As I previously owned the Azur 640C CD player and upgraded to the Azur 650C, I thought I'd make fellow consumers and audiophiles aware of some serious problems regarding the Cambridge Audio company. While the actual sound quality of previous CD player models -- bass response, spatial separation, imaging, etc. -- is of considerably high quality, it is not worth the risk (or the price) to take a chance on these products failing with nothing short of dismal customer support upon that happening. The light which illuminates the liquid crystal display on my Azur 650C CD player -- the model preceding the 651 -- flickered and went out altogether, rendering the display completely black and unreadable; the unit and the remote still worked. When I tried to contact Cambridge Audio, they were very slow to respond and even then only directed me to their U.S. distributor, a company called Audio Plus Services in upstate New York. The individual at Cambridge Audio did indicate that there were a number of other components with the same problem, indicating manufacturing fault and/or mechanical failure. Audio Plus Services were contacted on three separate occasions with no reply; even a phone call to their receptionist resulted only in the option to leave voicemail. Eventually someone did contact me, indicating that if the unit in question was beyond the two-year warranty period, repair would have to be paid for, despite the obvious mechanical fault of multiple components with the same problem. Another SERIES OF ATTEMPTS to reach Cambridge Audio rendered no response. Only after sadly and dishearteningly having to threaten legal action was a response received. (The entire process described thus far took place over an absurdly long two-week period.) THIS is the quality of customer service when purchasing a so-called high-end audio product from Cambridge Audio. The eventual response from Cambridge Audio -- who apparently were wholly and completely unconcerned with both their own deplorable customer service as well as that of their U.S. distributor, Audio Plus Services -- was simply to say 'a small number of reported instances of an issue in a production run... does not constitute a failure in design or acknowledged production fault.' If that's what Cambridge Audio actually believes -- despite failure happening in multiple units through no fault of their purchasers -- then clearly they are manufacturing a product or products (at high-end prices to consumers no less) that they DON'T EXPECT TO WORK CORRECTLY FOR ANY LONGER THAN THREE OR FOUR YEARS. The corresponding consumer might reasonably expect a considerably longer period of trouble-free use considering the price(s) paid. A cursory review of the internet via any given search engine will reveal postings by other customers concerning product failure with Cambridge Audio amplifiers as well -- another illustration of lack of quality control -- and the same horrendous absence of consideration for their customers. While no one expects a 'lifetime' warranty, one would expect a company to 'make good' on defective products, if only to do the right thing and maintain good business principles. They may say they're 'sorry' at Cambridge Audio, but they don't address the problem(s). Obviously there are serious quality control issues as well as questionable business principles with Cambridge Audio. Regardless of how many units may have failed, Cambridge Audio has failed in customer service, consideration for their customers, and succeeded with only atrocious business policies. Buyer beware.
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