Audiolab 9000N Play Network-Player

Audiolab 9000N Play Netzwork-Player

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Verdict:" The 9000N proves that Audiolab is capable of scaling its streaming expertise to more premium price points. This is a strong performer that ticks pretty much every box as far as sound quality is concerned. We have a few issues with the lack of certain features, but beyond that there is little to complain about here. The established class champions need to worry."

PRODUCT INFORMATION

The New Sound of Research

Developed as the perfect digital streaming companion for the flagship audiolab 9000 Series, the new 9000N is the result of over three years of development and innovation. It enables extremely stable, high-resolution wireless (and wired) digital music playback. Launched in early 2022, the audiolab 9000 Series exemplifies audiolab's reputation as a manufacturer of premium amplifiers. After entering the streaming market with the highly successful 6000N Play and 7000N Play, the 9000N was eagerly anticipated!

The 9000N is the logical continuation of the 9000 Series and its natural evolution into a premium hi-fi solution, driven by customer demand for a solidly constructed and impeccably crafted streaming component. The format of the 9000N reflects the clean elegance of the 9000A and the matching CDT. Equipped with rotary controls and a complete lack of buttons (except for the power button), the 9000N also features the 4.3-inch color screen found in the other units in the series—the perfect window for showcasing your digital music files...including color artwork!

The screen displays a wealth of information in a more visually appealing way than most other streaming devices, many of which traditionally rely on the accompanying app for operational feedback and user control and interface. The 9000N's display offers full menu control, a range of options, and user settings, including multiple language selection and general display options. Particularly impressive is the 9000N's display, which provides details on format data, playback information, and, as mentioned above, the full-color album art.

The album art is visible in the standard playback screen, but can also be expanded for an artwork-focused playback screen. The display can even be set to show a VU meter in "analog" or "digital" form, displaying real-time decibel levels for the left and right channels—a more than satisfying graphical representation of music playback. For a more minimalist option, the display can be dimmed or turned off entirely, depending on the user's preference.

Stream like a dream

The 9000N is a custom-built Linux-based network streaming platform, designed from the ground up for audio playback and optimized for minimal interference and lowest latency to provide an optimal audio experience for all music lovers.

The app offers intelligent search functions and full control over, and even for, the creation of custom playlists, folders, and album grouping features. File information, track details, and app-in-app search, selection, and compilation functions are easily accessible. Qobuz and Tidal users will be pleased to know that, unlike some other apps and platforms, high-resolution and Master Quality Authenticated (MQA) tracks can be easily identified with icons within the app itself, without having to jump back and forth between the service and the device app.

The 9000N presents itself as an absolute premium device in every respect. Its customized app allows for convenient and reliable operation, and its full album art display also adds a stylish touch. Another highlight is the ESS9038Pro DAC chipset, which meets Audiolab's audiophile standards. For those who prefer the proprietary streaming service's app, the 9000N offers playback via Airplay II, Tidal Connect, and Spotify Connect, in addition to its own app.

And to complete the impressive list of compatibility with digital audio platforms, the 9000N is Roon Ready. Roon Ready devices are network players with integrated Roon streaming technology on your Ethernet or Wi-Fi network. These devices make bit-perfect, high-resolution audio a breeze, requiring no configuration and providing access to the best audio quality while delivering stable, reliable playback.

Digital Circuitry

The hardware is based on a quad Arm® Cortex®-A53 core MCU with 1.8 GHz per core. This powerful "brain" behind the system ensures seamless, trouble-free operation and offers additional benefits such as faster loading of accompanying artwork files, which enhances the user experience and visual aesthetics.

Since the launch of the much-admired M-DAC more than a decade ago, Audiolab has been renowned for the performance of its DAC circuits. The 9000N features the ES9038PRO, an eight-channel DAC chip that represents the pinnacle of ESS Technology's current Sabre series. The circuit combines the advantages of the HyperStream II architecture and Time Domain Jitter Eliminator technology, delivering unprecedented dynamic range and extremely low distortion.

No company knows more about how to optimally utilize Sabre DAC technology than Audiolab, having worked with this technology for years across multiple product generations. While these DAC chips are technically excellent, they are also difficult to implement and must be integrated into a product's circuit design to realize their full sonic potential. The active filter after the DAC is a critical element, and Audiolab has developed a new circuit perfectly tailored to bring out the best in the ES9038PRO.

The 9000N also offers full decoding of MQA Hi-Res streaming technology. This means that the entire "triple deconvolution" decoding process is performed internally, rather than just the final deconvolution like an MQA renderer. This makes the 9000A an excellent amplifier for Tidal HiFi Plus subscribers, which includes Tidal Masters (MQA) content. It's also officially Roon-tested, ensuring it works seamlessly in a Roon audio environment.

