The Topaz series didnt win rave reviews for Cambridge's quality control - I can only assume that the review units were cherry picked. I've been very lucky with entry-level gear from Cambridge, NAD and Marantz over the years but that's a big lump to be shipping all over the country (or worse, halfway around the world) for warranty repair. Hopefully CA have lifted their game with the new series.
I've been busy collecting a CX set of gear. I've started with a CXNv2. Recently I've bought a CXC. And I've just ordered a CXA81. Which should arrived in a few days. So far I've been very impressed with both the CXNv2 and CXC. Looking forward to try the new amp.
@@AudioAdvice Having the set complete at home for about a month now. I can easily say it has been my best investment audio wise ever. I just love the CXA81. Wonderful sound quality, and it handles everything with ease. Add to this the CXC and CXNv2. A Sony BluRay player and my TV with a TV box. Everything hooked up digitally. The CXNv2 analog as well. I'm set for the coming years. I don't have experience with the AX series. But for me going for the CX series was definitely worth the higher price.
I have an AXR100 connected to a pair of Dali Oberon 3's in my pool room. I love the sound but have become curious as to how much better the next step up would be. Do you think I'd be better upgrading my speakers if I got the CXA81? Or would my Dali's be good enough to do the 81 justice? Would appreciate your advice 😎
In terms of spending ratio at what point would you advise spending more for the AXA81 instead of the AXR100? AXR100 seems capable of powering most speakers with its 100 watt output.
Good question, there is no doubt the AXR100 is a really good value. The CXA81 is much beefier with better parts and does sound better at all volume levels, but it does cost over twice as much as the AXR100. It might be best if you reached out to our team at www.audioadvice.com to discuss which would be the best match for your system.
Back in the day, I was very close to buying Cambridge but went with Arcan because I could afford it, then. If I ever replace the Arcams, I will be taking a very hard look at Cambridge.
1. Great Job to Audio Advice - side note what is this guys name and is it his company because he does the best product description/reviews. 2. Some times there are certain things that are red flags, one of them being no tone controls, the other being the reviews on retails that state the opposite of the marketing, as much as I was interested in the cx85 no tone controls and reviews stating it sounds thin and weak are concerning to not risk this purchase. Great info though.
Thank you. This video was done by our now retired company founder. A lot of high end integrated amps do not have tone controls but we agree there are times they are nice to have especially with bad recordings. Thanks for watching and commenting.
so I have a question. I'm looking for a device that can do the following: run 4 speakers (all 8 ohms), stream internet radio, all in 1 machine. I'd be open to connecting a CD player, but I will never ever Bluetooth connect my iphone or ipad. Does Cambridge have something that will do this?
I was thinking of getting the Cambridge AXC25 amp and cd player, with wharfdale diamond 9.0 speakers. I’m into heavy metal, blues, classic rock…is this a good team up? Cheers. Best wishes
Not a review, but I agree that it was comprehensive. AA are selling the gear - that makes this a sales pitch. 'Call for sales and support: 888.899.8776'
What I'm wondering: is it advantageous to connect an AXC35 to an AXR100 digitally -- given that the AXR100 as only one coaxial input (which I could use for my old-ish TV recorder -- which only has coaxial)? Cambridge Audio specify the Wolfson WM8524 as the AXC35 DAC, but I've yet to find anywhere that pins down what actual DAC the AXR100 uses. Is the AXR100 DAC significantly superior to that of the AXC35? (And can you tell me what DAC the AXR100 uses?!)
Thanks for very helpful content! You mentioned that CXC is the best cd transport below 2k - did you have a chance to compare it against Cyrus / NuPrime / Primare / Pro-Ject models by chance? Thanks!
Hello, I want to buy a Cambridge amplifier to use mainly with my AT-LP7 turntable, together with my Cambridge Alva Duo preamplifier, since the turntable has a switched preamp, which allows me to use an external preamp, aiming for better sound quality. I have a big doubt between buying the AXR100 and the more recent CXA81 and regardless of the prices, where the CXA81 is practically double the AXR100, which of these two models would you recommend for me to use with the turntable? Even though the CXA81 does not have a phono input, is it possible to use this integrated amplifier in parallel with the Cambridge Alva Duo preamplifier? Greetings from Brazil.
