AUDIOLAB 6000A PLAY REVIEW - PRODUCT OF THE YEAR 2021
AUDIOLAB 6000A PLAY REVIEW BY ANDREW ROBINSON. ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED OCTOBER 23, 2021.
THE UNSUCK IT BUTTON OF AMPLIFIERS
The Audiolab 6000A Play is a stereo integrated amplifier that churns out 50 Watts per channel into 8 Ohms and 75 Watts into 4. This Class AB amp is full of goodies with analog, digital and wireless connectivity options. It has a built-in moving magnet phono preamp, as well as a pair of preamp outs for use with a separate amplifier or subwoofer. The Play is unique among integrated amplifiers in that if you want to add a separate, third party amplifier down the road, you can turn the Audiolab into a dedicated preamp by activating its preamp operational mode. This completely disconnects the power amplifier from the signal chain. The Play has a pair of coaxial and optical digital inputs which are tied to the built-in Sabre32 DAC. You can stream music with an Ethernet connection or wirelessly. Speaking of wireless tech, you can stream music using Bluetooth or with services like Spotify, TIDAL, Amazon Music, Qobuz and more through the DTS Play-Fi App, which is supported by both Apple and Android devices, and enables the Play to be a part of a whole home audio setup. If you need a more detailed spec breakdown please check out our links in the description.
BEST SPEAKERS FOR THE AUDIOLAB
Getting up and running is pretty straightforward. We connected a LOT of loudspeakers to this amp, ranging from affordable to cost-no-object; for example the 6000A Play worked well with our Monitor Audio Bronze 100s on up to the brand new PSB Synchrony T600 towers at $8,000. But our favorite pairings included our Klipsch Heritage loudspeakers --both the Heresy and Forte IVs --as well as the Heco Aurora 700, Dynaudio Evoke 20, the Texas made High Moon speakers we just reviewed, the Sonus Faber Lumina IIs and a new pair of open baffle loudspeakers from Decware.
Klipsch Heritage Forte IV speakers. Photo credit: Andrew Robinson
OTHER SOURCES USED
Pro-Ject Debut Pro • AudioTechnica LP140 • Ortofon 2M Black Beethoven
I even used our Sony TV via an optical cable, allowing the Play to be the centerpiece of a 2.1 home theater. I loved this set up a lot! I used our Arylic S50Pro+ to test the Play’s DAC further, but ultimately ended up relying heavily on the DTS Play-Fi app on my iPhone streaming directly to the Audiolab. Yeah, I know, I could listen in even higher quality when not streaming music wirelessly, but the functionality of the DTS Play-Fi app was so good and I really just loved the convenience. The sound quality of the Audiolab when listening to streaming music --either wired or wirelessly -- was so good that the source didn’t really matter!
about the Audiolab sound
I had ZERO expectations going into this review because to be honest, I knew next to nothing about Audiolab. Happily, I can say that the 6000A Play is insanely impressive. This is an incredibly capable amplifier. While it may only have 50 Watts of power at its disposal, the control it has over EVERY loudspeaker we connected to it, I would’ve swore this amp was way, WAY more powerful. The Audiolab, more so that maybe any other amp we’ve reviewed this year, has been able to slot into the signal chain and make every speaker sound their very best without fail. This is an incredibly neutral and resolute amplifier, though it isn’t boring like the neutrality of the NAD M33. The Audiolab has a punch and presence to its delivery that keeps things engaging without altering instruments or vocal timbres.
Starting with the bass, the 6000A’s control over a speaker’s woofers is impressive. Bass is very well dampened, controlled, firm, and textural. In a lot of ways the bass performance of this smallish integrated reminded me a lot of my old MarkLevinson No. 432 and 433 amplifiers - the bass is rich, organic and full of detail with depth that always feels “right” without being too bombastic or enhanced like Krell’s of the past. If you’re a fan of rock music, especially bands like Tool, you should definitely put the Audiolab on your list. You’ll be shocked by how much detail and definition this little amp has down low when playing the hard stuff! Oh, and the Play’s low bass chops are on full display at virtually ALL volumes!
6000A PLAY MIDRANGE
In terms of midrange, again, similar to my old Levinson amps, the Audiolab is neutral but with a hint of body. There isn’t a sudden leanness as you transition from the bass performance up into the midrange and as a result instruments and artists retain a truer sense of scale, not to mention dimension because, like with the bass, the Audiolab’s midrange is very detailed! This amp nails inflection. I love listening to music through this amp. It GETS IN THERE and resolves the most subtle cues with ease. Case in point, when listening to “I Want You” from Savage Garden, a song I’ve listened to a thousand times, I could quite literally count the vocal stems that were layered one on top of the next throughout the chorus. I heard five distinct stems during this track and when I reached out to Darren to confirm if I was correct or at least close, he replied “you’re absolutely correct.” I’m not sure I’ve ever been able to do that with ANY other amplifier.
Audiolab 6000A Play. Photo credit: Andrew Robinson
WHAT THE AUDIOLAB PLAY DOES BEST
As for the Audiolab’s high frequency performance, it’s GREAT. This may be one of the Play’s best attributes. It isn’t THE MOST extended or forward, making it a great fit for a lot of speakers --especially those with horn loaded or brighter tweeters like our Klipsch Heritage speakers and Sonus Faber Lumina IIs. Don’t get me wrong, the Audiolab’s treble is still airy and very delicate but it doesn’t allow the speaker’s tweeter to glare so it never becomes fatiguing or forward of the rest of the amplifier’s frequency response.
