New from Cambridge Audio: the EXA100 integrated amplifier and the EXN100 streaming DAC.
Let’s dive in.
According to Cambridge, the EXA100 is the spiritual successor to the Azur 851 range, promising 100wpc of Class A/B amplification from power transistors pulled from the company’s more costly Edge M monoblocks. Those are juiced by a large toroidal transformer and flanked by heavy-duty heatsinks that can be seen through the top-panel cooling grilles.
From the press release: “The care and thoughtful approach to internal design can also be seen in everything from the four-layer PCBs to the proprietary CAP protection system, which uses four different methods to detect potential issues, such as power and temperature overloads, and take preventive action. Grounding has been carefully considered at every stage.”
The EXA100 also houses a DAC circuit built around an ESS ES9018K2M DAC chip but the nature of its power supply and analogue output stage isn’t known, which makes second-guessing its sound a futile endeavour. The DAC can be fed over aptX HD Bluetooth TOSLINK, coaxial, USB-B, or HDMI eARC.
The amplifier’s back panel additionally sports two sets of binding posts, a dedicated subwoofer output, a power amplifier input, a pre-amplifier output, a trio of line-level RCA inputs and a balanced XLR analogue input with the front panel carrying a quarter-inch headphone socket.
BUT! My contact at Cambridge Audio told me over the phone that the DAC inside the EXN100 streaming DAC sounds better than the DAC inside the EXA100 integrated amplifier. To reap those rewards, we’d need to connect the EXN100 to the EXA100’s analogue inputs: a choice of single-ended RCA or balanced XLR on both units.
The EXN100’s DAC circuit is built around an ESS ES9028Q2M chip with (according to the press release) “hand-picked signal path components for incredible audio clarity”. Digital connectivity on the DAC again comes via aptX HD Bluetooth, HDMI eARC, USB-B, coaxial or TOSLINK; but also streaming – wirelessly or Ethernet – via Cambridge’s StreamMagic Gen 4 platform. Choose from Google Cast, Apple AirPlay 2, Tidal Connect, Spotify Connect and Roon Readiness. Qobuz and Deezer have been folded into the StreamMagic app, which also handles unit setup and configuration. And yes, the EXN100’s 1280x720px front-panel display shows music metadata, cover art, a clock or VU meters.
Both products are “Designed, engineered and acoustically optimised at Cambridge Audio’s own London-based music venue and HQ, Melomania”.
The EXA100 is priced at £1999, €2199 or US$2199 (right in the middle of EVO150 territory) and the EXN100 at £1599, €1799 or US$1799 (as a step up from the CXN100). Both new models are shipping now.
And don’t for a moment think that we didn’t notice the Actress, Autechre and Boards of Canada albums in the press shots.
Further information: Cambridge Audio
