AUDIOLAB 6000N PLAY

Had Einstein been alive today, we could just picture him drawing up his next theory of quantum physics while listening to the Audiolab 6000N Play.

Audiolab’s first standalone music streamer would certainly have fitted Albert’s philosophy that a “simple and unassuming manner of life is best for everyone” – aesthetically, the 6000N Play is as unassuming as hi-fi streamers come, with a screenless, largely unadorned chassis that gives nothing of its vast network talents away.

But behind that modest façade, the 6000N Play has every right to exude an air of quiet confidence.

TECH SPECS

Ethernet Yes

Wi-fi Yes

Bluetooth No

Hi-res 24-bit/192kHz

Inputs None

Outputs Optical, coaxial, RCA

Dimensions (hwd) 8 x 45 x 33cm

Weight 4.9kg

Intuitive, stable experience

The 6000N Play uses the same DAC chip (ES9018 Sabre32 Reference) found in the 6000A amplifier (and the company’s Award-winning M-DAC), which we have previously praised for its ability to present a capable and composed sound.

With the talents of the 6000 Series siblings stopping short of network streaming smarts, the 6000N Play is left to create its own heart and soul. The foundation of its streaming experience, though, is actually based on another’s creation: DTS’s Play-Fi hi-res, multi-room platform.