Cambridge Audio | AX vs. CX Series Comparison & Review
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- čas přidán 14. 10. 2020
- Read our full written comparison here: audioadvice.io/cambridgeaxcx | Chat with us online: audioadvice.io/aa-chat | Call for sales and support: 888.899.8776
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Founded in 1969 by some budding engineers at Cambridge University in the UK, the company has always been about making high-value products that do not alter the sound of the incoming signal. The Cambridge Audio team will spend countless hours evaluating the component parts used in their designs to pick the ones that sound the most neutral. Two of their core values have been to use toroidal power transformers and to keep the signal path as simple as possible. They pioneered the use of toroidal power transformers with their very first integrated amp and the audio world followed suit as almost all high-performance audio gear makes use of toroidal power transformers these days. Cambridge Audio also makes great use of something we love to see in audio companies, trickle-down technology. The engineering team at Cambridge Audio was given a goal of making a new line of the best sounding gear they could, with the price being a distant concern. This resulted in the highly acclaimed Edge series. Much of the new technology they learned when producing Edge was incorporated in the new AX and CX series. Had they never made Edge, these new technologies would not have existed to incorporate into the new AX and CX models.
First we will go over the things both product ranges have in common. The models we will be talking about today are the AXA35, AXC35, AXR85, AXR100, CXA61, CXA81, CXC, and CXN V2. With 4 models in each lineup, we thought it was pretty neat that Cambridge Audio decided to give both series the same cosmetic appearance so you can easily mix and match them. All eight products come in a new lunar grey finish and have a floating look from the front. All of the amplifiers and receivers use their classic toroidal power transformer for better sound. Another classic Cambridge trait we love is the way they print all the labels on the back both right side up and upside down. The first time you lean over the back of a component to try and make a connection, you’ll have a great appreciation for this nuance. The amps and receivers in the CX and AX series all use very high-quality speaker binding posts which is pretty amazing to see on something as inexpensive as the CXA35. The front panel layout is also super clean and easy to figure out. And as we said, not only do they match in color, but the layouts are done in the same style to make mixing within the lines no issue from a cosmetic standpoint.
The AX models were replacements for Cambridge Audio’s acclaimed Topaz series which had won tons of press for being such a great audio value. It got a completely new look and a lot of tech from their more expensive models. The CX series has been around in the Cambridge line up for years. Their latest versions offer refreshed cosmetics and internal updates they learned when they created their top of the line, award winning EDGE gear. These units are all about stripping back anything some might consider “extra’s to allow their engineers to focus purely on creating the best possible sound for the money. When you compare the CXA61 or CXA81 to the AX series, you get a far bigger power supply and a much more stout power amp section. These amps can drive just about any speaker load except for the most demanding speakers.
They cover a wide range of prices and possibilities and we are happy to discuss with you which route is the best choice for your system. The AX gear is great for the music lover just starting out while the CX gear can satisfy someone looking for even more performance. We also highly recommend people looking for great performance to not write off the CX gear because it costs less than they would expect to pay for great sound. If you are like us, it will have you grinning ear to ear as it just sounds so good for the money! - Věda a technologie
Nice job - that was extremely helpful.
Leon's reviews are a treat to watch and follow. Love from Bangladesh 🥰
Thanks so much!
Thank you for this detailed comparison.
Glad it was helpful!
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'
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
Very informative video, thanks.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks. Very helpful.
Would CXC be an improvement to AXC35 (used as a transport)?
I do miss big analog meters, switchable vu & watts
Very informative, thanks
Glad it was helpful!
Great video! Thank you.
Glad you liked it! Thanks for watching
Great explanation, greetings from Mexico
Glad it was helpful!
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.
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!
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.
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
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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
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
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!
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
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
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.
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!
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 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
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 :)
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
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.
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.
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 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?
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
How would a pair of Elac Debut 2.0 b6.2s pair with the AXR100?
It should drive them well. Thanks for watching
What blue turntable is that in the background?
A U-Turn Orbit Plus. Thanks for watching
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 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:
czcams.com/video/xugAsD27OSM/video.html
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.
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
Can I conncet four 8ohm speakers
Sure, use the A and B speaker terminals
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! 😀
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!
O
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.
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