Hi-Fi Hall of Fame
2024 Inductee
Cambridge Audio CX Series Amplifiers

Introduction

Our next inductee is the Cambridge Audio CX series of amplifiers. Cambridge Audio is a British manufacturer that has been making fine quality Hi-Fi equipment since 1968, and they have been making the CX series of amplifiers since 2015.

The CX series of amplifiers are classic stereo amplifiers that deliver great sound at a reasonable price. Let’s start by taking a look at the manufacturer Cambridge Audio.

Cambridge Audio

Cambridge Audio, a British manufacturer with a rich history of innovation, has been a leading name in Hi-Fi for more than 50 years. Founded in the early 1960s by a group of technology graduates in Cambridge, England, the company’s roots lie in innovation and a passion for high-fidelity sound.

It hasn’t been an easy path for Cambridge Audio. The company went through a number of ownership changes between 1971 and 1994, but luckily the brand has survived and the products have remained consistently excellent.

Something you don’t see very often is an advertisement that features a company’s lead engineer, but that’s exactly what happened the first time the company changed hands in 1971. Cambridge produced a print ad promoting their CD-1 and CD-2 Compact Disc players, and introducing Stan Curtis as the company’s technical director.

Over the years, Cambridge Audio has carved a niche for itself by offering exceptional value for money. Their products consistently deliver impressive audio performance without breaking the bank. This focus on affordability has made them a popular choice for budget conscious audiophiles.

While amplifiers are a cornerstone of their product line, Cambridge Audio’s repertoire extends far beyond. They offer a comprehensive suite of audio products, including speakers, CD players, Network Music Players, Digital-to-Analog Converters, “All-in-one” music systems, headphones, and more.

Cambridge Early Products

Cambridge’s very first product was the P40 stereo amplifier, which made it’s debut in 1968. The P40 was ground breaking, as it was the first Hi-Fi amplifier to employ a ”toroidal” transformer. Toroidal transformers have a number of benefits compared to a conventional designs, including reduced electromagnetic interference, more compact design, and less vibration and heat.

This allowed Cambridge to give the P40 a sleek, low profile aesthetic design that really stood out compared to comparable amplifiers of the time. It also improved the performance by eliminating sources of interference.

After the initial success of the P40, Cambridge Audio produced a number of excellent amplifiers which helped to establish the company’s reputation. The P50 appeared in 1970, followed by the C75/A75 in 1984, the A1 in 1995, the Azur in 2003, and the 840 series in 2006.

CX Series Amplifiers

The first CX series amplifiers went on sale in 2015. There were two models in that first series, the CXA60 and the CXA80. The smaller CXA60 employed a toroidal transformer, 24-bit Wolfson WM8740 Digital to Analogue converter (DAC), a high quality “ALPS” potentiometer for the volume control, and S/PDIF coaxial and TOSLINK optical digital inputs to achieve audiophile quality sound. The CXA60 was rated for 60 watts output per channel.

The “big brother” CXA80 had all the same features as the CXA60, and in addition was capable of 80 watts per channel. It employed a “dual mono” physical layout and a larger transformer, and balanced XLR inputs.

Both amplifiers employed a minimalist design, with just volume, bass, and treble controls and a “Direct” option to bypass the tone controls. These amplifiers are also lacking a phono preamplifier, so the user would need an external preamp to connect a turntable.

Cambridge released two other components in the CX series at the same time. The CXC Transport was a CD transport that was intended to be used with an outboard DAC. The CXN Network Streamer was a high performance device that could stream audio from a hard drive or from the Internet.

The entire line, including the CXA60 and CXA80 amplifiers, were well received by audio journalists. You can read positive reviews in What Hi-Fi ?, Stereophile, Sound & Vision, or Audio Science Review.

Cambridge Audio produced a YouTube video explaining the “inside story” on why the CX Series amplifiers sounded so great. If you’d like to watch the video, please click the image below:

“CX” Series 2 Amplifiers

In 2019, four years after launching Series 1, Cambridge released Series 2 of the CX amplifiers. The differences between the two series were subtle, which makes sense, given the success of the first release.

Model CXA61 was the replacement for the CXA60, and the CXA81 was the replacement for the CXA80. The new amplifiers went for an even more minimalist approach, eliminating the bass and treble controls. Both models offer enhanced connection options, including an integrated Bluetooth receiver for wireless streaming. The internal DACs also got an upgrade, with the CXA61 employing an ESS Sabre ES9010 K2M digital-to-analogue converter, and the CXA81 using an ESS Sabre ES9016 K2M.

Five years later, in 2024, Cambridge released a “Mk II” version of the CXA81. Again, the upgrades were very subtle. The new model employs an upgraded DAC, the ESS Sabre ES9018K2M. The engineers also did a lot of component “tuning”, making small changes to the circuit layout and components, while listening for the best outcome.

Assembling an “All Cambridge” Hi-Fi System

An audiophile could assemble a really terrific Hi-Fi system just using components from Cambridge Audio. Looking at the current product line-up, the company offers a CD transport for playing Compact Discs, a Network Player for streaming audio, and a turntable with built-in phono preamplifier for playing vinyl records. They also offer a wide range of loudspeakers and headphones. Combine any of these with a CX amplifier, and you’ll have a versatile system that will make you happy for many years.

If you’d like to see the entire Cambridge Audio line-up, please visit their website. Here are a few links:

And if you’d like to read more about the history of Cambridge Audio, check out their “Meet the Band” page:

Induction to the Hi-Fi Hall of Fame

Cambridge Audio has been making audiophile quality Hi-Fi equipment for more than fifty years. They have built a solid reputation for simple, affordable, and “musical” hardware. Their first product was a simple, straightforward stereo amplifier, and they continue to excel at making great amplifiers.

Their “CX” series of amplifiers, despite being on the market for just under ten years, is clearly “Hall of Fame” material. The amplifiers consistently receive top ratings and awards from renowned audio publications. They incorporate the latest electronic innovations, and are engineered and assembled with great care and quality. With the release of the CXA81 Mk II, the series is already in it’s third generation, keeping the series relevant and competitive. The CX series delivers high end performance at an affordable price point.

For all of these reasons, the Cambridge Audio CX series of amplifiers is inducted into the Hi-Fi Hall of Fame.