an array of streaming services at your fingertips, including Spotify Connect, Tidal, Amazon Music, Qobuz, TuneIn internet radio and more. As an older product, it may not have support for newer features such as Qobuz Connect and Tidal Connect, but it has the basics covered nicely.

The Audiolab at its core is a network player with DLNA and UPnP compatibility, meaning it can play hi-res music files up to 24-bit/192kHz from a networked server or music library stored on a hard drive.

The unit is controlled via the third-party DTS Play-Fi app, which we found to be relatively fuss-free and simple to use in our testing for all the basic controls, even if it's perhaps not as slick and sophisticated as newer options from WiiM or BluOS.

The Audiolab has a couple of nice features at your disposal too, such as the ability to assign up to six custom presets so you can hit a button and be taken straight to the source of your choosing, whether that’s a streaming service or your favourite internet radio station.

We were “agreeably entertained” during testing, calling the 6000N Play an “insightful and involving listen” and an “affordable way to implement streaming into your system without compromising sonic quality”. Pricier (and newer) streamers such as the Bluesound Node (2024) and Cambridge Audio MXN10 will offer greater punch and dynamic subtlety, but the 6000N Play counters with a clarity, openness and a down-the-middle tonal balance that remains a pleasing listen.

Being able to snag a former Award-winner that is still ongoing for this super-low £199 deal price is unheard of. So if you've been in the market for a network music streamer that suits your needs and tight budget, don't miss out on this fantastic Audiolab deal.

MORE:

Read our original Audiolab 6000N Play review

Here's our pick of the best music streamers you can buy right now

The one thing you should check before buying second-hand hi-fi

Munich has said goodbye to the High End show with a hearty wave and one hell of a bang, as Europe's biggest hi-fi show moves to Vienna next year.

High End Munich 2025 is the annual showcase of biggest launches from the heaviest hitters in the hi-fi industry, and this year continued that trend with a raft of audio products to get mouths watering and wallets sweating nervously.

Living up to its name, many of the new hi-fi products we saw at this year's showcase have been appropriately 'high end' in price, with five- and six-figure price tags being the norm rather than the exception in the sprawling halls. However, there were a handful of products available at real-world money that we're just as much excited about as the big, shiny, flagship products with the wow factor.

The What Hi-Fi? team spent a whirlwind couple of days at the last High End Munich 2025, and below are the biggest launches and most exciting hi-fi products we encountered. From giant subwoofers and transparent turntables to elegant floorstanders and a surprise reveal from a 40+ year brand... these are our pick of the best from Munich 2025.

Burmester Reference Line

We'll start off with one of the more wallet-busting new launches we saw at High End, and perhaps one of the most minimalist yet striking looking designs.

Burmester unveiled a brand new range of Reference Line products, comprising the 257 turntable, the 249 preamplifier and the 259 stereo power amplifier.

Which one do you fancy? If you need a turntable, the 257 boasts an inverted magnetic main bearing, two high-torque motors and an optical sensor system for outstanding rotational accuracy.

Or, you could splash out on the mighty 259 power amplifier: it has a claimed power output of 500 watts into a four-ohm load, which rises to 1500 watt when used as a monoblock. And the 249 preamp is modular, with the option to add streaming, phono and extra analogue inputs

Whatever you pick, you won't get one for cheap. While we don't have official prices just yet, we do know that the entire set is likely to cost you roughly €300,000, so we're dealing in very high end territory here.

Cyrus 80 Series

It was a surprise to see a Cyrus product in full-width form. We're so used to see the British brand's hi-fi separates in the half-width 'shoebox' chassis since its inception, but that's all about to change with the upcoming 80 Series. Cyrus' first full-width hi-fi range consists of the 80 AMP streaming amplifier, the 80 PRE preamplifier and the 80 PWR power amplifier – and we got a first look at the new design in Munich.

While they're all full-width, the new 80 Series borrows the same modernised and smart-looking design that we've admired in the 40 Series, with the anodised aluminium build and touchscreen display screen.

We're particularly excited by the prospect of the 80 AMP (pictured above), which has BluOS streaming platform at its heart and features 150W per channel of Class A/B amplification. For keeping you connected to your music, it's also equipped with support for Tidal, Qobuz and Spotify, and has an MM/MC phono stage inside.

If the 80 Series can match the 40 Series line in terms of five-star performance, exciting times could lay ahead for Cyrus. The 80 Series will officially launch in November.

Gryphon Audio Antileon Revelation

It hasn't been long since we had the five-star Gryphon Audio Diablo 333 integrated amplifier in our test rooms, which impressed us with a staggering 333 watts of power per channel. Now that is a spectacular amplifier.

At High End Munich, we saw the unveiling of a new Gryphon amplifier to fill the hole left by the Diablo 333. Designed to celebrate the 30th anniversary of its Antileon Series and the 40th year of the company as a whole, the new Antileon Revelation power amplifier is available in both stereo and mono versions, delivering 160 and 180 watts per channel of Class A power respectively.

If that wasn't enough, two custom-wound 1500VA toroidal transformers are fitted to each 90kg enclosure, while a third independent power supply takes care of the dedicated digital control circuitry.

And the price? It's cost you a cool €38,000 / $45,500 / AU$64,995 when it's available later this year.

JBL Summit Series

Considering how many rugged Bluetooth speakers they make and the popularity of these portables, it's easy to forget that JBL has a serious history in the world of high-end hi-fi.

The JBL Summit Series of loudspeakers are certainly talking a good game. There are three new additions unveiled at the show, and we like the way these large speakers look, especially when fitted out with a rich ebony veneer with gold accents. The trio are named after Himalayan mountains: the Makalu, the Pumori and the Ama. They join the extraordinarily large Everest and five-star K2 speakers in the flagship range.

The Makalu and the Pumori are the floorstanders of the family, whereas the Ama are the ones to go for if you want standmounts in your life. We had the chance to hear what the Makalu were capable of, albeit in a less-than-ideal trade show setting, and they certainly seemed to be comfortable pumping out some rather rowdy German rock/techno fusion to a room of eager punters and journalists.

Prices range from £15,000 / $20,000 to £37,000 / $45,000, so you might have a small mountain to climb in terms of paying for them.

Fyne Audio F704SP

We've been immensely impressed with the speakers Fyne Audio has been producing in their short lifespan. We think the flagship F1-8 speakers are fantastic; and more recently, the Fyne Audio F501E bowled us over as excellent 'economy' speakers at their £1000 price point.

The new F704SP ('SP' stands for 'Special Production') are a more high-end proposition. Joining the F701SP, F702SP and F703SP models, the F704SP is positioned as the lead model in Fyne's latest F700SP range of speakers, and priced at £20,000 / $26,000 / €24,000, they're easily at home within the high-end halls of the MOC Event Center Messe München.

Aiming to replicate the experience of live music in your home, the F704SP use a 30cm IsoFlare driver which combines a 30cm multi-fibre bass/midrange cone with a 75mm titanium dome tweeter, plus a 30cm multi-fibre bass driver.

When combined with an upgraded crossover, more premium components, high-density birchwood cabinets and downward-firing port harnessing Fyne's 'BassTrax' diffuser system, they're an alluring prospect on paper.

We can't wait to hear them again.

Audiolab D7

We were super-keen to see Audiolab's latest additions to its stable of standalone DACs, the D7 and D9, as these models are set to follow in the footsteps of the original M-DAC, a five-star, multiple Award-winner that we still hold dear in our memories.

What surprised us was just how compact the Audiolab D7 DAC/headphone amp/preamp was in person, and we can see it easily fitting into many desktop surfaces – especially for laptop and headphone users who might be short on space.

It has a welcomingly petite footprint compared to the larger (and pricier) D9, the latter sporting a display screen and more advanced technology, circuitry and connectivity.

But the D9 has plenty going for it in its compact form. It uses the same ESS 32-bit DAC as the 7000A and 6000A MkII integrated amplifiers, supports up to 32-bit/768kHz PCM and DSD512 high-resolution files, and is Roon Tested.

There are multiple analogue and digital outputs crammed into the rear panel, including balanced XLR outputs and USB type B and type A ports.

Priced at £449 / AU$999 (around $600), it goes up against strong desktop-friendly rivals such as the Chord Mojo 2 and Cambridge Audio DacMagic200M.

Mark Levinson 600 Series

Mark Levinson's 600 Series of amplifiers consists of three models, the No. 626 dual-mono preamplifier, the No. 632 stereo power amplifier and the No. 631 monoblock. We've seen them in the flesh and, while we've not heard them hooked up to an actual system, they certainly look the business, especially the No. 631 mini-tower with brooding red vertical lights.

The amplifiers use Class A/B amplification, boast multiple analogue and digital connections, and are built on Mark Levinson’s proprietary Pure Path circuit philosophy that aims to deliver "uncompromising musical purity and an engaging listening experience" thanks to discrete components chosen for specific, precise functions.

Prices range from around 24,000 / €28,000 / $25,000 to £38,000 / €44,000 / $40,000, and we are seriously impressed with the build quality and aesthetic which blends an anodised aluminium chassis with silver controls and glass panels atop each unit.

Very much a 'If Batman had a sound system' kind of affair.

Dali V-16 F

It's always exciting to see what Danish brand Dali is up to. High End Munich 2025 was a relatively busy one for Dali, heralding the arrival of a swathe of new colourways for its IO-8 and IO-12 headphones as well as its flagship Kore loudspeakers, and, as we have here, a brand new subwoofer.

The Dali V-16 F is a big boy. At 53kg, it's something of a beast, employing a wide-band, low-loss design with low harmonic and non-harmonic distortion, with Dali promising that the V-16 F has plenty of precision to go with all of that power.

With 2500 watts of Class D power, the V-16 F is billed as Dali's "most powerful subwoofer yet". The new sub's 40.5cm driver is the main attraction, incorporating aluminium for the driver diaphragm for a rigid yet lightweight design.

It goes on sale in July for a whopping price tag of £4499 (around $6000 / AU$9000).

Audio-Technica AT-LPA2

Audio-Technica has a new premium turntable, and its name is the AT-LPA2. We're always excited to see a brand record player, especially from such an established brand, and it's sweetened even furtherer by the fact that it's a completely see-through design!

Based on a limited edition AT-LP2022 that commemorated the Japanese company's 60th anniversary, the AT-LPA2 features a belt-drive design, a carbon-fibre tonearm, and comes fitted with the brand's AT-OC9XEN dual moving coil cartridge. The transparent effect is thanks to the clear acrylic chassis and platter; a separate power supply is also included.

Audio-Technica was only offering listening demos through headphones at the show, so we'll have to wait until we get a sample in our test rooms to really hear what this new spinner can do.

Want one? The AT-LPA2 is available now, for £1699 / €1999.

Eversolo Play (+CD Edition)

Now here's something a little bit different. We've been dealing in what's generally been reasonably high-end gear, especially from the likes of Burmester and Gryphon, but as ever, High End Munich also attracts emerging brands targeting more budget tranches of the market, such as WiiM and Eversolo.

The new Eversolo Play is a versatile streaming amplifier that aims to offer a seemingly-endless list of functionality to rival most hi-fi brands, and for less money. The compact form houses a Class D amplifier, and AK4493 DAC chip and Eversolo's excellent streaming platform and interface, complete with support for hi-res audio, UPnP, Tidal Connect, Qobuz, Amazon Music and more.

Physical connections are impressive too, and include HDMI ARC plus optical and coaxial inputs, a sub out and a phono input. There's even a 5.5-inch touchscreen; when seeing it at the show, it seemed just as clear, responsive and delightfully packed as the Eversolo DMP-A6 music streamer that we liked using so much.

More excitingly for physical music fans, there is a CD Edition that includes a CD drive that pops out from the side.

We think that one might be rather popular, especially considering the prices. It's €699 (around £600 / $790 / AU$1200) for the standard version and €799 (around £680 / $900 / AU$1400) for the CD Edition.

Chord Electronics Ultima Phonostage

And finally, here is a product that we don't know too much about, but it makes up for it with abundance of overt styling.

Chord Electronics took the lid of the Ultima Phonostage, the new flagship phono preamplifier in its flashing Reference Ultima range.

It has a dual mono design and features the brand's Ultima technology; we've rather liked the UItima integrated and Ultima Pre 3/Ultima 6 amps, so we already have high expectations.

It supports MM and MC cartridges and you can configure the analogue inputs independently to work with up to three turntables or three tonearms.

The visual blueprint Chord's 'spaceship' aesthetic, complete with a glowing LED orb in the middle – but we were mesmerised by the two VU meters that were going full tilt during the demo.

The Ultima Phonostage will launch later this year, but we're told that the price will be around £18,000. Phew.

MORE:

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Today marks Day 2 of the High End Munich show!

It's the last time Europe's biggest hi-fi trade show takes place in Munich (the show moves to Vienna next year), and it's going out with a splash. There are over 500 exhibitors and 1000 brands showcasing the latest and greatest audio products throughout the week. The show started on Thursday, 15th May and ends on Sunday 18th.

The What Hi-Fi? team are on the ground at the MOC Event Center Messe München to bring you all the latest hi-fi news and launches, while raising a stein (or two!) to the venue's last hurrah.

We've already seen multiple launches from some of the biggest hi-fi brands out there, including high-end amplifiers from Mark Levinson, Audiolab's new DACs, a high-end streamer from dCS, a new phono stage from Chord Electronics, and a special Charlie Brown turntable from Pro-Ject. Scroll down for all the key news and highlights.

We'll be bringing you exclusive product news, hands-on images, first impressions and more insights from the event, so keep an eye on the website, our Instagram and Facebook channels for exclusive photos and videos from the show floor.

High End Munich 2025: latest news

Latest news and what to expect

Audiolab
Audiolab has started things off with a bang, announcing two new standalone DACs – the D7 (£499) and pricier D9 (£1099) – that are descendants of the much-loved, well-regarded Audiolab M-DAC. The D7 (pictured above) and D9 are packed with new technologies and features.
Read the full Audiolab D7 and D9 story

Audiovector
The Danish speaker company will be demoing its new flagship R10 Arreté floorstanders, which cost a cool £127,5000 / $165,000 / €147,500 per pair. We've already had a first look and listen to these new floorstanders, and you'll get a chance to hear them yourselves at the show.
I listened to Audiovector's flagship floorstanders, and they're an incredibly fun way to spend a small fortune

Auralic
Auralic will be unveiling its new Aquila X3 streaming media processor at Munich, which promises "a cutting-edge feature set and true modular design, offering users unmatched flexibility and upgradability." The X3 will be on demo to showcase Auralic's LightningCast technology that is said to be "revolutionising high-resolution streaming".

Audio-Technica
There's a new flagship turntable in town. Audio-Technica has launched the AT-LPA2 (pictured above), with chassis and platter made of clear acrylic to achieve that striking transparent look. It comes fitted with the AT-OC9XEN dual moving coil cartridge, has a separate power supply unit, and is yours for £1699 / €1999.
Read the Audio-Technica LPA2 story

Advance Paris
The French brand will be launching a number of new products at the show, details of which are under wraps for now. But if you like the look of the beefy A12 Classic integrated with VU meters, keep an eye out for its new releases.

Astell & Kern
A&K has a brand new flagship portable music player – the A&ultima SP4000 – which is packed with more ways of playing high-resolution music than you would think was possible from a portable device. We don't have official pricing yet, but the previous five-star SP3000 flagship cost £3799 / $3699 / AU$5499, so expect a similarly lofty price.

Burmester
Not content with one product launch at High End Munich, Burmester has refreshed its entire Reference line of products. This sees the arrival of the 257 turntable, 249 preamplifier and 259 stereo power amplifier, which are all brand new designs and share nothing from their predecessors.
Read the Burmester story

Chord Electronics
Chord teased a new flagship product for its Ultima Reference range, and we now know it's the company's flagship Ultima Phonostage (pictured above). We don't have a price at this stage, but it was on display at Munich High End together with some initial specifications.
Read the Chord Ultima Phonostage story

Cyrus Audio
Cyrus has dropped some huge news at High End 2025 with the launch of its first-ever full-width products. The new 80 Series features casework which, according to Cyrus, is simply an extension of that used for its 40 Series. Besides giving its rengineers more room to work in, the new chassis also allows the company to accommodate its external power supply (the 40PSU) in 80 Series products.
Read the Cyrus Audio story

Dali
Dali has brought the bass to High End 2025 with the V-15F, its most powerful subwoofer yet. Weighing over 50kg, it's a bit of a beast with a huge 16-inch driver and no fewer than four continuous flare reflex ports. A serious speaker for stereo and AV use.
Read the Dali V-15F story

dCS
The new Lina DAC X music streamer launched earlier this month and we hope to have a peek of the new £13,500 / $15,500 player at the show. We were impressed with the Lina DAC (five stars), so have high hopes for this evolved step up.
Read the dCS Lina DAC X story

Electrocompaniet
Electrocompaniet will be launching a new product called the EC 5.0, a fully analogue preamplifier, at the show on Friday 16th May.

