About The Audiolab Omnia Streaming Amplifier
Blurring the lines that generally differentiate hi-fi and lifestyle, Omnia brings all of the pedigree that helps make Audiolab electronics the connoisseur's choice. Yet, indulgence in design, material aesthetics, and useability mean it has all of the functionality to make it a sleek, convenient and easy-to-use centre-piece, for an uncompromising home audio system.
The Audiolab Omnia maintains the award-winning, instantly recognisable, Audiolab design cues. Unfussy yet striking in appearance, the curved, brushed aluminium chassis is 'typical Audiolab' but evolved to suit the modern-day living environment. Omnia is attractive but discreet, offering the perfect balance for living rooms and listening rooms alike.
In a world where music is more available than ever and sources more varied than ever, Omnia doesn't discriminate. However you listen to your music, Omnia has got you covered. To sum it up, the Audiolab Omnia is a CD player, integrated amplifier, wireless music streamer, DAC, headphone amplifier, and pre-amp – in one single unit!
High-Performance CD Drive: Extremely robust and reliable, the Omnia's CD drive builds on the class-leading 6000CDT CD transport with a read-ahead digital buffer to reduce disc-reading failures. Such is the performance of this CD mechanism, Omnia is able to play scratched and damaged CDs that are unreadable by conventional mechanisms.
Connectivity Options for Traditional Audio Sources: Utilising high-quality analogue preamp circuitry, akin to the acclaimed Audiolab 6000 series, coupled to line-level RCA inputs to connect analogue sources, the preamp circuitry is kept as simple as possible. Using high-quality components to maintain signal purity, with line input signals passing to a precision analogue volume stage, Omnia is an outstanding pre-amp, in its own right.
A dedicated MM phono input means a turntable can be directly connected to Omnia via a high-quality, low-noise, phono stage with precise RIAA equalisation. This phono stage is a continued evolution of the award winning 6000 series – engineered to make the most of the music nestling within an LP's grooves.
Networked Audio Playback: For networked audio playback, the Audiolab Omnia is equipped with an ethernet port, lending itself to a wired connection and the wider bandwidth requirements of high-resolution digital audio. For the most convenient access to wireless music playback, Omnia offers Bluetooth connectivity with high-quality, low latency, with the Bluetooth aptX standard.
The Omnia's Wi-Fi networking is powered by DTS Play-Fi, an App-controlled platform enabling high-quality, whole-home wireless audio, capable of streaming hi-res music up to 24-bit/192kHz and supported by a greater range of established audio brands than any other wireless platform.
USB DAC Section: The USB DAC section uses the new ESS9038 Q2M SABRE 32 Reference DAC to perform Digital to Analogue conversion, utilising ESS Technology's 32-bit HyperStream II architecture and Time Domain Jitter Eliminator to deliver ultra-low noise and high dynamic range.
No company knows more about making the most of this technically excellent, but challenging, DAC technology than Audiolab. The universally acclaimed M-DAC was one of the first home audio components to incorporate an ESS chip back in 2011, and the company has been honing its implementation ever since.
Master Quality Authenticated (MQA): Via the USB DAC section, the Audiolab Omnia also offers full decoding of MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) files. MQA is an award-winning British technology that delivers the sound of the original master recording. The Omnia includes MQA decoder technology, which enables you to play back MQA audio files and streams – received via the USB input – at the original file's full resolution and passes the signal through its DAC and preamp stages. MQA files are available via subscription to TIDAL's 'Hi-Fi' tier (among other sources).
IPS LCD Display: Firmly planting itself as a very useable piece of high-tech equipment, the Audiolab Omnia makes use of a colour IPS LCD display, offering a higher clarity of colour and lower power consumption than TFT displays. Via the captivating display, the Audiolab Omnia offers a simplified general user interface and a graphical integration with your music source and playback formats. It also uses a brand new protocol for a real-time VU meter display, adding a touch of hi-fi finesse to the very functional, equally good-looking, display interface.
Roon Tested: Further to this, the Audiolab Omnia is also Roon tested, thus opening up to the world of Roon. Roon's fundamental goal is to provide a consistently stellar user experience. This goal doesn't stop at the software… the experience extends all the way down to the audio playback hardware, regardless of manufacturer. As a Roon Tested partner, Audiolab has provided equipment to Roon for testing with a variety of different operating systems and computers and shared information about its design and capabilities. We have a direct relationship with Roon and in many cases, the Roon support team has our devices on hand, so you can confidently choose to use Audiolab hardware with Roon.
Roon transforms the experience of browsing music. Artist photos, credits, bios, reviews, lyrics, tour dates, and composers are located automatically, then interconnected by links to build a surfable, searchable digital magazine about your collection. And Roon finds all the same links between your personal files and the millions of tracks available on TIDAL, so you can start with the music you know, then explore and discover new music from the world beyond your collection.
In addition to music browsing, Roon is a multi-room, multi-user networked audio platform built to the exacting standards of audiophiles. It offers features like bit-perfect playback, DSD and PCM upsampling, multichannel playback, and signal path display. Roon plays to a number of different types of devices on your home network – Roon Ready, AirPlay, Sonos, Squeezebox, and Meridian – and can be controlled from Mac, Windows, iOS and Android.
