AUDIOLAB 9000CDT CD TRANSPORT. COMPARED TO INTEGRATED CD PLAYER, HEED & AUDIOLAB 6000CDT TRANSPORTS
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- čas přidán 10. 07. 2024
- A stand-alone CD transport, Paul Rigby wonders if it measures up to other integrated players, its immediate competition and most of all, how it stands up to the mighty 6000CDT
VIDEO CONTENTS
00:00 - Introduction
2:56 - Closer Look
9:25 - Sound Quality
10:07 - vs Leema Elements Integrated CD Player
14:40 - vs Heed CD Transport
1 7:39 - vs Audiolab 6000CDT
22:08 - USB Play
23:09 - Final Thoughts, Pros & Cons and Rating
AUDIOLAB - www.audiolab.co.uk
PATREON - / audiophileman
THE AUDIOPHILE MAN WEBSITE: theaudiophileman.com
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TWITTER: / paulrigby50
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#CD #transport #review #paulrigby #theaudiophileman
LEEMA ELEMENTS WEBSITE REVIEW: theaudiophileman.com/leema-cd...
JAN ERTNER INTERVIEW
I managed to steal away the lead engineer for the 9000CDT CD Transport project, Jan Ertner, for a brief chat. Here's what he offered in the few minutes he had free...you can see a more in depth version of this interview on my Patreon page (link above)
Paul Rigby: During the comparison between the 6000 and the 9000 I did notice a distinct extra richness and weight to the 9000’s mids and, associated with that, a stronger depth to the bass. In design terms, where do those enhancements come from? What’s actually causing that?
Jan Ertner: Aside from the visible external enhancements, there are various significant improvements under the hood. The most obvious is the new tray-loading mechanism - the mech in the 6000CDT is great, but the 9000CDT’s mech offers a number of improvements from an ‘audiophile’ perspective. There’s new servo decoder too - this performs various functions, including controlling the speed of the motor and the movement of the laser, as well as processing the raw data that the laser reads from the CD.
The power supply and output circuitry have been improved, and we’re using a higher quality toroidal transformer. We’ve also taken great care over the circuit layout to protect and shield the most noise-sensitive elements, thereby keeping jitter as low as possible.
It’s not just about specifying more expensive, higher quality components - it’s all too possible to create a great design on paper that simply doesn’t deliver as you’d hoped once you start listening. We conduct exhaustive listening tests to find the right combination of circuit design and components to deliver our sonic aims - it’s this extensive work that ensures the enhancements we’ve made to the 9000CDT deliver the corresponding sound quality improvements you describe. The 6000CDT remains a fantastic CD transport at its price point; and the 9000CDT delivers the upgraded build, facilities and performance you’d expect from a more expensive flagship product.
OTHER CREDITS
Old Bossa by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution
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Artist: www.twinmusicom.org/ - Věda a technologie
I'm glad manufacturers are still making CD players. Shows CDs are here to stay for some time.
I cannot get Tidal Master to sound as good as my CD.
@@ruger6049 MQA is snake oil and actively degrades quality. I'd highly suggest watching Golden Sounds' video on the subject. It's committing all the same sins as MP3, and more.
Absolutely, and we are the winners! Many transports have emerged recently. Great quality, sound, and price! Look around, look around!
Many thanks for your reviews. I tried the Audiolab 6000 CDT after that review. Your description was spot on. The purchase has given me many hours of listening pleasure.
Same here. Love my 6000cdt.
In
Great that CDs still get this sort of attention.
As a owner of the 9000cdt for about 3 weeks I can absolutely confirm that review! A brilliant Player! The only thing that keeps me wondering is… why the heck this player doesn’t support cd text while having that awesome display…? At I first didn’t realize it because my old Harman didn’t have it either… after realizing it left a little question mark. I hope Audiolab will come up with a firmware update that includes cd text wich I would consider a nice to have…
I have an audiolab 8200cd player which I have used as my main hifi source for over 10 years. It's been one of my best hifi purchases ever. It's great to think if I decide to replace it with another player, audiolab and other like companies are still manufacturing and improving CD players for what many think is an old dying format.
Purchased my 9000 CDT 3 days ago and am very very happy with it, the sound is excellent and builds quality seems the same, excellent, let's see how it performs in the long run.
Replied elsewhere!
After over 20 years of faithful service from my Arcam CD72 I decided to place it into retirement along with its' slightly younger Hegel HD10 DAC,,,I have an Accuphase E-480 for which I had purchased the DAC50 module and the Audiolab CDT 9000 as very informatively reviewed by yourself seemed to totally fit my needs....very interesting and informative review and so far I am totally delighted with how it sounds in my system,thanks Paul....
Great review Paul, love my 6000a and 600cdt, many hours of happy listening 👍, good to see audiolab pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved with sensibly priced equipment 👍
A Groovy Award to this detailed Transport Review. 10/10 And happily a nice drawer for the disc.
As an owner of the 6000CDT, among others, I am quite happy. It does a great job of getting out of the way in my 2-channel system and I prefer it’s look over this new one.
However, I do feel that the drawer was a good way to go on the 9000CDT because frankly, the 6000CDT should have been that way from the start.
I felt that the slot loader was fine but Audiolab really should have thought more about potential pitfalls of that choice.
There’s a number of reasons designers rarely use it.
But let’s be blunt here, the forum marketplace is full of costly players w/problematic designs.
I never had any damage to any of my discs but it can be finicky about playing certain discs where my drawer players gladly play everything…
Even the very budget ONKYO 7030 which was also a bit of a “giant killer” considering its price, plays everything and does it quite well as a transport. I still have an original one that operates flawlessly in the same time that I’ve seen boxes costing 20x as much needing repair.
In the end, I won’t be moving on to this one as it’s just not much of an “upgrade” IMO.
There are many variables that help to define a system tonally (DAC, speakers, etc.).
