Audiolab 6000A - Black - Integrated Stereo Amplifier

About the Audiolab 6000A - Black - Integrated Stereo Amplifier:

An amplifier remains the beating heart of a high-performance audio system, and nowadays an integrated amplifier must also be able to handle all sorts of things. Think digital and analog sources, wireless connectivity for portable devices, a phono stage for vinyl playback, amplification for headphones and speakers, etc. Quite a laundry list, then, while performance must remain high, the price tag achievable, and yet the 6000A manages to deliver all this.

The Sound of Science

Externally, the 6000A has strong similarities to the 8300A, with its rotary knobs and large OLED display. But unlike its more expensive (and analog) brother, it is equipped with high-quality D/A conversion, allowing digital sources to be connected directly without an external DAC. The unit has four digital inputs, three line-level analog inputs, an input for a record player, wireless connectivity via Bluetooth and a dedicated headphone amplifier, in addition to the ability, of course, to drive speakers.

Digital Circuits of the Audiolab 6000A - Black - Integrated Stereo Amplifier

Much effort has gone into ensuring that the 6000A's digital circuitry achieves the level of quality one would expect from a powerful stand-alone DAC. Audiolab has chosen back for the ES9018 Sabre32 Reference chip family to perform D/A conversion, which uses ESS Technology's 32-bit HyperStream architecture and Time Domain Jitter Eliminator, to deliver ultra-low noise and high dynamic range.

Audiolab is uniquely capable of making the most of this excellent (and challenging) DAC technology.

Analog Circuits

The 6000A's discrete Class AB power amp stage delivers 50 watts per channel at 8 ohms, with a maximum current delivery of 9 amps at difficult loads. The output stage of the discrete power amp circuitry uses CFB (Complementary Feedback) topology, which provides superior linearity and excellent thermal stability, as the idle current is kept separate from the temperature of the output transistors.

A 200VA toroidal transformer with a reservoir capacity of 4 x 15000 uF (60000 uF total) behind it help the amplifier to maintain firm control of the music while providing excellent dynamic range.

The preamp section has been kept as simple as possible, for maintaining signal purity, with line input signals going to a precise analog volume stage. The latter covers the range from -80 dB to +8 dB in steps of 2 dB and 1 dB (step resolution increases with volume position). Great care has been taken in the physical layout of the 6000A's circuitry to protect the sensitive preamp section from noise interference.

Specifications of the Audiolab 6000A - Black - Integrated Stereo Amplifier

• Gain (max.):
  • +8dB (Line)
  • +55dB (Phono MM)
• Input Sensitivity:
  • 720mV (Line, Volume = 0dB)
  • 3.1mV (Phono MM, Volume=0dB)
• Input Impedance:
  • 10K (Line)
  • 47K//100pF (Phono MM)
• Total Harmonic Distortion (THD): < 0.0004% (Line, 1KHz @ 2V, Volume = 0dB)
• Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz (+/-0.1dB)
• Output Voltage: 2.3V max (Volume = 0dB)
• Output Impedance: 120Ω
• Signal-to-Noise Ration (S/N):
  • > 110dB (Line, A-weighted)
  • > 76dB (Phono MM, A-weighted)

DAC of the Audiolab 6000A - Black - Integrated Stereo Amplifier

• D to A converter: ES9018K2M
• Total Harmonic Distortion (THD): < 0.0006% (1kHz @ 0dBFS)
• Output level (0dBFS, 1KHz): 2.05V
• Max. Sampling Frequency: 192kHz
• Signal-to-noise ratio (S/N): > 112dB (A-weighted)
• Digital Filters: Fast Roll-off , Slow Roll-off , Minimum Phase

Power Amplifier Section of the Audiolab 6000A - Black - Integrated Stereo Amplifier

• Gain: +29dB
• Rated Max. Power Output:
  • 2 X 50W (8Ω, THD<1%)
  • 2 X 75W (4Ω, THD<1%)
• Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz (+/-0.3dB)
• Input Sensitivity: 720mV
• Total Harmonic Distortion (THD): < 0.003% (1kHz @ 40W/8Ω)
• Signal-to-Noise ratio (S/N): > 110dB (A-weighted)
• Max. Output Current: 9A

Headphone Amplifier

• Total Harmonic Distortion (THD): < 0.01% (1kHz, 50mW)
• Output Impedance: 2.35Ω
• Load impedance: 20-600Ω

General

• Standby Power Consumption: <0.5W
• Power Requirements:
  • 240V ~ 50 - 60Hz
  • 230V ~ 50 - 60Hz
  • 115V ~ 50 - 60Hz
  • 100V ~ 50 - 60Hz
• Dimensions (mm) (W x H x D): 445 x 80 x 330mm including feet, terminals and controls
• Carton Size (mm) (W x H x D): 512 x 467 x 146
• Weight: 7.8kg (Net)

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