Extra features and improved sound quality for those willing to pay a higher price
View online review whf.cm/CXA61
In a world where the price of everything we buy seems to go up on a regular basis, we are pleased to report that is not the case with this Cambridge. It cost £750 when we first came across it in 2019 and is now available for a highly tempting £699. If that’s not great value we don’t know what is.
The CXA61 is a solid and classy piece of kit that looks and feels a step above its rivals. Look closer at the specification and you will notice plenty of detail changes between the two generations of CXA amplifiers. The big news is that there is now a USB (type B) alongside the usual coaxial and optical digital inputs on the rear panel.
Comprehensive compatibility
The CXA61’s updated DAC chip, an ESS Sabre SE9010K2M DAC, means it is compatible with 32-bit/384kHz PCM files and up to DSD 256 data streams. That is pretty comprehensive and likely to cover just about any file most people will use.
Bluetooth is built-in too, and it’s of the aptX HD (24-bit/48kHz) variety. Cambridge has also courted the home-install market with the addition of an RS232 port and trigger inputs that help to integrate the CXA61 into an automated system.
Improved sound quality
On the analogue side, the power output remains a solid 60W per channel, and there is no change as far as connectivity is concerned. This integrated amplifier still has four line-level stereo RCA inputs on the back and a 3.5mm jack for portable music players on the front.
That should be enough for most systems, though we are seeing more focus on phono inputs over the past couple of years, so it’s a bit of a surprise that Cambridge has decided to omit that from this amp. Of course, we are sure the company would point towards its fine, affordable Alva outboard phono stages and suggest that is the route to take if vinyl replay is a priority. We wouldn’t necessarily disagree, but it’s still neater to have everything in one box.
While the basic analogue circuit hasn’t been revamped from its predecessor, the engineers have improved sound quality by changing most of the op-amps in the signal path and upgrading the capacitors in both the pre and power sections of the amp.
We are pleased to report that all of Cambridge Audio’s work has paid off. While that hefty price suggests that the CXA61 might struggle against more affordable rivals, such as those amplifiers included on the previous pages, it doesn’t take long to realise Cambridge’s detail tweaks have worked