And if you choose these pieces wisely, you really won’t need to even consider new transports unless there’s an itch to do it given the lack of actual advances with CD/transport boxes.
Very good overview though and appreciated since we just don’t see CD anything getting it’s due.
Cheers 👍🏻
2 upgraders in Germany at 200EU, add to a mint CDT60000??
@@TommyTCGT What are you on about?? Explain please.
I agree that the 6000cdt is a great sounding transport connected to the Schiit Audio Bifrost 2/64 DAC.
I bought this a few weeks ago. It sounds beautiful, opens it up, and tightens it up. .
From one Paul to another ! Wonderful video and oh, so accurate. I just bought this Audiolab 9000cdt transport. Linked via a Graham Slee Lautus digital coaxial interconnect to a Graham Slee Majestic DAC also used as a preamp, itself plugged into my Marantz PM11S3 amplifier through Graham Slee Lautus RCA interconnects, the sound coming from my Cabasse Iroise III speakers is.......the best I've ever had - stunningly clear, amazingly dynamic, utterly detailed, completely musical. I agree with everything Paul says here with eloquence. For my part, I think that I ultimately reached that much sought after situation in which I can proudly exclaim : I don't need anyhthing else on the digital front !! The Audiolab 9000CDT is a not-to-be-missed godsend. Thank you, Paul !
Paul Vidal, France.
May I ask if there was maybe a specific reason you chose to connect with a Coax cable (instead of Optical) ?
Audiolab did a bit of anti-noise work on the coax socket itself so the sound is improved via this one.
okay, thanks. It's because on paper optical seems to be the logical choice because of it's nature, but I see a lot of people connecting their player with coax instead. Some newer transports don't even have optical anymore.@@TheAudiophileMan
Fantastic review. Thank you. Appreciate your passion for good old CD player. I have a Primare DD35 cd transport in which I am very happy with but can not not find any reviews on it.
I bought one today. I’m looking forward to your words coming true via the music I will hear from my cd transport. Thank you 👍
Excellent review. Thank you!
Nice one, thank your for your honest review. Would be interesting to hear your ideas on the upcoming 7000 cdt that sits somewhere in between... all the best, Gerlach Sven
Fantastic to see and hear the late Peter Bardens and his music given air time. A great musician sadly missed.
7000 CDT review required! 😉
Just got a 9000. Happily, tray opens and closes like a bank vault inspiring confidence.
great video and totally agree. I do prefer a European made product but still looks great. would love to see more reviews like this one. Cd transport / players
Thank you! An interesting product, and I really like audiolab (I've been using the 8200CDQ with active speakers for a couple of years and like it very much). However, for a CD Transport I would prefer an AES output (and ideally a clock interface). And the 9000A might be great with the 9000CDT, but it's not Roon ready - and in my experience, I need RAAT to get great streaming quality. But anyway, thank your for the review!
Now that was a thorough review! I have the Pro-Ject RS (not the RS2), which is enjoyable & attractive even though its text data display frequently mangles the track names ("Beatles SgtMrKite"). I have some of Peter Barden's solo CDs & LPs, but nothing back to the beginning so I'll search that out. I saw him in Hollywood at the Roxy 1989 with Mick Fleetwood drumming (spectacular!).
Think the slot loader needs a bit of kudos - as a Hifi-dad I love the Audiolab slot loader as it allows the toddler to play disks with little worry about breaking the tray/Cd player
Five thousand albums on Seagate 4 TB external HD in flac format. Backed up on another external 4 TB HD attached to laptop. Played back thru Cambridge Audio BD 752 blue ray play thru usb which is a dac. The CA brings up my complete library on TV screen and I scroll thru with remote control press play and music. Have thought about NAS drive but this set up has worked for over 12 years so happy. As you had I have had one WD external go on me but a PC technician managed to save the disc. Cheers
Sorry I was writing this for another podcast that you did and it changed on me. Cheers
Did the same but its anoying to always have to have my computer on, nowdays i use a nas with 2 x 4tb disk and the streaming i do directly to a blusound node or to my amp, controlling everything with my phone, way better setup and no computer and the sound is better to.
Brilliant review Paul. A good price, but out of my range though. I shall stick with the 6000CDT which I purchased on your recommendation in the previous review.
It's hard to knock the 6000 as it's a great sounding device, it's also fantastic value for money but the 9000 is certainly a tempting upgrade.
Thanks for the very interesting review! I confirm everything that has been said. In my case, the AUDIOLAB 9000CDT was opposed to my old ROTEL-RCD-06. After listening and comparing, I had to put the ROTEL-RCD-06 up for sale without hesitation. I would like to see a test and comparison of Audiolab 9000N and Audiolab 7000N
Just bought the 9000 CDT and it is great! Your review is absolutely spot on.
My only criticism lays on the display (don’t care about the animation and the time display is too small) and the lack of a STOP button on the player’s front panel (this is just stupid). Maybe perhaps a firmware update can change this issues, as it is software related… can you ask Audiolab please :)
Very well done review
Yassss Paul 💪🏻 nailed this objectively as ever
I own the 6000 and now the 9000.
What Paul says about the sonic benefits are true. I found that the sound became more stable, authoritative and magisterial. In many ways, it felt like the improvements gained from a better power amp.The 6000 sounds fun but lumpy and chaotic when you go back to it. ( still the best bargain in hi-fi at that price, tho )
However, there are some gripes;
I am disappointed in the build of the 9000 and the display. In terms of build, the top plate is highly resonant, the finish is sprayed on metal and the draw is flimsy plastic. I am so worried about breaking it I might even prefer the slot loader on my 6000.
Also, the display is really only any good for showing you what track you are on, especially if you are more than six feet away.
You can't stop a track without the remote.
A final gripe is the lack of a I2s output.