Elipson
The French brand will be showing off three very different speakers at High End Munich. First up are the eye-catching, globular Planet L Performance speakers, which will be on demo. Also on show are a new version of the Prestige Facet II bookshelf speakers and an updated Legacy range of speakers.

Eversolo
The Eversolo Play streaming amplifier is a new product from the brand that we're keen to see first-hand. It combines extensive streaming features with a Class D amplifier in its compact box, yours for €699. There's also a version with a CD player built-in for €799 – that's a potent combination of talents for a modern do-it-all system!
Read the full Eversolo Play story

Fyne Audio
A new addition to its F700SP line-up will be unveiled at Munich. The F704SP gets the 'Special Production" treatment, with IsoFlare driver technology and innovations drawn from the brand's flagship F1 Series. Price? £20,000 / $26,000 / €24,000 per pair.
Read the Fyne F704SP story

Genelec
Finnish audio brand Genelec will have its mammoth five-way 8381A speakers on demo at the show in a piano black finish. Alongside that are smaller Genelec The One three-way bookshelf speakers that come in a variety of colourful finishes.

Gryphon Audio
2025 marks the 30th year of Gryphon's Antileon Series power amplifier and at High End Munich 2025 the company has launched its fifth-generation version: Antileon Revelation. As with all Gryphon power amps, both stereo and mono versions are available, delivering 160 and 180 watts per channel (RMS) of Class A power, respectively.

Read the Gryphon Audio story

IsoAcoustics
Known for its isolation products, IsoAcoustics will be showcasing two new product ranges: the GAIA Neo and GAIA Titan Neo acoustic isolation feet. Designed to be more user-friendly and flexible than before, thanks to height adjustment and simplified installation.

iFi Audio
iFi has launched the UP Travel Bluetooth DAC – a compact transmitter and receiver that offers hi-res Bluetooth from in-car audio and in-flight entertainment systems to your devices, removing the need for cables and adapters. A 3.5mm connector, 10-hour battery and support for aptX Adaptive and LDAC codecs.

JBL
JBL's flagship, high-end Summit series of loudspeakers has gained three new models, all named after mountains. Joining the giant Everest and K2 models are the smaller-but-still-quite-large Makalu and Pumori floorstanders and Ama standmounter. They start at £14,998 / $19,995 per pair. Ambitious. Read the JBL Summit speakers story

Klipsch
The American speaker brand will have one of its latest flagship horn speakers – the La Scala AL6 – on demo throughout the show, alongside its Klipsch Ojas collaboration speakers. Over at the Motorworld hotel next door, Klipsch's Flexus 300 (the first ever soundbar with Dirac Live) and Reference Premiere speakers will be on show.
Read the Klipschorn AK7 & La Scala AL6 story

Luxman
Celebrating a monumental 100 years, high-end Japanese brand Luxman has launched the P-100 Centennial headphone amplifier and E-07 phono preamp, both of which we expect will be on show.
Read the Luxman Centennial story

Mark Levinson
Mark Levinson has unveiled a whole new range of high-end amplifiers. Its 600 series comprises the No. 626 preamplifier, No. 632 two-channel power amplifier and No. 631 monoblock tower. With prices starting at £24,000 / €28,000 / $25,000 for the No. 626 this is a trio made for serious hi-fi systems.
Read the Mark Levinson 600 series story

Meze Audio
Meze Audio will be showcasing its open-back POET headphones at the show, which launched earlier this year at £1850 / $2000 / €2000. Also making their debut at the show are the new open-back 105 Silva – official price and launch later in the year.
Read the Meze 105 Silva story

Musical Fidelity
We first saw Musical Fidelity's new midrange B1 series of hi-fi separates at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show earlier this year. The B1 xi integrated amplifier and B1c CD player are both on display at Munich, too.
Read the Musical Fidelity B1 range story

NAD
NAD has taken the wraps off two new amps for its Master Series range: the M33 V2 BluOS Streaming Amplifier (£4999 / $5999) and M23 V2 Stereo Power Amplifier (£3499 / $3999).
Read the NAD story

Nagaoka
The Japanese cartridge brand is celebrating its 85th anniversary with a brand new flagship cartridge. The Nagaoka MP-700 promises "exceptional detail retrieval from vinyl grooves" and is yours for £1149 / $1399.
Read the Nagaoka MP-700 story

Onkyo
We're excited to see Onkyo's Icon series at the show, which marks the brand's return to hi-fi after many years of absence. The Icon includes a streaming integrated amplifier, a network preamplifier and a power amplifier, and they certainly look smart from the pictures we've seen so far.

PMC
PMC has confirmed that it will be demoing its new Prophecy range of speakers, which includes one pair of standmounters, three pairs of floorstanders and a centre speaker, with prices ranging from £2275 / €2775 to £8975 / €10,945.

Pro-Ject
Pro-Ject has unveiled a Peanuts-themed record player – to coincide with comic strip's 75th anniversary – and Charlie Brown's round head on the platter just looks adorable. Previous years saw the launch of the ultra-cool Metallica turntable, the beautiful Pink Floyd one, and the lovely Yellow Submarine deck.
Read the Pro-Ject Peanuts record player story

Qobuz
Finally, the long-awaited Qobuz Connect feature has launched at High End 2025. In line with Tidal Connect and Spotify Connect, Qobuz's version will hopefully bring a more seamless streaming experience to your hi-fi system and a simpler way of controlling your Qobuz music library across devices.
Read the Qobuz Connect story

Sennheiser
Head to the Sennheiser booth and try out its "immersive mirror box", which offers a short "multi-sensory light and sound experience, followed by visual snippets with behind-the-scenes insights." We're excited to find out what this experience entails.

T+A
A new streaming integrated amplifier called Symphonia will be on demo, paired with the Talis S 330 floorstanding speakers. Visitors will also get their first look at a new E Series receiver concept running the latest T+A OS user interface – both are currently in development.

TAD
The high-end Japanese brand will be showcasing its ultra high-end TAD-ME1TX standmount speakers, which boast "meticulous engineering and superior materials", with the price tag starting at a wallet-busting £17,500 / $18,200 / €17,300 per pair.

Technics
While we don't have any indication that Technics will be unveiling something brand new at the show, the legendary Japanese brand is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, so expect to see their latest launches – SL-1300G turntable and EAH-AZ100 wireless earbuds (both five stars) – on display.

Wharfedale
We've seen a new range of speakers from Wharfedale at High End 2025. Evo 5 replaces the well-received Evo 4 line and boasts five different models with updated cabinets, drivers and crossovers and new damping technology. Prices start at £549 / €699 / AU$1249.
Read the Wharfedale Evo 5 story

WiiM
WiiM had a big High End Munich last year, launching the WiiM Ultra (five stars) and WiiM Amp Pro (currently being tested). Munich 2025 will be similarly significant thanks to the launch two new product types: the HomePod-looking WiiM Sound smart speaker and the WiiM Sub Pro subwoofer. We're also excited to see the new WiiM Amp Ultra streaming amplifier (pictured above), which combines the Ultra's touchscreen display unit with 100W of amplification, along with plenty of streaming features and connectivity.
Read the WiiM Sound story
Read the WiiM Amp Ultra story

You can see the full list of brands exhibiting this year.

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Revisit the highlights from last year's High End Munich 2024

8 tracks we've been using to test in the What Hi-Fi? listening rooms this month

The rise of small, complete hi-fi systems that are more accessible for newcomers is a great direction for the industry

The best music streamers across all budgets

The original Audiolab M-DAC launched back in 2011, and soon picked up a slew of What Hi-Fi? Awards and remains fondly remembered by the review team. It was followed by the M-DAC+ in 2016, which also earned five stars. And now Audiolab has launched two new DACs that are direct descendants of the OG M-DAC: meet the D7 and D9.

Hailed as the next generation of Audiolab standalone DACs, they are said to build upon the same blueprint as the M-DAC, but honed over several generations of technical development.

Excited? We certainly are.

D7: a compact DAC with plenty to like

The Audiolab D7 is the cheaper of the two. It's a fair bit smaller than the D9, but combines DAC, preamplifier and headphone amp functionality.

It is built around the ES9038Q2M – the same 32-bit Sabre DAC chip also found in Audiolab’s 7000A and 6000A MkII integrated amplifiers. Audiolab has been using ESS Technology's chips since the original M-DAC, and claims to have more experience of implementing these tricky-to-incorporate components than any other manufacturer.

Audiolab claims its proprietary circuitry makes the most of ESS Technology’s HyperStream II architecture and Time Domain Jitter Eliminator, resulting in ultra-low noise and a high dynamic range. Audiolab also uses its own clock and power supply circuitry, alongside a Class A post-DAC active filter.

In terms of hi-res audio, the D7 can handle PCM files up to 32-bit/768kHz and up to DSD512 over USB. It's compatible with MQA and is certified as Roon Tested.

You can connect PCs, Macs and other devices using the USB Type B ports, and USB drives using the USB Type A. You also get four digital inputs – two optical and two coaxial – and Bluetooth with support for the aptX HD codec.

You can upsample digital audio data to 352.8kHz or 384kHz, and there are five DAC reconstruction filter settings so you can adjust the sound to suit the source material. Given the downright iffy quality of some digital files, that could be a very useful feature.

Outputs include analogue (balanced XLR and single-ended RCA) and digital (optical and coaxial). And there's a 6.35mm socket for plugging in wired headphones.

The D7 should fit seamlessly into your setup thanks to the option of fixed or variable modes with the analogue outputs. The fixed mode connects to integrated amplifiers and preamps with those partner devices controlling the volume, while the variable mode uses the D7's volume control through a power amp or powered speakers.

Of course, Audiolab is keen to stress the D7's sound quality, which we can't vouch for until we have tested it. But the physical layout of the device's circuitry should protect the audio signal from interference, accompanied by low-noise power supplies for all critical stages fed by an offboard PSU.

It certainly sounds like a lot of DAC for £449 / AU$999 (around $600).

D9: bigger, bolder, better

The Audiolab D9 has a lot in common with Audiolab's flagship 9000 Series hi-fi components, with a more premium build quality, features and sound performance than the D7.

It's very similar to the Award-winning Audiolab 9000N music streamer, but with Bluetooth in place of the network streaming functionality.

It is powered by ESS Technology's high-end ES9038PRO chip, which incorporates eight channels (up from the D7's two). Audiolab claims this further eliminates noise and distortion, and combined with its proprietary circuitry, master clock and Class A post-DAC filter, delivers "remarkable sonic clarity and breathtaking dynamics".

It has the same hi-res chops as the D7, playing all manner of formats, including FLAC, ALAC, AIFF, APE and WAV, as well as compressed legacy formats. It also shares other features of the D7, including MQA decoding, upsampling and Roon Tested certification.

Its circuitry is "significantly elevated", according to Audiolab, with its post-DAC analogue section including top-grade components and differential balanced architecture for a purer signal. There is also an ultra-low-noise toroidal transformer for consistent, clean power.

Audiolab has used its extensive experience working with ESS's chips to employ multiple discrete ultra-low-noise regulators to provide power separately to the left and right channels for each stage of the digital-to-analogue conversion process.

And it has the same connections as the D7, as well as an additional AES3/EBU digital input. Its Bluetooth also supports Sony's LDAC codec.

Inside is the same headphone-amplifier circuitry as in the D7, which Audiolab claims delivers a "spacious, detailed and dynamic performance" with even more challenging headphones, including both dynamic and planar.

The Audiolab D9 costs £1099 / AU$2299 (around $1460).

Both new DACs will be on show at High End Munich 2025 in a couple of weeks. Stay tuned for our reviews in due course.

MORE:

Read our Audiolab M-DAC review

And our Audiolab M-DAC+ review

Check out the best DACs around

There’s a common misconception that music streamers are simply about the qualities of their digital chipsets alone. That is, the computer-like streaming module that pulls digital music data from the cloud (from Tidal’s server, say) and packages it into a smooth constant data stream, and the digital-to-analogue converter (DAC) that then turns that data stream into an analogue waveform the rest of your hi-fi system can understand.

It somewhat stems from the broader fallacy that digital audio’s inherent ‘ones and zeros’ makeup means that there can be limited differentiation in their delivery.

But as eloquently illustrated by Cambridge Audio, such chips are comparable to how an orchestra performs: “If the conductor isn’t very good, the orchestra won’t perform as well as they can. However, if the conductor is surrounded by poor musicians or the wrong instruments, again the performance won’t be as good as it could be.”

Indeed, while chipsets do matter, and it is true that all streamers perform one stage of the process with parity (which we’ll get to), their audio performance is predominantly down to how the chips are implemented.

As Paul Neville from Harman International told us, “Engineering a high-quality music streamer requires a holistic approach to the signal path, from the network input to the final analogue output.”

So what exactly matters in music streamer design? Here’s what experts over at Audiolab, Cambridge Audio, Chord Electronics, Cyrus, dCS, Fell Audio, WiiM, Lenbrook (NAD, Bluesound) and Harman International (Arcam, Mark Levinson) had to say about what makes streamers truly sing…

Chips do matter

The streaming module is a crucial music streamer component. It communicates with the source to get your music before packaging it up in a digital language the DAC chip can understand. Up until this point, the digital audio data is more or less handled as it would be had it come from a CD transport.

As dCS’s James Cook tells us, this first process performed by the streaming module guarantees bit-perfect data from a lossless source.

“This means two comparable streamers that support the same version of a streaming service will output an identical data stream,” he says. “This holds true largely regardless of network conditions, the equipment upstream of the network streamer, and to a degree the streamer itself.”

That’s the parity – and to some extent why some people believe that music streamers (those that are DAC-less, anyway) should all sound the same.

What about your home network conditions; does that affect the obtaining of networked music?

“While network stability is important, the reality is that most modern connections, whether wi-fi or wired, offer ample bandwidth for even the highest-resolution audio,” says Cambridge Audio’s engineering team.

“Streaming 4K video with multi-channel audio is a far greater data demand than high-resolution audio. If your network can handle that, it can almost certainly handle your music.”

How the data stream is rendered before the digital-to-analogue conversion stage, however, does make a difference. “The way a streamer unpacks and processes a digital file has already shaped the final sound,” says Fell Audio’s Luke Tyson.

“Its handling and transmission of ones and zeroes within the [circuit] board affect timing, accuracy and ultimately musicality; garbage in, garbage out!”

Tyson says that in this world of increasingly affordable music streamers, “it’s easy to assume that a great music streamer is simply defined by the DAC chipset or streaming module it uses”.

The quality of the streaming and DAC chips themselves does matter – specifically in the case of the latter.

“The first step is selecting the right chip,” says Harman International’s Neville, while Cambridge Audio and Audiolab also stress the importance of using a good-quality DAC chip. But achieving good performance goes far beyond picking expensive chipsets.

“Often you see ‘insert latest DAC name here’ as a marketing bullet point as if just having it in that product guarantees a good sound,” says Cyrus’s Nick Clarke.

But as Audiolab and Cambridge Audio reiterate, the truth is that just as crucial is how it is implemented within and complemented by the surrounding components and circuitry. And often, Clarke continues, “As the performance and functionality of these devices [chips] increase, the scope for not handling them correctly also increases.”

Negating the noise

Several design factors need careful consideration in order to prevent a plague affecting all hi-fi: noise. “Even the best DACs and processors won’t perform optimally if the power supply is noisy or the circuit design introduces unwanted electrical interference,” says WiiM’s Dr. Lifeng Zhao.

Let’s take the power supply. Ideally you want separate supplies feeding the digital (DAC) and analogue (post-DAC) stages with, as Audiolab’s Jan Ertner describes, “clean, consistent power”.

Ertner says that the DAC’s supply in Audiolab’s flagship 9000N (our current Product of the Year streamer) having multiple discrete ultra-low-noise regulators providing power separately to the left and right channels for each conversion stage is a “vital contributor” to its performance.

As an aside, Neville at Harman believes that linear power supplies are preferable to the smaller and arguably more efficient switch-mode supplies here, as they produce less noise and provide “cleaner and more stable power for optimal sound quality”.

As he rightly points out, you need these separate analogue and digital supplies to be isolated from one another, too. And ‘away’ from sensitive circuitry, full stop.

But you can go one better than that. Chord Electronics’ Matt Bartlett says that using a streamer with an external DAC is “one of the best ways to isolate the audio signals, as this allows you to keep all the analogue audio signals you actually listen to, away from any of the noisier streaming functions”.

As we mentioned earlier, the majority of music streamers (including those in our best music streamers buying guide) do, however, have DACs built-in.

Those without one do the pre-DAC music pulling and processing only, are often aspirational designs and are referred to as ‘network transports’ or ‘network bridges’; the recently reviewed Lumin U2 Mini is an example of such.

You then have noise creeping into the audio path or supply from the streamer processing or conversion. Bartlett likens streamers to computers (they are “computers optimised to run dedicated audio/streaming software”), which are inherently noisy.

