System of the month

The system
* Streamer
Audiolab 9000N £2499
* Amplifier
Arcam A15 £1099
* Speakers
Monitor Audio Studio 89 £1999
TOTAL PRICE £5597
Our recent review of the Monitor Audio Studio 89 standmounters revealed speakers that perform admirably for their price, and certainly merit a place on any shortlist at around the £2000 mark.
At roughly the same time, give or take a week or two, our team also had Audiolab's new music streamer to put through its paces. Which we also rather like, of course. It didn't then take too long to wonder how we could get these two five-star winners together in a system that might do even a touch more than merely doing them justice.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1345126686/1723557444/articles/XVXtJjZad1723621108221/cEDJDUEtz1723621214830.jpg]
Enter Arcam's Award-winning A15, which covers some of the feature gaps that the Audiolab has, while also providing top-sounding amplification for the money. As always, it pays us to state here that it doesn't always follow that chucking three five-star products together will produce a stunning five-star system-life just isn't that easy. Our hi-fi team, though, know their stuff and have many, many years of experience at solving just this sort of challenge. Here, then, our three five-star pieces of hi-fi combine to create a sound that is more, even, than the considerable sum of their parts.
You will see from our review of the 9000N (p14) that we really like Audiolab's range-topping network audio streamer - although it doesn't tick every single box a user could possibly want. Chief among those missing talents is Bluetooth capability. Audiolab claims this is because Bluetooth isn't good enough for a piece of hi-fi equipment as high-end as this; which may be true - but it is remarkably convenient to be able to just chuck it some tunes easily from a smart device if you feel the need for some background listening. That Bluetooth omission is, of course, catered for elsewhere in this set-up, so we can go on to enjoy the strengths of this streamer.
STAND-OUT SOUND
And it has many strengths. At this price, build quality and finish ought to be (but aren't always) a given. We have no issues here, though. This Audiolab unit is up to the standards we have come to expect and appreciate from the brand.
It's the sound it provides, though, that really makes this streamer stand out at this price. Its large-scale presentation is tonally neutral, and it remains composed no matter what we throw at it. Its main rival is probably the Naim ND5 XS2 - which, you won't be surprised to read, we also love - and it is rather a case of horses for courses than having an overall favourite. The Naim possibly has more punch and drive, but the Audiolab counters that with greater precision, clarity and some terrific energy.
This means it fits in beautifully with the amplifier we suggest for this system. The Arcam A15 was released less than a year ago, and it blew us away with its combination of sonic ability, features and sheer excellence. So much so, indeed, that it is our current Award winner in its category.
It fits in so well here, not only because of its musicplaying brilliance, but also because it provides some features that the Audiolab streamer does not. It will, for example, allow you to add a turntable to this trio, if you should so wish, to cover more musical bases. More importantly for this day and age, perhaps, it offers you the chance to add a Bluetooth connection to the system - an option lacking in the Audiolab streamer.
Most relevant, though, is how wonderfully the electronics pairing gels together. As we say in our review of the A15, "This is a wonderfully commanding and controlled performer. It excels in t...