Bargain Audiolab processor

[dazed&confused]

This just happened to come up on my ebay feed

Bids are only at £156 at the moment.

I use one of these (which I purchased new) and it still sits very nicely in my system, where I'm using a Lyndorf 3400 stereo amp to do all the bass management of the sub and provide room correction for the front L&R. Other people with similar set ups are using very expensve , newer processors by comparison, yet they're turning off the room correction in those processors, so I'm thinking they may as well be using the Audiolab if they don't have an Atmos set up. I'd even wager that the Audiolab would provide a cleaner sound.

Even by itself, this Audiolab processor would give you very competent stereo music as well as a nice, simple 5.1 or 7.1, provided you're not bothered about room correction.

Tnink of it as a 'poor man's' Bryston, but still VERY good.

audiolab 8200AP 7.1 surround sound. silver great condition | eBay

audiolab 8200AP 7.1 surround sound. silver great condition. Condition is Used. Dispatched with eBay delivery – Packlink 1 day.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[IWC Dopplel]

You will be restricted on what you will be able to process in the audio lab unless you use analogue out from either an Oppo 203/205 or a Pansonic 9000 or 900 ?

 

[dazed&confused]

You will be restricted on what you will be able to process in the audio lab unless you use analogue out from either an Oppo 203/205 or a Pansonic 9000 or 900 ?

I use the analogue out from my Oppo, but the othe way to do it is to let the Blu Ray player convert te signal to PMC for the Audiloab to process.

 

[IWC Dopplel]

Are you using 4K ?

 

[Rock Danger]

Other people with similar set ups are using very expensve , newer processors by comparison, yet they're turning off the room correction in those processors

What very expensive processors are these and where are all these people? I'm not reading what you're saying anywhere on this forum.

 

[MI55ION]

Are you using 4K ?

There are workarounds.

HTPC for 4k (direct to display) and up to 7.1 LPCM to processor.

MiniDSP for room correction.

Just can't integrate it into an Atmos system.

 

[dazed&confused]

Are you using 4K ?

Not, but regardless of that I go straight from the Oppo to my plasma for video

 

[IWC Dopplel]

There are workarounds.

HTPC for 4k (direct to display) and up to 7.1 LPCM to processor.

MiniDSP for room correction.

Just can't integrate it into an Atmos system.

The challenge you have is very few players (two Panasonics and two Oppos) actually convert the high end soundtracks to analogue out and if you send digital out you need a later processor to unlock the later formats. I spent until May doing just that, if there was another way I would still be using my naim AV2. I run 4k straight to the projector via Lumagen, have no other requirements digital out is HDMI and you need a processor cbapble fo dealing with ATMOS or similar or you are stuck with an Dobly digital compromise

 

[dazed&confused]

It sold for £200.

 

[dazed&confused]

The challenge you have is very few players (two Panasonics and two Oppos) actually convert the high end soundtracks to analogue out and if you send digital out you need a later processor to unlock the later formats. I spent until May doing just that, if there was another way I would still be using my naim AV2. I run 4k straight to the projector via Lumagen, have no other requirements digital out is HDMI and you need a processor cbapble fo dealing with ATMOS or similar or you are stuck with an Dobly digital compromise

I'm not sure what later audio formats you mean. The Audiolab will play Blu Ray audio formats provided it receives them in LPCM

 

[MI55ION]

Well looks like the 8200ap sold for £200. At the same time the seller sold the older but better quality (imo) 8000ap for £160. Bargain.

Those who can do without Atmos/DTS X/Auro3D can still pick up some quality kit for next to nothing.

 

[IWC Dopplel]

Well looks like the 8200ap sold for £200. At the same time the seller sold the older but better quality (imo) 8000ap for £160. Bargain.

Those who can do without Atmos/DTS X/Auro3D can still pick up some quality kit for next to nothing.

If you want 4K your stuck, having said that I think 2k can and does look very good. The problem you will find is DTS HD and the older, still very good formats will be replaced with DTSX, Atmos and so on leaving you the poor cousin of Dolby digital or only 2 channel audio

 

[MI55ION]

If you want 4K your stuck, having said that I think 2k can and does look very good. The problem you will find is DTS HD and the older, still very good formats will be replaced with DTSX, Atmos and so on leaving you the poor cousin of Dolby digital or only 2 channel audio

As I've stated above, for 4k you're not stuck. Blu ray player with dual hdmi output or HTPC will work. Neither are you stuck for lossless formats such as DTS HD MA and Dolby TrueHD.

I think you're thinking about a different processor. The Audiolab can process 7.1 channel lossless lpcm just fine. Atmos etc are all backward compatible so no, you wont have to worry about poor cousins.

 

[IWC Dopplel]

What happens with an Atmos track or DTSX pro when they are 11.1 channel, they are downmixed in the processor in a similar way to later processors but the early ones can’t drive the Atmos channels ?

I’m quite interested as I’m moving from 5.3.0 to 7.3.0 and won’t be using overhead channels in my current house. So I’m only down mixing the Atmos tracks, they usually sound great by the way, better than the other tracks when I select alternatives on the disc

 

[MI55ION]

What happens with an Atmos track or DTSX pro when they are 11.1 channel, they are downmixed in the processor in a similar way to later processors but the early ones can’t drive the Atmos channels ?

I’m quite interested as I’m moving from 5.3.0 to 7.3.0 and won’t be using overhead channels in my current house. So I’m only down mixing the Atmos tracks, they usually sound great by the way, better than the other tracks when I select alternatives on the disc

I'm certainly no authority on the subject but afaik having inspected the folders within 4k UHD movies, the audio stream is "7.1 TrueHD Atmos". This contains the lossless TrueHD track plus Atmos metadata that an Atmos ready Processor can extract the additional information to, lack of a better word, "process" and output to the Atmos channel speakers.

A Processor/AVR like the Audiolab that are capable of 7.1 lossless only (not Atmos) will only use the 7.1 TrueHD portion of the track. There is nothing to down mix.