Audiolab M-One Integrated Amplifier Review

Is it a DAC with an amp or an amp with a DAC? All we know is that it's called the M-One.

by Ed Selley
Hi-Fi Review

14

Highly Recommended
Audiolab M-One Integrated Amplifier Review
MSRP: £800.00

What is the Audiolab M-One?

The Audiolab M-One is an addition to the range of components that are being built in the chassis used by the company's DAC+. This is itself an evolution of the earlier – and highly regarded M-DAC. The M-One takes some of the decoding from the DAC+ but adds an amplification stage to become a compact integrated amplifier with a useful spread of inputs.

Integrated amplifiers are something of a big deal for Audiolab as much of the company's reputation stems from its first ever integrated – the 8000A. This was produced for over a decade and became a go to product for buyers on a reasonable but not outlandish budget. The spiritual successor to the 8000A is the recently launched 8300A but any one-box amp from the company is going to have comparisons drawn to it.

Of course, with the selection of inputs it has, the M-One could never be described as nostalgic. Like the considerably more high end, Chord CPM2800 MKII, the Audiolab offers the wherewithal to be the main hub of a system, taking the strain off source equipment and tying everything together in a very convenient way. Of course, none of this is of any use if the resulting product doesn't sound any good so is the M-One a clever but slightly soulless box of tricks or an all conquering star?

Specifications

Audiolab M-One
The Audiolab M-One is a variation of the M-DAC+ that first appeared roughly a year ago. This is the company's flagship decoder and features a very considerable selection of inputs and outputs mated to the ultimate expression of Audiolab's decoding system. The M-One makes use of the same chassis as the M-DAC+ and appears to be completely identical from the front with only the product script changing.

Around the back, the differences are more readily apparent. The M-One cuts back substantially on the number of digital inputs it offers with a single example of a coaxial digital, Toslink optical and USB-B connection being fitted. These are supported by a USB-A socket that can directly interface with an Apple device (and charge it) and an Apt-X capable Bluetooth connection. This is still a reasonable clutch of inputs to find on the back of integrated amplifier though.

These digital connections are supported by a pair of RCA stereo inputs for analogue sources. These are completely analogue in terms of their functionality in the M-One. There is no A-D-A process and neither does the volume control require them to be in the digital domain. This is important because this represents a significant difference to the DAC from which the M-One is derived as this also has a volume control but this operates exclusively in the digital domain. There are no preouts or digital outputs meaning that the Audiolab is self contained save for the amplifier.

The amp itself is a class AB unit that disposes of 40 watts into 8 ohms, rising to 60 into 4. This is not a vast amount of power but should be enough to drive most sensible pairs of similarly priced speakers. Audiolab has used a rotary encoder volume control instead of a more conventional potentiometer and this means that the volume ramp is entirely linear and level matched from left to right. The volume is indicated on the front display and moves in 88 steps from mute to full output – in practise, this gives plenty of scope for fine adjustment and avoids having too wide to step to get the listening level that you want. The amp outputs to a single set of binding posts.
Audiolab M-One
In terms of decoding horsepower, Audiolab is at pains to stress that the M-One is not as blisteringly sophisticated as the M-DAC+ but this is more a reflection of how immensely powerful the M-DAC+ is rather than any failing on the part of the M-One- indeed judged by any other standard, the Audiolab has a lot of features. The digital inputs are all 32bit capable with the coax and optical supporting a 192kHz sample rate and the USB 384kHz. DSD is (naturally) supported by the USB connection as well.

The DAC chip, almost inevitably, is an ESS Sabre – in this case the 9018 – but in the case of Audiolab, there is a little more to this than simply finding a nice chip and using it wholesale. The company was one of the early adopters of the Sabre and their implementation is rather more bespoke than many rivals. The M-One comes with adjustable filters to tailor the digital performance to your liking, adjustable DSD bandwidth filters that match performance to the quality of the material you have (a reflection that some DSD material is very much source unknown) and some other intriguing tweaks too. My favourite is the one that shows the actual incoming sample rate rather than the rounded one. It almost certainly isn't necessary to know that when connected by coaxial digital, the Naim ND5 XS oscillates between 44.133 and 44.170kHz when playing Tidal but it's pretty cool nonetheless.

The final piece of functionality is the provision of a headphone socket on a full size quarter inch jack. This is very welcome and as the original M-DAC has carved out something of a reputation for excellent performance over headphones, it means that the M-One is hopefully not using this as a convenience feature.

Design

Audiolab M-One
The original Audiolab products could never be described as lookers but in some ways that was kind of the point. With it's cooker knob type controls and stern white text, the 8000A said clearly and unambiguously, 'this is an amp, if you want a lifestyle statement, look elsewhere.' Fast forward to 2016 and the International Audio Group who now own Audiolab have done something rather clever. If you showed the M-One as it sits to the sixteen year old me who coveted an 8000A with the Audiolab branding scrubbed out, I think I would still quite quickly reach the conclusion that it was an Audiolab product. The font, the simplicity of the layout and the preference to rotary controls are absolute pointers to the brand.