It's a shame because this could have been an endgame transport for all but the millionaire class of customer. The SQ is remarkable for the price. As it is, I am more happy listening to it than using it and might end up buying a Jay's Audio Top Loader in future.
I just wish Audiolab offered the model with a brushed finish, a more substantial top plate, a steel drawer and better display and output options. They could have charged an extra £200-300 for it and I would have happily paid and let them profit a little extra from me.
Still, you can't get a better sound, at this price, IMHO.
This is where I become skeptical. A CD transport shouldn't take on a sound "character". It can't sound "fun", it can't sound "authoritative". It either has more jitter and noise, or less jitter and noise. I believe in the benefits of reducing jitter and noise, but I think with comments like this, you're kidding yourself.
Well, thanks for your uninformed opinion, having never heard, yet alone owned an Audiolab 9000, nor had four other CD transports to compare to, like I have. But please, feel free to pontificate about that which you actually know nothing about.
You see, I try hard not to be like so many people today, who love to throw about online opinions from behind a keyboard and tell complete strangers their business. Me? I actually base my opinion on direct knowledge. I actually brought an Audiolab 9000 on a home demo and directly compared it to my 6000, which I still have, and then against a Trichord Research-modified Pioneer transport and a Teac T1 transport that friends brought around. That's where my opinion came from. And that's why I kept the 9000.
Now, you could just assume that maybe I have a point, based on direct experience, and perhaps learn from what I'm saying. Or you could do even better. You might even try out an Audiolab 9000 and compare it to whatever you have, to learn first-hand. Then your opinion would actually mean more than just an expression of your ego. Perhaps you might be as surprised as I have been at how those pesky zeros and ones, going down a coax cable, through a SPDIF interface, can really influence sound. You may evolve your knowledge, based on direct experience and experimentation, they way that all of the best knowledge is learned. Perhaps you might realise how wrong you were and learn the wisdom of being a bit less opinionated, until you actually have a similar level of experience to the person you are casually dismissing.
You know, I've met so many like you. I used to sell high-end hi-fi back in London, in the nineties. I remember opinionated customers ( who hadn't heard one-tenth of all the gear I had come through the shop ) try to sneer and tell me that 'cables can't make a difference' or 'accurate mains regulation can't make a difference' or 'vibration control can't improve sound.' Well, those know-nothings were soon proven wrong when I challenged them to blind listening tests and showed those factors all made a difference. Some were humble enough afterwards to listen to my experience and, by God, did I make their systems better.
I've got an idea for you to try, if you want to actually 'walk the walk' rather than just 'talk the talk.' This is a way to KNOW what a superior transport achieves. Find a store stocking the Audiolab 9000, which costs £1000 and pair it with a £500 DAC. That's a £1500 front end. Then compare, in that store, directly against a £500 CD player being used as a transport, feeding a £1000 DAC. You would have two options costing the same and can ask yourself which one sounds right; the dedicated transport with inferior DAC or the superior DAC being fed badly by a poor, noisy CD player being used as a transport?
How about you actually try it? Write back to me when you know something. I'm sincerely interested in whether you are blown away. i suspect you might be. And then you might have learned a few things about both hi-fi and about the worthlessness of being opinionated without knowing what the hell you are talking about.
But you won't, will you? Instead, you'll probably just let your ego do the talking and write back something competitive. Of course, it's much easier to pretend to know something rather than go out of your way to actually find it out. Our community has always been filled with people who know only WHAT THEY THINK and it's one of the reasons why audiophile progress is as slow as it is. The market is often slow to respond to true innovation because so many think it's clever to be skeptical. It's certainly an excuse to be arrogant, which is why so many love to tell people what's what.
Hope you listened and heard me. Valuable lessons for both hi-fi and life.
I am trialling a 9000CDT at present and am struck by the bass and detail. This through an Audiolab QDac so lower down the scale. This would replace my longstanding and much loved Naim CD5x. There is so much more detail with a well spaced soundstage and much stronger bass. I thought there might be too much bass but the mid is spacious and treble well defined. I played some James Taylor (One Man Band live) and he literally feels in the room. Still exploring but it does appear a revelation if not quite a revolution.
A good cd player built properly eliminates the need for separation, cd transports are almost a gimmick. My ARCAM CD-92 is like a tank, built to last with low noise floor. Excellent video again though Paul.
Interesting observation and I am looking for a CD/CDT and Ive had some demo's of the CDT6000 and I think the 7000 is a moderate improvement - not sure - I have to add on the costs of a reasonable DAC and thats going to cost circa €750/1000 - or my other option is something the caught my interest in recently - Marantz CD60 -- yes I love my silver discs and my vinyl - and the Sugden A21 is well capable for my needs - but do I go CD (Marantz maybe) or CDT 7000... is the difference really that noticeable - so many varying factors / room / acoustics / speakers etc etc - and down the rabbit hole we go
I would buy the 6000 and put the difference in price on the dac instead.
Oooooh very nice. Will you be reviewing the 7000 CDT as well?
I’ve put in a review request. Fingers crossed!
Thank you .Enjoyed your review, and am now enjoying the 9000cdt very much .So far the only criticism is why no CD title and track title displayed on that wonderful display. An oversight ? Certainly a missed opportunity. Surely not a costly inclusion for the manufacturer. How about a firmware update Audiolab, to do justice to your outstanding transport!
Great review as always Paul. I'm in the market for a CDT and having watched your 9000 CDT review was wondering if you have heard the NuPrime cdt9 which is in a similar price bracket?
I haven't so I must that on my list. Thanks.
What's the unnamed benchmark DAC that was used for comparing the 6000 to the 9000? Thanks.