“They have a lot of clocks and signals that, if not handled correctly, can induce noise,” he says. “This is exacerbated by the need to make the software run as fast as possible to give a positive user experience; users will not appreciate lags and delays in playback if the software cannot keep up. To do this effectively, larger processing and memory is required which, more often than not, also requires faster clocks and more demand on the power supply, and so more noise.”

Cyrus’s Clarke explains that the way streamers receive and decode data – by receiving it in blocks (sometimes referred to as ‘packets’) and placing it in a buffer for decoding in blocks – can also produce noise.

“Specifically when dealing with compressed audio, a poor [decoding] implementation will have measurable artefacts at the block-processing frequency,” he says.

In summary, “A low-noise environment is crucial to unlocking the full potential of high-resolution audio,” says Cambridge Audio.

A question of timing, among other aspects

One of the most important aspects of digital audio delivery is trying to prevent (or minimise) ‘jitter’.

In the case of music streamers, this is the distortion artefact that occurs from slight timing deviations in the clocking signal during the digital-to-analogue conversion stage. These small errors mean the reproduced analogue waveform isn’t exactly the same as the original.

Unsurprisingly then, every manufacturer we spoke to here mentioned the importance of clock design in a music streamer.

The most important one is the ‘master’ that regulates the conversion stage; however Cyrus’s Clarke also explains that there is scope for large amounts of jitter in the sending of data to the DAC (as there is with any digital source pre-DAC).

He says that while modern DACs are then “very good at handling this ‘automatically’, it would be much better if the data was correctly timed in the first place”.

This somewhat goes back to Clarke’s earlier comments that what happens before the DAC stage has an impact, as well as Tyson’s claim that “the way the renderer buffers and reconstructs the digital audio signal before passing it to the DAC can make or break the overall performance”.

For this reason, dCS’s Cook says that for high-performance streamers it is vital that the streaming solution can accept an external clock signal as this helps to ensure that the DAC-bound audio signal leaving the streamer has a low level of jitter.

“A key feature of this is having high-quality clock circuitry inside the product running at integer multiples of the two base audio sample rates (44.1kHz and 48kHz) which can be fed into the streamer,” he says.

Clocks and timing aside, Greg Stidsen of Lenbrook says that the circuit board layout is important too: “How the traces are laid, where the components are placed – all of this affects the sounds to varying degrees.”

Stidsen keenly reminds us that these kind of changes almost exclusively evolved the Bluesound Node 2 (2015) to the Node 2i (2018) on the engineering side of things, and that we noted in our review just how much the performance had improved in the newer model as a result.

Harman International’s Neville agrees that “adherence to high-speed circuit board design principles” is crucial for signal integrity.

Neville and Clarke (Cyrus) discuss how in such hybrid digital and analogue products, careful management of signal grounding (the reference point at which voltages are measured) is also important, with particular focus on where the analogue and digital ground domains intersect to minimise noise and interference.

Of course, Neville adds, on the whole, carefully tuned analogue stages are essential too!

Software and sound

Where digital is the topic of conversation, software isn't far behind.

When you think of music streamer software, you likely think of the app – the thing that can turn your phone or tablet into a practical and intuitive remote control for the platform your streamer runs.

And indeed it’s that operation, alongside the behind-the-scenes design, that impacts not only a product’s user experience but also its audio performance.

Stidsen of Lenbrook – who knows a thing or two about developing streaming systems, with the company’s Bluesound brand having developed its own system (BluOS) based on a Linux kernel – goes as far as saying that “audio quality is defined just as much by software as it is by hardware in a streamer”.

“A well-designed streaming app directly impacts how music sounds, from how the signal is routed to how it interacts with the hardware,” says Audiolab’s Jamie O’Callaghan, tying in with an earlier point that the way in which a streaming platform processes digital data is primarily down to software.

“The various codec implementations and audio chain are all areas where the sound quality can be greatly diminished if the software engineer does not have audio expertise,” adds Stidsen.

WiiM’s Dr. Lifeng Zhao also shares the opinion that hardware alone doesn’t guarantee a great streamer, and it is unfortunate but true that our reviews team has come across great-sounding streamers that we haven’t been able to wholly recommend due to their sub-par user experience.

Nothing is worse than buggy app control prone to drop-outs or lag. Actually, there is one thing: music playback glitches.

“A platform must have a proven track record of stability, ongoing updates and innovations,” says O’Callaghan at Audiolab, while his colleague (and others) stress the importance of platform relevance and longevity, considering the never-ending road of streaming service updates and protocols that lay ahead of music streamer development.

The big picture

Going back to our earlier point, despite those who, from the dawn of digital audio, have insisted that all digital audio kit must sound the same, Audiolab’s Ertner says that “this is demonstrably not the case, and that includes music streamers – even those that use the same streaming platform or chips”.

As several streamer manufacturers have examined here, everything from power supply and analogue stage design to software processing and platform handling impacts streamer sound performance – not just chipset selection.

To that end, Fell Audio’s Tyson proffers a fitting denouement: “A more entry-level ESS Sabre DAC chip, when given a carefully considered discrete power supply feed, better component layout, and efforts to keep signal integrity, can yield superior results and will most likely provide a more complete musical performance than simply opting for the more expensive DAC model.”

So the next time you’re shopping for and comparing music streamer specifications, it would be wise to remember the bigger picture.

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Hi-res music streaming services compared: is Tidal, Qobuz, Amazon or Apple Music better?

Hi-fi and music streaming live harmoniously, but two Big Tech brands hold the relationship back

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Qobuz reveals average payout per stream; claims it is higher than rivals

Industry sources:

• Audiolab – Jamie O’Callaghan, Global Marketing Director; Jan Ertner, Head of Electronic Design
• Cambridge Audio – engineering team combined
• Chord Electronics – Matthew Bartlett, MD
• Cyrus – Nick Clarke, MD
• dCS – James Cook, Product Marketing Manager
• Fell Audio – Luke Tyson, Design Lead
• Harman International – Paul Neville, Senior Director of Global Audio, Luxury Audio
• Lenbrook Group – Greg Stidsen, CTO
• WiiM – Dr. Lifeng Zhao, CEO

It's Monday, and you know what that means: it's time for another entry in our weekly Rewind column, where we highlight the biggest hi-fi and home cinema stories you might have missed from last week.

What's been happening? We got our first look at the brand new TV and home cinema products coming from Samsung in 2025, while another lucky writer listened to his favourite Radiohead album in a very special setting and on a very special system.

We also published an extensive explainer on the new Primary RGB Tandem OLED TV technology, reviewed Elac's latest budget speakers, and got very excited about the launch of a new Audiolab stereo amplifier.

Let's get into it.

We were wowed by this futuristic projector from Samsung's 2025 AV range

Our TV/AV senior staff writer Lewis Empson headed to Frankfurt, Germany for extended hands-on time with Samsung's 2025 AV range, which included the latest TVs such as the S95F QD-OLED TV and the QN990F 8K Mini LED TV, Dolby Atmos soundbars and Frame Pro art TV concepts.

But the one that's got everyone in the office talking is the compact Premier 5 UST projector – which can turn any table into a massive touchscreen tablet with the projected screen! See the Instagram video embedded above to see it in action. Pure wizardry.

Read our hands-on review of the Samsung QN990F 8K TV

What is Primary RGB Tandem OLED TV technology? We explain it all...

Firstly, it's a mouthful to say. Secondly, it's a new type of OLED panel technology developed by LG Display that will be used in select LG, Panasonic and Philips TVs in 2025.

What does it offer over traditional OLED, is it better than QD-OLED, and how does it work exactly? Our TV and AV editor Tom Parsons delves into all these questions and explains this new panel technology in detail, along with which TV models will feature it this year.

Read our in-depth explainer: Primary RGB Tandem OLED TV tech explained: how it works, why it’s better than MLA and how it compares with QD-OLED

Radiohead's The Bends as we've never heard it before, to celebrate its 30th anniversary

Our senior staff writer on the hi-fi/audio side, Harry McKerrell, is a bit of a Radiohead fan. So when we received an invite to hear Radiohead's second album The Bends played in full, on vinyl, on the Bowers & Wilkins speakers that were used to record the original album, with producer John Leckie in attendance and speaking about the recording for its 30th anniversary... well, we sent Harry off to have a grand old time.

To quote from his experience: "To sit immersed in a single album from start to finish served as less of a demonstration of music's intoxicating power and more a reminder of why we, as hi-fi devotees, do what we do – we understand that music isn't an accompaniment to life; it is the main event."

Read the full feature: I heard my favourite Radiohead album on the B&W speakers used to record it – and now I love it even more

Elipson upgrades its unique Planet L speakers for better performance

Remember Elipson's Planet speakers? These stylish and globe-shaped stereo speakers from one of the oldest French hi-fi brands easily stand out from the usual boxy speaker designs, and the Planet L speakers – which we reviewed all the way back in 2012 – have been given a hefty upgrade.

The new Planet L Performance speakers have updated drivers, a whole swathe of eye-catching new finishes, and they promise to deliver faster, more controlled bass, a wider soundstage and clean, detailed sound for a step-up in performance.

Read the full story: These Planet-shaped speakers promise "exceptionally pure sound" with an out-of-this-world design

We tested Elac's third-gen budget standmount speakers

Elac's Debut B5.2 stereo speakers are one of our favourite budget speakers in recent years, having snagged multiple What Hi-Fi? Award wins for their engaging, capable performance and unfussy nature for an affordable price. This model has been replaced to make way for the new Debut 3.0 range, and we finished testing the updated DB53 budget standmounter.

It's a step forward in many areas, but can it reach the same all-rounder sweet spot that we loved so much about its predecessor?

Read our full Elac Debut 3.0 DB53 review

Audiolab updates five-star 6000 stereo amplifier

One of the biggest news stories in hi-fi dropped at the tail end of the week: the launch of the Audiolab 6000MkII stereo amplifier. The original 6000A integrated amp received a five-star rating from us back in 2018, so a sequel seven years later has our full interest.

The 6000A MkII promises plenty of sonic improvements, a new DAC chip, enhanced internal circuitry, a new HDMI ARC input alongside its usual complement of analogue and digital connections, Bluetooth aptX HD and an updated MM phono stage. Price? £699, which is very competitive in today's market.

Read the story: Audiolab upgrades its five-star 6000A amplifier with a new DAC chip, enhanced circuitry and HDMI ARC

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Vinyl records and music streaming both hit landmark highs – but the one growing faster in revenue may surprise you

Vertere's gorgeous DG X turntable features significant updates for a more refined performance overall

Audiolab has unveiled the sequel to its five-star 6000A stereo amplifier. The new unit – logically dubbed the Audiolab 6000A MkII – promises to take the original's performance to new heights, and while it may look similar to the outgoing model, internal upgrades tease a more potent performance over the original we reviewed seven years ago.

As before, the Audiolab 6000A MkII delivers 50 watts per channel into 8 ohms, but improvements to the new integrated amp's digital circuitry claim to deliver enhanced sonic talents. Dropping out the ES9018K2M DAC used in the 6000A, Audiolab has switched to a new-generation 32-bit ES9038Q2M ESS Sabre chip for its new model, the same one as found in the more premium Audiolab 7000A amplifier. The 6000A's post-DAC filter uses a class A circuit that is optimised for the new DAC chip, a technology that has trickled down from the more premium Audiolab 9000A and 7000A models.

The analogue circuitry has also enjoyed multiple updates. The 6000A MkII utilises the same Class AB amplification as its predecessor, but this time with an upgraded toroidal transformer and power supply that promises improved sonic capabilities. The circuitry's layout has been optimised to protect the preamplifier section from interference, which, when combined with low-noise power supplies across each stage, seeks to deliver a purer, less distorted signature.

What about inputs and outputs? The new Audiolab amp offers two coaxial and two optical inputs, as well as a new HDMI ARC if you want to slot the 6000A MkII into your TV/AV setup. Analogue sources are also catered for thanks to the amp's trio of line-level RCA stereo connections alongside a moving magnet phono input. The 6000A MkII even offers Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity with support for the hi-res aptX HD codec.

Further, there's a dedicated headphone amplifier (accessible via a 6.3mm headphone output) which teases a "dynamic and detailed performance" with all types of cans. Audiolab has also improved the MM phono stage, teasing a "high-definition, low-noise performance" for your records.

Visually, the new amp doesn't stray much from the aesthetics or layout of its predecessor, exhibiting broadly the same metal chassis, control panel and OLED display as before. That's no huge issue, as we found the build of the original 6000A, while not exactly revolutionary, to be "of a high standard" when we reviewed it in 2018.

Audiolab is clearly aiming to focus on the original 6000A's sonic performance, with improved clarity, focus and authority promised. We await with anticipation to see if it can deliver on those claims, especially in light of new rivals in this price category – although the new Audiolab is priced more competitively than the five-star Arcam A5 and the newly launched Rega Brio Mk7.

The Audiolab 6000A MkII will be available from April in a choice of silver or black finishes and will cost £699 / $1299 / AU$1799 / €899.

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This Quincy Jones-produced disco tune has become my go-to test track – and taught me a valuable lesson about hi-fi, too

Read our high-end Gryphon Audio Diablo 33 review

OK, so Dr Victor Frankenstein’s stitching together of various parts to create a new species for the betterment of humankind didn’t go so well, but what could possibly go wrong with mashing together the best bits of several music streamers to produce a perfect one?

We can heartily recommend as many as 15 hi-fi streamers to readers looking to make their systems streaming-savvy, all of which can be found in our best music streamer buying guide. But among the many talents of each are slight imperfections, or at least an aspect of their performance, design or feature set that is beaten by another's.

Indeed, the perfect hi-fi streamer only exists in our minds, so we’ve had some fun by selecting only the finest ingredients from our favourites to make the ultimate music streamer recipe – one that could surely only ever scare in how monstrously good it is!

Build quality: Eversolo DMP-A6

If you haven’t heard of, or don’t know much about, Eversolo, your first impressions of the Chinese-based manufacturer will likely be very positive after reading this article. Despite being relatively new to the music streamer market, it features more than once here, with several of the DMP-A6’s ingredients making it into our ideal music streamer recipe.

We reviewed the DMP-A6 18 months ago and were highly impressed with the package, whose solid foundation starts with its build quality. Despite being a pretty affordable machine at £759 / $859 / AU$1399, it proves it can play with the established big boys on both construction and aesthetic fronts.

For one, our test experts liked the shoebox size of its aluminium chassis, which is somewhere between the full-width design of the Cambridge Audio CXN (V2) and the half-width form of the Cyrus 40 ST. Those pretty compact dimensions strike a nice balance of fitting into any hi-fi rack both width- and depth-wise and being large enough to accommodate the size of LCD touchscreen you genuinely want to interact with (which we’ll get to shortly).

It's well-made and we like how its brushed aluminium finish, single dial and fascia-hogging display combine for a classy, minimal aesthetic. Music streamers aren’t inherently the most physically attractive hi-fi components – their app-heavy nature means they don’t really need to be – but Eversolo’s efforts here pay off. It’s little wonder the company has stuck to the same blueprint for its new DMP-A6 Gen 2.

Ease of set-up: WiiM Pro Plus

WiiM is another Chinese brand to have made a huge impact on the music streamer market, with its What Hi-Fi? Award-winning Pro Plus demonstrating that you can get decent sound, features and usability from a unit as affordable as £219 / $219 / AU$339. Pretty much everything about WiiM’s disruptor is fantastic for the price (bar its plasticky, non-descript build), but the part we like most for our streamer paragon is its set-up process.

The WiiM Home App is its crowning glory, facilitating an intuitive and fuss-free set-up that takes no time at all, is essentially foolproof, and is representative of how comprehensive and slick it is for daily operation.

As we said in our five-star WiiM Pro Plus review, the app is “a cut or two above what you might be expecting from such a modestly priced product (and even better than the apps accompanying rival products with more hi-fi pedigree)”.

User experience: Eversolo DMP-A6

We haven’t encountered any music streamer that betters the Eversolo DMP-A6’s user experience. While it starts with a fuss-free set-up that rivals WiiM’s (in a matter of minutes, our reviews team had hopped onto our network, accessed our various NAS units and logged into our Tidal streaming account – no problem), it’s the unit’s everyday user experience that sets it apart. “An absolute joy to use,” reads our DMP-A6 review.

Unusually for a dedicated hi-fi product, its wonderfully crisp full-colour 6-inch touchscreen display works as well as any current smartphone: it’s smooth, responsive and stutter-free, with neat graphics that are informative without looking cluttered. It is all powered by Android 11 software running on a capable quad-core ARM Cortex-A55 processor; the result is impressively slick. It’s so good, in fact, that we often found ourselves operating the Eversolo from its front panel rather than waiting for our iPad to boot up – and there aren’t many streamers we’ve come across at all that we actually want to directly interact with that way.