At the same time, the M-One isn't crude or austere. It feels minimalist without being spartan or pointlessly purist – as noted the specification is good and thanks to full remote control and a decent set of menus, everything is easy enough to access. It is also a good looking piece of kit. The symmetrical layout, clear and easy to read display and pleasing proportions ensure that the M-One is perfectly competitive with rivals. The build quality is of a very high standard with even the sober looking black version feeling extremely solid and well assembled. The supplied remote is small and easy to lose down a sofa cushion but looks smart and works extremely well. This is an amp that should be happy enough sat on its own but will also not look out of place as part of a wider selection of gear. Is it perfect? Not quite. I've never been a fan of having to cycle through inputs and would prefer to go direct. The rear speaker terminals also don't feel as substantial as some rivals although they work well enough.
Audiolab M-One
This is an amp that should be happy enough sat on its own but will also not look out of place as part of a wider selection of gear

How was the Audiolab M-One tested?

The Audiolab has alternated with the Chord Electronics 2800 MKII in the system so has been used with a Naim ND5XS connected via analogue RCA and coaxial digital and a Melco N1A connected via USB. A Pro-Ject Essential III turntable and Graham Slee Communicator Phono Stage has been used to test the analogue inputs and a Pioneer XDP-100R has been used for Bluetooth testing. All mains equipment has been connected to an IsoTek Evo 3 Sigmas Mains Conditioner. The M-One has then been connected to both Audio Note AN-K and Neat IOTA speakers. Material used has included lossles and High Res FLAC and AIFF and DSD files, material from Tidal, Spotify and vinyl.

Sound Quality

Audiolab M-One
First – a confession. While I coveted an Audiolab 8000A as a teenager, when I actually got my hands on one some years after that, I can't say that I loved the sound that it produced (although the 8000CD CD player I picked up at the same time was superb). While the amp has a fine reputation, I can't say that it was ever a personal favourite of mine. Happily, the M-One might look like an Audiolab product but it doesn't slavishly copy the sound of the older models.

With the Naim ND5XS connected via analogue and the 88.2kHz FLAC of Dead Can Dance's Spiritchaser selected, the Audiolab shows some immediately positive traits. The very rapid moves from left channel to right are captured very effectively and the Audiolab produces a wide and impressively expansive soundstage that places effects and details in context to one another. There is a sense of space and three dimensionality that is very convincing.

Neither is this the preserve of large scale high res recordings. The congested and messy Echo Park by Feeder still manages to sound like it has been unpacked and straightened out. Both pairs of speakers I have used with the Audiolab are possessed of smooth and controlled top ends and I get the impression that if you partnered it with a speaker prone to brightness, you might have a bit too much of a good thing but sensible device partnering should be able to avoid this happening. The flipside to this is that the Audiolab makes for a very capable partner with a turntable as that little lift towards the upper registers really works to the benefit of vinyl. Some care will need to be taken to ensure you have sufficient gain as this is the media where those 40 watts will be most easily exhausted but the Pro-Ject and Graham Slee combination works well in this instance.
Audiolab M-One
Good though it is via the RCA inputs, the Audiolab really excels when you switch to the digital inputs. The company has been consistently towards the top of their game in terms of digital products since the 8200CD and M-DAC broke cover some years ago. Audiolab can lay claim to being one of the strongest affordable companies in the category. All of this expertise shines through in the M-One. Listening to the 16/44.1kHz FLAC of Love's Forever Changes, is deeply impressive. This is a period recording from 1967 and while it was very carefully produced, it has a very definite tonal and presentational style from the period. The Audiolab doesn't lose this but it manages to peer underneath the nostalgia and let you hear the album for what it is – a vivid experimental thrill ride that almost certainly involved a busload of drugs.

Perhaps the highest compliment I can pay the Audiolab is that while switching between it and the Chord 2800 MKII, I never felt short changed listening to the M-One despite the nigh on £6,000 price difference. For the avoidance of doubt, the Chord is better than the Audiolab – the amplifier stage especially – but the M-One punches considerably above its weight. Being hyper critical, I think that on occasions the Audiolab doesn't always show the differences between CD quality and high res material as effectively as some other digital stages but this is as much a reflection on how good it can sound with 'ordinary' digital. It also manages to get strong results out of compressed material such as Spotify.

A final parting gift from the M-One is the Bluetooth input. I really should stop being surprised by how good Bluetooth can sound when done properly but there is no getting away from the conclusion that the Audiolab is capable of a genuinely hifi performance with nothing more ornate than an Apt-X capable phone. Just to add another cherry to a well iced cake, the range is good and it has proved to be utterly stable in general use.
Audiolab M-One
Good though it is via analogue, the Audiolab really excels when you switch to the digital inputs

Conclusion

Pros

  • Refined but lively performance
  • Useful features
  • Compact and well finished

Cons

  • Slightly short on analogue inputs
  • Not enormously powerful
  • Might be a little bright with some speakers

Audiolab M-One Integrated Amplifier Review

The shape of sub £1,000 stereo audio has been changing for a while now but after a period of flux, certain concepts that appear to have durability with the public are starting to take shape. The Audiolab M-One is a good example of what seems to be the requirements of users in 2016 with a good spread of inputs and a reasonable power output. What makes the M-One stand out from the crowd is how crushingly competent it is at meeting these requirements. This is the basis for an outstandingly capable audio system and is a must audition for anyone looking for such a device at or anywhere near the price.

MORE: Read All Stereo Amplifier Reviews


Scores

Build Quality

.
9

Connectivity

.
.
8

Ease of use

.
9

Features

.
9

Audio quality

.
9

Value for money

.
9

Overall

.
9
9
AVForumsSCORE
OUT OF
10

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