Audiolab 9000CDT
High-end CD transport from the Audiolab 9000 series, featuring a Read-Ahead Digital Buffer and a USB Type-A port, designed to feed an external DAC with a high-precision digital signal.
Description
The 9000CDT is a dedicated CD transport, designed to extract digital data from a compact disc and transmit it to an external digital-to-analogue converter. It belongs to the premium 9000 series from British manufacturer Audiolab and does not include a built-in DAC section: it is used in conjunction with a separate device responsible for signal conversion.
Its transport mechanism incorporates a Read-Ahead Digital Buffer, which reads data in advance and helps limit reading errors, including on scratched or damaged discs. The aluminium chassis and low-friction loading tray reduce vibrations, while the mechanism is housed in an electromagnetically shielded enclosure with a dedicated power supply, aimed at reducing parasitic resonances during digital extraction.
Signal transmission to an external DAC relies on a high-precision crystal oscillator clock, intended to limit jitter. The coaxial output uses a differential line driver delivering a 500 mV signal (+/- 50 mVpp) into a 75 Ω impedance. Frequency response is quoted at -0.01 dB between 20 Hz and 20 kHz (reference 1 kHz), with total harmonic distortion below 0.002%.
The 9000CDT also features a USB Type-A port on the rear panel, compatible with devices formatted in FAT12, FAT16 and FAT32, for playback of WAV, AAC, WMA and MP3 files as well as other high-resolution and lossless formats. Files sampled at 48 kHz are automatically resampled to 44.1 kHz.
This CD transport is aimed at music lovers on physical media who already own, or are considering pairing it with, a quality external digital-to-analogue converter, in a system where separating the playback and conversion functions is desired to limit interference.
Technical specifications
| Frequency response | -0.01 dB (20 Hz - 20 kHz, ref. 1 kHz) |
| Total harmonic distortion | < 0.002% |
| Supported formats | WAV, AAC, WMA, MP3 and other high-resolution and lossless formats |
| Connections | 1 × coaxial output, 1 × optical output, 1 × USB Type-A, 1 × 12V trigger |
| Digital output level | 500 mV +/- 50 mVpp |
| Output impedance | 75 Ω |
| Standby consumption | < 0.5 W |
| Power supply | 220-240 V - 50/60 Hz or 100-120 V - 50 Hz |
| Dimensions (W × H × D) | 444 × 89 × 342 mm |
| Net weight | 5.74 kg |
| Gross weight | 7.6 kg |
What to check before buying used
The loading tray and its drive mechanism deserve careful inspection: a tray that struggles to open, close, or that pauses before settling into playback indicates typical mechanical wear on this type of transport. The optical pickup, used every time a disc is played, can also become less reliable with age and cause skipping or read failures on certain discs, including those with micro-scratches that the Read-Ahead Digital Buffer is meant to compensate for. It is also worth checking that the digital outputs (coaxial, optical, USB) deliver a stable signal to the paired external converter.
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