Audiolab 9000N

The new sound of research
The new 9000N was developed as the perfect digital streaming companion for the flagship audiolab 9000 series and is the result of over three years of development and innovation. It enables extremely stable, high-resolution wireless (and wired) digital music playback. The audiolab 9000 series, launched in early 2022, is an example of audiolab's reputation as a manufacturer of first-class amplifiers. After entering the streaming business with the highly successful 6000N Play and 7000N Play, the 9000N was eagerly awaited!

The 9000N is the logical continuation of the 9000 series and its natural evolution into a premium hi-fi solution, due to customer demand for a solidly constructed and immaculately finished streaming component. The format of the 9000N reflects the clear elegance of the 9000A and the matching CDT. Equipped with rotary controls and the complete absence of buttons (with the exception of the power switch), the 9000N also features the 4.3-inch color screen found in the other devices in the series - the perfect window for presenting your digital music files... including colorful artwork!

The screen displays a variety of information in a more visually appealing way than most other streaming devices, many of which traditionally rely on the accompanying app to provide 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 shows details of format data, playback information and, as mentioned above, the album cover in color.

The album cover is visible in the standard playback screen, but can also be enlarged 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 graphic representation of music playback. For a more minimalist option, the display can be dimmed or turned off completely, depending on the user's preference.

Stream like a dream
The 9000N is a customized Linux-based network streaming platform, developed from the ground up for audio playback and optimized for minimal interference and lowest latency, to provide an optimal sound experience for all music lovers.

The app offers intelligent search functions and full control over and even the creation of custom playlists, folders and album grouping functions. File information, track details and in-app search, selection and compilation functions are easily accessible. Qobuz and Tidal users will be pleased 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 switch between the service and the device app.

The 9000N presents itself as an absolute premium device in every respect. Via its customized app, it can be operated comfortably and reliably and looks chic thanks to a full album cover display. Another highlight is the ESS9038Pro DAC chipset, which meets Audiolab's audiophile requirements. For all those who prefer the app of the proprietary streaming service, the 9000N offers not only operation via its own app, but also playback via Airplay II as well as Tidal Connect and Spotify Connect.

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 in their Ethernet or WiFi network. These devices make bit-perfect, high-resolution audio easy, as they require no configuration and offer access to the best audio quality and provide stable, reliable playback.

Digital circuit technology
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 advantages such as faster loading of accompanying artwork files, which improves the user experience and visual aesthetics.

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

No company knows more about how to make the most of Sabre DAC technology than Audiolab, as Audiolab has been working with this technology for years across multiple product generations. Although these DAC chips are technically excellent, they are also difficult to implement and must be integrated into a product's circuit design to unlock their full sonic potential. The active filter after the DAC is a critical element, and Audiolab has developed a new circuit perfectly tailored to get the best out of the ES9038PRO.

The 9000N also offers full decoding of MQA Hi-Res streaming technology. This means that the entire decoding process of "triple unfolding" is performed internally, not just the final unfolding as with an MQA 'renderer'. This, by the way, makes the 9000A an excellent amplifier for subscribers to the Tidal HiFi Plus tier, where Tidal Masters (MQA) content can be found. It is also officially Roon Tested, ensuring that 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 MQA full decoder, it can be used with any amplifier or secondary preamplifier 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 unadulterated signal flow - an advantage for purists.

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

The 9000 series enters the world of streaming with the aim of becoming the epitome of affordable high-end audio. Build quality that is second to none, versatile functionality without a hint of compromise, and performance that reproduces every detail of the music and brings 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, 2.4/5GHz)
  
• 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 display of album covers
  

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 identification of high-resolution music
  
• Volume control
  
• High-resolution display of album covers
  
• Artwork caching
  
• Intelligent search functionality
  
• Creation of multiple playlists
  
• Multi-tag handling, composer tag support
  
• Album grouping in the playlist
  
• Automatic internet links to artists/albums/songs
  
• Save and restore playlists (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