Versatile Connectivity

As any Audiolab fan would expect, the 9000N features state-of-the-art digital-to-analog signal conversion. The 9000N offers connectivity via analog XLR or RCA outputs. As a standalone full MQA decoder, it can be used with any amplifier or secondary preamp system that offers analog connections. Further magic is added by the digital output and the option of MQA pass-through functionality. For users who may be using an equally powerful DAC (e.g., 9000A owners), the 9000N can stream and pass through the MQA signal (e.g., from Tidal or Qobuz). The second DAC can then decode this signal. This offers further functionality and versatility, not to mention a completely pristine signal flow—a benefit for purists.

When using the analog output, the 9000N upsamples digital audio signals to 352.8 kHz or 383 kHz when MQA decoding is performed. Otherwise, the MQA signal can be assigned as a "passthrough" for decoding by a partner DAC stage via the menu settings. High-end audio that reaches for the stars, but doesn't cost the earth.

The 9000 Series enters the world of streaming with the goal of becoming the epitome of affordable high-end audio. It boasts impressive build quality, versatile functionality without a hint of compromise, and performance that captures every detail of the music, bringing it to life in captivating style. It offers remarkable sonic consistency across all types of digital and analog sources, always musically engaging yet refined.

Design Philosophy and Core Technology

• ESS Sabre ES9038Pro 32-bit DAC
• Quad Arm® Cortex®-A53 core, 1.8 GHz per core
• Custom Linux-based network streaming technology (IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, 2.4/5 GHz)
• UPnP AV protocol with audio streaming extension (OpenHome)
• Built-in certified MQA Full decoder (via streaming and PC USB)
• Native support for Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, MQA, Qobuz, and TuneIn Radio
• Roon Ready
• Gapless playback
• High-resolution album art display

Audiolab App Features

• Native support for TIDAL, MQA, Qobuz, and TuneIn Radio
• Tidal MQA icons for easy identification of high-resolution music
• Qobuz High-Res icons for identifying high-resolution music
• Volume control
• High-resolution album art display
• Artwork caching
• Intelligent search functionality
• Multiple playlist creation
• Multiple tag handling, composer tag support
• Album grouping within the playlist
• Automatic internet links to artists/albums/songs
• Playlist saving and restoring (including Tidal and Qobuz)
• 4.3" (800 x 480px) IPS LCD screen
• App requirements: iOS (11.0 or higher) / Android (Android 4.0 or higher) required for app control

SPECIFICATIONS

Inputs:

• 1 x Network Streaming
• 1 x PC USB (USB Type-B)
• 1 x Ethernet 10/100/1000Base-T Ethernet

Outputs:

• 1 x Gold-plated RCA connectors (pair)
• 1 x XLR connectors (pair)
• 1 x Optical connector
• 1 x Coaxial connector
• 1 x 12V trigger (link)

File Compatibility:

• DSD Lossless: DSF (DSD), DIFF (DSD), DoP (DSD)
• PCM Lossless: FLAC, Apple Lossless (ALAC), WAV, AIFF
• Compressed (lossy) Audio: MP3
• MQA
• PCM: 44.1kHz-768kHz (705.6kHz/768kHz fixed-point supported via Audiolab Music App streaming)
• DSD: DSD64, DSD128, DSD256, DSD512 (native)

Digital Section:

• Digital Output Level: 500 +/- 50mVpp
• Output Impedance: 75 ohms
• Frequency Response: -0.01dB (20Hz-20kHz, ref. 1kHz)
• Max. Sampling Frequency: 192kHz / 24-bit
• Digital Output: 1 x Coaxial, 1 x Optical

D/A Converter:

• Variable Output Voltage: 0 - 2.05 Vrms
• DAC: ES9038Pro
• Frequency Response: +/-0.5 dB (20 Hz - 20 kHz, ref. 1 kHz)
• Total Harmonic Distortion: <0.001% (1 kHz @ 2.05 Vrms)
• Max. Sampling Frequency: 768 kHz / 32-bit
• Signal-to-Noise Ratio (A-weighted): >116 dB (RCA), >120 dB (XLR)
• Output Impedance: 120 ohms

General:

• Power consumption in standby mode: <0.5W
• Weight (net/gross): 6.2kg / 8.0kg
• Dimensions (mm) (W x H x D): 444 x 89 x 333
• Finish: Black/Silver

Power requirements (depending on region):

• 220-240V ~ 50/60Hz
• 100-120V ~ 50/60Hz

Standard accessories:

• Power cable, remote control, user manual