Listening to the Cambridge Audio CXA81 MKII
Contents
Music is presented in front of the speakers in contrast to my Moon 600i V2, which places the music just behind the speakers. A matter of taste, and I must say i rather enjoyed this presentation. In combination with the Neats this created a ‘match made in heaven’. The drive, control and extra sparkle in the treble really brought the Neats to life. There was real synergy here.
Furthermore, female vocals in particular sounded very authentic – remarkably good, for such an affordable system. There’s excellent clarity and a high level of detail, with cymbals, bells and other small percussion elements coming through with purity and again that extra sparkle.
It’s an open, fast and detailed sound, but without any harshness. The amplifier effortlessly cuts through busy tracks, ensuring the music never gets muddled. There are (more expensive) amplifiers that dig deeper and produce even better quality in the bass, but the balance here is excellent, especially with the Neats. The streamer’s great versatility is the proverbial icing on the cake
For whom?
The streamer integrates seamlessly into any system, but the amplifier is best paired with a speaker that isn’t too ‘bright’. This is a transparent and clean system with plenty of drive and control, and therefore requires a suitable speaker. It worked well with the Elac Debut and the Neat Petite Classic, but things didn’t go so well with the Starke Sound Beta 7, in for review. I always pair a new amplifier with different speakers to get a more complete picture, and you’d be well advised to do the same.
Also, this system is very user-friendly, apart from the rather over-enthusiastic volume control on the remote. Something i also noticed on the Edge amplifier. The quality and versatility of both units are beyond doubt and for me justify the price.
Comparison
I don’t have an amplifier in this price range, but if I dig into my audio memory for a moment –dangerous I know– the sound of the CXA81 MKII reminds the me most of that of the Moon 250i V2. That was also an amplifier that added just that little bit of extra sparkle to the music, which I rather like. It’s an amplifier that, just like the CXA81 MKII, gives you a great deal of listening pleasure. But the Moon 250i V2 is a fair bit more expensive and has a different set of features.
My Sonnet Hermes, however, falls into the same price category as the CXN100 SE. Key conclusion: the Hermes sounds a bit tamer and more rounded in the treble than the CXN. The latter sounds airier, lighter and slightly more detailed. But the biggest difference is the versatility of the CXN100 SE. The Sonnet Hermes has no app, no colour screen, no preamp, no DAC, no Bluetooth, and so on. The CXN100 SE is an absolute no-brainer as far as I’m concerned.
Conclusion
I understand now why the distributor sent us both devices. The combination between the CXN100 SE and the CXA81 MKII works really wel. Does that mean you should get both? No, but it makes a lot of sense.
Looking at both seperately I would say the analogue section of the amplifier really stands out. And as far as the streamer is concerned I would say the biggest asset is the versatlilty and the built in dacs. Just make sure you choose a suitable speaker to get a nice balance.
To conclude. This relatively affordable duo reminded me of childhood and of what you really need to enjoy music. And that really says it all. Well done Cambridge Audio!