You can use the CXA81 with their Duo which would sound far better than the AXR100, if you have the budget, that is a good choice
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I am about to buy the CD plyaer AX35 to use with an AUDIOLAB 8000-A amplifier together with Monitor Audio loudspeakers. Do you know where can I find over the Web a sample of music playwed with the AX35, preferably classical music, to listen to?
We have no idea where you would find that would we would strongly suggest you do now judge how things sound by that sort of test. You are listening more to the microphone, speakers, and room it was recorded in and how that sounds on your system vs how the unit actually sounds.
Hi, wonderful video, my compliments. i have a marantz pm 8006, integrated amplifier, will cxn v2 pair well with it as i need a dac and Airplay to play with my iphone, also will the bus cable fit with my amplifier.. plz suggest
Hi! Could you please do a review of the Magnat ma900 Hybrid amplifier?! I just bought it and it’s lightyears better than my former Cambridge cxa80. Thanks for great channel and merry christmas 😊
We stopped putting prices in our videos as they change so much and people would get upset the video had one price and the new price was different. We always have a link to our site on the video that will have the correct price. Thanks for watching
ha fatto un video più aggiornato di questo, che comprende la versione Mk2 del cxa81? in ogni caso da quando Rotel ha aggiornato i suoi prodotti al caa 81 mk2 preferisco il Rotel A14 mk2 che suona bene ed è completo come ingressi e uscite. . Non conosco tutti i suoi video perchè la seguo da poco, ma chiedo lei cosa ne pensa? non è d'accordo con me? Ho comprato nel frattempo il WIIM ULTRA che dovrebbe fare da Preamplificatore, abbinato al mio "vecchio" e potente finale Proton D1200 in mio possesso da 35 anni. Mi dicono che ha un buon DAC , migliore di quelli contenuti nel CXA81 MK2 e di quello contenuto nel A14 MK2. Cosa mi dice su questo? è vero??
Thanks for your question, Kevin! The CXN V2 gets you into the high-performance streaming services with Tidal, Qobuz, and Spotify Connect built-in. Since it's software-driven, the CXN V2 can benefit from future upgrades and Cambridge Audio just did one we have been asking for - they made the unit totally compatible with Roon. Roon is a subscription-based music management software that we just love. Learn more here: www.audioadvice.com/shop-by-brand/cambridge/cambridge-audio-cxn-network-player-v2-series2.html
I just took my stereo out after 30 years packed away. I have a pair of Polk RTA11T's and a Yamaha intergraded amp which makes a very bad static sound. I think I need to replace it. What would you think I should replace it with. I plan on just using Bluetooth for my music as my CD's are gone.
Please reach out to our team at www.audioadvice.com for the best advice, however, there is a chance your Yamaha integrated (which if it is 30 years old is probably pretty good) is just dirty inside the controls. Turn the power off and rotate the volume knob a lot rapidly, and flick all the switches around many times. This many clean up the dust. If it improves it, you may want to have a shop clean out the internal parts and you may be good to go with just adding a BT streaming device like this www.audioadvice.com/audioengine-b1-bluetooth-music-receiver-black to it. Thanks for watching
I have an AXR100 connected to a pair of Dali Oberon 3's in my pool room. I love the sound but have become curious as to how much better the next step up sound. Do you think I'd be better upgrading my speakers if I got the CXA8? Or would my Dali's be good enough to do the 81 justice? Would appreciate your advice 😎
You probably have your speakers reversed or the input cables you are checking reversed. A great way to check is to play some test tones you can find online if you have a way to get the audio into the unit where someone says: this is the left channel playing, etc
@@AudioAdvice I checked everything over and over. It plays out of both when choosing say Left 10 , I get sound from right as well. Not as loud. Im returning it. Ive tried contacting Cambridge Audio lik=e 10x and no reply. I need to know if this is normal or not. IVe had many Cambrige amps, None did this.
