Display and conclusion
Contents
We used the modest but excellent Elac Debut 3.0 B6.3 monitors because there in the same price range, and because we think this combination could be rather good. The midrange of the Elacs is very good and the Audiolab D7 does little to change that. Except for some extra midbass. Voices get a bit more body if you will.
The DAC sounds sufficiently open and transparent, but the overall signature is more on the warmer side of neutral. What stands out is the above-average low-end reproduction. Otherwise, this is a balanced DAC that encourages long listening. You don’t get restless with the D7 and you forget that you are listening to a budget device. It is an excellent all-rounder that isn’t too critical of the source material. You really notice Audiolab’s years of experience and knowhow here. Five years ago you would have easily paid double the price for this level of performance.
Listening with the Elacs
On ‘Party Clown’ by Jenny Lewis, the vibe is important and not easy to catch. And there should also be enough slam. This is quite a tricky track, but the D7 does a great job. The track holds up and the unwieldy drum section sounds slow and draggy as it should. The organ also comes through adequately. Ryan Adams even plays a bit of guitar here, and Lewis’ voice sounds clean without extra edginess or sibilance. A good start.
There’s decent dispersion on ‘Obvious’ by our favourite pop princess Ariana Grande. Not an audiophile song, but bassnotes are well controlled and tight. The combination with the Elac Debut is very good. The ‘finger snaps’ are clearly audible, lively and crisp. Her voice comes through without artefacts and the second voice is well separated from Ariana’s.
Listening with the Hifiman
It’s even more audible through headphones that vocals are very well rendered through the Audiolab D7. Katherine Priddy’s album ‘First House on the Left’ sounds absolutely wonderful. Background noises are easily heard and the double bass sounds full and rounded.
‘Inherent Rhythm’ by Natascha Atlas is another great song. Again the double bass, but here it’s Samy Bishai’s violin that grabs our attentio. Beautiful. The Audiolab D7 brings music just a little nicer than strictly neutral, but not too much.
Comparison
What do you get when you pay more? A lot more. Well my Weiss DAC is faster, projects a wider soundstage and offers more insight. No suprise here. But stop comparing, and there is a lots to like. This is a clever little DAC that will easily slip into your set-up without changing the core of your system. And isn’t that what a DAC is supposed to do?
For whom
This compact Audiolab D7 will off course be used on a desk top. Preferably alongside a pair of active speakers and with a nice pair of headphones. But connected to a modern Class D power amplifier is also an great option. Maybe add an Audiolab 6000CDT transport as a nice extra. Finally, we see the D7 as the ideal upgrade for your outdated built-in DAC in your integrated amplifier. That will be a great option for many. You can really use this little gem in many ways.
Conclusion
If you haven't already noticed, we really liked the little Audiolab D7.
It's a "jack of all trades" in a compact box. And everything it does, it does with panache.
The star of the show is the DAC, but the headphone amplifier and preamplifier are also rather good. And all that at a relatively affordable price.The build quality as always is excellent and the form factor will be ideal for many people. And although the competition is fierce in this price range, we consider this Audiolab D7 a benchmark in its price range. Highly recommended.