Audiolab
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Electronics |
| Founded | 1983 |
| Founder | Phillip Swift |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom , UK |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Bernard Chang, Michael Chang |
| Products | HiFi Systems CD Players DVD Players |
| Owner | Phillip Swift (1983-1998) McLaren Technology Group (1998-2004) International Audio Group (2004-) |
| Website | www.audiolab.co.uk |
Audiolab is a British manufacturer of audio equipment. It specializes in affordable systems and has a range of stereo and surround sound systems. During its ownership under McLaren Group it was named TAGMcLaren Audio.
History[edit]
Audiolab was founded by Philip Swift and Derek Scotland in 1983. They met as students of Imperial College, and shared a common frustration of the high cost of hi-fi equipment and the difficulty of use. The first product was the 8000A integrated amplifier, followed by the 8000C preamplifier, the 8000P power amplifier and 8000M mono-blocks. As the company grew, they developed new products including CD players, transports, radio tuners and digital-to-analog converters.
Audiolab was taken over by TAG McLaren in 1998.[1] The TAG McLaren Audio enterprise suffered adversely from the economic slump in the early 2000s, and announced that it ceased development in mid-2003[2] followed by a strategic review. The audio operations were eventually sold to the International Audio Group (headquartered in Shenzhen, China),[3] which owns other Hi-Fi manufacturers such as Quad, Mission, Wharfedale and Castle Acoustics. In 2005 Audiolab re-emerged with a whole new range of equipment.
In 2010, Audiolab unveiled a range of audio components that have been badged the 8200 series, as opposed to the traditional 8000 series. In addition to adding a larger monoblock amplifier, the 8200MB, the digital components also accept digital input from computers and other digital sources.[4] The new 8200 series digital products have been designed by John Westlake, aside from the 8200 AV.[citation needed]
The 8300 series was introduced in 2015 (including the integrated amplifier 8300A, the CD player 8300CD, and the power amplifiers 8300MB and 8300XP).
A cheaper 6000 series (designed by Danish designer Jan Ertner) was launched in 2017.
Audiolab was sold as Camtech in Germany and the Netherlands.
Awards[edit]
Audiolab 8200CD player designed by John Westlake - Product of the Year 2010 by What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision magazine.[5]
The Audiolab 8200CD won the same Product of the year award for CD players from What Hi*Fi? Sound and Vision in 2011 and 2012.
The Audiolab MDAC won Product of the Year for DACs (Digital to analogue converters) in the same 2011 What Hi*Fi? Sound and Vision awards.
References[edit]
- ^ "TAG McLaren F1 company buys Audiolab, UK audio manufacturer". Stereophile.com. 11 December 1997. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
- ^ "Home Theater News and Reviews | TVs, Soundbars, A/V Receivers, and More". Digital Trends. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
- ^ "TAG McLaren Sold". Stereophile.com. 31 March 2004. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
- ^ "New Product News: Chord and Audiolab | Computer Audiophile". Archived from the original on 2010-07-28. Retrieved 2010-08-14.
- ^ "CD Players | What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision Awards 2011". Archived from the original on 2011-10-18. Retrieved 2010-12-02.