Its Sunday afternoon and I have nothing better to do, so I did a bit of write up.

 

I currently have two amplifiers in my possession, an Audiolab 6000A and a Lavardin ISX.

So how do they compare.

 

 

 

This is where the Audiolab scores most heavily. I like the minimalism of both amplifiers. Even the screen on the Audiolab does not offend my minimalist tendencies, it looks like it belongs and blends well into the rest of the fancier.

The Lavardin is also esthetically minimalist, which I like. But next to the Audiolab it looks cheap and home made.

Also, if you want a remote control, Lavardin will charge you an extra £295. For that money you get a remote control that I can only describe as, cheap and nasty. It doesn't even work verry well, adjusting the volume is a hit and miss affair. So this round goes to the Audiolab.

 

 

Put simply, the Audiolab has has more bass than the Lavardin, its a warmer tonal balance. Given the difference in bass quantity, its difficult to compare base quality, so I will just say that both amps seem to have good bass quality.

 

 

This is where the Lavardin earns its price tag, scoring heavily over the Audiolab. Mids are more vivid and vibrant. If is was a picture, its like turning the colour and contrast up a bit. There is also excellent separation and airiness.

 

 

Not a lot to say here, other than both the mids and uppers on the Lavardin sound a little bit cleaner than they do on the Audiolab.

 

 

In terms of sound quality alone, the Lavardin is at least one step up from the Audiolab. But is costs over three times more, and is not without its drawbacks. So at £650-700 the Audiolab is a very attractive proposition and worth every penny. Whether the Lavardin is worth all the extra money, is not so clear, its a personal decision. I'm happy with mine.