Features & app control: Eversolo DMP-A6

Of course, unless your hi-fi system is set up within easy reaching distance, right in front of you or by your side, remote control via a dedicated app on a phone or tablet is how you’ll most often interact with a music streamer. The third and final aspect of Eversolo’s DMP-A6 that we’re borrowing for our ideal music streamer creation is indeed its app.

Available for both iOS and Android, EverSolo Control is intuitive and logically arranged. Streamers are inherently complicated components that have a great deal of functionality, but somehow Eversolo has managed to make its app easy to navigate, even for those not comfortable with such things.

Perhaps most importantly, the app proves stable and reliable in use. In our time with the DMP-A6, it never drops out or freezes, which is almost unheard of. Both the product and the app just work, and that’s something the rest of the streaming industry would do well to emulate.

And while there’s greater parity in terms of streaming features in the hi-fi streamer market than ever before, the DMP-A6 remains, to borrow a quote from our review, “as feature-packed a streamer as we’ve encountered”. You can tick the usual boxes – UPnP, AirPlay 2 and support for popular music streaming services such as Tidal Connect and Spotify Connect, Qobuz, Deezer, Amazon Music and internet radio. It’s Roon Ready certified and has Bluetooth 5.0 (with aptX HD codec). It even has Chromecast built-in (less of a given than the others), while its proprietary sampling-rate audio engine means you can download the Apple Music Android app and stream its lossless hi-res catalogue without Apple’s famously closed ecosystem being a barrier.

Detail resolution & dynamics: Cyrus 40 ST

There are so many different aspects to sound performance that we often find ourselves wishing that even the best all-round hi-fi performers had a little bit more of this or a larger helping of that. For example, while one component may prioritise space and scale and the coherence that often comes with that, another may not be quite so open but instead have the compelling rhythmic flow of a ribbon gymnast.

It makes sense, then, that we have chosen the sonic highlights of three music streamers that, blended together, would create a flawless audio presentation. And it should probably come as no surprise that we have picked fairly premium propositions here. While feature count, app design, set-up ease and, to a lesser extent, build quality aren’t all that price-dependent in the music streamer market, sound performance is.

The Cyrus 40 ST (£2995 / $3995 / AU$4999) would in our minds be the best contributor of detail resolution and dynamic subtlety, getting one over on its biggest rival, the Audiolab 9000N, which won our What Hi-Fi? Award last year (and which features below). Our reviews team notes how in comparison it finds an extra layer of textural detail in instruments and voices.

“Dynamically, it is impressively expressive,” reads the 40 ST review, “rendering low-level shifts in intensity elegantly, and delivering large-scale orchestral crescendos with real conviction, leaving the Audiolab sounding a little subdued in comparison.” It’s as clear and precise a performer as we’ve come across at this aspirational level.

Rhythmic drive & punch: Naim ND5 XS

While the Cyrus is far, far from a musical slouch, arguably only one of its competitors can just better its rhythmic drive and outright punch. The Naim ND5 XS2 (£2499 / $3399 / AU$5750) brings the company’s long-held musical understanding very much to the fore, able to get right underneath any genre of music to convey not only the ebb and flow of its rhythmic pattern but also its intensity.

“It remains a pleasant surprise when a streamer displays any kind of aptitude for timing, but the clock here is admirably precise, while an abundance of punch and terrific dynamic range make for an entertaining, exciting listen,” reads our ND5 XS2 review. Combine the Cyrus’s class-leading analysis and the Naim’s effortless melodiousness and you have renditions that are as informative as they are enjoyable. But there’s another sonic aspect we want to throw into the mix too…

Tonal balance & soundstaging: Audiolab 9000N

Our current Award winner can still reply to the Cyrus and Naim when it comes to tonality and soundstaging, though. Compared to its rivals’ more condensed soundstage, the Audiolab 9000N (£2499 / $3499 / AU$5499) delivers an expansive sonic canvas that is big on both scale and space. It’s stable and packed with sharply focused and precisely plotted instruments and sounds, deftly organised so that its presentation is clean and coherent, never muddled.

It doesn’t even flirt with putting its own sonic character on the music, too, going straight down the tonal middle to offer impressive neutrality.

Both are familiar strengths (neither can be overstated) of Audiolab, which has impressed at the more modest end of the streamer market for years and whose latest 9000N shows it is just as adept at the more sophisticated end too.

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Hi-fi and music streaming live harmoniously, but two Big Tech brands hold the relationship back

June’s in the rear-view mirror which means it’s time for yet another entry into our Pick of the Month column, where we celebrate the latest batch of products to earn perfect marks from our team of reviewers.

And what a month June was, with everything from luxurious hi-fi amps to affordable over-ear headphones passing through our dedicated listening and viewing rooms. In the sea of products we tested, only five impressed our reviewers enough to earn five star ratings, however.

Here’s what you need to know about them.

LG G4 

The G4 is LG’s latest flagship OLED and it brings with it two key big upgrades on its predecessor, the LG G3.

For starters, it’s the first TV we’ve tested with a second generation Micro Lens Array (MLA) panel. This is a refined version of the tech that aims to let the G4 offer even higher peak brightness levels. Second, it's powered by a more advanced Alpha 11 processor that has more impressive AI smarts designed to improve everything from motion handling to colour accuracy and audio quality.

While our reviewers found audio is still a key let-down, the G4 otherwise proved to be an excellent upgrade and one of the best premium OLEDS on the market. Highlights include significantly improved motion handling, wonderfully immersive picture quality and excellent gaming features. Hence our reviewers’ conclusion: “The LG G4 is a fantastic OLED TV that easily competes with Samsung and Sony’s best.”

Read our LG G4 (OLED65G4) review

Audiolab 9000N 

The 9000N is a big product from Audiolab. This is because its the first premium option from a brand that’s usually associated with the more affordable end of the streaming market. Designed to take on big name competition from the likes of Naim, this gives it some big shoes to fill if it hopes to compete in an increasingly full segment of the hi-fi market.

Thankfully, having thoroughly put it through its paces in our listening rooms, we’re pleased to confirm it is an excellent option for serious music fans looking to add streaming smarts to their hi-fi set-up.

Built on the established Lumin streaming platform, the 9000N has all the functionality you’d expect from a modern streamer. At a basic level you can stream tracks from all the usual services including Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Qobuz and Tunein Radio. The platform is also Roon Ready and Plex compatible. 

But what earned it top marks was its performance. Paired with price-compatible products including the Naim Nait XS3 and Arcam A15 integrated amplifiers and PMC’s Prodigy 5 floorstanders, the unit delivered impressively even and insightful audio. This led our reviewers to conclude:

“The 9000N proves that Audiolab is capable of scaling its streaming expertise to more premium price points. This is a strong performer that ticks pretty much every box as far as sound quality is concerned.”

Read our Audiolab 9000N review

Fyne Vintage Five 

We’ve long championed the need for more small, good sounding hi-fi and in June Fyne delivered just that with its five-star Vintage Five speakers.

The smallest option in the firm’s Vintage range, the Five are dinky little units that feature Fyne’s unique, wonderfully retro wood design. Despite looking retro, they feature some impressive modern upgrades including a 12.5cm mid/bass driver with an Isoflare arrangement where the tweeter sits at the centre of the unit. The tweeter also features Fyne’s custom cone design. 

Paired with our reference Naim ND555/555 PS DR music streamer and Technics SL-1000R record player sources, results were excellent, especially considering their small dimensions.

Across a variety of genres the Vintage Five delivered impressive levels of clarity, wonderfully precise stereo imaging and foot tapping levels of dynamism. This led our reviewers to conclude:

“The Vintage Five are easy speakers to underestimate. The retro appearance suggests that they are for those who yearn for the past, and their dinky size makes them harder to take seriously, especially at what looks to be a high price. But consider the exceptional build, quality of engineering and, when used in an appropriate system, terrific sound, and it is hard not to be won over. We certainly are.”

Read our Fyne Vintage Five review

Samsung HW-Q990D 

The Samsung HW-Q990D is the latest Dolby Atmos system in a box we’ve reviewed. For your money you get a large soundbar, coupled with a wireless pair of satellite speakers and subwoofer.

Comparing it to stiff competition, including its predecessor the Q990C, in our listening and viewing rooms we found it is a very competent package and excellent option for any buyer that wants Dolby Atmos, without having to install speakers in their ceiling. 

During testing we found its impressive 11.1.4 channel count delivers significantly improved audio compared to the C. Whether it was the booming jet engines of Top Gun: Maverick, incredibly difficult bass-heavy second scene of Blade Runner 2049 or the whimsical melody of I'm Just Ken in Barbie, results were fantastic.

In each test we threw at it the Q990D delivered a large, immersive and three dimensional sound that truly elevated our home cinema experience. This led our reviewers to conclude:

“It’s a hugely compelling package overall, and while it’s certainly not cheap, it is good value compared with alternative systems that offer similar specs and features. If you want something approaching ‘proper’ Atmos sound without buying an AV amplifier and twelve individual speakers, it has to be on your shortlist.”

Read our Samsung HW-Q990D review

Chord Ultima Integrated 

The Chord Ultima Integrated is a premium amplifier aimed squarely at hi-fi purists. The amp unashamedly does just one thing exceptionally well, having a no frills feature set that at first glance could make it look a little basic, especially compared to its main rival, the Luxman L-509Z.

If you want an amp with things like in-built streaming smarts, a phono stage or even a basic headphone output, then the Ultima Integrated won’t be for you. But, if all you care about is getting the best audio quality possible, then we’d thoroughly recommend checking it out. 

Featuring a unique, unashamedly 'Chord' design, the Ultimate Integrated delivered excellent audio when paired with suitably high-end sources and speakers. Whether it was Holst’s Planet Suite, xx’s Angels, or DJ Denz The Rooster’s Triumphant Winning! the Ultima Integrated delivered astonishing levels of agility, precision and clarity.

This makes it an easy recommendation for its target market and led our reviewers to conclude: 

“This integrated amplifier succeeds in delivering a large dose of the pricier Ultima pre/power’s performance in a more convenient and affordable package. It is a refreshingly straightforward product to use, and when partnered with a similarly talented system is capable of weaving a wonderfully spellbinding sound.”

Read our Chord Ultima Integrated review

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Welcome to the latest entry of our weekly Rewind column, where our team of experts gives you the perfect way to start the week with our hi-fi and home cinema news digest.

As always, we detail the top headlines and developments in the world of hi-fi and home cinema over the past seven days. Last week was another strong showing, with the team delivering its verdict on a talented standalone music streamer from Audiolab, and getting to spend some time with a new streaming all-in-one from Marantz. And the streaming theme continued with a new model from NAD also breaking cover.

We also took you through all the key models in Sony’s 2024 TV line-up in full and found a couple of outstanding deals including one on a five-star Dolby Atmos soundbar.

Here’s what you need to know.

Audiolab hit the spot with a superb music streamer

We have plenty of time for Audiolab when it comes to music streamers at affordable prices, but the brand has gone up a few gears with the range-topping 9000N. We put the streamer through its paces and let’s just say this impressive unit did not disappoint. Powered by a streaming platform from high-end experts Lumin, it delivers a strong enough performance to trouble the established class leaders.

Read our full Audiolab 9000N review

Sony’s 2024 TV line-up was laid out in full

It can be a hard job deciphering a TV manufacturer’s line-up but we took the hard work out of the equation by drawing up a comprehensive guide to Sony’s 2024 TVs, splitting them up by model range and explaining the key differences. If you want to know what distinguishes a Bravia 9 from an 8 and 7, this is the page for you!

Read the full feature: Sony 2024 TV lineup: everything you need to know

We went hands-on with Marantz’s do-it-all M1 streaming amplifier 

We've been itching to get our hands on the Maratnz M1 ever since the petite all-in-one was revealed back in May. Well, our Hi-Fi and Audio Editor Kashfia Kabir finally had that chance and her first impressions are extremely positive. As she notes, there’s been an explosion of streaming products around this size and shape and we are excited to see how the M1 performs when we get one into our test rooms to review.

Read the full feature: The Marantz Model M1 could be the hi-fi streaming amplifier I've been waiting for

NAD joined the streaming party with the C 700 V2

You wait around for one music streamer and three come along at once. That was the theme for last week, as NAD dropped the news that it was launching a new music streaming amplifier in the shape of the C 700 V2.

Read the full story: NAD's latest streaming amp adds a better DAC and advanced vinyl skills

Testing a premium JVC projector got us thinking

Our Staff Writer Lewis Empson spent some time in the presence of a premium JVC projector which impressed him enough to write an article about why he thinks if you want to experience a proper cinema experience at home, you need very deep pockets. Click the link to read how watching Oppenheimer on the JVC compared to his IMAX experience.

Read the full story: I've figured out how much you need to spend on a projector for it to be better than the cinema – and it's a lot

We spotted a great deal on a Sony Dolby Atmos soundbar

Not only did we spot a great saving on some excellent noise-cancelling earbuds from Bose, we also found a great saving on a Dolby Atmos soundbar from Sony. Proving you don’t have to spend a small fortune to get a big improvement on your TV’s sound, we thought this £50 drop was sufficient to shout about and the deal is still available at the time of writing.

Read the full story: Sony's affordable, five-star Dolby Atmos soundbar is even cheaper thanks to this deal

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From a features point of view, it would be easier to list what’s missing on the Audiolab 9000N streamer such is the extensiveness of its offering. We’re used to seeing music streamers tick this box and that, no matter their price point, but Audiolab’s new flagship streamer must be one of the most versatile and feature-rich around. 

First spied at the High End Munich 2023 show and now starting to hit shelves, the 9000N brings network streaming to the British brand’s top-tier family of separates, which already comprises the 9000A integrated amplifier and 9000CDT CD transport. Much in the same way the 6000N Play and 7000N Play do to Audiolab’s entry-level and mid-range series respectively. While comparable to its streaming siblings in many ways, the 9000N has a significant point of differentiation. Instead of utilising the DTS Play-Fi platform to provide its core streaming and user experience, the new flagship is based on a platform built from the ground up around a Linux-based operating system. Hence the absence of 'Play' in its name.

To that end, the 9000N’s has a primary control app that offers easy access to streaming services such as Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify and TuneIn Radio. Audiolab says this platform is big on user experience, offering handy features such as  Intelligent search functions and the ability to create multi-source playlists. Spotify and Tidal can also be streamed directly from their native apps, too, thanks to 'Connect' support for both, while AirPlay 2, UPnP and Roon are supported to round out a comprehensive catalogue of streaming features.

File support is just as all-encompassing – PCM up to 32-bit/768kHz and native DSD up to 22.5MHz (DSD512) across Wi-Fi, Ethernet and USB, with full MQA decoding also on the menu. In addition to USB-A and USB-B inputs (for plugging in USB sticks and laptops/computers respectively) are a number of outputs – RCA, XLR, coaxial and optical – so that the streamer can be used with an external DAC.

Of course, a successful streamer isn’t just a box-ticking exercise; it needs to sound just as complete. In a bid to achieve that goal, Audiolab once again has built its design around an ESS Technology DAC chip – this time the eight-channel ES9038PRO from the firm’s highest range. The British brand has leveraged the chipset’s digital-to-analogue conversion skills with its own proprietary circuitry, including an ultra-precision master clock for tip-top timing plus “remarkable signal-to-noise ratio and exceptional dynamic range”. Additionally, a new Class A circuit has been developed for the 9000N’s design, and as in previous Audiolab designs the DAC stage has been given its own power supply to provide clean power to the left and right channels individually.

The Audiolab 9000N network streamer is available now in a choice of black or silver, priced at £2499 / $3499 / AU$5499. That puts it directly in the firing line of Naim’s veteran Award winner, the ND5 XS 2, so needless to say we look forward to seeing how Audiolab’s apex achievement stacks up.

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Audiolab has an impressive track record with regard to well-priced music streamers, stereo amps and other wallet-friendly hi-fi designed to give musical satisfaction for a sensible price. The new Audiolab 7000N sits relatively low down on the network streamer price scale, no bad thing considering how impressed we’ve been with the refinement and insight of Audiolab’s current entry offering, the 6000N Play. This budget streamer gained a What Hi-Fi? Award a few years ago (tested at £449 / $600), so we’re hopeful a similar trick can be repeated with the slightly more costly 7000N. 

Audiolab’s 7000N Play network streamer arrives as part of the new 7000 range consisting of the 7000A amplifier, the 7000CDT CD transport and the streamer itself, and while the brand’s impressive lineage and pedigree give us reason to be hopeful regarding the new model, there’s certainly tough competition at this level courtesy of the Award-winning Bluesound Node (2021) and the recently-introduced Cambridge Audio MXN10.

Build & design

If you’re choosing the 7000N Play music streamer over the 6000N, you’ll probably want to know what you’re getting over the cheaper model. Like the 6000N, the 7000N comes equipped with optical and coaxial digital outputs and a pair of RCA line-level outputs, and you can connect to your home network using wi-fi or wired ethernet.