@@New-England-HiFi-Guy That is very odd, did you purchase it from Audio Advice? And you are sure all your speaker connections are across the top 4 banana plugs?
Im a bit late to the party i see😅 Im looking at the AXR100 to replace my 11 year old azur 740a. Main reason is the 740's lack of optical input(tv, console,pc) And the remote are deteriorating fast, one thing cambridge audio cant make properly, atleast 10 years ago.. Are the AXR100 equal to the azur740 sound wise? More power hungry? I have a set of Dali zensor 7 speakers🙂
Could you please tell me if cxa81 would be a better solution than axr100 handling klipsch rp5000fII? Is it worth 500€ extra? Ax 499€ and cx 1099€, huge difference. Mostly using turntable, but also random music via bluetooth is an advantage.
@@Fl3t05 If that is what you can afford, it will not be bad, you could later upgrade it down the road and keep the CXN as that is a world class streamer.
@@AudioAdvice that's the plan, thank you for answer. :) I understand that CXN and AXR looks similar from design perspective (same colour etc.) so they'll look good on shelf together until I upgrade to CX61 :)
Hi sir,I want to buy cambridge Audio amp,I am confused between axr100 and cxa 81. Kindly guide which one to buy, and also suggest some good quality matching bookshelf speakers. I want bright and warm sounds ,music will be played through Bluetooth, and I also want to connect my tv.kindly guide me, please 🙏
@@kashiramahirwar7338 I have Oberon 1 pair with AXR 85. They are good in my taste. Add a sub Wharfedale to fill the bass. But Oberon need at least 100 hours to break in. Before the break in, the tweeter sound bright and harsh. Now they are good and crisp.
If you havnt bought it yet, dont! Because ls50 paired with this one is shouty. Pair it with arcam..I have both arcam and cambridge. I paired my cambridge with wharfs..
The difference between 85w and 100w audio output is less than 1dB, so the difference cannot be heard, since even with the best ears, a minimum of 1dB difference is needed to hear the difference. You'll certainly hear the difference between 35w and 85w, as 85w is more than double 35w and is almost 4dB of difference - very easily audible.
We said the same thing comparing the two AX units, it is a feature difference. However the CX series blew away the AX series due to many factors. Thanks for watching
The AXA and AXR series all sound better to me, because the CX amps seem to have somewhat recessed midrange, especially the 61, and they have no tone controls, while the AXA and AXR all have them. The AXA35 or AXR85 are all you need, and they are equal to or better in sound quality to anything in their price range from NAD or Yamaha.
@@AudioAdvice After more listening, that recessed midrange I spoke of really depends very much on the speaker that they're paired with. I still like the AXR85 the best, as it sounds best to me, regardless of price. However, this is all based on listening on YT, as I've never heard any of them in person.
@@DougMen1 We would highly recommend you base your decision on hearing any piece of gear in your own home or a showroom. Trying to decide via YT has so many variables as you are listening mostly to the microphone used, the room it was captured in, tons of YT compression, then through your headphones or speakers. If you are in the US we have a very good return policy if you were not happy. We hope this helps.
I suspect they removed the tone controls to push the AX line, and not to improve the component quality, and give you a reason to update the next model in a year or two.
Right now it works with Qobuz and Tidal, plus Chromecast and Airplay2. The great thing is they continually update the app to add features. Thanks for watching.
@@AudioAdvice 13:15. Don't write off the CX gear ... "because it costs less". Possibly a bit misleading after just mentioning the AX series -- though (I think) you meant it costs less than more expensive gear from other companies! 😀
I don't intend to rankle anybody by being "that guy" but it does irritate me that many audio reviewers can't say the word "toroidal." Tarun from A British Audiophile says "tore-ROE-dee'uhl," which is wrong, and this reviewer says "tuh-ROY'dee'uhl," which is ... also wrong. There's no 'i' after the 'd' in this word; it's pronounced /torr-OY-duhl/. Three syllables. Not four. Not four and a half. Not almost five. Three, sir. :D
@@AudioAdvice The second half of that comment was supposed to be a Monty Python reference but I'm afraid it got obscured by the tone of the first bit. Sorry.
