Up front the AXR100 is quietly handsome: I liked the look of its mouse-gray brushed-aluminum fascia a lot, and the single volume knob and multiple pushbutton controls all have a solid, high- quality feel. Hookup in my system required little more effort than connecting my loudspeakers, Energy Veritas 2.2i's, whose uh, mature (long discontinued) but still very capable design yields low enough sensitivity to get even a 100-watt amplifier like the Cambridge to break a modest sweat. Making both analog and coaxial digital audio feeds from my Oppo Digital disc and streaming source and digging out an FM dipole antenna from the odds'n'ends drawer completed the setup. (I did not bother with AM radio since there's so much amplitude-modulated hash in my environment—and also likely in yours—that any results wouldn't mean much.) The CXN V2 uses dual Wolfson WM8740 24-bit DACs. These are even better than the ones in the CXA81. But if you wanted to use it as a streaming source with a very high-end multi-thousand dollar DAC, it gives you both Toslink and coaxial digital outputs. Cambridge Audio also understands you may have more digital sources you want to run through the unit. So they give you a coaxial and Toslink digital input. For connecting it to your integrated amp or preamp, You have both balanced and RCA outputs. The final icing on the cake is that you can set up the CXN V2 to have either fixed or variable output. This means you could use it in the fixed output mode to run into your integrated amp or preamp. But if you just wanted a digital-only system, you can connect it directly to a power amp. The CXN V2 is just flat out an incredible product for the money. You can use it with any system and in a variety of ways. Conclusion Most stereo receivers that have been released in the past few years have built-in streaming capabilities — but they are anything but equal. The older (or cheaper) models generally just support Bluetooth, but they likely don't support higher-resolution option like Bluetooth aptX HD. And then the newer (and more expensive) models add streaming over Wi-Fi (such as AirPlay or Chromecast built-in), which allows you to stream lossless-quality audio as well as integrate your stereo setup into a larger multi-room system with your other wireless speakers or soundbars. Phono input It seems like Cambridge have raised the bar again with their new AX range and the value for money has proven to be absolutely top notch. If you want a bit of everything from your hi-fi but are on a limited budget, the AXR85 surely has to be one to listen to with your own ears. As ever, if it sounds like the piece of the puzzle that you’re looking for why not make an appointment at your local Richer Sounds for a demo?

If you are having problems connecting your Bluetooth device to the AXR, please try the following troubleshooting steps: The front panel offers up a real headphone amp and another mini plug analog input. Bass, treble, and balance controls can be accessed via the menu or remote. This is the perfect amp to pair with a good set of bookshelf speakers to create an excellent starter analog audio system. With plenty of inputs for other sources, you get the excellent Cambridge Audio British sound. Cambridge Audio AXR stereo receiver AXR85Use either the Volume Up/Down buttons on the remote control, or the Volume control on the front panel of your unit to change the volume level. The newly selected level will be indicated briefly on the front display. Press and hold both the 4/9 and Menu buttons at the same time. The display will show the software revision and followed by either a letter ‘CU’ which represents North America or a letter ‘EU’ which represents Europe/Rest of the world.

Speaker A and B must both be selected on the front panel of the unit for this type of connection to work. Cambridge Audio delivers yet another stunning effort for hi-fi enthusiasts of all types and budgets with the AXR85. The tuner will stop at the first strong signal it finds. To move to another station simply press the reverse or forward ‘Skip/Scan’ button again.There’s a shortage of high-quality hi-fi electronics at the budget end of the market, so it’s good to see Cambridge Audio produce an amplifier with the musicality and all-round appeal of the AXA35. When Auto mode has been selected, press the reverse ‘Skip/Scan’ button to scroll down through the station frequencies or press the forward ‘Skip/Scan’ button to scroll up through the station frequencies. This unit has a built-in Phono preamplifier (Phono Stage), so if your turntable does not possess its own Phono Stage, you may connect the record player to the input on the rear of the unit marked 'Phono'.

We recommend using Banana plugs with our units to establish a secure connection and ensure there are no loose strands of wire that may cause unwanted noise or interference. Having said that, the AXA35 arguably sounds clearer and has a more neutral tonal balance, doing more than enough to justify a five-star rating at this price point. It looks and sounds the part, and if this is just a hint of what the rest of the Cambridge Audio’s AX range has to offer, we’re in for a sonic treat. The speaker terminals will need to have the round pips removed before you can insert a banana plug into them.

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Press the Source button on the front of the unit corresponding to your desired source. Alternatively, you may use the appropriate button on the remote control.

When using a banana plug, make sure the speaker terminals are completely tightened before inserting the plug. The amps and receivers in the CX and AX series all use very high-quality speaker binding posts, which is pretty amazing to see on something as inexpensive as a CXA35. The front panel layout is also super clean and comfortable to figure out. As I said, they match in color, but the layouts are done in the same style to make mixing and matching within the lines no issue from a cosmetic standpoint. Let’s look at the different models to help you find the best match for your system. Cambridge Audio AXA35 To assign a radio station to a preset, or reallocate an existing preset to a new preset location, please follow the steps below, whilst listening to the frequency or station you wish to store: The diagram below shows the basic connection of the AXR to a CD player using the A1 analogue input and a pair of loudspeakers. Cambridge Audio is now expanding the Cambridge Audio AX Series with a solution that ranks at the top end and is intended to be the new flagship product, the new Cambridge Audio AXR100D FM/DAB Stereo Receiver. It’s easy to guess that this is a stereo receiver that builds on the existing Cambridge Audio AXR100 stereo receiver, but now comes with an integrated DAB+ tuner.After making any connections to your unit, activate the AXR by pressing the Power On button on the front of the unit. Of course, there are still stereo receivers out there — you even buy a vintage stereo receiver— and they're the ideal solution for people who want to create a classic stereo hi-fi system. You get a stereo receiver, hook it up with a set of passive bookshelf speakers, and from there you can either stream audio to the receiver or hook up an analog source, like a turntable or CD player.