The 7000N Play is kitted out with a newer ESS Sabre ES9038Q2M DAC, a step up on the 6000A’s ES9018K2M. You also now get AirPlay 2, an updated version of the Play-Fi streaming module, and enhanced power supply circuitry. 

Aesthetically, the 7000N Play doesn’t exactly take many risks. It’s a broad, rectangular unit without many flourishes or add-ons, although you do get a full-colour display with a Graphical User Interface so that you can control and change things like brightness, display time-out, 12V trigger function and language.

There’s a volume control accessible through the remote which you can use either with an integrated amp or a pre-power but which can also be directly plugged into a pair of active speakers for a more minimalist set-up. The supplied remote lets you control volume, track skipping, standby and menu access, as well as on-the-fly model selection if you also own the 7000A and 7000CDT CD transport. 

Features

As with the older 6000N, this new streamer uses the DTS Play-Fi app to access a variety of music streaming sources including Spotify, Deezer, Tidal, Qobuz and SiriusXM, as well as a variety of internet radio stations. The addition of AirPlay 2 is welcome, while it can play music from any connected NAS devices on the same network. The app works reasonably well in some respects, but we find it to not be as responsive or likeable as other platforms, while the presentation of usually pleasing services like Tidal isn’t as detailed, responsive or intuitive when used through the Play-Fi portal. The tendency to drop out of your selected music service for no good reason, meanwhile, adds to our misgivings. 

The 7000N Play is happy to play hi-res PCM files up to 24-bit/192kHz but surprisingly doesn’t support DSD files, something which we find to be rather strange. While this may not be a deal breaker for most, it feels like a striking omission for a newly introduced streamer of its kind. In comparison, the newer (and cheaper) Cambridge Audio MXN10 can play up to DSD512 files and offers Bluetooth streaming, too.

The 7000N Play gives you the option to tweak your sound according to your preference by offering you a choice of filter settings. For those who like their music to be played just so, the streamer’s digital filter can refine the audio presentation depending on your preference. There are five options from which to choose, and when working within our particular set-up, we found Linear (Slow) to be the best for our tastes.

Sound

During testing, we use the Audiolab streamer with a PMC Cor amplifier hooked up to our versatile and proficient Epos ES14N reference speakers, all the while comparing and contrasting its performance with that of two five-star rivals, the Bluesound Node and the Cambridge Audio MXN10.

First up is Havana courtesy of Camila Cabello, a good test to see how the latest Audiolab deals with Cabello’s sultry, sometimes overdone upper-range vocals before the harder, heavier rap passages really kick in. You certainly receive a neutral, well-spread sound from the 7000N, and what’s really strong here is the presentation of the instruments and vocals on display – close your eyes and the pop star’s voice takes centre stage as accompanying instruments are placed neatly around. 

Havana’s signature piano sound is at the track’s core, and although the 7000N offers a well-ordered listen, it can be beaten in terms of revealing that distinctively honky-tonk piano tone and the rhythm that it brings to the arrangement. In terms of feeling the Latin rhythm at the song’s heart, it seems the 7000N’s watchword is ‘restraint’.

We select Nick Cave and Warren Ellis’ heartrending Song For Bob next, listening to see how much response we get from such an expressive song that conveys emotions that evolve to encompass melancholy and sadness, through to guilt and regret. The 7000N certainly strives to reveal such emotions and mostly it does a truly respectable job, especially as the track begins to tug the heartstrings and the power and weight of the bass are fully unveiled within a broad, pleasing soundscape. 

Although we’re pleased by the sense of scope and space it delivers, we’d like to see a richer texture and timbre from the instruments involved, especially when the brooding strings kick in and set the arrangement’s real emotional tone. 

Between The Bars serves as a litmus test for how the 7000N conveys the intimacy of Elliot Smith’s almost confessional vocal performance, as well as how it manages to draw out the nuances and timbres of the acoustic guitar. It’s a fine rendition but not a perfect one, and we can’t help but notice that Smith’s delivery with the 7000N occasionally feels rote or routine rather than being as intimate and truly revelatory as we’d ideally like, especially when compared with the Cambridge MXN10’s more musically adept interpretation, which feels just a touch more intimate.

As becomes clear during testing, the danger with the Audiolab is that it can tend to give everything a rather uniform, almost monochromatic sound presentation in which all music is tainted with a similar palette. There’s no question that things are well organised, well separated and intuitively placed, although wearing our hyper-critical hat would have us ask for just a little more subtlety and individual timbre reflected from each instrument. Compared with the current class leaders, then, the Audiolab doesn’t quite bring the same levels of texture, nuance or dynamic interest to the table.

Verdict

The Audiolab 7000N doesn’t bowl you over with a particularly peppy or in-your-face presentational style, but what you do get is a well-ordered, uncluttered sound that provides a pleasing listen, with a profile that’s transparent enough to show up most of the detail from your music with ease.

The issue, however, is that there’s strong competition at this end of the market, and while many will be keen on the 7000N’s spacious and revealing character, its competitors demonstrably offer more dynamism, energy and rhythmic drive. If those are the qualities you prioritise, Audiolab’s network streamer may not quite be to your taste.

SCORES

• Sound 4
• Features 4
• Build 5

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The Bristol Hi-Fi Show is always a great opportunity to get up close and personal with new hi-fi kit and the 2023 event is set to be no different.

Back after a three-year absence, a whole host of manufacturers are lined up to take part (as you'll see in our Bristol Show preview) and we've recently found out Audiolab, Wharfedale and Mission will be making quite a splash.

For starters, Audiolab's recently announced 7000 Series will be getting its first-ever public outing. You'll be able to come along and see what all the fuss is about regarding its new CD transport, integrated amplifier and music streamer.

In terms of audio demonstrations, you'll be able to sit back and listen to the company's flagship 9000 Series in all its glory. A 9000A stereo amp will be paired with the matching 9000CDT transport and will power a pair of Award-winning Mission 770 stereo speakers.

Speaking of Mission, the company will also have the 778X on display (see above), its first stereo amplifier in 40 years. The original 778 launched way back in 1983 and the new version has been reimagined for the modern day with a raft of digital inputs and Bluetooth connectivity.

Finally, we've been reliably informed that Wharfedale fans might be in for a treat at this year's show with murmurings of a new product launch. We've been told all should be revealed at the show so if you want to check out this mystery new product then it could be worth booking your ticket now.

If you want to see what Audiolab, Mission and Wharfedale have to offer in the flesh, make a bee-line for The Old Vic Suite on the Lower Ground floor of the Marriott City Centre Hotel, Bristol.

The show runs from 24-26 February and tickets are available online via the show’s official website or on the door. There are just over a couple of weeks to go, so be sure to get your tickets now.

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The new breed of just-add-speakers streaming systems is slowly but surely gaining popularity, but Audiolab has a trick up its sleeve with its Omnia version: it can play CDs.

While the likes of Naim, Cambridge Audio and NAD combine the old and the new by offering physical inputs and a phono stage alongside the latest hi-res streaming facilities, Audiolab Omnia has all of those but also remembers that not everyone got rid of their CD collection when streaming took the world by storm.

We’ve seen the 2022 Award-winning Technics SA-C600 take the same approach with the addition of CD replay to its one-box streaming abilities, but Audiolab technically got there first: the Omnia made its official debut back in November 2021.

The price of the Audiolab Omnia is £1599 / $2299 / AU$2999, nearly double that of the Technics SA-C600 (£899 / $999 / AU$1749), but competitive with Cambridge’s Audio Evo 75 (£1999 / $2499 / AU$3299). 

You’ll have to go double the price for the next step up to the Naim Uniti Atom (£2499 / $3799 / AU$4800), which makes the Omnia seem pretty good value considering the wealth of features you get with the one box.

Features

The Audiolab Omnia wins the prize for being the most well-specced and features-laden streaming product of its kind we’ve seen yet. Whether you like your music streamed or still favour physical formats, the Omnia can play it. 

Let’s start on the streaming side: you get wired ethernet and dual-band wi-fi, as well as Bluetooth. Yes, the three antennae attached at the back can look a tad busy, but the trade-off is greater stability – which is always preferable if you’ll be streaming wirelessly regularly.

The Omnia’s network streaming section is powered by DTS Play-Fi technology, similarly used by Audiolab’s 6000A Play and Award-winning 6000N Play. It’s through this software and the Play-Fi app that you also get access to a wealth of music services, including Spotify, Tidal, Amazon Music, Deezer, Qobuz and various internet radio stations.

The Play-Fi app (available for iOS and Android) also serves as a kind of music butler, making connection with and playing music from your audio library stored on a DLNA-compatible NAS drive or media server. You can even group together any other Play-Fi-supported products you have into a multi-room system within the app. 

The third-party app is stable and works just fine, although at times we miss the personal touch given by the dedicated apps used by Audiolab’s rivals, which serve to streamline the user experience further. 

If you’re playing hi-res streams, make sure you toggle the “Critical Listening Mode” on in the app, as this will ensure music is played at 24-bit/192kHz quality over wi-fi or ethernet, without any downsampling. The standard mode tops out at just 16-bit/48kHz as it is optimised more for multi-room bandwidths.

Sticking with the Omnia’s streaming talents: Spotify Connect is also on board, while Bluetooth 5 is accompanied by support for aptX, aptX LL, AAC and SBC codes. It can fully decode MQA files from Tidal and also has Roon Ready certification.

On the physical connections side, there are two inputs apiece for optical and coaxial (and a single output for each), USB type B for connection to laptops and a USB type A port for hard drives. It’s through this PC USB type B input that you can achieve the Omnia’s maximum resolution file support, which is up to 32-bit/786kHz PCM and DSD512. 

There are four analogue line-level inputs and vinyl fans are further served by the inclusion of a moving-magnet phono stage. You can even split the Omnia’s amp stages to hook up an external preamp or power amp. Quite the multi-tasker.

And finally, there is a dedicated headphone amplifier stage that feeds into the 6.3mm jack in the front panel.

Rival systems from Cambridge Audio, Naim and NAD vary in the connections and integrated sources they offer, with CD replay being the main exception. The NAD M10 adds in an HDMI input, which is a useful addition.

There is plenty of well-designed circuitry and advanced technology brimming under the hood that informs all the connections. Inside the Omnia lies a class A/B amplifier, made up of high quality components that are reportedly equivalent to the Audiolab 6000 series’ separate pre and power amps. That’s high acclaim, and the Omnia’s own preamp and power amp stages use short, direct signal paths to ensure as pure a signal as possible.

Meanwhile, the 50W per channel into 8 ohms power output should be more than enough to drive a wide variety of speakers. We use KEF’s LS50 Meta standmounters as well as our reference ATC SCM50 without issue.

The Omnia uses a 32-bit ESS Sabre DAC, and Audiolab’s design team has paid great attention in particular to the post-DAC active filter. This uses op-amps specifically selected for their “synergy” with the ESS Sabre DAC.

Build

The Omnia has a sturdy, well-built casework that feels every inch of its price tag. Its aluminium enclosure comes in black or silver finishes, and it looks smart, too.

Our only complaint is with the CD disc tray, which feels flimsy to the touch compared to the rock-solid build of the rest of the Omnia. Audiolab says that the disc-reading mechanism is based on the one used in the 6000CDT transport, and uses a high-precision optical system and an electronic data buffer that should minimise any disc-reading errors. We’re happy to report that the flimsiness of the tray doesn’t affect playback performance – just our impression of the product’s quality. 

Compared to the more lifestyle-leaning designs of the Technics, Cambridge Audio Evo and Naim Uniti systems, the Omnia’s appearance is decidedly reserved. The front panel keeps things simple with the slim CD tray slot and a handful of small, responsive buttons for power, source selection, playback and volume control. 

That’s because the spotlight is given over to the glorious 4.3-inch full-colour IPS LCD screen that dominates the front panel. It’s clear Audiolab’s designers have taken special care with this display: it’s large, easy to read from a distance, displays album artwork and plenty of useful track information without ever looking busy. 

You can even pick different displays: select either analogue or digital VU meters that show real-time decibel levels for the left and right channels. It adds a lovely touch of the old school to a modern hi-fi device and a sense of levity to the Omnia.

While we wish there was a physical volume dial to go with that display, the included remote control does the job well enough. It’s a solidly made handset that feels nice to hold and we found it intuitive in use and a better alternative to the Play-Fi app for adjusting the Omnia’s playback, source and volume.

Sound

The Omnia is a weighty and easy listen from the second we press play. The sound is rooted with authority, is clear and defined, with a decent handle on rhythm and timing.

We play A Perfect Circle’s Thirteenth Step album on CD, and the Omnia shows off its power. It’s a big and bold performance, with ample grunt and texture to the heavy guitars and ferocious drums. Vocals are focused and forthright. 

While we could do with more outright attack and punch, we like how open and spacious it all sounds. There’s good dynamic contrast, with the Audiolab able to reach the charging intensity of the heavier chorus with as much skill as the quieter, more sombre moments of Pet.

Switch to Chilly Gonzales’ piano compositions (played on CD and streaming via Tidal), and you can clearly hear the deep textures and resonances around each piano note being struck, as well as the higher tinkling notes that are crystal clear (but never bright). It’s a skilled and smooth approach, with a balance that we could listen to for hours without tiring. 

This easy-going character is replicated across all of the Audiolab’s many sources and inputs, including the headphones port (which we tested using Focal’s excellent Clear Mg over-ears). However, we found that songs through Bluetooth sounded the weakest; the Omnia has so many ways of playing music, we’d use any of them instead of Bluetooth.

It may be nearly half the price, but the talented Technics SA-C600 system shares more features in common with the Omnia than other rivals, especially the CD player. The Technics may not be as big-scaled, open or reveal as much detail as the Omnia, but it’s more adept at conveying enthusiasm, rhythmic precision and dynamic punch – all qualities that the Omnia could do with a healthy dose of. 

The rapid-fire keys – which time with stunning precision – and rousing sense of momentum in Gonzales’ Blizzard in B Flat Minor are more immediate and captivating through the Technics. The interplay of notes and precise edges in songs like Four Tet’s Circling or Massive Attack’s Teardrop is more tangible, too. While Omnia is more capable in hi-fi terms, we simply want a bit more punch and drive to the proceedings. 

Verdict

As it stands, though, the Omnia is extremely easy to listen to, and we can imagine many being more than content with its smooth, authoritative presentation. If you’re after a high-performing streaming system with all the bells and whistles you can think of, this Audiolab is well worth considering. 

SCORES

• Sound 4
• Features 5
• Build 4

MORE:

Read our review of the Technics SA-C600

Also consider the Cambridge Audio Evo 75 

These are the best hi-fi systems you can buy

Audiolab has unveiled the first two products in its new flagship 9000 Series – a truly high-end duo that comprises the 9000A integrated amplifier and 9000CDT CD transport.

The Cambridge-based firm reckons the 9000A integrated amplifier is 'the best it has ever built'. It carries a moving magnet phono stage, doubles up as a pure preamp or pure power amplifier, and boasts 2x100 watts at 8 ohms (2x160 watts at 4 ohms).

Other features include a sleek 4.3-inch IPS LCD display, rotary dials and a 32-bit ESS 9038PRO DAC chip. Those wishing to stream high-quality music wirelessly from mobile devices will be pleased to note that the 9000A's Bluetooth connectivity includes support for aptX HD and LDAC, as well as aptX Low Latency, regular aptX, AAC and SBC. Nice.

There's no built-in network streaming but Audiolab is quick to point out that it is developing a separate, dedicated audio streamer for the 9000 Series – that's set to arrive in early 2023.

The 9000A's slimmer sibling, the 9000CDT, boasts a new, high-end CD transport mechanism featuring a "high-precision optical system and low-friction loading tray" and a read-ahead digital buffer to reduce disc-reading failures.

The classy aluminium chassis and 4.3-inch IPS LCD display match the 9000A's to a tee. And by mounting the transport in its own, electromagnetically shielded enclosure, and including a dedicated power supply, your treasured discs should sound as pure as they ever have.

Of course, 'high-end' audio does tend to command a high price. But at £1999 and £999 respectively, it's very possible that the 9000A integrated amplifier and 9000CDT CD transport will deliver some serious bang for buck...

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Audiolab has launched the DC Block 6, a six-way power strip that provides individually isolated mains for your entire hi-fi. 

Designed to improve the quality of the AC electricity consumers use to power their sound systems, the DC Block 6 is the same width as an Audiolab source and amp components for simplified stacking and cable runs.

At the front is an OLED voltmeter, while around the back are six C13 IEC outlets. By connecting these outlets to the AC mains input of each audio component in your hi-fi and running a single IEC cable to connect the DC Block 6 to a standard power outlet, Audiolab says the device will remove RFI/EMI and banish ‘DC on the mains’.

‘DC on the mains’ is a problem that arises when devices on an AC circuit act as an asymmetrical load causing the voltage waveform to become offset and resulting in DC voltage on an AC supply.

