audiolab 9000Q Preamplifier

A Preamplifier That Absorbs the Whole Front End

The 9000Q is a dedicated preamplifier, not an integrated amp with the power section removed. It carries a full ESS Sabre DAC, a moving magnet phono stage and a headphone amp. One chassis takes the place of three boxes in most systems.

Connections are the point of it. Three unbalanced line inputs, one balanced XLR pair and an MM phono input handle analog. Two coaxial and two optical digital inputs, a USB-B port and Bluetooth 5.1 with aptX HD and LDAC take care of everything else.

Three Outputs That Run at Once

Two variable RCA pairs and one variable XLR pair are all live together. A power amp and a powered subwoofer can share the preamp, with no splitter needed. A separate fixed output sits outside the volume control, for a home theater processor or a tape deck.

The chassis measures 17.5 by 3.5 by 12.9 inches and weighs 13.7 pounds. Black and silver are both offered. The carton holds the preamplifier, a power cord, a remote handset and the manual. Audiolab covers it for three years once you register it.

Where the Balanced Signal Actually Goes

Set the XLR input to Direct. The balanced signal then passes through nothing but a four-channel analog volume control. The trade is real, and Audiolab states it plainly. Tone controls cannot be applied in that mode, because the circuit they live in has been lifted out of the path.

A toroidal transformer was specified for this chassis rather than carried over from the 9000A integrated, on the reasoning that a preamplifier has to deliver current on demand. Mains filtering sits alongside it. Both decisions aim at the noise floor.

Five Filters, and a Reason to Pick One

The ES9038Pro offers five reconstruction filters, running from linear phase fast roll-off through to a hybrid setting. Linear phase slow roll-off is the default. Automatic upsampling to 352.8 or 384kHz is available too, but switching it on disables the filters, so the two are alternatives rather than partners.

The bench figures are quiet. Distortion sits below 0.001 percent at 1kHz. Signal-to-noise runs better than 113dB on RCA and better than 117dB through the balanced Direct path, and response holds 20Hz to 20kHz within 0.1dB. Output impedance is 120 ohms unbalanced.

What Reviewers Are Saying

Roger Kanno reviewed it for SoundStage! Hi-Fi on 1 January 2026. He found the 9000Q "quiet and transparent" and concluded that "it performed very well in my system, even when compared to pricier components".

Simon Wilce reviewed the full 9000 stack for HiFi and Music Source on 5 August 2025. He reported "no crosstalk or noise" across the inputs and was brief about the phono stage: "The MM input is excellent."

Kanno also found one limit worth planning around. The 9000Q "had some difficulty driving the more-demanding HiFiMan HE400se headphones". The output is rated for loads of 20 to 600 ohms, so demanding planar headphones are worth auditioning on your own pair first.

Who Is This Preamplifier Best For?

• You are moving from an integrated to separates — the 9000Q brings the DAC, phono stage and headphone amp along. Only the power amp is a new decision.
• You have both analog and digital sources — five analog inputs and five digital ones, plus Bluetooth. No outboard switcher needed.
• You want a balanced path you can verify — XLR Direct sends the signal through the four-channel analog volume control and nothing else. It is the quietest way through the preamp, better than 117dB signal-to-noise, so the balanced source you paid for reaches the power amp intact.
• You run a subwoofer with your main amplifier — two RCA pairs and the XLR pair are variable and live at the same time, so the amplifier and the subwoofer each get their own feed and both track the volume knob. No splitters or adapters to buy.
• You will add a streamer rather than find one inside — the 9000Q switches, converts and controls, and takes network audio from a source ahead of it. Feed it from one of our music streamers on coaxial, optical or USB and the ESS Sabre DAC does the conversion, so you pick the streaming platform instead of inheriting one.

How Does It Connect to Your System?

A turntable with a moving magnet cartridge goes to the phono input and its grounding post. Up to four more analog sources fill the line and XLR inputs. A CD transport takes coaxial or optical, and a computer connects on USB-B.

A power amplifier connects on XLR or RCA, and a subwoofer can take the second RCA pair at the same time. Two 12V trigger outputs will switch the rest of the rack on with it, though the 3.5mm cables for them are not supplied.

Pairs Well With

Building a system around the 9000Q? Start here:

• Power Amplifier: The matching partner, connected balanced end to end — the audiolab 9000P.
• Turntable: The moving magnet stage is built in and ready — browse Turntables.
• CD Transport: Two coaxial and two optical inputs are waiting — see our CD Players and Transports.
• Interconnects: Balanced or unbalanced, the cable counts on a preamp this quiet — see Interconnect Cables.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does it have a phono stage, and for which cartridges?

Yes, a moving magnet stage with a single-stage Class-A circuit and its own grounding post. Sensitivity is 4.5mV. Moving coil cartridges need a step-up device ahead of it.

What does XLR Direct actually change?

It routes the balanced input through the four-channel analog volume control alone. Tone controls are off in that mode. Leave the XLR input on Normal and you get them back.

What sample rates does the DAC accept?

The optical and coaxial inputs take 44.1kHz to 192kHz. The USB-B input goes to 768kHz PCM and handles DSD64 through DSD512 natively.

Will it drive my headphones?

The 6.35mm output is rated for 20 to 600 ohms with a 2.35 ohm output impedance, and inserting a plug cuts the speaker feed. Reviewers found demanding planar models the exception.

Can I run a power amplifier and a subwoofer together?

Yes. Two RCA pairs and the XLR pair are variable and active simultaneously. A fourth, fixed output sits outside the volume control for an AV processor.

What does the warranty cover?

Audiolab offers three years from purchase on units bought new from an authorized dealer, activated by registering the product. Terms vary by country, so confirm with us before you register.

See It in Action

A British Audiophile compares the 9000Q and 9000P pairing against the 9000A integrated:

HiFi-freaks walks through the 9000 series preamplifier and power amplifier:

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