Another great vid Paul, but I was shocked when I saw the inside of the 9000 - it's almost empty! Why ohh why is it £1000??? For that amoount, they should have included AES/EBU output as well. 2.5 times the price of the 6000, yet, apart from a tray loader, internal part count seem similar. Parts may be a little more expensive in the 9000, but 2.5x the price is, IMO, unreasonable. You say the build quality is good, yet they could not even centre the transformer correctly! Also, it would be interesting to know what is the make and model of the actual transport used? Does that colour display add all that extra cost? As for the sound 'comparison; who would buy a cheapo DAC with this? I realise you had to match prices, so why not choose a DAC that would be used with this, then choose a CD player of THAT cost, for a fairer comparison?
Thanks for your review. It would also be interesting to compare the 6000 cdt, 9000 cdt and e.g. the luxman d3x as cd transports in order to understand, for example, how far a more or less inexpensive transport can go in comparison with integrated CD players, even high-end ones.
I kind of did this with the 6000CDT review, comparing that (as was) £300 machine with integrated priced at something like £1500. And the 6000 was superior. I expect that to scale upwards for the 9000.
Does the CD transport make noise when playing? I have my CD player close to me, and I can hear it whirring and clicking when playing.
Excellent review! As it has a TXCO clock, I reckon it would beat the Primare DD15 CD transport for around the same price. If had had AES-EBU digital output, it would be perfect! :)
Agree.
AES output would be great.
I am just looking for transport and primare dd35 is on my sight.
I have qutest dac and unison research s6 and i wonder which transport will be more natural sounding?
Do you have any experience with primare?
@@Spierdalajyoutube I don't have direct experience but from reviews and youtube demos, Primare is solid brand in the CD transport area. However main feautres of the DD35 are low resonance drive and ultra low noise digital output which the Audiolab 9000CDT also has. BUT the Audiiolab also has a TXCO clock which the Primare does not. And if you use a synchronous connection such as coaxial, "All AES types - inc. SPDIF - are synchronous by nature, meaning the level of jitter is dependent upon the clock in the sending device." So in other words a good clock in the Transport is likely to be a key advantage.
Good overview. For this price point, I would expect AES/EBU output as well. Question: Why didn't you use the LEEMA CD digital inputs from the 9000 and then you could compare both transports with the same DAC, regardless of the price?
I’m thinking of pairing this with a Mojo2 at first and upgrading to a better dac in the future.
I am always looking/listening for new music. Each of your videos shows several LPs with you in the picture, but I cannot always see the complete title or artist. Would you, please, list them in your credits (and, also, list the music used for evaluation testing in the review)? I've found a good number of "new" artists from your videos that I'd never encountered here in SoCal.
I'm looking for a CD Transport, on preliminary glances one from Cyrus (unsure which yet) are interesting but maybe not so new now, the Roxan Attessa is pleasing to the eye but at £499+- is it anywhere near comparable to the 9000CDT? I'm thinking that it isn't, I'm looking at using the Graham Slee Majestic DAC which you recently did an excellent review of, I am in no immediate hurry as I have a queue of HIFI to buy this year, but any input from you would be very much appreciated :)
In the same boat! - been speaking to a upgrade service for research, advice is to avoid slot load at all costs. Researched Roksan - apparently very unreliable and suspect it doesnt have anything on cambridge cxc. an option i have been thinking of is a rega top loader cd player and having transport and clock upgrade. top loading is best by far. schiit is bringing out the 'urd' transport soon which i think will be a little more expnesive tyhan A/lab
I have a musical fidelity mx dac running through a marantz pm 8006 amp what cdt would you recommend audiolab 6000 7000 or 9000
Very enjoyable review. Value for money wise I suspect the 6000cdt can't be beaten. But it does come down to how much you are willing to spend . Would love it if you could do a review of the Cyrus CDT XR. The Cyrus is a big step up in price and there is no proper review to be found on youtube so would be fascinating to see how it compares to the Audiolab 9000cdt.
I'll certainly make a note re. the Cyrus, John.
@@TheAudiophileMan by the way; for this review, what coaxial cable did you use? 😊
U mention right at the end that one should buy the best coaxial cable they can afford...
With that being said; I'll buy the coaxial cable that u personally used in this review.
Please tell me what it was. Thank you!
I want, top of my to buy list with the matching Amp in this price bracket x.
Thanks for the great video. Could you recommend a good DAC that has XLR outputs and a good coax cable to use with this transport? Thanks.
Look at this DAC and peruse Tellurium Q for the coax: czcams.com/video/xg8cVIyrMbg/video.html
I'm a big fan of vinyl. I wouldn't buy a turntable with a built in phono stage. Surprised there aren't more cd transports. Enjoy your vids, thanks.
I love the calm, factual nature of these videos. Informational and relaxing.
Its the British way.... :)
Would love to see how you think this compares to the Lyngdorf CD-2 used as a transport.
Same.
The review I think we both saw on here, sparked the same question.
He was a.bit Meh with it on a lower priced Dac, which didn't really say much about itnas a Transport?
Loved it from its balanced outs tho using internal Dac.
My problem is my dac,
Wouldn't want a transport not running into it, even a 3K player.
Comes down to implementation of the two digital outs I guess,.both Spdif.
Woukdnexpect the 3K Lyngdorf to inject less noise into bitstream from noisy power supplies,.but Audiolab here looks top notch too.
Primare DD35 is on the radar too,
But proofs in the listening I guess?
Or take a Punt on the lower priced Audiolab 9000...
Love.my 6000CDT, and if the 9000's even better, well.
I was wondering how this transport sounds just using the internal DAC of the 9000a integrated amp? Is there any real need to buy a DAC if you have a 9000a amp?
Bravo!
If that usb port could play flac I'd consider upgrading from 6000 cdt and really can't understand why it doesn't being the the most common format for lossless and open source. As it is I'm more than happy with the 6000 which sounds superb into my chord DAC. Before buying the 6000 I was playing ripped CDs from a PC, the 6000 sounds so much better than that.
Hello. Please tell me how many days the transport warmed up before it reached the sound level that you describe? I've had this transport for 10 days now and I don't like the sound while I'm upset about the purchase.