The CX amps just look, BLAH! That black plastic piece, just turns me off. Throw an LCD in there... Or eliminate it all together and just give us NORMAL buttons. Just a butt ugly piece of gear, and so easily fixed. What were they thinking? The CX units looks like an after thought.
Thanks for watching and sharing. Cambridge is all about the sound and you sorta need the display for some of the functions- you could have all those be buttons, but it would be quite a bit.
I just bought the AXA35 amp and the AXC25 CD player. Simple, uncomplicated and sound terrific. Your reviews helped me make my choice. Thank you 🙂
Nice stuff. I just got the Arcam SA10 nice sound.
How is the CD player so far?
@@SacreDro the CD player is great. Smooth, but with lots of detail. For the money, it's good value
are you still enjoying your AXA35?
@@andrehb yes Andre, very much
Leon's reviews are a treat to watch and follow. Love from Bangladesh 🥰
Thanks so much!
I do miss big analog meters, switchable vu & watts
The Topaz series didnt win rave reviews for Cambridge's quality control - I can only assume that the review units were cherry picked. I've been very lucky with entry-level gear from Cambridge, NAD and Marantz over the years but that's a big lump to be shipping all over the country (or worse, halfway around the world) for warranty repair. Hopefully CA have lifted their game with the new series.
Thanks. Very helpful.
Would CXC be an improvement to AXC35 (used as a transport)?
I've been busy collecting a CX set of gear. I've started with a CXNv2. Recently I've bought a CXC. And I've just ordered a CXA81. Which should arrived in a few days.
So far I've been very impressed with both the CXNv2 and CXC. Looking forward to try the new amp.
Good choice! Hope you enjoy 👍
@@AudioAdvice Having the set complete at home for about a month now. I can easily say it has been my best investment audio wise ever. I just love the CXA81. Wonderful sound quality, and it handles everything with ease. Add to this the CXC and CXNv2. A Sony BluRay player and my TV with a TV box. Everything hooked up digitally. The CXNv2 analog as well. I'm set for the coming years.
I don't have experience with the AX series. But for me going for the CX series was definitely worth the higher price.
@@SandsOfArrakis thanks for sharing!
Nice job - that was extremely helpful.
Greay video, makes it all so clear and answeed all my beginner questions
Great to hear! Thanks for sharing!
Very happy with my AXR100, AXC35 and Elac Reference DBR62s
Thanks for sharing
I have an AXR100 connected to a pair of Dali Oberon 3's in my pool room. I love the sound but have become curious as to how much better the next step up would be. Do you think I'd be better upgrading my speakers if I got the CXA81? Or would my Dali's be good enough to do the 81 justice? Would appreciate your advice 😎
Thank you for this detailed comparison.
Glad it was helpful!
In terms of spending ratio at what point would you advise spending more for the AXA81 instead of the AXR100? AXR100 seems capable of powering most speakers with its 100 watt output.
Good question, there is no doubt the AXR100 is a really good value. The CXA81 is much beefier with better parts and does sound better at all volume levels, but it does cost over twice as much as the AXR100. It might be best if you reached out to our team at www.audioadvice.com to discuss which would be the best match for your system.
Back in the day, I was very close to buying Cambridge but went with Arcan because I could afford it, then. If I ever replace the Arcams, I will be taking a very hard look at Cambridge.
Thanks for sharing, both are very good products
Very informative video, thanks.
Glad you enjoyed it!
1. Great Job to Audio Advice - side note what is this guys name and is it his company because he does the best product description/reviews. 2. Some times there are certain things that are red flags, one of them being no tone controls, the other being the reviews on retails that state the opposite of the marketing, as much as I was interested in the cx85 no tone controls and reviews stating it sounds thin and weak are concerning to not risk this purchase. Great info though.
