Its Bluetooth performance is rock solid, reliable and oh-so sweet, especially when streaming rock and pop from my Huawei P10 mobile phone. I won’t name names, but one such amp from a reputable marque just wasn’t able to lock onto a Bluetooth signal and suffered from constant drop outs. Recently, I have listened to some other integrated amps that feature Bluetooth connectivity and at the same price level as this Cambridge Audio and their performance fell into disarray when used for streaming.
But with the CXA81 installed in the engine room, the track’s atmospheric rhythms, swirling synths and psych inspired vocals are all pumped out with delicacy as well as power without sounding stodgy or bloated.Īnd things don’t begin to unravel when you stream from a mobile via the Bluetooth connection. 'Lose Your Smile', from the 2018 album 7 by dream pop duo Beach House, can come across as a bit of a mess on many systems. Switching to USB and 192-bit audio files played from an Apple Mac, and the Cambridge Audio certainly knows a thing or two when it comes to balance and control. (*RIP Kraftwerk co-founder Florian Schneider, 1947-2020.) The CXA81 has you instantly hooked and you know you’re in for a great ride. The re-mastered CD of Kraftwerk’s 1974 classic Autobahn begins with what band co-founder Ralf Hütter* claimed was his own VW starting up, and right from the get-go, you can place and position every sound with superb clarity, from the car door thumping shut to the engine turning over and revving before it is driven from left to right. And here, the first thing that struck me was how very competent it is at imaging and soundstaging. But once it’s oven-ready, the CXA81 comes alive. Straight out of the box, it can lack the delicacy and control expected at this price point, delivering a somewhat brutish performance with a wallowing bottom end that initially raises an eyebrow or two. It lacks a certain classical elegance or the sort of timeless appeal that gives years of visual pleasure as the centrepiece of a hi-fi system.Of course, aesthetics are a matter of personal taste, and what the CXA81 may lack in the eye candy department pales into insignificance when in it comes to aural satisfaction.Īt this point I should give a word of warning: this amp is best served warm by which I mean it really only started giving of is best after I had run it in and had kept it going for a few hours. And while the CXA81 has a clean and simple fascia, its overall looks are a tad dreary to my eyes. Now I for one certainly appreciate a design that reduces the button count and favours sonic fireworks over bells and whistles. That same design ethos continues with Cambridge Audio today, and the CXA81 therefore maintains the family tradition. Indeed, it was Cambridge Audio that pioneered this minimalist approach to amp design in the 1960s (see below), thereby influencing the generation of British hi-fi makers who followed in the subsequent decades. Unlike bulky powerhouses from the US or the switch-laden boxes favoured in Japan, British amplifiers are often typified by slimline chassis and basic controls.
There are also bus ports for custom installation integration and other connected CX Series hardware, and a threaded post to attach the supplied Bluetooth antenna. The back panel features sockets for three digital inputs (two optical, one coaxial), four analogue inputs, two balanced (XLR) analogue inputs, a USB input, as well as outputs to connect a subwoofer and preamp. These include the Sabre ES9016K2M digital-to-analogue converter ESS Technology, an improved USB input supporting 32-bit/384kHz PCM and DSD256 quality, and an integrated aptX HD Bluetooth receiver to enabling streaming from mobile devices at up to 48kHz/24-bit. Rebuilt from the ground up, the CXA81 offers several new features over its predecessor, the CXA80. According to Cambridge Audio, the second generation CX Series has been re-engineered to bring “full-fat” hi-fi into the home at an “affordable” price (the CXA81 is most expensive product in the range). As well as this integrated amplifier, the line-up also includes a second amp, CD transport and a network audio streamer.
The CXA81 is part of a second series of CX components that was originally launched by Cambridge Audio in 2014.