AUDIOLAB 8300MB
Power amplifiers
Bass is essential. Music is no fun without good fundaments, unless one prefers listening to flute recitals only. In a recording studio the bass, that is the drums and the bass guitar, are the first thing that has to be gotten right before other tracks are added. Simply said, the bass is a backbone of any music no matter if rock or shamanic drumming. It is therefore good news that the Audiolab 8300MB excels in this area.
Function and form
Audiolab turned the usual approach upside down and built something in the vein of Pro-Ject microcomponents. The 8300MB monoblocks are rather compact (220 x 338 x 158 mm) - if you fit two next to each other then the total width makes the usual audio component wisth. Inside there is a big vertically fitted toroid transformer, symmetric signal paths and parts arranged in two levels to save space. Looks like the Audiolab produced two separate bridged amps in each box. Cooling fins are hidden inside, proper ventilation is ensured by covenction through openings in perforated lids.
The main power switchis in back, as are the XLR and RCA inputs and simple speaker binding posts. The front panel is completely decluttered, Stand-by push button with red LED indicator are only elements to be found there. No need to say I love the appearance and functions of the 8300MBs as they represent the puristic way of audio where only sound matters.
As modest as the monoblocks appear they are very powerful: their dynamic peak is defined as 450W per channel, into 8 ohms each delivers 250W, 350W into 4 ohms. I cannot imagine a loudspeaker that should represent an issue for the Audiolab.
Bass management
I would not recommend the 8300MBs to anyone with the system that is too heavy on bottom, dark in tonality, booming or muffled, or if you experience modal issues in bass in your room. Unless this is due to the existing amplifier. The basa of the 8300MB has substantial weight and scale and can be very dynamic. Clayton's double bass in East of The Sun, West of the Moon (Diana Krall) was presented with ease through my TAD Evolution E1 speakers. So was the synchronized bass guitar and the kick drum (Megadeth) or rumbling brutal bass lines in synthesized music (Cobalt 60). Yes, by investing more money we can perhaps get a bit more bass texture and articulation but considering the 8300MB's price there is nothing to complain about. Quite opposite.
Clarity & delicacy
When I focus on transparency and airiness, the Audiolab 8300MBs are a polar opposite of the amps like Primare I32 or BelCanto. In my allegory, the Primare is like vast nordic plains covered in sparkling snow whereas the Audiolab is like a walk into summer woods. In the snowy plains everything presents with big contrasts, everything is in the shades of white and sound travels for miles. In the woods the time ticks slower, sounds are muted and colour shades are infinite. The 8300MBs are like the woods - they have rich density and musicality that slightly obscures the transparency, yet the transparency is there. It is just not so prominent. The Audiolabs are not far away from Vitus Audio SS-102 integrated amplifier - the beast that was selling for 30kEUR at the time of our review. Sounds exciting to you? It is!
Tonal accuracy
The Audiolab's own 8300CD is the best partner for the pair of the 8300MB monos. The 8300CD combines a DAC, a CD player and a preamplifier in one chassis. The match of those three is perfect. Blues Pills with emotionally charged River were mesmerizing through this combo - the somewhat dar music benefited from the great bass fundament and the wall of sound that was built by the Audiolabs crushed everything in the room. The sound was dense and rich with sparkling top and lot of colours - a wailing guitar in the guitar break was amazing in its tonal richness as was the voice of Elin Larsson. If you've never experienced a singer singing live in your room then the Audiolabs may help you.
Spatial resolution
Audiolab specifies the S/N to be 110dB which is a great value by any standards; one cannot appreciate this with Blues Pills that are victims of loudness wars but Harry James's big band on Sheffield Lab is one of the most dynamic recordings ever made. These tracks had punishing dynamics through the 8300MBs. On top of that, natural soundstage of a small church just opened like an envelope in my room. The soundstage was reasonably deep and wide with a great sense for focus. When I used rather small Dynavoice Definition DM-6 monitors (one of the best kept secrets of audio world) the sound was big, bold and spacious.
Audiolab have managed to build first rate amplifiers that will not be the weakest link of any audio chain. I spent two months with them and they never let me down. For their asking price the 8300MB monoblocks are real bargain.
Recommended resellers
Horn Distribution, Praha, +420 272 656 485
Manufacturer's website: http://www.audiolab.co.uk
Associated components
- Sources: Audiolab 8300CD, Accuphase DP-720
- Amplifiers: Accuphase A-70
- Interconnects and speaker: AudioQuest Redwood, QED Reference XLR 40, AudioQuest Wild
- Loudspeakers: TAD Evolution E1, Dynavoice Definition DM-6, Monitor Audio Bronze 3, Bowers & Wilkins 686 S2, Focal Sopra No.1 and 8 other speakers from our budget monitors test
- Power conditioning: Nordost Thor (modified), Nordost Valhalla, Block Audio Snakeblock
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AUDIOLAB 8300MB
Bass is essential. Music is no fun without good fundaments, unless one prefers listening to flute recitals only. In a recording studio the bass, that is the drums and the bass guitar, are the first thing that has to be gotten right ...
Recommended resellers
Horn Distribution, Praha, +420 272 656 485
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