Integrated Amplifiers

Cambridge Audio CXA81 Integrated Amplifier. A Video Review.

When the team at Cambridge saw my Monitor Audio Silver 300 review where I used my trusty CXA60 as the amp, they thought I needed a bit of an upgrade. So, they reached out and sent me the step-up, the CXA81 as a long-term loaner.

Their terms were simple. Be brutally honest.

And if I’m being honest, I fully expected to not like it. At the time of delivery, I was neck deep reviewing the Audiolab 9000a, both versions of the Roksan Attessa, and the Mission 778x. The one trait all of them shared was their lack of any tone control. The Cambridge CXA81 is no different, and I assumed that while it was going to be a quality bit of hi-fi kit, it wouldn’t be for me.

And like most times when I assume something. I’m usually wrong.

As the title states, this amp sits in the Goldilocks zone where, to my ears, the sonic signature is just right.

Cambridge Audio CXA81 Integrated Amplifier Specifications

POWER OUTPUT:

80W RMS into 8 Ohms, 120W RMS into 4 Ohms

DAC CHIPSET:

ESS Sabre ES9016K2M

FREQUENCY RESPONSE:

ANALOG AUDIO INPUTS:

1x balanced XLR, 4 x RCA

DIGITAL AUDIO INPUTS:

1 x S/PDIF coaxial
2 x TOSLINK optical
1 x USB audio
Bluetooth (integrated)

COMPATIBILITY:

TOSLINK optical: 16/24-bit 32-96 kHz PCM
S/PDIF coaxial: 16/24-bit 32-192 kHz PCM
USB: 1.0/2.0, up to 24-bit 384 kHz PCM, up to DSD256 or DoP256
Bluetooth: 4.2 A2DP/AVRCP supporting up to aptX HD (24bit 48 kHz)

BLUETOOTH APTX HD RECEIVER BUILT-IN:

Yes

ROON TESTED:

Yes

OUTPUTS:

Speakers A+B
3.5mm headphone
Preamp Output
Subwoofer Output

REMOTE CONTROL:

Yes

MAX POWER CONSUMPTION:

750W

STANDBY POWER CONSUMPTION:

DIMENSIONS (H X W X D):

115 x 430 x 341mm (4.5 x 16.9 x 13.4”)

WEIGHT:

8.7kg (19.1 lbs.)

MSRP:

$1,299.00 each.

Available Finishes:

Silver, Black

Website:

https://www.cambridgeaudio.com

Company:

Cambridge Audio

SECRETS Tags:

cambridge, audio, integrated, amplifier, roon, hifi

Taps Das

Hailing from Toronto, Canada, Taps Das is an art director and designer with over 15 years of experience. He has way too many hobbies: Illustration, Music Production, cooking, DJ-ing, and Hifi. His adolescence was spent immersed in DJ culture in Toronto’s then-burgeoning club scene. He still buys vinyl to this day preferring it as his medium of choice when listening to music. He is happiest when he’s tucked inside his studio spinning vinyl on his turntables, sitting at his desk drawing or in the kitchen cooking up a storm. Taps shares his home with his wife, two hooligan kids, and lovable fat dog Homie.