Audiolab warns that many of the AC transformers commonly used in home audio equipment aren't able to tolerate the presence of significant levels of DC voltage without being compromised, affecting sonic performance and even causing audible mechanical vibration. The company claims that the Block 6 can correct DC offset and rebalance the mains sine wave by blocking DC voltage found within the AC mains supply.

Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) and Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) are separate noise issues arising from electromagnetic radiation produced by electronic devices. EMI refers to short-range interference caused by high-frequency emissions, such as those from switch mode power supplies in domestic appliances. Meanwhile, RFI is longer wavelength interference from external sources such as phones and Wi-Fi networks.

By addressing all these issues, Audiolab says that the DC Block 6 can helps audio components perform at their best, reducing a system's noise floor.

The Audiolab DC Block 6 all-in-one DC blocker and mains filter is available in black or silver from November, priced at £349 (around $395/AU$628). It comes with six IEC C14 to C13 cables to connect to system components and a cable to plug into the mains.

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If you've never heard of a 'DAC' before, you might be surprised to hear that you most likely use one everyday. DAC stands for digital-to-analogue converter and any device that delivers digital sound – such as a smartphone, laptop, a music streamer or portable music player – has one built-in.

This tiny chip converts the digital audio files handled by these devices into an analogue signal that can be heard on speakers or headphones. (If you're interested in learning more, check out our comprehensive 'What is a DAC?' explainer.)

Nowadays, digital music is everywhere with the plethora of music streaming services we have available, easily accessible from your smartphone or laptop. But despite their necessity for digital audio playback, the DACs inside these everyday, multi-tasking devices aren't able to carry out their conversion duties as accurately as possible, which has a knock-on effect on sound quality.

That is where an external dedicated DAC comes in. These slot in between your source (such as a laptop, smartphone or streamer) and headphones or speaker, and are solely committed to the conversion job, so the sound you hear is delivered more faithfully and accurately. If you want the best possible sound, upgrading your system (be it a computer-and-headphones setup or even a full separates hi-fi system) to include an external DAC is a great way to get it.

Below are the best DACs we've tested that you can currently buy, spanning portable, desktop and hi-fi options that will make the most of your listening set up and ensure you hear your music in the best quality possible. We at What Hi-Fi? pride ourselves on how we test DACs – our experienced, in-house reviews team has tested every DAC option below in real-word tests and in our dedicated listening rooms, so you can trust our advice and recommendations.

The best hi-fi DAC

Given there's no Bluetooth connectivity or headphone amplifier onboard, the Qutest’s sole purpose is to be the digital-to-analogue bridge between your digital source and amplifier. (It's the only one of this type on this page.) And it does the job brilliantly.

It's the product that lesser rivals look up to at this price point. The multi-award-winning DAC delivers a crisp, clean and concise sound, with Chord's now familiar neutral tonal balance. It takes the performance of its 2Qute predecessor and goes far beyond it, offering greater nuance, texture and space. "Notes have crisper, more distinct leading edges, carry warmth and texture in abundance, and never decay prematurely – even when forthcoming notes tumble over the top," we penned in our five-star Qutest review.

As with all decent hi-fi gear, it'll take a bit of running in time before the Qutest really starts to sing. But when it does you're in for a treat: songs are imbued with a great sense of scope, and there's warmth and texture in abundance.

The Qutest boasts Chord's trademark colour-denoting buttons which tell you which source it's drawing on: they glow white for USB-Type-B (capable of accepting 32-bit/768kHz PCM/DSD512); yellow for the first BNC coaxial and red for the second (24-bit/384kHz); and green for the optical (24-bit/192kHz/DSD64).

Quirky, sure, but undoubtedly talented and the easiest recommendation we can make for anybody who is looking to upgrade their digital hi-fi system and can afford this machine.

Read our full Chord Qutest review

The best budget portable DAC

The Go Link Max is a supercharged version of the first-gen Go Link we awarded five stars to a couple of years ago. The small price difference between the two comes in part thanks to the Max’s inclusion of a 4.4mm balanced headphone output for use with balanced headphones, complementing the standard (unbalanced) 3.5mm one.

There isn’t much difference in how much detail resolution they deliver (which is a lot more than your computer or phone will dig up), but they do sound slightly different in character, and which one you prefer will likely come down to your preference.

In our five-star Go Link Max review, our expert test team said: "The standard Go Link grants the tune more nimbleness and clarity while revealing the older model’s superior ability with vocals. For injecting the right tunes with a good deal of meaty muscle, especially at the lower end, the newer Max does dial things up a notch, but we concede that some listeners may prefer the more affordable [original] Go Link’s purer, cleaner sonic personality."

The Go Link Max is in every way a practical, portable design that is easy to carry around or keep at your desk. It consists of the main (small) DAC unit and a built-in USB-C plug connected by a short woven cable, plus two handy adapters in the box – Lightning and USB-A – so you won’t miss out if you’re using, say, an older iPhone or laptop. It supports hi-res PCM and DSD files, too. And it can deliver up to 100mW of power (single-ended) into a 32-ohm electrical load, rising to 241mW out of the balanced output, which should be enough to drive more power-hungry headphones.

It's another great portable package from iFi, who is on a roll with its affordable DACs. If you want an even more affordable option, try the new and updated iFi Go Link 2.

Read our full iFi Go Link Max review

The best premium portable DAC

The fittingly named Mojo 2 is the long-anticipated, re-engineered replacement to the 2015-released original Mojo, which burst onto the scene as a real benchmark-setting game-changer in the then-fledgling world of portable DACs/headphone amps. And while those familiar with Chord’s most affordable product will see from the accompanying image that the aesthetic hasn’t exactly been overhauled for the sequel, significant progress has been made elsewhere to protect its position as the pinnacle of portable DACs.

To quote our five-star Mojo 2 review, "we aren’t exaggerating in saying that Chord has advanced the Mojo in pretty much every sonic area. The Mojo’s soundstage has been opened up for the sequel and that extra depth and dimension has been filled with greater resolution that is not only unmistakably present thanks to a big boost in clarity but also more precisely placed."

While from a performance point of view, the multi-Award-winning Mojo 2 can just as confidently raise a hi-fi system’s game too, some of those looking for a system boost might reasonably prefer a dedicated system alternative with more suitable connections, such as the Cambridge Audio DacMagic 200M. iFi also offers a cheaper option with its GO Blu, which has the bonus of a Bluetooth connection between it and the source. But know that the Mojo 2 is undoubtedly the better performer.

For those who are after a primarily portable or desktop DAC solution in this price region, and cannot triple their budget to Chord Hugo 2 (below) territory, we believe the decision to Mojo 2 or not to Mojo 2 is far easier. And what about existing Mojo owners? Honestly, Chord has left us no choice but to recommend the upgrade.

In late 2025, Chord updated the Mojo 2's design, replacing one of the 3.5mm headphone outputs with a 4.4mm output, while a USB-C input is included for charging and data transfer. All other aspects, including sound performance and price, remain the same.

Read our full Chord Mojo 2 review

• We tested three excellent DACs in a head-to-head – and found the ultimate desktop upgrade

The best budget desktop DAC

We were huge fans of Audiolab's now discontinued, legendary Audiolab M-DAC and the D7 DAC echoes its design template and well-judged feature set, despite its smaller size and price tag. Its aluminium casework is neatly made and although the OLED display on its front display is hard to read from afar, it’s nice and crisp.

This hugely versatile desktop unit has a wide range of analogue and digital connectivity to connect to your laptop or hi-fi sources, and a 6.3mm socket for listening via headphones. Even Bluetooth aptX HD is on board, while hi-res file support is exhaustive. A key feature of its analogue outputs is a toggleable fixed/variable mode, with the latter allowing for connecting directly to a power amp, or if you wish to create a clutter-free desktop system, a set of active speakers.

During testing, we played Womack & Womack, Grinderman and Kid Cudi through it, and it soon became clear that the Audiolab is a "capable all-rounder, delivering plenty of punch and power when the music demands, but also doesn’t ignore subtleties in the process." It delivers an even-handed tonal balance, plenty of spaciousness so music never sounds cluttered, and strong stereo imaging.

Our favourite DAC at this price for many years has been the portable Chord Mojo 2, and in outright sound performance, the Mojo 2 still has the edge overall, especially when it comes to rhythmic precision and dynamics. During our review we found “the D7 handles strong dynamic shifts with fluidity, though it doesn’t quite exhibit the verve and drama of its [Chord] rival”.

The D7, however, has a wider array of connectivity options compared with the Chord. Integrating the Audiolab into a conventional hi-fi system is also far more straightforward, thanks to its balanced XLR and stereo RCA analogue outputs as opposed to finding a suitable cable for the Chord’s 3.5mm output sockets. With its logical, easy-to-understand controls, we think some will prefer how straightforward the D7 is to use compared with the Mojo 2’s convoluted buttons, too.

The Audiolab D7 is a great budget desktop DAC option for boosting your laptop-based headphones listening, but it makes just as much sense when used at the heart of a price-appropriate separates hi-fi system. However you choose to use it, you can rest assured that the D7 is a capable performer that’s worth considering.

Read our full Audiolab D7 review

The best premium desktop DAC

The superb Hugo 2 features all the inputs and outputs you could realistically require from a product of this type, including digital optical, coaxial and mini-USB. Music can also be fed to a pair of wireless headphones via aptX Bluetooth. Both 3.5mm and 6.3mm headphone outputs also feature, plus a pair of stereo RCAs to connect an amplifier. So to say it's a versatile piece of kit would be an understatement.

To say it's a decent-sounding one would be too. The Hugo 2 is a smooth, neutral listen – it doesn’t overstate, yet it doesn’t underplay. For some DACs, that could be playing it safe, but the Hugo 2 still manages to keep things interesting, creating a holistic sound: it arranges the pieces into a convincing whole where the bass is balanced against treble in the most unforced and crystal-clear manner. But its biggest talent? Timing. As we noted in our five-star Chord Hugo 2 review, "timing is perhaps Hugo 2’s strongest suit of all – it brings absolutely believable unity to ensemble music". It has the dynamic expression and insight to outmuscle excellent rivals like the SPL Diamond and NuPrime DAC-9X.

The Cambridge Audio DacMagic 200M and Chord Mojo 2 (above) are options if your budget is smaller, and you should certainly consider the next-model-up Chord Hugo TT2 if it's bigger, but there isn’t another DAC around at anywhere near this sort of price that's able to communicate so well and so effortlessly. And that's why it's a current What Hi-Fi? Award winner. We like it a lot and reckon this is the most DAC most people will ever need.

Read our full Chord Hugo 2 review

The best high-end DAC

You've reached the most capable digital-to-analogue converter we’ve ever reviewed, which may not be surprising considering the price of this thing – £26,775 / $32,800 / AU$46,995.

There is no denying that the dCS Rossini Apex DAC is hugely expensive, and in these financially turbulent times it is easy to dismiss such products simply because they cost so much. Yet, judge this DAC by performance and it’s hard to imagine how it can be bettered. The Rossini Apex DAC delivers transparency of the highest order and swept us away with the musical experience time and time again during our testing. In our five-star Rossini Apex DAC review, we said: "We’re impressed by the authority and scale of the Rossini’s presentation. It sounds solid and full-bodied in a way that digital products very rarely do. We also admire the stability, focus and layered nature of the dCS’s stereo imaging."

The Rossini’s connectivity is very good too. You have USB in both Type A and B forms along with coax, BNC coax, optical and a pair of AES/EBUs. There are no analogue inputs of course, but there are outputs in both single-ended RCA and Balanced XLR flavours. Of course, any product that sells for as much as the Rossini has to be superbly made – and it is.

Chord's DAVE and dCS's Lina are other high-end options to consider if you can't quite stretch to the Rossini, while Nagra's HD DAC/MPS will also save you a few grand. But if you’re lucky enough to even contemplate buying at this level, we envy you.

Read our full dCS Rossini Apex DAC review

How to choose the best DAC for you

Without a DAC your digital music collection is nothing but a sizeable collection of “0s and 1s” that makes sense only within the digital domain, so they play an instrumental part in making digital music worthwhile for many of us. The right dedicated DAC will give your everyday digital device or more sophisticated digital source the sonic boost it could well need, but there are different types to consider depending on your device and user requirements.

For your phone?
If you're looking to boost your mobile sound on the go, a compact USB-C dongle (with a Lightning-to-USB-C adapter, if you have an iPhone 14 or older) will do the trick nicely and discreetly as the middleman between your phone and wired headphones. Most of these portable DACs (especially from iFi) are wired to both your headphones and source, while some (like the iFi Go Blu) can connect to a source wirelessly over Bluetooth and thus take one wire out of the equation. These typically draw power from your connected source device.

For your laptop/computer?
Then there are desktop and USB-stick DACs, (such as the Chord Mojo 2 and AudioQuest DragonFly) both typically affordable and easy-to-use solutions to maximise your laptop or PC's sound, or again be used with a smartphone's USB-C port (via a dongle adapter, if necessary).

For your speaker-fronted system?
There are also more serious DACs that are designed to slot into your home hi-fi system to improve the quality of a digital source, such as the Audiolab D7. Most are geared towards headphone listening and therefore have headphone amplifiers built in. There are some models, like the Chord Qutest listed above, which are headphone-socket-less and therefore strictly designed to sit between a source and an amplifier/pair of active speakers.

File support
Most DACs nowadays support a wide range of hi-res PCM files – FLACs, for example, often up to 32-bit – but further compatibility should be considered if you wish to play or stream more niche music formats such as DSD.

Connections
In terms of connections, the simpler portable/desktop ones usually have single USB (Type A or C) inputs, although some offer additional digital inputs as well as balanced headphone connections. Whether you would benefit from them depends on your source and headphone type.

Also consider

• AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt: Stocks might be running low for this former Award-winning USB DAC, but if you can find it on sale, you should definitely consider snapping it up – this small device is simple but powerful, sounds clean and precise, while timing is excellent.
• Cambridge Audio DacMagic 200M: If you require various connectivity options, excellent file support and a solid, desktop-based DAC that is well made and easy to use, this former Award-winner's smooth, insightful sound is a decent alternative to the Audiolab D7 and portable Mojo 2.
• iFi DAC Zen V3: Successor to the Award-winning Zen V2, the new Zen remains a pleasing product, with a decent combination of performance, features and build quality for the money. The simpler AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt (listed above) sounds a bit better, though.
• NuPrime DAC-9X: While not quite as transparent as the class-leading Chords, this high-end DAC/preamp/headphone amp hardly puts a foot wrong – it still sounds terrific, is generous in the connections department and works well in a wide range of systems.
• iFi Go Link 2: A pocket-sized portable DAC ideal for boosting your smartphone and laptop's sound for a small price, and comes with useful adapters. It's a cheaper option to the Go Link Max, and delivers a clear, expressive performance.
• iFi Go Blu: If you would prefer to cut one of the two wires in your personal setup, specifically the one between your source and DAC, this neat and well-performing iFi DAC can do just that. While you'll still need to plug in your headphones, you can simply Bluetooth music from your phone/laptop to the Go Blu.

How we test DACs

The diversity of DACs, from portable models for phones to component-sized converters for high-end hi-fi systems, means that not all DACs are tested the same way at What Hi-Fi?.

The former kind are lived with and used out and about and at our office desktops, while the latter invariably passes through our state-of-the-art testing facilities in Reading, where our team of experienced, in-house reviewers tests every bit of hi-fi kit that pass through our door.

What Hi-Fi? is all about comparative testing, so we listen to every DAC we review against the current leader in its field to gauge how it compares to the best-in-class competition. We keep What Hi-Fi? Award winners and as many five-star products as we can in our stockrooms so we can always put new products against ones we know and love. We do our best to review as many new models in as many markets as possible, too, to ensure our contextual knowledge is the best it can be.

We ensure we hear every DAC at its optimum – whether it's a portable USB DAC for on-the-go use with a phone, a desktop model ideal for pairing with a laptop, or one designed to slot into a hi-fi system. Depending on the type and budget of the DAC under scrutinty, various partnering headphones and source devices are used with it to guage its performance across both real-world and ideal setups. And we play an eclectic mix of music genres and quality audio files through them. Naturally, we give them plenty of listening time (and, before that, time to run in) too.

All review verdicts are agreed upon by the team as a whole rather than an individual reviewer to eliminate any personal preference and to ensure we're being as thorough as possible. There's no input from PR companies or our sales team when it comes to the verdict, with What Hi-Fi? proud of having delivered honest, unbiased reviews for five decades.

You can read more about how we test and review products on What Hi-Fi? here.