The current disappointing sound from your 9000CDT may be a symptom, a sign post of other issues elsewhere. Sometimes quality kit can highlight long-standing issues in other parts of the system. There may be a million and one reasons why it's not performing as it should and it might be impossible for me to properly treat the issues at this distance (there's nothing like actually 'being there' to see possible problems first hand - I had a problem only this morning which I fixed because I could 'see' that something was plugged in incorrectly causing my mids to sound bright, for example) but I'll give it a try. Maybe I can at least give you a few pointers.
So list your entire HiFi chain. Everything, including cables and ancillaries and shelving, etc. Also how you're plugging everything into the mains (power blocks, etc) plus the room you're in. The lot. Then I'll have a think and get back to you.
This may take a while :)
Does it have display options that are on the 9000 Amp?
Such as VU meters!!!
Great review. Many thanks. I have an Audiolab 8000CDM (ii) CD transport. It is 20+ years old but it is superb. I wonder how the new 9000CDT compares to it?
I’ve never had the pleasure of listening to that particular transport, Clarence. I would recommend, if you’re considering a 9000CDT, talking to a friendly dealer (High St or online) who would agree to a home demo. Then you could compare the two.
Hi, I heard the 8000CDM a few times, back in the day, and own a 6000CDT. I would say that the 6000 is superior to the 8000CDM, in terms of performance if not build quality. If memory serves, the 8000 doesn't deliver quite the same detail or weight as the 6000. If the 9000 really is an improvement over the 6000, as Paul claims, then it should be a step up from the 8000CDT. I liked the 8000 back in 1996, even though I brought a Trichord-modified Pioneer transport, instead, at the time. I felt the Trichord got very close to the 8000 and was cheaper. My 6000 is distinctly better than my old Trichord transport. HTH.
@@leeandrewclarke That's very interesting feedback - many thanks.
I owned an aging 8000CDM transport as well for many years and upgraded to a 6000CDT a couple of years ago. Although build quality is lightweight by comparison and the time to read the ToC is slow compared to an old CD mech, the sound quality was noticeably better with the 6000CDT. Plus it plays every CD I've thrown at it including some scratched ones, the old 8000CDM was much fussier with less than perfect discs.
@@stewstube70
The 6000CDT benefits greatly from CD player mods (did on mine) of damping the case, better isolation feet and 'doing a Darko' putting a weight on top to add mass.
It all adds up,
Be playing with more mods on mine going fwd, RFI treatment and the likes.
Paul Great review. What would you recommend as a suitable partnering DAC/cable?
Depends on your budget, Chris. I'd look at QED if you're counting pennies but if you can splash the cash, take a close look at Tellurium Q's coax cables.
@@TheAudiophileMan is Coax the same as a Digital RCA/BNC cable?
Wow, $1500 in US and that seems a bit more than just pound vs dollar difference. Also, there is a 7000 out with slot loader but same style as 9000 for $899. I guess I'll keep using my old cd player as a transport for now. Playing much more vinyl these days anyway. great review though.
Pity there's no AES output. Good looking piece of kit. Not overly sold on the interior, the basic Teac transport seems a bit cheap at this price. I wonder how it compares to the Schiit URD?
Been toying with getting a transport but I really want a top loader as I hate those crappy plastic cd trays...its one less thing to fail with a top loader.
If you haven't seen it, you should look at Paul's previous video for the Audiolab 6000CDT. It's very good. Obviously not as good as this model, but is under £400.00 and doesn't have the tray.
@@bobby666666 My understanding from a pro hifi uprader is for general reliability slots are by far the worsed, tray much less problimatic, top loader is king. conjecture a rega with upgraded psu and clock might be a cost effective, high quality, reliable solution.
@@bobby666666 I hate slot loaders even more.
@@robh9079 yeah I considered that but prefer the Exposure xm over the Rega.
But at Exposure prices you start to get into used high end transports territory. Problem is justifying the expenditure to myself.
Thanks Paul. I was surprised that it is below a grand, considering the 9000A is definitely not. Would you argue that using 'not as premium' cables and DACs would narrow that gap between it and the 6000CDT, or just move them both fractionally further down the performance scales? Cheers.
I tested the 9000CDT with a very basic DAC and a relatively low-cost coax to see how it faired with the 6000CDT and tested the latter with the same ancillaries and I heard a big improvement from the 9000 so no, I don't think they're factors.
@@TheAudiophileMan Thanks Paul. Good to know.
What's the TQ Digital cable you use Paul?
Replacing a homebru effort here, into a PS Audio dac, so looking for a good one.
Thanks Fella.
I used the super expensive Silver diamond because I wanted to remove the cable from the equation and didn't want it to be a factor in sound testing. The company's Blue and Black digital cables are top notch, though.
@@TheAudiophileMan That makes sense, and thanks very much for the reply.
Mr Sircom loved it too, the TQ Black may make more sense in the context of the 6000, possibly even the 9000 I wonder?
How does this transport with the best dac in your system compare to the Luxman d3x CD player that you reviewed a years ago ? Thanks
A tough question, Mr Singh because I returned that unit to Luxman a loooong the ago. Saying that, from my dodgy memory - and that's all I can give you - I'd go with the separate transport and DAC.
@@TheAudiophileMan yes I think you are right - keeping the transport separate will give better results if it’s well made . For my most recent upgrade I was toying with the idea of buying the pro Ject rs2T transport into an ex demo dCS vivaldi dac ( to replace my meridian 808v6 CD player and my dCS bartok streaming dac ) but i ended up ordering the dCS Rossini player apex as a one box compromise .
Dern Audiolab 9000CDT habe ich im Fokus! Den kaufen? Oder den Luxman D-N 150?
what is the name of the compilation CD you talked about from Pete Barden, I have looked for this on ebay but so no sign of it.
www.amazon.co.uk/Long-Ago-Far-Away-2CD/dp/B09V229KPL/ref=sr_1_4?crid=2V5HRXZ89FTNX&keywords=pete+bardens&qid=1677069708&sprefix=pete+barden%2Caps%2C184&sr=8-4
@@TheAudiophileMan Thank you very much Paul.
