I acquired my Audiolab off of a mate secondhand, so I knew what it could do...
It's the MkII version, but in a MkI case!

However, that cool uniqueness aside, this amp sounds fantastic in my system (NOT harsh or THAT clinical) and it's nice and revealing. Oh, and there's loads of inputs and tape loops too, which is very useful.

I like mine a lot and can't see myself wanting to upgrade any time in the forseeable future - that's how good it is!

I have had my 8000A for 2 years now and without going into higher price bands (much higher) there is little on the market to better it. But then that all depends on what your putting through it. If your using a high quality CD player and punchy rythym and bass is what you want, well I don't reckon you need much more apart a couple of responsive drivers to deliver the purity of sound the Audiolab gives.Speedgarage rocks!!!

I'm very pleased vith with my 8000A and i wouldn't change it for nothing.i'm happy to have one.

With the Audiolab you really hear the music. If a particular piece sounds brittle or 'clinical' as some reviewers have said then it aint been recorded properly. You really find out which studio engineers and producers are any good!For the money it is simply the best amp you can buy. Im using it with a Linn Karik and a pair of Epos speakers and it's heaven. You can buy these cheap second hand so go get one!!

System :
Compact Disc - Cambridge Audio CD4SE.
Analogue Disc - turntable : Dunlop Systemdeck IIX (modified with Disk SE22 mat).
arm : Moth Arm (aka Rega RB250).
cartridge : Audio Technica AT5E moving coil (modified version).
Amplifier - Audiolab 8000A.
Cassette Tape - Teac V 1050.
Speakers - Music Fidelity MC2's with Epos ES14 stands.
Cables - Homemade phono cables,
speakers biwired with 4-core caravan/trailer cable.
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The Audiolab 8000A was bought secondhand for 225 UK pounds.

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One point not emphasised by the other reviews is that this amplifier
has an excellent moving coil / moving magnet (switchable) disc input.

Any current or would be vinyl enthusiasts out there could do a lot
worse than searching out one these second-hand, I don't know of
anything available that comes anywhere near this quality for this
sort of money.

Sound quality is excellent in the above system. Build quality is superb,
its a real buy it, fit it , forget it product, it will last for years.

Its difficult to describe any difference in quality between the inputs
as the sources are so different, but all the inputs engender a feeling
that quietly and confidently the best is being made of them.

The power amplifier section has a similar quality with the MC2 speakers.
It does not seem to have an easily discernable character (other than
being rather good), but given that some commentators say it is sterile
one thing i'll say is its definetely not warm, and it is analytical.

Incidently the CD4SE matches superbly, and is the first CD player I've
had that consistently sounds better than the vinyl disc spinner.

I have had this integrated for about a year now. I bought it used, and I have always thought of it as a "stepping stone" for a nicer amp. Because of that, I have been borrowing a number of integrateds to see if an upgrading was called for. To make a long story short, I still have the 8000A. Neither the Alchemist Kraken, Arcam Alpha 9, or the Myryad MI120 made me long for a more expensive amp, the latter being most impressive. Even then, the Myryad was only marginally cleaner and more musical with certain discs. I listen mainly to British alternative/rock/pop, so my music needs to be clean and energetic. I very little to complain regarding this piece. 5 stars. If used, even more.

I've been owning the 8000A (last version) for the past three years.It's a very fine amp for the price , maybe the best one. I'm right with all the reviewers who can't find it cold : it's mostly a neutral amp, so the rest of the system will be highly revealed, including of course the quality of the record.
One year after my purchase I upgraded it with an 8000PX, using the A only as a preamp.I didn't use them biamping , ( I tried) because the PX did a real better job alone ( but that's another budget). Two months ago, I bought a decent preamp(Linn Kairn phono SPS)and the improvements were worthy.Anyway , I still consider the A as the best "first" amp. It beats a lot of amps costing twice its price.
One of its most particlar touch is its analytical sound: on bad records, it can sound unforgiving; but on good records, it gives an air sensation that only good vacuum amplifiers can give.But it also can be its main default: it can push you to listen to the details of the music, and not to the whole of the sound.
A very fine preamp can give the details, without extracting them so much from the whole as the A does. This conducts to a specific illness according to me: the audiophily !! stop listening to the details and try to listen the music as a whole: be a melomaniac! not an audiophile!!!!

I have been using an 8000A which I acquired second hand about 8 years ago for $400 Cndn. (about $275 US)so this amp certainly owes me nothing. I have always considered it to be excellent value for money and its reliablity is obviously beyond question. A recent "upgrade" however has put this amplifier into a totally different category. My system consists of a Michell Gyrodek with Premier FT3 and Ortofon MC20 Super, Arcam Alpha 8 CD and Elipson 1313 (a French 3 way floor stander). All of my equipment is "old" with the exception of the Arcam. The turntable and cd player are plugged into an Inouye line conditioner, the Audiolab plugged straight into the wall, interconnects are Kimber Hero, speaker cables are 4TC. I was using older MIT Z cords into both the Audiolab and the CD player. A few weeks ago, I purchased a Cardas Golden Power Cord which I connected to the Audiolab, switching the MIT cord over to my line conditioner. The dealer I purchased the Cardas from suggested I "float the ground" by removing the ground prong from the cord to obtain the best possible result. I did this on the Cardas and also on the MIT cord to the CD player. The results were incredible! There is simply more musical info coming out, and not in small amounts. The soundstage has expanded dramatically and the system sounds much smoother and musical with the overall effect being one of the performers moving back about 10 feet along with a huge increase in detail (hard to believe!) At the frequency extremes, high frequencies are now produced without digital glare or hash, and the low end has been transformed, with bass being both more powerful and controlled. This has been an extremely worthwhile upgrade which I would strongly recommend to anyone using this amp. It literally sounds like a much more expensive and different amp, and I have no desire to upgrade at this time, with the exception of the cd player. Check this out for yourself!

I never boght the Audiolab 8000A. The reason? I'll get to that in a second. Let me first say that when I walked into my local Hi-fi store, ready to trade in my trusty NAD 3240PE, I was a little apprehensive when the salesman showed me the Audiolab. I looked skinny, plain and boring, which is pretty much what most British amps look like. But, I also knew that most British amps sound a lot better than their Japanese counterparts. He told me to bring it home, plug it in and let it burn for 24 hours. I did that and then listened to it the next day.

This is a fantastic sounding amplifier. It was really startling how much detail I was missing on the NAD. Some people say its sound is cold and clinical. I call it realistic. When was the last time you were in a bar and the local band sounded warm and inviting? The sound on this amp is absolutely accurate.

But then it happened. I was playing it fairly loud, its 60W/CH gave it their all... then it shut down. Came back on... shut down. On... off... The salesman said the protection circuitry was set pretty agressively, so he took it back and changed the parameters as to when it should activate. Took it home again. Same piece of music, same volume level, click!! Off it went.

I took it back the next day and hooked my NAD back up. You see, I like my music dynamic and fairly loud. Not earth shattering loud, but I like to feel the kick of the bass drum as well as hear it. The Audiolab couldn't handle the task at hand. Perhaps my KEF C95's are a little harder to drive than most speakers, but nonetheless, the NAD is still kicking out the watts.

Neutral, Clean and Most Detailed Sound

the Bass quite thin

I bought this 8000A as been considered as the last batch of units made before the Tag takeover. The build quality is superb and the performance will truly depend on your source. I find that the bass is quite thin but punchy. I'm planning to add a power amp(8000PX)to do bi-amping and will somehow improve the bass section. The problem is, it's very hard to find now for a new or second hand power amp. But i'm still searching for it...