Recent updates

• March 2026: We added the new five-star iFi Go Link 2 into our Also Consider list and updated some entries.
• January 2026: We added the five-star Audiolab D7 as our pick for the best budget desktop DAC. The outgoing AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt, along with the Cambridge Audio DacMagic 200M, were added to our Also Consider list.
• March 2025: We have removed the iFi Zen DAC V2 owing to its limited, end-of-life availability, while its just-tested successor – the four-star Zen DAC V3 – gets a spot in our Also Consider list below.
• January 2025: We've added the newly reviewed, five-star iFi Go Link Max to our list as our favourite budget portable DAC due to its excellent performance and value.
• November 2024: Our three newly crowned What Hi-Fi? Award 2024 winners have been labelled as such, though they are repeat winners from last year as no DACs submitted by manufacturers during our Awards judging season dethroned them.
• September 2024: We have added the five-star iFi Go Blu to our Also Consider list to give you the option of a DAC that can accept music over Bluetooth and therefore remove one wire from the setup equation.
• June 2024: No new entries, though watch this space for our upcoming iFi Zen DAC V3 review. The British company's just-announced Zen Blue 3 DAC also looks interesting, promising a 'world's first' for wireless audio quality from a DAC.
• May 2024: We tested the SPL Diamond and iFi hip-dac 3 this month, but while both are very good, they don't dethrone the Chord Hugo 2 and AudioQuest Cobalt respectively.
• January 2024: We added 'also consider' options to the bottom of each entry to give you more context and choice, as well as an FAQ section (below) to answer any queries you may have on digital-to-analogue converters.
• October 2023: We flagged our newly crowned What Hi-Fi? Award 2023 winners, which make up two-thirds of this buying guide list.

F.A.Q.

Today's best deals

There have never been so many different ways to listen to music. Streaming, locally stored digital files, wirelessly over Bluetooth, vinyl, CD… Music fans have never had it so good. While there’s no shortage of just-add-speakers systems to cater for all these formats, sometimes the sound quality leaves a lot to be desired – too often, it’s a case of jack of all trades, master of none.

But not with the Omnia. It’s made by Audiolab, one of the leading lights of British hi-fi with 40 years’ experience of creating iconic audiophile-grade listening gear. Offering a killer combination of versatility and high-fidelity sound quality, it will play your music however you choose to listen to it, with none of the sonic compromise such systems often entail. It’s all wrapped up in a sleek, discreet chassis, and at £1599 it costs a lot less than you would expect for such a capable system.

Audiophile specs all under one roof

Don’t think of the Audiolab Omnia as a regular multi-tasking music player or streaming amp; think of it as a collection of high-performance hi-fi separates – network streamer, CD transport, hi-res DAC, analogue preamplifier and power amplifier – all in one chassis. It’ll handle anything you throw at it – streaming via Wi-Fi and Ethernet cable, wireless playback from a mobile device over Bluetooth, turntable connectivity, CDs… the list goes on. All you have to do is add speakers.

That’s the top-line spec, but what’s really special is what’s under the hood. Audiolab has over four decades of experience designing and manufacturing award-winning streamers, CD players, DACs and amps, and the Omnia draws on all of that expertise. Its internal components are of the highest possible quality, ensuring superb sonic performance no matter what music source you’re playing.

It features a DAC stage based around the ES9038Q2M – a top-spec chipset from the eminent 32-bit Sabre family. ESS Sabre DAC technology has featured in Audiolab’s products for more than a decade, and the Omnia is the first system of its kind to implement this new-generation chipset to deliver exceptionally low noise and class-leading dynamic range.

The Omnia’s hi-res audio credentials are state of the art, supporting PCM to 32-bit/768kHz and DSD to 22.5MHz (DSD512). And its high-performance Class AB power amp stage, directly descended from Audiolab’s award-winning amplifiers, gives it the edge on the Class D circuitry in similar products, coupling engaging energy with subtlety, openness and warmth.

Sweet streams

True to its name, the Omnia offers all-encompassing streaming platform support. Spotify, Tidal, Deezer, Qobuz, Amazon Music and more are available via the Play-Fi app, not to mention a raft of internet radio stations, with hi-res streaming up to 24-bit/192kHz via Wi-Fi or Ethernet. And because it supports full MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) decoding, which is superior to the MQA rendering offered by some rival systems, it’s the perfect bedfellow to the Tidal HiFi Plus tier, which is home to hi-res MQA tracks.

Having Play-Fi onboard also means it can communicate wirelessly with other Play-Fi-compatible products from Audiolab or different brands. So, it can fit seamlessly into your multi-room set-up.

It’s also officially Roon Tested, meaning it’s compatible with the highly regarded, multi-device, multi-room music software platform. A free 60-day Roon trial is available to Omnia owners – see Audiolab’s website for details.

The Omnia supports the Play-Fi app on iOS, Android and PC, and has Amazon Alexa support for handsfree voice commands from an Alexa-equipped device. But what if streaming isn’t the only way you listen to music? What if you prefer your music formats a little more physical? Don’t worry, it has you covered there too…

For the record

The Omnia supports both vinyl and CD, and again, it does so using the full force of its audiophile credentials. It’s compatible with turntables thanks to its built-in MM phono stage, which features a high-quality, low-noise, JFET-based circuit with precise RIAA equalisation. Just hook up your turntable and enjoy.

Couldn’t bring yourself to part with your CD collection? We don’t blame you. Unlike most comparable systems, the Omnia has a built-in CD player – and it’s one that will do your discs proud. The premium-quality transport mechanism specified by Audiolab is used in CD players at twice the price, incorporating a high-precision optical system and low-friction loading tray, with a sturdy aluminium base and chassis to minimise vibration.

Well-connected

The Omnia’s versatility is further enhanced by an extensive array of cable inputs for digital and analogue sources. Two USB inputs, Type A and Type B, cater for computers, smartphones, tablets and digital storage devices, complemented by four S/PDIF digital inputs (two coaxial and two optical) and an Ethernet port for network connectivity. Four stereo RCA analogue inputs are also supplied – three line-level, plus the MM turntable input.

In addition to a set of gold-plated binding posts to connect the user’s chosen speakers, headphone fans are served by a front-mounted 6.3mm output fed by a dedicated headphone amp. Digital outputs are also provided, in optical and coaxial flavours. You can even bypass the Omnia’s separate amp stages and connect an external preamp or power amp, to make it part of a larger system.

In terms of wireless reception, the Omnia’s dual-band Wi-Fi configuration ensures strong, reliable network connectivity, while Bluetooth 5 compliance provides greater range and more robust streaming over Bluetooth than rival devices with Bluetooth 4.

Style and substance

It helps that it looks as good as it sounds. Designed in Huntingdon, England, by Audiolab’s awarding-winning team, it features a sleek aluminium enclosure with a crisp, minimalist aesthetic, available in black or silver. Inlaid into the centre of the Omnia’s front is a 4.3-inch full-colour screen that shows system settings, format data and track details, among other information. It can even be set to display a VU meter in ‘analogue’ or ‘digital’ form, showing real-time decibel levels for the left and right channels.

All you need add to the Omnia is your choice of speakers – its amp stage will drive virtually any pair you desire. Excellent options are available from Audiolab’s sister-brands Wharfedale and Mission, including What Hi-Fi? Award-winners from Wharfedale’s Diamond 12, EVO4 and Heritage ranges, and the new Mission QX MkII Series.

No other comparably priced just-add-speakers music system can match the Omnia’s versatile range of features and engaging, sophisticated sound quality across all manner of formats, from CD and vinyl to streaming via phones, tablets, computers, NAS drives and more. For music lovers seeking all-encompassing convenience without sonic compromise, it’s the perfect system choice.

Find out more about the Audiolab Omnia at Audiolab.co.uk

What’s the first thing you think of when someone says the word ‘multi-room’?

For most, we imagine it's a dedicated set-up from a single manufacturer such as Sonos or Bluesound, with its connected ecosystem of speakers, soundbars, soundbases and hi-fi components. Or perhaps you'd think of AirPlay 2, a gateway for an iOS source (Apple device) to stream music to multiple compatible products.

If you want to mix and match from multiple manufacturers, cherry-picking devices in order to get the best performance and fit for each room, DTS Play-Fi could be an option worth looking into. The app-controlled, wireless, multi-room platform has been licensed to several hi-fi brands and consequently sits at the functionality core of excellent streaming products such as the What Hi-Fi? Award winning Audiolab 6000N Play (pictured below) and five-star Arcam rPlay music streamers.

It claims to provide “premium wireless audio for every room of your house”, and works across a wide array of products. So, let’s take a look at what it does, how it does it and what products utilise it...

• Multi-room audio: everything you need to know

What is DTS Play-Fi?

DTS Play-Fi is, at the most fundamental level, a platform and app that lets you connect and control various hi-fi devices together in order to stream audio from one to another. This can be within one room for a multi-channel set-up, or across multiple rooms in your home. Multi-room aside, it can just be used to facilitate network streaming in one standalone product.

The range of compatible devices includes portable wireless speakers, stereo systems, A/V tuners, preamps, amplifiers, music streamers and media servers – all of which can be managed on your smartphone, tablet, PC or TV via the dedicated app. DTS Play-Fi launched in 2012 and originally its app was only available only on Android. But now its dedicated control app is available on iOS, Kindle Fire (the operating system on Amazon’s Fire tablets) and Windows PCs too, as well as on TVs.

On Windows, however, there are two varieties of Play-Fi app: a free version and a “Play-Fi HD” version. The latter costs $14.95 (approximately £10), which buys you a code for from the DTS online store and ultimately gives you greater control over your audio as well as higher quality. 

• Best multi-room systems 2021
• Best multi-room speakers 2021

How does it work?

Download the app and you should quickly see a list of available devices. Tap to select it, then choose audio from a number of sources including Amazon Music (including Amazon Music HD), Tidal, Deezer, Spotify and Qobuz, as well as internet radio stations via iHeartRadio, SirusXM and Radio.com. Apple Music is not available on the service at the moment.

Some DTS Play-Fi-compatible products will also support AirPlay and AirPlay 2, Apple’s simple method of streaming audio and video directly from iPhones, iPads and other devices. However, this isn’t available in every DTS Play-Fi product; it's the manufacturer's decision whether to implement it or not. Similarly, that's the case with Google Chromecast and Spotify Connect.

You can configure two separate speakers into a stereo pairing – one playing the left channel audio, the other playing the right – using the app, or (if you have at least six DTS Play-Fi compatible products) create a 5.1 surround-sound system.

Those speaker groups can then be designated as ‘Zones’, which allows you to delegate music to different rooms of your house. For example, you could have a Tidal stream going to the speakers in your living room while a Deezer stream plays in the bedroom.

A new companion app, called DTS Play-Fi Headphones, also lets you stream audio from select DTS Play-Fi-connected products (soundbars, stereo amps and speakers) to a pair of headphones over wi-fi. DTS claims the wi-fi connection is better than Bluetooth headphones (which can introduce latency issues) and its AV synchronisation technology means there shouldn't be any syncing issues between picture and audio when watching TV.

To use it, you have to connect your wired headphones to your smartphone or tablet with the app on it, up to four people can be connected to one stream, and users can even listen at different volumes. The free app is available on iOS and Android.

• Best music streaming services 2021 

Does DTS Play-Fi support hi-res music?

DTS Play-Fi will play MP3, M4A, AAC, FLAC, WAV and AIFF files. They can be streamed up to a 16-bit/48kHz resolution limit without compression – anything bigger will be compressed by default.

However, this can be changed using the service’s Critical Listening mode, which lets you stream 24-bit/192kHz music across your wi-fi network. A word of warning, though: since those files are generally pretty large (many of our hi-res music files are between 30MB and 70MB per track, compared to 3.5MB for the average MP3 file) and thus require greater bandwidth to stream, DTS advises using a wired connection for more reliable performance.

• High-resolution audio: everything you need to know

Which products support DTS Play-Fi?

Among the vast array of products supporting DTS Play-Fi are soundbars, systems and speakers from – deep breath – Audiolab, Anthem, Arcam, Aerix, Definitive Technology, Integra, Klipsch, MartinLogan, McIntosh, Onkyo, Paradigm, Philips, Polk, Quad, Rotel, Phorus, Pioneer and Sonus faber.

Most recently, product announcements include the Quad Artera Solus Play streaming system, a range of Philips audio kit and TVs, and kit by Porsche Design.

You can see the full list of supported brands here.

• Best music streamers 2021
• How to add a streamer to your hi-fi system

How many products can you connect using DTS Play-Fi?

In the words of The Notorious B.I.G., the sky’s the limit. You could theoretically connect as many products as you like together, but DTS recommends a maximum of 32 Play-Fi devices per home network, lest performance start to suffer.

Up to 16 Play-Fi products can stream the same song, whether that’s from your phone, tablet, or Windows PC. You can designate a maximum of four zones, with each zone streaming audio from a different source.

Up to eight people can use the same wi-fi network to stream songs using DTS Play-Fi (provided they’re all using different devices).

• Adding a music streamer to my hi-fi system has been a revelation (and a frustration)

Does DTS Play-Fi support voice control?

In a word, yes. DTS Play-Fi supports voice control most exhaustively via Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant. This functionality is available in two ways: “integration of Alexa Voice Services” (which is for products with the Alexa voice assistant built-in) or, most commonly, “Works with Alexa” (which means you’ll be able to control Alexa-based music streams on DTS Play-Fi products via an Echo device).

Play-Fi-connected smart speakers such as the Onkyo P3, Pioneer F4 and Phorus PS10 have integrated Alexa, so you can shout commands at it just as you would Amazon's own Echo speakers.

To use Alexa with other Play-Fi products (such as those from McIntosh or Martin Logan – basically anything without microphones built in) you'll need to ask any of the above smart speakers or an Echo or Dot to play music, which it will then do across the rest of your Play-Fi products. There's a long list of Works with Alexa-supporting DTS Play-Fi products, which we can be found here. 

Speaking of Alexa, DTS Play-Fi products now support Alexa Cast, allowing users to send and control music directly from the Amazon Music app to them. See compatible products here.

How about Apple's Siri voice assistant? Music playback on Play-Fi products that support AirPlay 2 can be started via voice commands to Siri or to a HomePod. Alternatively, users can use spoken commands to add AirPlay 2 speakers into a group with a HomePod or even transfer music playback from the HomePod to other AirPlay 2 products in the home.

• Amazon Echo smart speakers: which Alexa speaker should you buy?
• Best smart speakers 2021

What are the DTS Play-Fi alternatives?

Many other companies offer their own services to connect up audio kit – controlled through bespoke apps. Sonos is the obvious standout in that respect – its multi-room speakers routinely win What Hi-Fi? Awards for ease of use and excellent support of numerous streaming services, plus exclusive features such as Sonos Trueplay.

Streaming products from the likes of Naim, Linn, Audio Pro, B&O and Bose (and many more) use their own streaming apps, while Bluesound, NAD, Dali use the shared BluOS platform, and Denon and Marantz use the shared HEOS platform.

Then there's arguably the most ubiquitous platforms: Apple AirPlay 2 and Google Chromecast, which have been integrated across a huge variety of wireless products, allowing you to mix-and-match products in your streaming household.

One thing's for sure, it's no longer difficult to make a multi-room audio system. If anything, it's just harder to choose which of the many paths to go down.

While we would always hesitate to bet on a product’s fate before we had spent time with it, the odds are stacked in favour of the Audiolab 600A Play's success. That's because the streaming amplifier essentially combines the company’s five-star 6000A integrated amp (£599 / AU$1,599) and Award-winning 6000N Play (£449 / AU$1,099) network streamer in a single chassis.

A recipe for success on the face of it, the 6000A Play borrows the 6000A’s amplifier circuitry and marries it with the 6000N Play’s wi-fi streaming technology, which is based on the established DTS Play-Fi platform. 

The result: a just-add-speakers system that can stream music from services like Tidal, Spotify, Amazon Music, Deezer and Qobuz, a DLNA-compatible networked server or, via Bluetooth, a smartphone, as well as accommodate external sources such as a CD player, TV or turntable thanks to its digital, phono and line-level analogue inputs.

The DTS platform on which the 6000A Play’s streaming experienced is based allows for hi-res playback up to 24-bit/192kHz, in a wireless multiroom capacity that allows the connection of up to 32 Play-Fi-equipped devices. All you need is the DTS Play-Fi control app. By linking the amplifier with any Alexa-supporting smart speaker in the app, it can also be voice-controlled.

Audiolab has worked hard to squeeze the absolute best performance out of the 6000A Play’s Sabre32 DAC chips, carefully choosing op-amps for the post-DAC active filter circuitry that work particularly well with the chips. For all digital audio signals, users can choose between three digital filters - ‘Fast Roll-Off’, ‘Slow Roll-Off’ and ‘Minimum Phase’ – to optimise performance according to the source and partnering equipment.

Similar care has been taken in the analogue stages: the protected preamp section has been kept as simple as possible, with line input signals passing straight to an analogue volume stage, while independent low-noise power supplies for each critical stage have been used to reduce interference and enhance performance.

The 6000A Play’s phono stage has also been upgraded over the 6000A’s to deliver even better sound quality. And joining the 50-watt-per-channel Class AB power amp stage is a dedicated headphone amplifier for listening through cans, too.