I am very tempted with the 7000 CDT, which I have not eyeballed or auditioned, which has a drawer, bigger and improved display, better construction some improvements internally. It is a few hundred AUD more currently then the 6000 which is a very tempting offer. Wondering if you will be reviewing this unit?
Would the 9000 be an upgrade over the 6000 with the rega dac or would keeping the 6000 and buying a better dac
As a mostly happy owner of a CDT 6000 (or so I thought) I was reading about the new CDT 9000, which apparently has 'better' bass. Well, that revelation stopped me in my tracks from trying more SPDIF cables, thinking THEY were the reason for dry and somewhat light bass (or possibly my EP 3.4s with a concentric 12" woofers)..
Other revelations learned from my "Dumb Question 75 or 110 ohm" thread on audioasylum also added insight as neither my CDT 6000 nor my Audio Alchemy DDP-1 have AES/EBU,: FYI, neither does the 9000!, but I do have the optional PS 5 outboard power supply, which adds significant weight. So then, is $900 over the CDT 6000 justified??? Hmmmmmmmm
Any thoughts on how the 7000CDT compares?
Great video as usual. I think Audio Lab has a customer in me. One question, why co-axil cable? Isn't optical better? Another question: Can you recommend a DAC under 500 pounds?
Depends on the implementation. Coaxial sounds better than optical from my streamer. As for sub £500 DAC, Mojo 2. No contest.
@@pauln6803 you better read up on the issue with gitter. A known problem already from the dawn of digital audio.
Think of Mad Scientist.. graphene.. diff. Tech.
@@pauln6803 coax always sounds better than optical . Why? I don't know it just does .
It’s funny that preamps and amp seem to be migrating toward integrated systems, while what would seem like a natural integrated system with CD players, but they are actually becoming separates. I chose to get the get the DAC card when I bought my moon Neo player. I sometimes wonder if I should have just use the extra money for a separate DAC, though for no particular reason
Of all the HiFi brands in the world, I would say that Moon is almost unique in being able to design boxes where the included feature tech actually sounds good, as opposed to poor or (at best) adequate. The only built-in phono amp in any HiFi product I have ever really respected was in a Moon, for example. In *broad* terms though, I'd plump for an external...anything to improve sound quality.
Have the Avant Guard Tag McLaren transport ( Audiolab ) , going strong after over 20 years of use...
This was a fantastic review but has now spoiled my upgrading plans. I had thought about the Rega Apollo or the CDT6000 with a budget DAC maybe one from iFi. Now I have watched this I am torn between my original plan or waiting another year to save up more. I have a couple of thousand cd’s so want something decent.
The 6000CDT is an excellent transport.
@@stonefree1911 I have the 6000CDT and agree how Great it is.
After the 6000cdt review by Paul, I bought it within a week. Iv never looked back. Awesome for the price. Sounds great. But while I never looked back, this review has me looking forward.
I own the 6000CDT and love it. I don’t think you will regret it if you buy it. Sounds great. Never had a problem with it. My best. Dan
I'm seriously considering buying a 9000CDT to replace an ancient, broken Teac VRDS7 integrated player. I know you said buy the best DAC you can, but could you make some suggestions please to work well with the 9000CDT, ideally up to £500 but I might go up to £1K if it will really make a big difference. I noted the use of the Topping E30 DAC in the video. Many thanks.
Is the laser lens glass or plastic?
Hi.Thinking of upgrading my marantz cd6007 to this audiolab 9000cdt,my amp is an Arcam SA20 how would i connect the audiolab to the arcam or would i need an external dac? Thanks.
I believe there's a coax port or two at the rear of the Arcam so the 9000 could connect directly to one of those for now. A later upgrade to a separate DAC would improve sonics though.
@@TheAudiophileMan Many thanks for your reply and advice,i greatly appreciate both.Just looked now and the Arcam has a Sabre Dac Chip,would a separate Dac improve sonics as opposed to the internal Dac on the Arcam? (love your channel btw 😊❤️).
Good morning, i need advice, i need acd transport, as i have a Holo may kte3 dac.
Only thing is i love Rega sound.
I dont love the plastic lid that is cheap and the logo scratches easy.
So, im looking at the Rega Saturn mk3, i know Apollo is discontinued now.
As the Saturn has same transport as the much cheaper apollo and i dont need the dac.
Im wanting to ask, what do you feel is a better option, the gorgeous Audiolab 9000cdt or the Rega Saturn mk3?
I'd personally go for the transport and separate DAC, every time.
@@TheAudiophileMan thank u ,i have
Hi Paul nice review keep up the great work. I currently have the 6000CDT into a Naim Nova and have a little more budget to spend. My dealer is recommending the 9000CDT or speaker replacement, I currently have LS50 Meta and Rel7x/T. Can you tell me if the remotes are the same quality for both machines? I also have trouble with the buttons on the 6000 and often need a torch to see what they do !!
Between the 6000 and 9000, Paul? They use the same remote control.
@@TheAudiophileMan OK thanks in the review the 9000 one looks like brushed aluminium.
can the QED reference coaxial cable be a worthy partner to the audiolab 9000cdt without ever needing to upgrade the cable?
Thanks in advance!
That depends on your ears because you should always listen before you buy (ask dealers about home demos if distance from the same is an issue). The QED is excellent for the price. There are better cables at more expensive prices but 'tis the way of all HiFi.
I have 6000 CDT and love it to move up to a more expensive transport New York System would need to be $10,000 and up
Hi Paul, thank you for the review. Are you saying that you prefer the Audiolab to the Heed overall, even when ignoring value/price? I have demoed the Heed and was very impressed. But its price is double that of this new Audiolab.
