Audiolab 6000CDT
The Audiolab 6000CDT extracts a spacious, precisely imaged performance from treasured CDs, pairing crisp detail and rhythmic assurance with impressively stable digital delivery. Hi-Fi Choice applauded its scale, separation and control, while SoundStage Solo found its quiet, confidence-inspiring slot drive and premium-feeling finish exceptional for the class. With optical and coaxial outputs, it is a compelling external-DAC partner.
WATT RECOMMENDS
Save your favorites. Compare them anytime.
Create a free HiFi Hub account to save products to your Wishlist and compare your favorites side by side.
Deliciously Crispy
Sound Quality
91/100
Build Quality
91/100
Features Usability
84/100
Value for Money
95/100
Pros
Wide, detailed soundstage with precise image placement, strong separation and convincing depth.
Smooth, quiet, precise slot-loading mechanism and sturdy, premium-feeling fit and finish.
Excellent value, with refinement and build quality reviewers considered unusually strong at its price.
Cons
Requires an external DAC and offers only focused optical/coaxial digital connectivity; there are no streaming features.
Bass grip and power do not quite reach the level of more expensive transports.
WATT RECOMMENDS
Save your favorites. Compare them anytime.
Create a free HiFi Hub account to save products to your Wishlist and compare your favorites side by side.
What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 91/100
Reviewers found the 6000CDT clean, controlled and highly capable of extracting spatial and low-level information from discs. It is praised for taut bass, stable image placement, convincing depth and an orderly, dynamically assured presentation rather than for imposing a distinctive sonic signature.
Overall Sound
92/100
SoundStage Solo heard taut, fast, powerful bass, transparent guitar decay, finely resolved vocal textures and exceptionally precise image placement. Hi-Fi Choice likewise praised its large, detailed soundstage, clear separation, rhythmic control and dynamic ability.
Digital Signal Integrity
89/100
Hi-Fi Choice highlights the read-ahead buffer, temperature-compensated master clock and shielded transport enclosure, all intended to support reliable, low-jitter digital delivery. SoundStage Solo found its output indistinguishable from CD and FLAC playback through a separate Roon/Bluesound source and the same DAC, suggesting transparent, stable delivery rather than audible coloration.
FEATURES USABILITY PERFORMANCE 84/100
As a dedicated CD transport, the 6000CDT keeps operation straightforward, with a bright OLED display, tactile controls and a smooth slot-loading mechanism. Its connection provision is focused rather than expansive, but covers the essential digital outputs and system-control functions well.
Streaming Software
83/100
The 6000CDT is a disc-only transport rather than a network player, so day-to-day usability rests on its physical interface. SoundStage Solo praises the bright OLED display and feel of the controls, and both publications report smooth, quiet and precise disc handling.
Features Connectivity
85/100
The rear panel provides coaxial and optical digital outputs, along with trigger sockets and an IEC mains input. Hi-Fi Choice also notes that the flagship-derived transport mechanism sits in its own electromagnetically shielded enclosure, a purposeful implementation for a dedicated digital source.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
91/100
Both reviews describe a notably accomplished physical execution. SoundStage Solo found the fit, finish and controls unusually sturdy and refined, while the slot mechanism loaded and ejected discs smoothly, quietly and with confidence-inspiring precision; Hi-Fi Choice similarly calls it a quality-feeling product with a smooth mechanism.
Value for Money
95/100
Value is a consistent strength in the reviews. SoundStage Solo says its finish, controls and display give the impression of a component costing two or three times as much and calls it very good value at $549.99, while Hi-Fi Choice describes it as a CD transport bargain and superb for the money.
Reviews & Sources
Professional reviews and sources for this product's Watt'n Potatoes analysis.
Online Reviews & Mentions
YouTube Reviews
Forum Mentions
No forum mentions found yet
Specifications
- Digital Output Voltage Level
- 600±50mVpp
- Frequency response
- <0.01dB @ 20-20kHz
- Output Impedance
- 75±1Ω
- Max Sampling Rate
- 44.1 kHz
- Max. Power Consumption
- 15W
- Standby Power Consumption
- <0.5W
- Power Requirements
- 240V ~ 50 - 60Hz 230V ~ 50 - 60Hz 115V ~ 50 - 60Hz 100V ~ 50 - 60Hz
- Dimensions (mm )
- (W x H x D) 445 x 80 x 307mm - including feet, terminals and controls
- Carton Size (mm )
- (W x H x D) 512 x 467x 146
- Weight
- 5.4kg (Net)
Manufacturer's Description — Audiolab
The Sound of Science
The 6000CDT is the latest CD transport from audiolab. Using audiolab’s slot loading mechanism, the transport uses read-ahead digital buffering to reduce disc reading failures and deliver the highest level of digital signal extraction from a wide range of CDs, even capable of reading scratched and damaged CDs that are unreadable by conventional mechanisms. The onboard digital decoder utilises digital coax and optical outputs to deliver the maximum versatility.
The master clock is controlled by a temperature-compensated crystal oscillator, enabling the digital output from both coaxial and optical sockets to exhibit vanishingly low levels of jitter (digital distortion).
In addition, the coaxial output is fed from a differential line driver to ensure a flawless digital signal reaches the accompanying DAC – naturally, the 32-bit DAC section in the 6000A integrated amp is a superb sonic match.
By mounting the transport in its own, electromagnetically shielded enclosure, and including a dedicated power supply, the digital signal extraction from any CD is as accurate and precise as it is possible to achieve.
Verified Dealers
Online Dealers
All Dealers
Zoom out the map to see more dealers
Authorized dealers for Audiolab 6000CDT
- Acton Gate Audio — online and in-store — Cymru, United Kingdom (website)
- Alen Audio — in-store — Extramurs, Comunidad Valenciana, Spain (website)
- All Elite Audio — online and in-store — Perry Hall, Maryland, United States (website)
- Alpha Audio Pte — online and in-store — Singapore, Singapore (website)
- Alpha High End — online and in-store — Brasschaat, Vlaams Gewest, Belgium (website)
- Alta Fedelta — online and in-store — Lombardia, Italy (website)
- American Audio & Video — in-store — Southaven, Mississippi, United States (website)
- Apollo HiFi — online and in-store — Marrickville, New South Wales, Australia (website)
- Area Hifi — online and in-store — L'Eixample, Comunidad Valenciana, Spain (website)
- Art & Voice — online (website)
and 128 more verified dealers