Thank you. This video was done by our now retired company founder. A lot of high end integrated amps do not have tone controls but we agree there are times they are nice to have especially with bad recordings. Thanks for watching and commenting.
so I have a question. I'm looking for a device that can do the following: run 4 speakers (all 8 ohms), stream internet radio, all in 1 machine. I'd be open to connecting a CD player, but I will never ever Bluetooth connect my iphone or ipad. Does Cambridge have something that will do this?
Reach out to our team of experts at audioadvice.com and they can guide you to what will work best for you!
I was thinking of getting the Cambridge AXC25 amp and cd player, with wharfdale diamond 9.0 speakers. I’m into heavy metal, blues, classic rock…is this a good team up? Cheers. Best wishes
That would work well
@ thanks so much for replying! I thought of the 9.0’s, but may be the 12.1, more expensive. They would be better, yes? Best wishes
This is a fantastic series review.
Not a review, but I agree that it was comprehensive. AA are selling the gear - that makes this a sales pitch.
'Call for sales and support: 888.899.8776'
What I'm wondering: is it advantageous to connect an AXC35 to an AXR100 digitally -- given that the AXR100 as only one coaxial input (which I could use for my old-ish TV recorder -- which only has coaxial)? Cambridge Audio specify the Wolfson WM8524 as the AXC35 DAC, but I've yet to find anywhere that pins down what actual DAC the AXR100 uses. Is the AXR100 DAC significantly superior to that of the AXC35? (And can you tell me what DAC the AXR100 uses?!)
Sorry, we do not know the DAC either. The best way to tell would simply be to test and see which way sounds better to you. Thanks for watching
Thanks for very helpful content! You mentioned that CXC is the best cd transport below 2k - did you have a chance to compare it against Cyrus / NuPrime / Primare / Pro-Ject models by chance? Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching
Hello, I want to buy a Cambridge amplifier to use mainly with my AT-LP7 turntable, together with my Cambridge Alva Duo preamplifier, since the turntable has a switched preamp, which allows me to use an external preamp, aiming for better sound quality. I have a big doubt between buying the AXR100 and the more recent CXA81 and regardless of the prices, where the CXA81 is practically double the AXR100, which of these two models would you recommend for me to use with the turntable? Even though the CXA81 does not have a phono input, is it possible to use this integrated amplifier in parallel with the Cambridge Alva Duo preamplifier? Greetings from Brazil.
You can use the CXA81 with their Duo which would sound far better than the AXR100, if you have the budget, that is a good choice
I am about to buy the CD plyaer AX35 to use with an AUDIOLAB 8000-A amplifier together with Monitor Audio loudspeakers. Do you know where can I find over the Web a sample of music playwed with the AX35, preferably classical music, to listen to?
We have no idea where you would find that would we would strongly suggest you do now judge how things sound by that sort of test. You are listening more to the microphone, speakers, and room it was recorded in and how that sounds on your system vs how the unit actually sounds.
The SN ration figures are greatly different. Is there a noticable hiss with the AX series?
We have not observed that. maybe if you crank it all the way with no source playing, but in normal use no.. Thanks for watching
Hi, wonderful video, my compliments. i have a marantz pm 8006, integrated amplifier, will cxn v2 pair well with it as i need a dac and Airplay to play with my iphone, also will the bus cable fit with my amplifier.. plz suggest
That should work fine. Thanks for watching!
Hi! Could you please do a review of the Magnat ma900 Hybrid amplifier?! I just bought it and it’s lightyears better than my former Cambridge cxa80. Thanks for great channel and merry christmas 😊
Thanks for the suggestion, we did not know about that amp, it looks pretty good. We appreciate you following our channel.
Would have liked prices of all equipment. Now I have to go to other places to see if it is worth the upgrades
We stopped putting prices in our videos as they change so much and people would get upset the video had one price and the new price was different. We always have a link to our site on the video that will have the correct price. Thanks for watching
I have to decide between axr100 and cxa61, do you think the with a pair Elac b5.2 I could notice the difference of sound quality? Thanks
Reach out to our team of experts at audioadvice.com and they should be able to help you out!
ha fatto un video più aggiornato di questo, che comprende la versione Mk2 del cxa81? in ogni caso da quando Rotel ha aggiornato i suoi prodotti al caa 81 mk2 preferisco il Rotel A14 mk2 che suona bene ed è completo come ingressi e uscite. . Non conosco tutti i suoi video perchè la seguo da poco, ma chiedo lei cosa ne pensa? non è d'accordo con me?