There's pros and cons for both products. Saying that, at £999, to state that pros and cons are even a consideration for the 9000CDT is quite remarkable. If bass is important to you and is a priority then go for the Heed. I do feel that bass is better integrated into the rest of the frequencies by the 9000CT though and I do prefer the latter's focus and rich presentation. If you plump for the Heed, you won't be disappointed, it's a superb player and well worth the award-winning rating I gave it. Even so, I am swayed by the 9000CDT.
@@TheAudiophileMan Thanks, I will now have to demo this unit as well before making my decision:)
I hope the next gen offers balanced, and I squared s outputs. This would help elevate it as a premium offering imo. I have a 7000cdt and it sounds incredible. “At their price” the Audiolab’s simply have no equal imo. I too wanted SACD capabilities, however redbook CD’s can amaze…I am not missing records at all right now, just saying.
Hi Paul. I'm using a Marantz CD6005 as a transport into a Chord Hugo TT2 - would I see a big difference using the 9000CDT as a transport instead?
I believe so, yes.
@@TheAudiophileMan Thanks Paul 👍
Wonder how the 9000CDT performs with the 9000A integrated amplifier without an external DAC? Pity you didn’t take this into the comparisons, as these components are matching as a set.
I thought I was happy with my 8300CDQ and 6000CDT (sounds great!) but after 18 months, I realised that even with the best efforts, those slot loading mechanisms were leaving slight pinch marks on some of my new CDs (on the outer edge). Even with the most delicate/correct force of loading in and taking out/level steady hands - they are just too violent. They particularly have no mercy when it comes to Japanese discs, EU and local discs seem to take it better and 9 times out of 10 there is no mark. For older discs......who cares?!
When you consider the amount of slot loaders used over the years with various game consoles etc which are a lot softer and designed to work with (harder) coated discs such as Blu Ray, it's been a total let down. Reminds me of the CD drive in my 2011 Macbook Pro which always was a vicious #### ######!
You didn't make a comment about whether these marks actually effect the sound or playability.
@@geo.037 They won't straight away as we know CDs take quite some hammering/time before they start to skip or struggle to play across various players.
But when buying the CDs for 3rd time in 3 decades and wanting to keep them 'mint'..... it would be nice if the slots in these Audiolab players didn't cause scratches anywhere. I was tempted for 7000CDT knowing this will be a better loading option, but it's left a bad taste!
It's been a while since I made these comments - I'm currently looking at the Yamaha CD603 CD Changer! (With USB in for WAV etc). Whilst I'm here - the Audiolab 7000N....DTS Play-Fi is one awful bit of software! Can anything else be used to control it? To make a playlist would be nice! The Onkyo NS 6130 works way better with it's in-house software!
Hi !!! I watched you interesting video!!! Great job !!! I'm still searching a new CD player for my HI-Fi setup. At the moment: Hegel H90 + KEF LS50 + Yamaha CD-N301. I think that the 9000 CDT could represent the right choice ( the black one fits very well with Hegel look) but more important the upgrade in sound quality !!! Do you think the same and moreover the Hegel DAC is enough or should I go for a better one ??? Thanks in advance for you response !!!
I have the LS50 Meta and am looking for a good amplifier. Naim Nait 5i not up to it. I was thinking of buying the 9000A (I have the 9000CDT). Do you highly rate the Hegel with the KEFs?
@@christinejames5697 my experience is based only on Hegel H90 that surely works very well with LS50. But consider now the new model is Hegel H95 which has a better D/A converter too
Thanks for that. I‘m trying to buy from Amazon, so I can return it all if necessary. I‘ve got a Bluesound Powernode arriving tomorrow. I‘ll see if the 80 WPC has a better grip on the KEFs. If not, maybe back to the drawing board. Hegel certainly highly recommended. 👍😊
I've owned the cdt9000 and It was a very good sounding machine. Then I moved tò the Pro-ject cd box RS2 T and It was another story, another league. But the price Is also differenti...
i am currently using a Oppo 103
Hi Paul. What about the new CDT7000? Is it a good update for the CDT6000?
Indeed, what about it, eh? In short, I've no idea because, as far as I'm aware, review samples are not available just yet. I'll keep my ear to the ground (although obviously not anywhere that might be at all busy).
@@TheAudiophileMan I do thank you Sir!
Can you please identify your £3,000 or so DAC, which you use as a reference? I don’t think you did in the video. Thanks 🙏🏻
I'm hoping I can set up the most stripped down system to play my 1300 CDs.
I have a pair of the legendary AVI active ADM 9.1 active speakers with direct digital input as the default (optical) so I can use a CD transport with optical output feeding the speakers directly without an external DAC, pre or power amp (speakers have 350w, total-250 bass/mid and 100w HF. Hope that will work, the ADM9.1 have own volume controls. I love these speakers.
One final request. Can you (and other reviewers) include some classical test CDs etc. Something clean and insightful such. As solo piano (Debussy Preludes?) And a "big" symphony - Mahler 2, 5 or 8.
😢TT
Nice review Sir!
Do you think you could tell them 6000 & 9000 apart in a blind test?
I'm wondering how much is down to knowing the source & specifically listening with a critical ear.
I'd love a 9000 but the 6000 is so much cheaper, I'm wondering how much of an upgrade it really is.
Thanks for the content you put out, it's great stuff.
This one pops up now and again so allow me to repeat. I've been doing this sort of thing a long time. It's my job. Like anyone who practices, I'm good at it because I'm at it all the time (so to speak ;) )
Blind tests are a stunt, used to supposedly make you look good in front of the public. To give you that impartial, 'Wisdom of Solomon', 'let's be totally fair about this, guys' image.
Blind tests are for those who don't trust their ears. Blind tests are for those who have no listening strategies. Blind tests are for those whose personal bias swamps their objectivity.
