Cambridge Audio: Reliability Issues?

[Timo]

I am rather intrigued by Cambridge Audio's CX series: great sound and beautiful looks. Also, with the CXN, it offers an attractive streamer. I use Spotify a lot. So I was thinking about the "trinity" of CXA60, CXN and, lastly, CXC for our CD collection. Richer Sounds offers an attractive bundle with Dali Opticon 2. But I recently heard Dynaudio's Excite X14 -- beautiful sound, though I wonder whether the pricey X14 at 800 GBP would be a bit of "over-indulgence" for the CXA60...

However, then I came across a few threads discussing reliability issues with Cambridge Audio because of the use of poor-quality components for greater price competitiveness. By contrast, it was suggested that competitors like Arcam uses better-quality components. One discussant though argued that Cambridge Audio had issues in the past but fixed it.

Does anybody have experience with Cambridge Audio products breaking rather early? Obviously the CX series should be too "young" to have experienced reliability issues. But I hope this community has experience with other Cambridge Audio products!

Many thanks!!

Timo

 

[chebby]

Buy from a Richer Sounds, with their "6 Year Supercare", and you are covered for longer than most people will own such equipment for.

If it doesn't go wrong in 6 six years it will probably last for 20.

Alternatively you could buy Yamaha gear. They look after their customers a tad longer in some cases

http://www.whathifi.com/news/yamaha-issues-safety-recall-amps-30-years

 

[chebby]

duplicate

 

[Deleted member 2457]

I bought the Cambridge Audio 751bd Blu Ray player from Richer Sounds and it was faulty as! Never got my delivery money back either, they will take you for every penny if they can...

 

[spiny norman]

I bought the Cambridge Audio 751bd Blu Ray player from Richer Sounds and it was faulty as

...as you didn't bother reading the manual?

 

[Deleted member 2457]

I bought the Cambridge Audio 751bd Blu Ray player from Richer Sounds and it was faulty as

...as you didn't bother reading the manual?

Talking to yourself again!

 

[radiorog]

I've had reliability issues with several CA cd players. Always to do with the tray mechanism. My current player has an intermittent issues where it decides it doesn't want to open, or it springs back open when I close it. It's been doing this since day one and two years later, it hasn't actually got any worse, so lucky so far.

Regarding the speakers, from experience I would advise spending as much as you can afford, especially if you like the sound, because if you finda component you really like, you could live with it/them for many years. Spending an extra £500 on speakers that you could own for ten years or more is a sound investment. £50 a year! I would also try and hear the emit 20's by dynaudio as they might have that sound you like in the X14's and would save you £200 if you wanted to. Although if I could afford it, and preferred the X14's, I'd just get them

 

[macdiddy]

with the reliability of CA kit, still have a 10 year old cd player working fine, brought two more (different model numbers) since then again no problems, currently use two CA dacs in my system together with probably the best bluray/dvd player I have owned the CA 751.

As mentioned above now Richer sounds offer 6 year cover, there shouldn't be any worry if something does go wrong.

*music2*

 

[spiny norman]

Talking to yourself again!

Oh dear... Even if your reply suggests otherwise.

 

[spiny norman]

probably the best bluray/dvd player I have owned the CA 751.

Ditton on the 751 BD - had mine for ages and it has performed faultlessly

 

[Deleted member 2457]

Talking to yourself again!

Oh dear... Even if your reply suggests otherwise.

Why don't you ****** off, and leave me alone for a change!

 

[spiny norman]

Why don't you ****** off, and leave me alone for a change!

You don't charm me that easily! But let's face it, you do have quite a history of buying products you don't really understand and then claiming they have faults.

 

[Deleted member 2457]

Why don't you ****** off, and leave me alone for a change!

You don't charm me that easily! But let's face it, you do have quite a history of buying products you don't really understand and then claiming they have faults.

No I don't and you are talking to yourself again, you haven't got a clue about me, so F off or I will report you for harassment!

 

[Andy Clough]

No need for personal insults. Let's keep on topic please.

 

[spiny norman]

and you are talking to yourself again

Yet you keep on replying? Strange.

you haven't got a clue about me

I think you have put so much information about yourself in the public domain that almost everyone knows everything about you.

Anyway, back OT, in my experience CA products are no more or less reliable than those of any other brand. Could just be the large quantities in which they sell that makes it look like more people have problems with them.

 

[spiny norman]

No need for personal insults. Let's keep on topic please.

Apologies: it's just that it can be rather frustrating at times.

 

[Deleted member 2457]

No need for personal insults. Let's keep on topic please.

Thanks Andy, perhaps you can watch him and Chebby now, I don't want anything to do with either pair of them and won't be responding to them again!

 

[spiny norman]

Sigh...

 

[Andrewjvt]

Buy from a Richer Sounds, with their "6 Year Supercare", and you are covered for longer than most people will own such equipment for.

If it doesn't go wrong in 6 six years it will probably last for 20.

Alternatively you could buy Yamaha gear. They look after their customers a tad longer in some cases

http://www.whathifi.com/news/yamaha-issues-safety-recall-amps-30-years

O
plus one
And richer sounds have very good customer service and will normally bend over for customers imo

 

[tonky]

I've owned a CA 840A version 2 amplifier. for a long time 8 years approx - not listened to it much for the last 2 years (have a naim unitilite now) but it has performed faultlessly - and still does - as I have just given it a good listen.

ps - it was bought from richer sounds - they were very good. And they have let me have home demos on this and other items with no obligation to purchase

cheers tonky

 

[shadders]

Hi,

I have a Cambridge Azur 650a and the relays are failing. Either not operating or reduction in right channel volume. Have to keep switching inputs to get both channels, when I switch the unit on.

Also have a Cambridge DVD player, and no issues with that.

Regards,

Shadders.

 

[Feral]

I've had and still have azur amps, CD players, DAB radio (now sold) and the Stream magic. The only issues i have come across was the LCD display fading out on a CD player and losing a channel on low volume (fixed with a spray of contact cleaner) but no real issues with reliability and all from RS. Again as others have posted, for the more expensive items i buy the supercare and have got my cash back with no issue.

The main thing on that point is not to lose the receipt and you only have a month window in which to get your cash back but stick to the rules and no problems.