Description
7000A
Outwardly resembling the sequential series and therefore offering a brand-wide visual aesthetic match, the Audiolab 7000A improves on the 6000A with a genuine 70 W per channel output, a new DAC, a new full-colour IPS LCD screen and more besides.
Nestled between the 6000 and 9000 series, the Audiolab 7000 series fuses premium traits into a pricing category that follows the mantra of class-leading performance.
More compact than the 9000 series, it maintains crisp ergonomics, high-quality engineering, a useful range of facilities and an excellent all-around acoustic performance and connectivity.
The 7000A features a discrete Class AB power amp stage, delivering 70W per channel into eight ohms, with a maximum current delivery of 9A amps into difficult loads. A new standard in Audiolab amplifiers, the output stage of the discrete power amp circuits uses a CFB (Complementary Feedback) topology, ensuring superior linearity and excellent thermal stability, as the idle current is kept independent of the temperature of the output transistors.
Critically specified by Jan Ertner (lead engineer for the Audiolab brand), the newly developed power supply features a substantial 250 VA toroidal transformer, followed by 4 x 15000 uF reservoir capacity (60000uF in total), helps the amp to maintain firm control of the music whilst enabling excellent dynamic range.
Huge Connectivity
Whatever the input source – analogue, digital, wireless or TV – the 7000A has been crafted to the same level of detail one has come to expect from Audiolab, all with the latest tech to be fully equipped to cover many bases. Despite this, it maintains a price point that keeps the Audiolab brand at the forefront of quality home audio.
Dual analogue inputs cater for CD players and line-level sources, dual Coax and SPDIF inputs expand this for the digital sources while a Bluetooth aptX receiver serves up a solution for wireless audio playback and smart devices.
Following the growing trend for direct living room integration of premium audio electronics, and therefore more in tune as the centrepiece of your home audio system, the 7000A takes connectivity to a new dimension with a built-in Audio Return Channel (ARC) connection for use with screens. This brings the Audiolab dynamic to TV-app based music playback and home theatre. There is also a direct-to-computer connection via USB.
As is standard with Audiolab integrated amplifiers, the 7000A reaffirms the natural integration and synergy with an ESS ES9038Q2M chip. Improving on the 6000A with this latest iteration and taking learnings from the 9000A, the 7000A utilises ESS Technology’s 32-bit HyperStream architecture and Time Domain Jitter Eliminator.
Three Operational Modes
7000A offers three distinct operational modes which reflect its discrete internal architecture. The primary mode is ‘Integrated’ – this combines the pre and power amp stages, for the connection of digital and analogue sources to the amp’s inputs and a pair of speakers to its binding posts.
Pre-Power Mode disconnects the pre and power amp stages. The allows the 7000A to be used solely as a power amp, perhaps connected to the AV processor in a home cinema system. It also enables additional signal processing to be added, by connecting the 7000A’s preamp out socket to an external processor, then returning the processor’s output to the amp’s power amp in socket.
Finally, Pre Mode disables the power amp stage, turning the 7000A into a standalone DAC/preamp. This enables external power amplification to be added, thus providing a possible upgrade path.
Digital Decoding
As with the 9000A, the 7000A uses a post-DAC filter based upon Class A topology and proprietary DC-coupled high-gain electronic amp designs to deliver ultra-low noise and high dynamic range for the digital audio connoisseur.
7000A also delivers full decoding of MQA, the hi-res streaming technology from a custom-engineered MQA-certified DAC solution. This means that the complete three unfold decoding process is performed internally, as opposed to just the final unfold (in the manner of an MQA renderer). This makes the 7000A an excellent system choice for subscribers to Tidal’s HiFi Plus tier where Tidal Masters (MQA) content can be found.
The 7000A features a further improved phono stage for moving magnet phono cartridges. This uses an improved version of the high-quality, low noise MM Phono circuit and precise RIAA equalisation. A premium quality headphone amplifier is also included to round off the substantial feature set.
Features
- Integrated stereo amplifier with hi-res DAC.
- Class AB power amplification.
- 2 x 70 Watts into 8 Ohms.
- DAC stage based around new-generation ES9038Q2M Sabre chipset.
- Supports PCM to 32-bit / 768 kHz, DSD 64 / 128 / 256 / 512 and full MQA decoding.
- Digital upsampling and five user-selectable DAC reconstruction filters.
- ClassA post-DAC active filter.
- Bluetooth 5 streaming with aptX HD support.
- Certified Roon Tested.
- High-quality MM phono stage.
- Dedicated current-feedback headphone amp.
- Three operational modes: Integrated Mode / Pre-Power Mode / Pre Mode.
- 2.8-inch colour IPS LCD display.
Connections
- Inputs:
- 1x USB Type B digital (768 kHz)
- 4 x S/PDIF digital (192 kHz)
- 1 x HDMI ARC
- 4 x stereo RCA analogue (3 x line, 1 x MM phono)
- 1 x stereo RCA power amp in
- 1 x USB Type A for firmware updates
- 1 x 12 V trigger
- Outputs:
- Gold-plated speaker binding posts
- 1 x 6.3cmm headphone out
- 1cx stereo RCA preamp out
- 1 x 12 V trigger
Included
- Power Cord.
- Remote Control.
- User Manual.
- Antennas.
Full Audiolab Range Available
Unilet Sound & Vision are official retail partners for Audiolab, providing sales, advice and assistance on their entire range of high-quality products. Please do get in touch if you would like a demonstration or wish to purchase.
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