If critics out there need blind tests for others to trust them then good for them. Although I worry about their self confidence.
If you trust me as a critic then great and I talk about that very thing here: czcams.com/video/-NWuE-1yFJ8/video.html
Anyone who has an issue with my comments here should view that video first before shouting at me :)
If you don't trust me as a critic then find another. And I don't say that out of malice or bitterness. Again, I advise this in the video above. You need to filter trusted critics.
As for me? I don't do blind tests, I don't use machines, I don't set up listening panels - I use my ears. Ultimately, so should you.
@@TheAudiophileMan Thanks, I appreciate you taking the time to reply.
I'll watch the video you've linked.
Again, thanks for the content & the time you put into it. 👍
I noticed you playing Sailing to Philadelphia - Is it HDCD aware?
Watching your videos are a great help to choose on which integrated amplifier. To be honest, I am now little tempted to buy the audiolab 9000, but also the Technics SU-G700M2 has been on my list, which is another beautiful device. I would appreciate any advice.
I don't feel the urgent need to purchase a 9000CDT. I owe the 6000CDT / M-DAC + combi. Coax is the Apogee WydeYye. It suits me.
I've no doubt it's a very fine cd player.
Even though CD is my main source I could pay but couldn't justify £1K + a decent DAC for one of these.
The sound improvement would be limited by the rest of my system tbh. I think this is a very niche product sales wise now that streaming has become the mainstream way to listen to music for most although not me - I don't pay for streaming maybe in another 5 years 😂
I do like cd transports but no transport will ever change the sound, it simply does not work that way.
After I got my 6000cdt I was able to enjoy cds - so much more information in terms of sound that 6000 cdt is able to extract cleanly compared to generic CD players of the past.
@@iBlindPanic I could be really wrong but from what I understand differences between transports occur because the information that's transmitted to the DAC is sent by electrical impulses and if there is noise or inaccuracies or distortion in the reading and/or sending of the digital information then the transport that handles these problems best will sound better.
Now this is not an opinion from someone who knows what they're talking about it's only my "reasoning" as to why players don't all sound the same and I'm totally open to being told that the idea is total rubbish.
I know the formats are different but an iphone and a CD transport plugged into the same DAC playing the same music at the same sample rate don't sound the same as each other.
I'm thinking of upgrading from the 6000 CDT to the 9000 CDT and if I remember I'll let you know if there is a difference between them , I'll look for a humble pie emoji in case I'm wrong.
In a system for excample cd player amplifier etc where does one connect the dac?
You've never used a DAC I suppose by what you are saying. All CD players contain DACs on board which can be mediocre in sound with issues such as jitter, one of the worst problems. CD transports do not contain DACs to convert digital signals to analog. DACs do this so the preamp/receiver can read it. That is the difference between the two types of units. Many of today's receivers can also contain DACs onboard. Look on the back of the CD transport ( in fact, many CD players also have digital outputs to bypass the internal DAC so you can upgrade the sound with an external one ) for a digital out like Optical or CoAx. These outputs are where you connect the DAC with a cable to the CD transport or player. Use a good quality CoAx cable preferably. Then connect the DAC's analog outputs to your receiver, preamp or directly to your amp if your DAC has volume controls. Personally, there have not been many CD players I have enjoyed without using an external DAC to minimize jitter and refine the sound. To me most CD players have jitter and other issues that cause digital fatigue over time. Especially in the highs. If you are going on the cheap try the Audiolab 6000CDT connected to one of the cheaper Topping DACs. It will really impress. Hope this helps.
@@disengage5147 Thank you for the detailed reply and yes it helped a lot.
@@NaveedKhan-bs1sc Happy to help.
Now, if it only had a balanced XLR output!!
Why? It’s a digital transport. What would balanced (or RCA, for that matter) outputs bring to the party?
OK nice review here, however i must challenge you on one point......yes its cables!, so I have a Cambridge CXC cd transport and a Topping E50 day as well as an Audiolab Mdac plus both very competent at their price points £200/£800 . I have two coaxial cables one is a Chord Shawline at £200 the other? An Amozon basics cable which cost £8, despite extensive listening using both days through my Cambridge audio 851w power amplifier and Dali Rubicon 5 loudspeakers, there is absolutely no difference whatsoever in sound quality, my advice? Save £192 and put towards better dac/speakers or even isolation platform for cd transport, the Amozon cables ( and I'm not joking when I say this) are better built as well. Look forward to more videos.
And that's fine, Daniel. And nor should you buy expensive cabling if you can't hear the difference. Trust your ears, which you are doing. Similarly, you shouldn't buy the 9000CDT if you can't hear the difference between it and a £50 portable. And some people can't. And that's also fine.
Thing is though, I can. So I will continue to report the differences I hear in the future.
@TheAudiophileMan Hi, yes I agree, I can hear the difference between speaker cables and interconnect cables of which mine are quite expensive- in line with the shawline i mentioned however, with the digital transfer cables i cannot, the reason i mention this is because logically we shouldn't be able to, as long as the impedance is 75ohms at each end then 1's and 0's should care not for the copper and shielding it is carried in, we must be careful of conformation bias when listening here, i just think that before we automatically price up a cable in our heads to purchase, I'd encourage people to buy the amazon cable i mentioned as well as an expensive one and return the expensive cable if you cannot hear the difference, as I said, the quality of this cable may surprise you, it's a far cry from the freebies that are sometimes provided for less than £10. Looking forward to next review. 😀
@@danielbrown2715 Well, I've gone on and on about this on numerous occasions in the past but the issues with digital cables are not the core tech but the parasitic noise that tags along for the ride which cocks up timing and just gets in the way of the sound. That's the issue with all cables, analogue or digital. Doesn't matter what the tech is, third-party rubbish can mask info or interfere with signal transfer. Again, if you don't hear the diffs then great. You've saved yourself some dosh :)