AUDIOLAB 8000T Tuner

The Audiolab 8000T is a sophisticated modern FM radio tuner. It sets new standards for RF performance, operating flexibility and sound quality.

Some radio transmitters are powerful, some have narrow frequency spacing, and others are remote or low powered. Many stations transmit fine FM stereo sound while others apply heavy compression or over modulation. Strong signals from cable FM can cause overload. AM allows reception over long distances and access to many programmes not available on FM. The Audiolab 8000T is the result of a radical re-evaluation of the requirements that must be met to obtain good reception and sound from today's radio broadcasts.

Automatic tuning with 39 pre-sets, switchable bandwidth, advanced manual tuning, calibrated signal strength and tuning meters allow for all reception conditions and all operating requirements. Logical controls and a clear comprehensive display ensure that tuning is always fast and accurate.

The AM tuning section has been specially developed by Audiolab. High selectivity and switchable bandwidth eliminate the annoying noises, whistles and adjacent channel interference which ruin the sound of ordinary AM tuners.

FM Sound from the Audiolab 8000T is sweet and clear with a vivid stereo sound stage and real bass drive and dynamics. The outstanding sound is achieved by a no-compromise RF design, double conversion IF and the Audiolab Charge Integrating Demodulator.

The Audiolab 8000T offers access to an astonishing variety of music, drama, news, sports, current affairs, and general interest programmes.

Advanced software and controls with tactile feedback give the feel and function of a mechanically controlled analogue tuner. The tuning knob operates a rotary optical encoder. As you turn the tuning knob you automatically initiate manual tuning.

You can tune in 25 kHz steps across the FM band. The centre-zero tuning meter shows when an FM station is correctly tuned. With muting turned off you can monitor the audio output continuously. The audio output level is partially muted (15 dB) so that weak signals and inter-station noise do not intrude. Manual tuning lets you look for interesting stations and check the signal quality of important ones.

Other features of the Audiolab are as follows

• High sensitivity and selectivity with excellent large RF signal handling
• Digitally synthesised tuning
• Charge Integrating FM demodulator for ultra low noise and distortion
• 39 presets, save FM or AM stations in any order
• MW and that all important LW for UK reception of BBC's live Cricket.
• Calibrated 9 element FM signal strength meter reads to 90 dBµV (101 dBf)
• Calibrated AM signal meter reads field strength in 6 dB steps from 42 dBµV/m
• Linear phase FM IF filters for optimum sound quality
• Independent selection of mono, stereo, muting, bandwidth and hi-blend
  Wide/Narrow IF selection on FM
• Low emission LCD display with large clear read-out
• 11 element centre zero 'magic eye' FM tuning meter accurately calibrated in 25 kHz steps Range +125 kHz

The Audiolab also includes a built in BIRDIE FILTER that removes HARMONICS of the stereo pilot tone and interference from adjacent channels, to ensure clean quiet audio. The filter is a 9 section LC Butterworth configuration computer optimised for low pass band ripple and low group delay so that channel separation and distortion of the stereo decoder are not compromised.

  Surprisingly for a Tuner that has and does everything, the 8000T does not provide RDS (Radio Data System) but that is no great loss. The real need for RDS is when weak unknown signals are being received but that is exactly the time when RDS doesn't work.

Indeed stations as far as one hundred miles away can be received with no problem at all. With careful handling and the right conditions two to three hundred miles away wouldn't be uncommon. Now that's what I call a Tuner!

8000T Specifications

TUNING (E=Europe/Asia, J=Japan, N=North America, UK=UK).

TUNING RANGE/BAND
FM 87.5-108.0 MHz (E/N/UK).
FM 76.0-90.0 MHz (J).
AM 522-1611 kHz (E).
AM 530-1710 kHz (N).
MW 522-1611 kHz (UK).
LW 144-288 kHz (UK).

TUNING STEPS
FM 50 kHz auto (E/J/UK), 100 kHz auto (N), 25 kHz manual (E/J/N/UK).
AM/MW 9 kHz auto/manual (E/J/UK), 100 kHz auto/manual (N).
LW 9 kHz auto, 1 kHz manual (UK).

PRESETS
39 randomly accessible, any band/mode.

TUNING ACCURACY
FM better than ±0.001%.

SIGNAL METER
FM range 0-90 dBµV, 9 elements each 10 dBµVpd/75 ohm ± 5 dB.
AM/MW/LW 0-1=42 48 dBµV/m, each additional step +6 dB.

TUNING METER
FM range ±125 kHz, 11 elements, 25 kHz steps, centre 0.