Where I feel the Audiolab is in a class all by itself - soundstage. I have heard amps that allow for speakers to exhibit a slightly --emphasis on SLIGHTLY -wider or deeper soundstage, but few that manage to be as composed as the Audiolab. When paired with speakers known to have the ability to cast a pretty impressive soundstage, Dynaudio and Heco I’m talking about you, the Audiolab didn’t reign them in too much, and proved to be FAR more nuanced compared to other amplifiers where things can get a little fuzzy at the edges. Between the speakers, FORGET about it. Like with the midrange, the Audiolab’s ability to resolve detail shines through in its focus and separation!
Dynamically, the PLAY is near perfect for me. While I will admit there is a part of me that likes a more forward dynamic presence from time to time, which explains why I am such a fan of Krell, but when you get right down to it, the 6000A sounds more NATURAL in the way that it builds, starts and stops. It has seemingly endless control over the source material and your speakers, that if you want to go big, you can. But in doing so, it never loses its grip on the finer details and cues that go into making a crescendo sound and feel realistic versus flat or two dimensional --like you just cranked the volume for effect rather than the music building to a climax on its own. Even when playing complex passages, at volume --the Audiolab never lost its composure!
AUDIOLAB BUILT-IN DAC
As impressed as I am with the Play’s overall sonic performance, I have to say the Audiolab built-in DAC is pretty damn good. It gave me Cambridge Audio DacMagic 200M vibes, though the Audiolab’s built-in DAC isn’t quite as full-featured as the 200M. Sonically, the two are more than a little comparable. I’m also not the world’s biggest fan of DTS Play-FI, though in this instance, I honestly didn’t mind it. The integration and communication between the app and the Audiolab was excellent! Lastly, and this may be very important to some of you looking to upgrade components down the line, but the Audiolab as a stand alone preamp is awesome!
PHONO PREAMP
Where I become a little less enthusiastic is with the phono preamp. It’s good, definitely good for a phono preamp in this class, but like the phono preamp found inside the Rotel A11 Tribute, the Audiolab is prone to some noise --specifically ground loop hum. I know this isn’t wholly the fault of the amp, nevertheless I use the same turntables on every amp we test, not to mention the same outlets, cables etc., and so far only the Rotel and Audiolab have had intermittent noise issues with respect to their phono stages. It is correctable, usually requiring some tweaking to your cables or by plugging your turntable into a different outlet than the amp, but it’s worth noting. Also, those of you who like tone controls, you’ll find none inside the Audiolab, however you do get balance control.
SHOP COMPARABLE AMPS
As for comparisons there are more than a few, because the do-it-all integrated amp market is hotter than ever.
Pro Tip: if you DON’T need streaming capabilities, you can pick up the Audiolab 6000A (minus the Play) and save some money.
AUDIOLAB VS YAMAHA
Now compared to the slightly cheaper Yamaha A-S801, this isn’t even a contest in my mind. The Audiolab comes out ahead in every category save for maybe looks. The Yamaha is hard to beat when it comes to appearances especially if you prefer a more vintage look. That isn’t to say the 6000A is ugly. I actually like its mod or bauhaus style and even prefer it to the Yamaha but that’s just me.
BLUESOUND POWERNODE VS AUDIOLAB 6000A PLAY
While the Audiolab lacks HDMI connectivity, I believe that sonically it is superior to that of the Bluesound Powernode, possessing a FAR more organic sound when compared to the Bluesound’s Class D architecture. I still love the Powernode but force me to make a decision and I’m picking the Audiolab. For those of you wondering how the Play compares to the Rotel A11 Tribute or Musical Fideility’s M3si - these either lack DACs or music streaming capabilities which is why I’ve left them off here. If you don’t need those features, these are still great options but the non-Play Audiolab is going to be as good and way easier to get.
For those of you on a stricter budget, you can have similar features with the Emotiva TA1 and our go-to budget champion, the Cambridge Audio AXR100 but if you want to know which I like better, it’s still the Audiolab.
AUDIOLAB VS NAD
Where the 6000A gets really interesting for me is the fact that I think it’s hands down better than the far costlier and more powerful NAD M33. When only comparing sound quality and not feature set, I even preferred the Audiolab to my Musical Fidelity M5si, however if you NEED more than 50 Watts of power, the M5si is going to be more versatile in that regard. In truth, I think I prefer the sound of the Audiolab to just about everything I’ve heard this year -- with the exception of my Decware Zen and Canor amps, which aren’t really comparable, and of course the Technics R1000 that retails for nearly TEN GRAND. That’s how good I believe the Audiolab to be.
THE AUDIOLAB IS INCREDIBLE AND IS OUR PRODUCT OF THE YEAR 2021
What more is there to say other than I think it's pretty obvious the 6000A Play from Audiolab is incredible. I want to listen to it more than just about anything else we’ve had in house. If you know you can get by with 50 to 75 Watts of total power and are looking for a streamlined, easy to use solution that sounds beyond fabulous I would urge you to consider this amp above nearly all others (pause) regardless of price. Yes, I believe the Audiolab is that level of great. It’s ALSO our Product of the Year 2021!!