Use Your Headphones: The Omnia incorporates a dedicated headphone amp with current-feedback circuitry. Its gain bandwidth and high slew rate ensure a dynamic, detailed and engaging performance with all manner of headphone types – more boxes ticked for this most all-in-one of all-in-one systems!
Connect With Zero Complexity: Powering your speakers is a doddle with zero complexity, in terms of configuration. Simply connect your passive speakers to the Audiolab Omnia and you have access to a world of audio sources with impeccable playback.
The discrete Class AB power amp stage delivers 50W per channel into 8 ohms, with a maximum current delivery of 9 Amps, into difficult loads. The output stage of the discrete power amp circuits uses a CFB (Complementary Feedback) topology, ensuring superior linearity and excellent thermal stability, as the idle current is kept independent of the temperature of the output transistors. A substantial 200VA toroidal transformer, followed by 4×15,000uF reservoir capacity (60,000uF in total), helps the amp to maintain firm control of the music whilst enabling excellent dynamic range. More than just a class-leader, the Omnia is a class-beater in terms of amplifier performance!
Our Take
The all-in-one streaming amplifier has become quite the go-to class of product in the last few years. There are quality solutions from a number of brands ranging in price from quite affordable to quite serious. The good news is that Audio Trends sell almost every major contender on the market and the Audiolab Omnia just became one of them. It ticks so many boxes we don't think there are many unticked ones left and all for such a reasonable price. Simple to use, extremely flexible with its playback options and in true Audiolab style, great sounding. At this price, if it's value for money you're after, the Audiolab Omnia has got to be at the top of your streaming amplifier list.
Main Features & Specifications
- Product Description: All-In-One Stereo 'Streaming' Amplifier With Built-In CD Player And More
- Power Output: 50 Watts x 2 channels into 8 Ohms (20-20kHz) at <1% THD
- 75 Watts x 2 channels into 4 Ohms (20-20kHz) at <1% THD
- Low Impedance Drive: 4-Ohm capability allows use with a wide range of speakers
- Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz (+/-0.3dB)
- Total Harmonic Distortion (THD): < 0.003% (1kHz @ 40 Watt / 8-Ohm)
- Signal-to-Noise Ratio (S/N): 110dB (A - weighted)
- Built-In CD Player: Playback compatible with CD, CD-R, and CD-RW discs
- DAC: ES9038Q2M Sabre 32-bit digital-to-analogue converter for high-performance playback of digital sources
- LCD: Large 4.3" (800 x 480mm) IPS Liquid Crystal Display
- Multi-room / multi speaker group support (with other DTS Play-Fi products)
- Phono Input: Low noise Moving Magnet (MM) Phono stage
- Headphone Amplifier: Dedicated Current-Feedback Headphone Amplifier
- Android / iOS / Kindle Fire / Windows PC Control Support
Streaming Features
- Connections: Connect to your home network via wired Ethernet or Wi-Fi
- compatible with PCM-based files up to 32-bit/192kHz resolution
- Stream from a home media server/computer with DLNA compatibility
- Streaming Services: Stream from compatible services like Spotify Premium, TIDAL, HDtracks, Deezer, Qobuz, Amazon Music (subscriptions may be required, subject to local availability)
- Internet Radio: Available via TuneIn, iHeartRadio (subscriptions may be required, subject to local availability)
- DTS Play-Fi app: Lets you wirelessly play music and create a multi-room music system with other Play-Fi speakers and components
- available for Apple iOS, Android™, Kindle, and Windows PC
- Bluetooth: Built-in Bluetooth 5.0 with high-quality aptX audio coding
- Roon: Compatible with Roon (subscription required)
Connectivity
- Digital Audio Inputs: 2 optical and 2 coaxial digital audio inputs (192kHz max. sampling rate)
- RCA audio inputs: 3 line-level inputs
- phono input for moving magnet cartridge
- "power" input for connecting an external preamp
- Preamp Output: Connect to an external power amp (sold separately)
- Subwoofer: Use the preamp outputs to connect up to two powered subwoofers
- Ethernet Port: RJ-45 Ethernet port for making a wired connection to your network
- USB Type-B Input: Connect a computer (handles PCM files up to 768kHz resolution and DSD512)
- USB-Type-A Input: Connect an external drive (handles PCM files up to 48kHz resolution)
- Headphone Amplifier: Built-in headphone amplifier with front-panel full-size jack
- Speaker Terminals: Binding posts for one pair of speakers
- Custom Integration: 12-volt trigger in and out
Other
- Remote Control: Included
- Power Requirements: 220-240V 50Hz
- Standby Power Consumption: < 0.5 Watt
- Accessories: 1 x IEC Power Cable, Antennas, User Manual
- Power Cable: Upgrade to a high performance power cable
- Available Finishes: Black or Silver
- Dimensions (WxHxD): 440 x 156 x 327mm
- Net Weight: 9.1 kg
- Manufacturer's Warranty: 1 Year
Note: Features & Specifications Subject To Change Without Notice. E&OE