Ho comprato nel frattempo il WIIM ULTRA che dovrebbe fare da Preamplificatore, abbinato al mio "vecchio" e potente finale Proton D1200 in mio possesso da 35 anni. Mi dicono che ha un buon DAC , migliore di quelli contenuti nel CXA81 MK2 e di quello contenuto nel A14 MK2. Cosa mi dice su questo? è vero??
The CXN still does not handle Tidal MQA songs, correct? Do you know if they have plans to add that in the future (if that’s possible).
Thanks for your question, Kevin! The CXN V2 gets you into the high-performance streaming services with Tidal, Qobuz, and Spotify Connect built-in. Since it's software-driven, the CXN V2 can benefit from future upgrades and Cambridge Audio just did one we have been asking for - they made the unit totally compatible with Roon. Roon is a subscription-based music management software that we just love. Learn more here: www.audioadvice.com/shop-by-brand/cambridge/cambridge-audio-cxn-network-player-v2-series2.html
I just took my stereo out after 30 years packed away. I have a pair of Polk RTA11T's and a Yamaha intergraded amp which makes a very bad static sound. I think I need to replace it. What would you think I should replace it with. I plan on just using Bluetooth for my music as my CD's are gone.
Please reach out to our team at www.audioadvice.com for the best advice, however, there is a chance your Yamaha integrated (which if it is 30 years old is probably pretty good) is just dirty inside the controls. Turn the power off and rotate the volume knob a lot rapidly, and flick all the switches around many times. This many clean up the dust. If it improves it, you may want to have a shop clean out the internal parts and you may be good to go with just adding a BT streaming device like this www.audioadvice.com/audioengine-b1-bluetooth-music-receiver-black to it. Thanks for watching
Excellent video 👍
I have an AXR100 connected to a pair of Dali Oberon 3's in my pool room. I love the sound but have become curious as to how much better the next step up sound. Do you think I'd be better upgrading my speakers if I got the CXA8? Or would my Dali's be good enough to do the 81 justice? Would appreciate your advice 😎
Thank you!
You didn't cover the New AXA 25, I have that in my office paired with some Cambridge SX50 bookshelves. $225 for the AXA 25 is a steal.
So when I connect the AXC 35 with its Digital output to my CXA81, it will use the DAC of the CXA81? Will this be a big difference over the AXC 25?
Yes, there’s no analog audio on coax or opt
I have just purchased a AXR100D and I’m looking to upgrade my CD player. Do you recommend the CXC player or am I’m better off going for the AXC25?
That depends on your speakers. If they are higher resolution, the CX is better. Thanks for watching
Do you recommend the AXR100D? I was looking into it
I just got the AXR85 and I noticed when adjusting the balance to all the way to one side only I get audio out the other side still. Is this normal??
You probably have your speakers reversed or the input cables you are checking reversed. A great way to check is to play some test tones you can find online if you have a way to get the audio into the unit where someone says: this is the left channel playing, etc
@@AudioAdvice I checked everything over and over. It plays out of both when choosing say Left 10 , I get sound from right as well. Not as loud. Im returning it. Ive tried contacting Cambridge Audio lik=e 10x and no reply. I need to know if this is normal or not. IVe had many Cambrige amps, None did this.
@@New-England-HiFi-Guy That is very odd, did you purchase it from Audio Advice? And you are sure all your speaker connections are across the top 4 banana plugs?
Im a bit late to the party i see😅 Im looking at the AXR100 to replace my 11 year old azur 740a. Main reason is the 740's lack of optical input(tv, console,pc) And the remote are deteriorating fast, one thing cambridge audio cant make properly, atleast 10 years ago.. Are the AXR100 equal to the azur740 sound wise? More power hungry? I have a set of Dali zensor 7 speakers🙂
You should look at the CX series, your old Azur sounded very good. Thanks for watching
Could you please tell me if cxa81 would be a better solution than axr100 handling klipsch rp5000fII? Is it worth 500€ extra? Ax 499€ and cx 1099€, huge difference. Mostly using turntable, but also random music via bluetooth is an advantage.
