Audiolab 6000A Integrated Amplifier Silver

Audiolab 6000A MKII — Integrated Amplifier with DAC and HDMI ARC

The Audiolab 6000A MKII is the successor to one of the most acclaimed affordable integrated amplifiers of recent years. The original 6000A earned five stars from What Hi-Fi?, Editor's Choice from Hi-Fi Choice, and Outstanding Product recognition from Hi-Fi News — establishing itself as the amplifier to beat under £1,000. The MKII preserves everything that made the original so successful — the Class A/B amplification designed by Jan Ertner, the versatile three-mode operation, the built-in phono stage, the slim and understated British design — while upgrading the areas that matter most: a significantly better DAC, improved power supply, HDMI ARC connectivity, and enhanced Bluetooth.

Audiolab has a heritage stretching back over 40 years, and the 6000A series represents the most accessible entry to that legacy. The MKII sits below the 7000A and flagship 9000A in the range, but borrows key technology from both — most notably the ESS Sabre ES9038Q2M DAC chip, inherited directly from the 7000A. For listeners building their first serious hi-fi system, or upgrading from a budget all-in-one, the 6000A MKII is one of the most complete and capable amplifiers available at its price point.

Amplification

The power amplifier section retains the original 6000A's proven Class A/B topology with CFB (Complementary Feedback) output stage, delivering 2 × 50 watts into 8 Ohms and 2 × 75 watts into 4 Ohms. The CFB design ensures excellent linearity and thermal stability by keeping the idle current independent of output transistor temperature — a hallmark of the Jan Ertner circuit design shared with the more expensive 8300A. For the MKII, Audiolab has upgraded the toroidal transformer and improved the power supply regulation, increasing peak current delivery to 11 amps (up from 9 amps in the original) for better dynamic handling with demanding speaker loads. The 200VA toroidal transformer feeds 60,000µF of total reservoir capacitance, providing the energy storage needed for dynamic, controlled bass and clean transient response. The preamp section is minimalist by design — short signal paths with precision analogue volume control (74 steps, from -80dB to +8dB) and independent low-noise power supplies per stage.

DAC

The biggest upgrade in the MKII is the replacement of the original's ESS ES9018K2M DAC with the ESS Sabre ES9038Q2M — the same chip used in Audiolab's 7000A. This brings 32-bit HyperStream II architecture and Time Domain Jitter Eliminator technology, supporting PCM up to 32-bit/768kHz and DSD up to DSD512, with full MQA decoding. The post-DAC active filter stage now uses a Class A circuit optimised for the new chip, contributing to a more refined, transparent presentation through all digital inputs. Five selectable digital filters — Linear Phase Fast Roll-Off, Linear Phase Slow Roll-Off, Minimum Phase Fast Roll-Off, Minimum Phase Slow Roll-Off, and Hybrid Fast Roll-Off — allow listeners to fine-tune the digital presentation to taste.

Connectivity

The MKII adds HDMI ARC — one of the most requested features from original 6000A owners and an increasingly essential connection for anyone who wants their amplifier to handle television audio. Combined with the existing digital complement of two optical (TOSLINK) and two coaxial (S/PDIF) inputs, the 6000A MKII can serve as the hub for a complete entertainment system without external switching or additional boxes. Bluetooth has been upgraded to version 5.1 with aptX HD support, delivering higher-quality wireless streaming than the original's standard aptX. Three line-level RCA inputs and a dedicated MM phono stage (JFET-based with precise RIAA equalisation) cover the analogue side. A 12V trigger input enables automatic power synchronisation with other Audiolab components such as the 6000CDT transport or 6000N Play streamer.

Operational Modes

Like its predecessor, the 6000A MKII offers three distinct operational modes via the front-panel selector. Integrated mode combines the preamp and power amp stages for standard use. Pre mode disconnects the power amplifier, turning the 6000A MKII into a standalone preamplifier/DAC driving an external power amplifier — useful for upgrading the system over time. Pre-Power mode fully separates the two sections, allowing the power amplifier to be driven by an external source (such as an AV processor) while the preamp section drives something else, or enabling an external processor to be inserted between the two stages. This flexibility means the 6000A MKII can grow with your system rather than being replaced as your needs evolve.

Headphone Amplifier and Phono Stage

The front-panel 6.35mm headphone output is driven by a dedicated current-feedback amplifier stage — not simply tapped off the speaker output — with the gain bandwidth and slew rate to deliver engaging, dynamic performance across a range of headphone types. The built-in MM phono stage uses a low-noise JFET circuit with precise RIAA equalisation, providing a high-quality direct turntable connection without the need for an external phono preamp.

Design

The 6000A MKII maintains the same slim, elegant form factor as its predecessor — an aluminium chassis just 65mm tall with a central OLED display flanked by three rotary controls for input, mode, and volume. The design is deliberately understated, visually consistent with the rest of the Audiolab 6000, 7000, and 9000 series for seamless stacking and system building. Available in black or silver, the 6000A MKII looks and feels like a considerably more expensive product than its price suggests.