Transported By Music – Audiolab’s 6000 Series CD Transport
Audiolab’s new 6000 Series CD transport – the 6000CDT – is the perfect CD-playing companion to the 6000A integrated amplifier. The new 6000A integrated amplifier is the perfect ‘hub’ around which to build a versatile, high-performance audio system, however you choose to play your music – from digital streaming to vinyl records. For the many people for whom CD remains a crucial part of their musical diet, Audiolab’s new 6000CDT is the 6000A’s ideal CD-playing companion. The 6000CDT is a dedicated CD transport incorporating the same slot-loading mechanism as Audiolab’s flagship CD player, the 8300CD. Extremely robust and reliable, it uses a read-ahead digital buffer to reduce disc-reading failures, able to play scratched and damaged CDs that are unreadable by conventional mechanisms.
The master clock is controlled by a temperature-compensated crystal oscillator, enabling the digital output from both coaxial and optical sockets to exhibit vanishingly low levels of jitter (digital distortion). In addition, the coaxial output is fed from a differential line driver to ensure a flawless digital signal reaches the accompanying DAC – naturally, the 32-bit DAC section in the 6000A integrated amp is a superb sonic match.
By mounting the transport in its own, electromagnetically shielded enclosure, and including a dedicated power supply, the digital signal extraction from any CD is as accurate and precise as it is possible to achieve. The 6000CDT joins the 6000A in Audiolab’s new 6000 Series in October, with an RRP of £379 and a choice of black or silver finish.
Formed in the early 1980s by Philip Swift and Derek Scotland, Audiolab earned worldwide acclaim with the 8000A – an integrated stereo amplifier that became a classic ‘step-up’ from the budget models of the time. Now part of the IAG brand family, Audiolab’s recent fame is largely derived from its hugely respected DAC circuitry, earning the company a plethora of awards since the launch of the 8200CD and M-DAC in 2010 and 2011 respectively. Today, the company continues to make highly acclaimed source and amp components – delivering crisp, clean ergonomics and sensational sound with everything from vinyl to the latest digital formats – as well as a range of high-performance in-ear monitors.