Did you decide? I also listen to records and Bluetooth, the cxa81 not having a phono input is a huge drawback for me
@@pelia0030 I did not. Not rushing right now, just checking and collecting info. Working in some diy tube amps.
Great explanation, greetings from Mexico
Glad it was helpful!
Is CXN v2 + AXR85 good match? I mean from sound perspective as well as visually. Or you recommend CX series amp to CXN? Speakers are KEF Q350.
The 61 with the CXN would be a better match
@@AudioAdvice I know but currently I can afford only AXR85 + I need phono input for my turntable.
@@Fl3t05 If that is what you can afford, it will not be bad, you could later upgrade it down the road and keep the CXN as that is a world class streamer.
@@AudioAdvice that's the plan, thank you for answer. :) I understand that CXN and AXR looks similar from design perspective (same colour etc.) so they'll look good on shelf together until I upgrade to CX61 :)
Hi sir,I want to buy cambridge Audio amp,I am confused between axr100 and cxa 81. Kindly guide which one to buy, and also suggest some good quality matching bookshelf speakers.
I want bright and warm sounds ,music will be played through Bluetooth, and I also want to connect my tv.kindly guide me, please 🙏
The 81 is the better integrated amp. There are so many good speakers to choose from it is hard to recommend on YT. Thanks for watching
@@AudioAdvice how is dali oberon 3 for cxa81 ?
@@kashiramahirwar7338 I have Oberon 1 pair with AXR 85. They are good in my taste. Add a sub Wharfedale to fill the bass. But Oberon need at least 100 hours to break in. Before the break in, the tweeter sound bright and harsh. Now they are good and crisp.
What blue turntable is that in the background?
A U-Turn Orbit Plus. Thanks for watching
Very informative, thanks
Glad it was helpful!
CXA61 is now on deep discount on the internet, just picked one up for 599
That is a great deal, it appears to have been discontinued.
@@AudioAdvice odd. The whole CX2 range is still listed on Cambridge's own site. Only the CXC and CXNv2 can be bought there with a discount.
Great video! Thank you.
Glad you liked it! Thanks for watching
How would a pair of Elac Debut 2.0 b6.2s pair with the AXR100?
It should drive them well. Thanks for watching
If I replace my 25 year old Kenwood reciever with the AX35 would I notice a difference in sound?
It might depend on which one. Some of those older Kenwoods were pretty good, do you know the model? Thanks for watching
@@AudioAdvice It's a KR-A5040 with a pair of B&W DM 303 speakers. An AT-PL 120 turntable with a Ortofon Concorde installed.
@@humdrummed You might have to step up to a bigger Cambridge or the Rega IO. That was a decent unit, 1985 vintage.
@@AudioAdvice Why do I need a bigger amp? I don't listen to loud music anymore...bty I live near Greensboro.
We thought you were looking for a big jump up in sound, if you just want to change, the CX35 will drive your 303's fine.
I have KEF LS 50 speakers which one should i take? Thanks.
I would look into the 61. Also for the same money, I just got the Arcam sa10 with the Kef R3. Dude the sound is just so unreal.
@@jasonme3557 Thanks for your support. Me.
If you havnt bought it yet, dont! Because ls50 paired with this one is shouty. Pair it with arcam..I have both arcam and cambridge. I paired my cambridge with wharfs..
The difference between 85w and 100w audio output is less than 1dB, so the difference cannot be heard, since even with the best ears, a minimum of 1dB difference is needed to hear the difference. You'll certainly hear the difference between 35w and 85w, as 85w is more than double 35w and is almost 4dB of difference - very easily audible.
