Immediately, we take a look at the EXA100 by Cambridge Audio. An built-in Class A amplifier promoting for €2.199 EUR.
Disclaimer: Cambridge Audio provided the EXA100 for this evaluation. Headfonia and Cambridge Audio are on no account associated to one another. Many thanks for the chance and generosity!
Cambridge Audio
Cambridge Audio is a British model with a whole lot of heritage within the HiFi sport. They arrive from, you guessed it, Cambridge, UK. At their core, Cambridge Audio is run by music-lovers. And you may inform that by simply taking a look at their About Us part on their web site. Right here, you will get a sense of the musical tastes of their workforce – together with playlists!
Their starting dates again to 1968, when a bunch of expertise graduates established a RnD and prototyping enterprise. In the identical 12 months, Cambridge Audio launched the P40 stereo amplifier. Over time, Cambridge Audio has launched many extremely common merchandise. One in all their most profound merchandise was the DAC Magic, which noticed the sunshine of day in 1995.
It supplied spectacular efficiency at a really low worth, making it the recipient of What HiFi’s Greatest Purchase award in 1996.
After that, Cambridge Audio has launched quite a few common merchandise and collection. Their Edge, Evo, CX and EX collection take pleasure in excessive reward and recognition. I’ve advisable their amplifiers particularly to my mates up to now very often.
Their product vary goes from amplifiers, DACs, Streamers, Audio system all the best way to even turntables and wi-fi headphones and earphones. Cambridge Audio covers all of it, and every part at reasonably priced worth factors. This makes Cambridge a wonderful selection for anybody trying to dip their toes into the world of HiFi.
My very first Cambridge Audio product was a wi-fi speaker – the Go2. It has served me a few years as my moveable speaker on holidays or in parks throughout my time on the college. How time flies.
Cambridge Audio EXA100
The EXA100 is an built-in stereo amplifier, with a twist. It’s a Class AB design with 100W energy per channel into eight ohms and 155W into 4 ohms. The EXA100 affords a big selection of digital and analogue inputs. You possibly can join sources to its HDMI ARC, Bluetooth, USB, Coaxial, Optical (2) or analogue XLR and RCA (4) inputs.
When it comes to outputs it covers two units of speaker terminals (for 2 zones), a sub-out and an RCA pre-out. And now comes the aforementioned twist. You may as well use the EXA100 as a devoted stereo energy amplifier by flipping a swap on the again of the unit. On the entrance we additionally discover a 6.3mm headphone jack. There’s no point out of how a lot energy it delivers by this output although.
The EXA100 additionally options 12 V set off in and outputs (3.5mm) in addition to RS-323C management inputs.
The digital part of the EXA100 is constructed round an ESS9018K2M DAC chip. It helps sampling charges of 24/384 and DSD256 by its USB enter. Its Bluetooth enter is spec’d to help aptX and aptX HD in addition to SBC.
The EXA100 is out there for €2.199 EUR by Cambridge Audio’s retail channels.
Construct High quality
The construct high quality of the EXA100 is as you’d anticipate from a good model like Cambridge Audio. The EXA100 is totally product of aluminum and when trying by the highest of the unit, you may see the large shielded toroidal transformer and warmth sinks.
On the entrance of the EXA100 you’ll discover a beneficiant quantity knob on the precise hand facet. This has excellent haptics and really feel to it when turning. Within the center you will see that a display screen and the enter selectors, which additionally inform you which enter is at the moment in use. A pink LED will inform you what supply you’re at the moment taking part in from.
The unit measures 115 x 430 x 341 mm (HWD) and weighs 12.8kg. For our non-metric viewers this interprets to 4.5 x 16.9 x 13.4 inches and 28.2 lbs.
All in all, the EXA100 not solely options a wonderful design language but additionally glorious construct high quality.
Bundle
The EXA100 is available in a comparatively easy bundle. Within the field you’ll discover, in fact, the amplifier bundled with an influence wire, a common distant management (that works with all EX merchandise), a welcome letter, a security information and a registration card.
I’m particularly glad concerning the distant management, because it makes it very straightforward to navigate each the EXA100 and the EXN100 on the similar time.
Sound
In the course of the previous weeks I’ve used the EXA100 in my stereo system as built-in and energy amplifier. Although most time went into it getting used as a stereo energy amplifier. The Cambridge Audio EXA100 was positioned within the chain along with my Chord Electronics Hugo TT2, the Cambridge Audio EXN100 and the Eversolo DMP-A10 as sources. Pre-amp duties have been laid on the Holo Audio Serene KTE and the LAiV Audio HP2A.
Streaming got here by my self-built Roon ROCK server. All my gear is powered by my AudioQuest PowerQuest 707, whereas all analogue cables have been AudioQuest’s Black Magnificence interconnects.
The EXA100 powered my DALI Epikore 3 and the KEF R3 Meta. Not concurrently although.
The EXA100’s most notable character is certainly in its low-end response, fullness and three dimensional soundscape it creates. It has a holographic look with nice emotional presence and a grand picture. It fills the room with physique, soul and musicality, whereas inserting spatial cues left and proper with absolute ease.
Let’s dive in.
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