FM ONLY

ANTENNA INPUT
75 ohm unbalanced, PAL or F-type according to country.

SENSITIVITY (IHF SINAD)
Mono 1.6 µV/4.0 dBµVpd/15.2 dBf.

SENSITIVITY (IHF 50 dB)
Mono 2.0 µV/6.0 dBuVpd/17.2 dBf. Stereo 18 µV/25 dBµVpd/36.2 dBf.

SELECTIVITY (IHF)
Alternate channel >65 dB (narrow) >40 dB (wide). Adjacent channel > 10 dB (narrow) >4 dB (wide).

SPURIOUS RESPONSE (IHF)
image >75 dB, Half IF >80 dB, IF > I 20 dB, Others >120 dB.

RF INTERMOD (IHF)
>65 dB.

AM SUPPRESSION (IHF)
>60 dB.

CAPTURE RATIO (IHF 40 kHz dev)
<1 dB (wide), <2 dB (narrow).

SIGNAL HANDLING
>2.0 V RMS for <0.2 % THD (wide).

MUTING THRESHOLD
10 µW 20 dBµVpd/31 dBf.

STEREO THRESHOLD
32 µV/30 dBµVpd/41 dBf.

MUTING BANDWIDTH
> ±100 kHz.

FREQUENCY RESPONSE
5 Hz to 15 kHz ± 1 dB, 3 Hz to 16 kHz ±3 dB.

CHANNEL BALANCE
Better than 0.5 dB.

STEREO SEPARATION
50 dB (1 kHz), 35 dB (10 kHz).

THD
<0.05% (mono wide), <0.2% (mono narrow). <0.08% (stereo wide), <0.2% (stereo narrow).

ULTIMATE SIGNAL TO NOISE
>82 dB for >200 µV/46 dB µVpd/57 dBf (mono).
>75 dB for > 1500 µV/64 dB µVpd/75 dBf (stereo).

PILOT TONE REJECTION
19 kHz >85 dB, 38 kHz >95 dB.

DE EMPHASIS
50 µS or 75 µS according to country.

CALIBRATION TONE
400 Hz, level corresponds to 37.5 kHz deviation.

AUDIO MUTING
Partial mute 15 dB, full mute >75 dB.

AUDIO OUTPUT
700 mV RMS/100 ohm for 75 kHz deviation at 1 kHz.

FM SIGNAL STRENGTH OUTPUT
0-5 V DC/1000 ohm corresponding to 0-90 dBµV.

RDS MPX OUTPUT
1.3 V RMS/470 ohm for 75 kHz deviation. Bandwidth 10 Hz to 60 kHz.

AM ONLY SENSITIVITY (20 dB S/N)
600 µV/m (AM/MW), 800 µV/m (LW).

SELECTIVITY
>50 dB ±9 kHz/±10 kHz. >75 dB ±18 kHz/±20 kHz.

SPURIOUS RESPONSE
Image >40 dB. IF >50 dB.

SIGNAL TO NOISE
>54 dB (ultimate).

THD
(50 Hz - 4 kHz) 30% mod <0.3%. 100% mod < 1.0%.

SIGNAL HANDLING
> 100 mV/m for < 1% THD.

MUTING THRESHOLD
700 µV/m.

FREQUENCY RESPONSE
Wide 45 Hz to 4.5 kHz ±1 dB, 30 Hz to 5.0 kHz ±3 dB. Narrow 45 Hz to 1.5 kHz ±1 dB, 30 Hz to 2.0 kHz ±3 dB.

CALIBRATION TONE
400 Hz, level corresponds to 50% modulation.

AUDIO MUTING
Partial mute 15 dB, full mute >75 dB.

AUDIO OUTPUT
700 mV RMS/ 100 ohm for 100% modulation at 1 kHz.

GENERAL ACCESSORIES SUPPLIED
Power cable, FM T-ribbon 300 ohm temporary indoor antenna, coaxial in-line adapter (PAL version only), 300 - 75 ohm adapter, AM loop antenna, instruction manual.

COLOUR
Black.

OPERATING TEMPERATURE RANGE
10 - 35° C.

POWER REQUIREMENTS
50-60 Hz. 100 V, 110-120 V and 220-240 V models available. Maximum power consumption 30 VA.

DIMENSIONS (W x H x D)
445 x 74 x 335 mm including feet, terminals and controls.
445 x 64 x 302 mm excluding feet, terminals and controls.

WEIGHT
Net 6.2 kg. Shipping 7.4 kg.