We said the same thing comparing the two AX units, it is a feature difference. However the CX series blew away the AX series due to many factors. Thanks for watching
The AXA and AXR series all sound better to me, because the CX amps seem to have somewhat recessed midrange, especially the 61, and they have no tone controls, while the AXA and AXR all have them. The AXA35 or AXR85 are all you need, and they are equal to or better in sound quality to anything in their price range from NAD or Yamaha.
Thanks! They do sound simply amazing for their price and we too like the fact they have tone controls for those old recordings that need some help.
@@AudioAdvice After more listening, that recessed midrange I spoke of really depends very much on the speaker that they're paired with. I still like the AXR85 the best, as it sounds best to me, regardless of price. However, this is all based on listening on YT, as I've never heard any of them in person.
@@DougMen1 We would highly recommend you base your decision on hearing any piece of gear in your own home or a showroom. Trying to decide via YT has so many variables as you are listening mostly to the microphone used, the room it was captured in, tons of YT compression, then through your headphones or speakers. If you are in the US we have a very good return policy if you were not happy. We hope this helps.
I suspect they removed the tone controls to push the AX line, and not to improve the component quality, and give you a reason to update the next model in a year or two.
Andrew Robinson (and his wife) in his review of the AXR100 prefers it over the CX range:
th-cam.com/video/xugAsD27OSM/w-d-xo.html
Can I conncet four 8ohm speakers
Sure, use the A and B speaker terminals
The CXN v2 works with amazonmusicHD?
Right now it works with Qobuz and Tidal, plus Chromecast and Airplay2. The great thing is they continually update the app to add features. Thanks for watching.
@@AudioAdvice thanks you too! Not sure what I'm doing wrong but it seems like Amazon music HD is like the you know what stepchild of audio streaming.
@@jonthompson8807 Yes, we are seeing most people move do Qobuz or Tidal these days
I call you teacher..wow you brake it down perfectly...l'm gonna get me one shortly,tough between rotel and Cambridge.
We appreciate that! Thanks for watching
Toroidal, not toroidial.
Yup. It's right there in the spelling.
Why the cx range is cheaper
The CX is more expensive than AX, AX is their entry level
@@AudioAdvice 13:15. Don't write off the CX gear ... "because it costs less". Possibly a bit misleading after just mentioning the AX series -- though (I think) you meant it costs less than more expensive gear from other companies! 😀
AXR85 price went up from $400 to $549 in just over a year!
Yes, inflation and crazy new shipping costs
@@AudioAdviceCould you add external EQ on this unit?
@@Zhorellski No, sorry
I don't intend to rankle anybody by being "that guy" but it does irritate me that many audio reviewers can't say the word "toroidal." Tarun from A British Audiophile says "tore-ROE-dee'uhl," which is wrong, and this reviewer says "tuh-ROY'dee'uhl," which is ... also wrong. There's no 'i' after the 'd' in this word; it's pronounced /torr-OY-duhl/. Three syllables. Not four. Not four and a half. Not almost five. Three, sir. :D
Thanks for the feedback, you are right, we said it wrong here.
@@AudioAdvice The second half of that comment was supposed to be a Monty Python reference but I'm afraid it got obscured by the tone of the first bit. Sorry.
A record out but no sub out 😭
It was an interesting choice. Preouts would have been nice
@@AudioAdvice definitely I actually bought it thinking it had preouts and now I can’t use my Cambridge subwoofer. It’s quite frustrating!
Toroidal, not torodial transformers.
The CX amps just look, BLAH! That black plastic piece, just turns me off. Throw an LCD in there... Or eliminate it all together and just give us NORMAL buttons. Just a butt ugly piece of gear, and so easily fixed. What were they thinking? The CX units looks like an after thought.
Thanks for watching and sharing. Cambridge is all about the sound and you sorta need the display for some of the functions- you could have all those be buttons, but it would be quite a bit.
@@AudioAdvice They should have done something better, but I understand, the bean counters are always the final say.
O
Too much talking
Felt like half the video was spent on Apple stuff... Not interested in that, why not talk more about other apps supported?
We are not sure what you mean, we did not say anything about Apple and neither of these units are streamers so there are no apps. Thanks for watching