The Audiolab 6000A Play is available from July in a choice of silver or black, at an RRP of £799 (Australian pricing yet to be announced). We look forward to seeing how it stacks up against the current class leader in the sub-£1000 just-add-speakers system category, the Marantz PM7000N.

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Had Einstein still been alive today, we could just picture him drawing up his next quantum physics theory while listening to the Audiolab 6000N Play

Audiolab’s first standalone music streamer would certainly have fitted Einstein’s philosophy that a ‘simple and unassuming manner of life is best for everyone’ – aesthetically, the 6000N Play is as unassuming as hi-fi streamers come, with a screen-less, largely unadorned chassis that gives nothing of its vast network talents away.

But behind that modest façade, the 6000N Play has every right to exude an air of quiet confidence. It arrives as the third component in its mid-range 6000 Series, following the five-star 6000A integrated amplifier and the 6000CDT CD transport, borrowing tech and features from both of its slightly older siblings.

Features

The 6000N Play uses the same DAC chip (ES9018 Sabre32 Reference) found in the 6000A amplifier (and the company’s Award-winning M-DAC), which we’ve previously praised for its ability to present a capable and composed sound. 

It features ESS Technology’s Time Domain Jitter Eliminator, which works to analyse and algorithmically correct the input signal to improve timing. The 6000N Play’s circuit design borrows from the 6000CDT in its isolated power supply and toroidal transformer.

With the talents of the 6000 Series siblings stopping short of network streaming smarts, the 6000N Play is left to create its own heart and soul. However, the foundation of its streaming experience is based on another’s creation, DTS’s Play-Fi hi-res, multi-room platform.

Having Play-Fi at its software core means that when connected to a network through ethernet or its dual-band wi-fi, the 6000N Play can access services such as Spotify Connect, Tidal, HDtracks, Deezer, Qobuz, Amazon Music, Napster, TuneIn, iHeartRadio and SiriusXM. 

It also means it can stream hi-res music files up to 24-bit/192kHz from networked servers, thanks to DLNA and UPnP compliance. It can also connect wirelessly with up to 32 other Play-Fi-equipped devices for a multi-room set-up. 

The gateway to all these functions is the DTS Play-Fi control app. We have used this platform before with the Award-winning Arcam rPlay, and can confidently say its well-equipped streaming smarts are backed by an intuitive, stable experience. 

Access your music services, adjust volume and control a multi-room environment via the home screen, and as you voyage deep into a streaming service catalogue, pressing the DTS logo returns you home, while, another press returns you back to your last point of in-app navigation.

You’ll also notice a Hi-Res logo, which engages the all-important Critical Listening Mode necessary to enable high-resolution music playback. As Play-Fi is a universal multi-room platform that can connect rooms full of Play-Fi products together, the software downsamples hi-res files to CD quality (16-bit/48kHz) by default to maintain stream and bandwidth performance.

For those with single DTS Play-Fi products, or just a few connected, who are naturally prioritising optimum sound quality over bandwidth juggling, Critical Listening Mode scraps that downsampling process, enabling the full transmission of every bit and sample frequency.

Build

While using a third-party platform largely means conforming to a ubiquitous, one-size-fits-all experience, Audiolab and DTS have worked to create a custom 6000N Play feature by way of six on-unit presets.

You can assign a preset for whatever is currently playing by simply holding down one of the six preset buttons on the unit’s facade. It’s much quicker and easier than using the app to navigate, and means you can come home from a day’s work, turn on your hi-fi, and be listening to Radio 6 Music with a single press of a button. 

So far, so good, however selecting a preset often throws out app synchronicity so you have to start all over again when you want to change songs or sources. It’s an example of when hardware (presets) and software (app control) functions should get along better, but is a hiccup rather than a disaster.

A recent software update has brought ‘Works with Alexa’ support, allowing audio playback to be controlled via voice commands to an Amazon Echo speaker or Alexa-enabled device.

Sound

But all those troubles, as Paul McCartney might say, seem so far away when you’re settled into a radio station, playlist or album. So we play Big Thief’s Cattails and the Audiolab reveals a wide-open canvas, colouring it with well-imaged detail lavished with a welcome amount of subtlety and space.

It has the insight to capture the band’s trademark quality – Adrianne Lenker’s distinct vocal is carried with stark clarity, acoustic finger-picking is tangible, and there’s the dynamic interest to convey the subtle eruptions in its folky flair as well as the song’s inevitable build as it creeps slowly towards a dense, frenetic climax. 

As we play Orange with Lenker’s honest, exposed vocal as the centrepiece, the 6000N Play puts its articulacy and transparency to the greater good to lay down the vulnerabilities in her quivering delivery.

The Audiolab doesn’t quite knit music strands together as tightly as the 2018-Award-winning Bluesound Node 2i, nor does it have the warmth we were instantly drawn to with its rival, but with greater clarity, openness and a down-the-middle tonal balance, it proves the more insightful and involving listen.

It’s not as if the 6000N Play is unpunctual or not musically on the money. As we bring our listening to an upbeat close, the New Pornographers’ Champions Of Red Wine is driven with pace and precision as the drumbeat thrums away and the melodic electronica cascades. Consider us agreeably entertained.

Verdict

While music streaming has earned its hold on the music industry and subsequent ubiquity in manufacturer’s hi-fi catalogues, understandably not everybody is ready to consign their other source components to the bin. And the Audiolab 6000N Play, with its price, unassuming design and streaming features, doesn’t ask you to.

The Play is a great, affordable way to implement streaming into your system without compromising sonic quality – and with the added bonus of being able to slip into your hi-fi rack inconspicuously. Quite frankly, it’s the best budget solution we’ve had the pleasure of meeting.

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Features 5
• Build 4

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Read our Audiolab 6000A review

Read our Bluesound Node 2i review

It’s not often we come across a new stereo amplifier that is able to challenge the Award-winning Rega Brio. But the Audiolab 6000A takes the fight straight to the formidable Rega – our reigning champion when it comes to mid-priced stereo amplifiers.

This is the most affordable amp Audiolab has produced in recent years, and also one of its most capable, confident and competitive efforts.

Features

The Audiolab 6000A uses Class A/B amplification, with a claimed power of 50W per channel into 8 ohms. The pre-amplifier section is kept as simple as possible to maintain signal integrity, while the layout aims to keep noise interference and distortion down to a minimum. There are also independent power supplies for critical stages of the circuit, and a dedicated headphone amplifier that uses current-feedback circuitry.

Audiolab has paid special attention to the digital circuitry of the amplifier, with the 6000A using technology derived from the top-range 8300A series. It even uses the same DAC chip (ES9018) as previous Award-winner, the Audiolab M-DAC.

The 6000A has four digital inputs – two apiece for optical and coaxial – and all are capable of playing up to 24-bit/192kHz hi-res audio files. There are also three line level analogue connections and a pair of moving magnet phono inputs. It has Bluetooth, too. A 6.3mm headphone port is mounted on the front panel, alongside a large easy-to-read display and rotary dials for analogue volume, input and mode selectors.

Build

The amp mirrors the same design as its 8300A sibling, with the metal casing available in silver or black finishes. Build quality is of a high standard. The 6000A feels solid and neatly finished with its rounded corners and sturdy aluminium front panel.

The control dials turn smoothly and responsively, and selecting the sub-menu options (balance, digital filters, operating modes) is simple enough using either the physical dial or sleek remote control.

As a nod to the original 8000A amplifier, Audiolab has included the ability to switch between three modes. Select which mode you want in the menu and you can switch the 6000A between integrated, pre-amplifier and power amp configurations.

Sound

We listen to the Audiolab 6000A in its primary role – as an integrated stereo amplifier – and are taken with how clean and articulate it sounds. It has a gorgeous sense of clarity and ample detail, leaving you listening to your music library comfortably for hours on end.

The 6000A follows the lilting vocals and delicate tone of The Unthanks’ My Laddie Sits Ower Late Up effortlessly, gliding along the tracks with a nimble footed assuredness. Voices cut through with emotion and nuance.

The edges of each note are crisp and punctual. Piano notes land with satisfying weight, bass is pulled taut, and strings are bowed with conviction – it’s a wonderfully confident performance.

But the 6000A isn’t all about refinement. Give it something with a charging rhythm, such as Amanda Palmer’s Runs In The Family with its underlying staccato beat, and the amp doesn’t pause for breath. It keeps the momentum going at a snappy pace – something amps twice the price don’t always manage.

The presentation is large and airy (more so than on its rival Rega Brio), giving instruments plenty of space to flaunt their wares. You can listen to this amp pretty loud, too – very little hardness creeps in when you turn the volume up high.

The expressive Rega Brio offers more texture and punch on grittier tracks compared with Audiolab’s refined and spacious character. Both presentations are appealing, and which one you prefer will be down to personal taste.

The Audiolab’s clean, crisp presentation comes through across the analogue and digital inputs alike. The DAC inside the 6000A is of a good standard, and it’s impressive to hear such a capable and composed sound at this price.

If you’re using the digital input, you get the option of three digital filters (slow roll-off, fast roll-off and minimum phase). We like ‘slow roll-off’ the best, but it’s worth experimenting with all three to find which works best with your partnering equipment.

Of course we can’t forget the convenience of Bluetooth. The 6000A pairs swiftly with our iPhone, and being able to stream songs in a flash is a bonus for a product of this kind. There’s the expected drop in quality when using Bluetooth, but the sonic character remains much the same.

Verdict

It will take a lot to knock the all-analogue Regia Brio off its perch, but we can see plenty of appeal in the Audiolab’s refined presentation and range of digital features.

With both amplifiers costing £599, anyone in the market for a new stereo amplifier is now spoilt for choice. The Audiolab 6000A is an excellent amplifier that takes the fight to a formidable class leader.

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Features 5
• Build 5

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Some acts are tougher to follow than others. For every tough-act-followed-with-aplomb like Kasper Schmeichel there’s a Jordi Cruyff.

Audiolab’s M-DAC+ (or M-DAC Plus) has a long shadow from which to emerge: the original five-star Audiolab M-DAC was one of our favourite pound-for-pound DACs for half a decade, with handfuls of What Hi-Fi? Award trophies and an enviable legacy that still has us fondly remembering and recommending the long-discontinued product, if you can find one.

The M-DAC+ has big shoes to fill, and they fill it comfortably.

Video review

Build & design

The moniker ‘+’ is a confident start, and at first glance it’s easy to see why it’s appropriate. The Audiolab M-DAC+ is a bigger proposition than its famous forebear in every direction; it’s like a DAC that’s treated itself to a loft extension. It’s probably still just about a viable candidate for the role of ‘desktop’ DAC, as long as your desktop is free of clutter.

Apart from the additional bulk, the M-DAC+ doesn’t stray too far from the build-quality and finish template established by the original 2011-released M-DAC, which can only be a good thing.

The M-DAC+ is smoothly and sturdily constructed, impeccably finished and comes complete with a very acceptable remote control – palm-sized but robust and responsive. Aesthetically it’s matched with Audiolab’s recent 8300-series components, with a central OLED display and a pair of rotary knobs for input selection and volume control.

As far as perceived value goes, the M-DAC+ looks and feels like every penny of its premium price ticket. It is available in silver or black finishes.

Features & connections

It’s been ‘plussed’ in terms of specification, too. The coaxial and optical digital inputs (there are a pair of each) can handle 24-bit/192kHz hi-res music files, and the USB type-B socket is good for hi-res audio files as hefty as 32-bit/384kHz PCM and supports DSD64/128/256 files too.

There’s a USB type-A connection for Apple products (iPhones from 5 onwards, iPads from theMini 2) and an AES/EBU balanced digital input for those with pro-studio aspirations.

Outputs include stereo RCA, naturally, a pair of XLRs, coaxial and optical digital, and a 6.3mm headphone socket. So while it could just about see service as a headphones-based desktop device, it’s ready to slot into full systems, big or small.

The original M-DAC was a tweaker’s paradise, with no fewer than seven filter settings available. Each made a subtle but definite adjustment to the sound, and effectively rendered the M-DAC a much more bespoke proposition than its nominal rivals.

For the M-DAC+ the filter count is up to a giddy eleven, with the additional four options applying to DSD audio.

One area of specification that remains resolutely unfiddled-with in the M-DAC+ is the DAC chipset itself. The ESS Sabre32 9018 remains extremely well regarded, and is consequently carried over unchanged from the M-DAC.

Sound quality

We start by examining the M-DAC+’s filter options. Like the M-DAC, the + has seven distinct filter settings for PCM files and, as with the M-DAC, we find we favour the Optimal TransientXD option – it offers the best balance between timing, organisation and attack.

Unlike the M-DAC, however, we also are impressed by the sound via the Minimum Phase setting – it’s a smaller, tighter-knit presentation than Optimal TransientXD but offers a little more attack and dynamism.

In any event, we are unable to find a genre or source of music that isn’t best suited to one of these two filter positions.

So with the knotty filter issue resolved, we settle in for a long, critical listen.

Starting with CD-quality 16-bit/44.1kHz WAV files of Johnny Cash’s One, Boards of Canada’s Aquarius and I Remember A Time When Once You Used To Love Me by Dirty Three, we’re impressed across the board by the Audiolab’s ability to establish a wide and, above all, believable soundstage.

It’s an overtly neat and tidy listen – not quite OCD in its fanatical delineation of the soundstage but nevertheless very concerned with making sure it’s as explicit as possible. That’s a trait we wholly admire, and few other comparably priced DACs describe a stage quite as explicitly as the M-DAC+.

Even the densest, busiest recordings are laid out openly – in terms of staging, focus and sheer three-dimensionality, the Audiolab dishes out the details like a bar room gossip.

It’s equally painstaking when it comes to timbre. The Johnny Cash recording is a pretty simple, sparse affair with a fairly close-mic’d vocal, and the M-DAC+ manages to reveal the fine details and subtle variations in sounds like it was the easiest thing in the world.

Timing is good, with the interplay and integration between instruments sounding natural and unforced. It’s rhythmically adept too, handling the lazy Boards of Canada beat with ease.

It’s a gratifyingly egalitarian device. It doesn’t look down its nose when we switch to a poverty-spec, 256kbps iTunes-derived file of David Axelrod’s London (it grants the tune as much breathing space as is available and continues to focus well), and neither is it exposed when we move to 24-bit/192kHz files of Elvis Costello & The Attractions’ Man Out Of Time.

The more information-rich the file, the more information the Audiolab M-DAC+ hands over, combining authority with fluent musicality in a way that encourages further listening.

It’s a similarly confident, authoritative performer when listening via the headphone socket. This Audiolab’s talent for staging, focus and detail retrieval is even more apparent when using an appropriately capable pair of wired headphones.

Nothing’s perfect though, obviously, and the M-DAC+ is no exception. For all its powers of organisation, rhythmic assurance and unflustered attention to detail, we would ideally like just a touch more drive and attack when recordings really demand it.

It describes the shift from ‘very quiet’ to ‘very loud’ in a recording like The White Stripes’ Ball And Biscuit in a detailed and agile manner, but the last scintilla of the aggression the tune thrives on is fractionally underplayed. We find we wonder how the M-DAC+ would handle itself in a mosh-pit.

Ultimately, though, that’s nit-picking. Everything the M-DAC+ does well – and it does an awful lot well – it does really very well indeed.

Verdict

The Audiolab M-DAC+ gets an awful lot right – so much, in fact, it comfortably justifies its ‘+’ designation.

Lavishly detailed, fastidiously organised and elegantly straight-edged in its sound, it demands an audition even today.

First reviewed: June 2016. Review updated: February 2025.

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Audiolab has launched the 8200P AV processor, an analogue/digital preamplifier and surround sound processor that looks to focus on sound quality over specifications.

The successor to the Audiolab 8000AP preamp/processor, the new 8200AP is a 7.1-channel machine with four HDMI 1.4 inputs and one output and support for 3D video pass-through.

There's decoding support for all the usual SD audio formats but no onboard decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio.

Audiolab points out that as all Blu-ray players are required to decode these formats as standard, it's a cost effective measure not to add this functionality to the 8200AP.

Instead Audiolab has focused on circuit design and components, such as the Cirrus Logic CS494003 Dual DSPs, which take care of surround sound decoding and LPCM processing.

These are joined by eight 24-bit/192kHz Delta-Sigma DACs, four-layer PCB design to minimise potential interference between components and a new jitter reduction circuit for audio over HDMI.

As well as the four HDMI inputs, there are three digital coaxial inputs, four optical digital inputs, five RCA phono analogue inputs and eight (7.1 bypass) analogue inputs.

The one HDMI output is joined by one optical digital output, eight (7.1) RCA phono outputs, one RCA phono tape out and one composite video output.

Unlike the 8000AP, the 8200AP has a new Direct Mode allowing analogue signals to bypass the digital processing section, while there's also a 7.1-channel bypass allowing digital sources such as SACD to avoid any signal processing.

Also new is an OLED display, which promises brighter, clearer characters.

The Audiolab 8200AP preamp/processor is available now in a black or silver finish and retails at £1250.

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