Replacement for Cambridge CXA81

[Time Sparrow]

HI

I had a Cambridge CXA 81 with B AND W 606 Speakers.
Also using a Cambridge AXC 35 cd player , BK XLS200 mk 2 sub and also
a dj set up using 2x SL 1200mk 2'S

I loved the sound but due to many quality problems /reliability issues and after 3 replacements , I got a refund.

Looking for recommendations for a new
amp for approx £1000 but may be willing to pay more.
Looking for something that sounds good on multiple music genres , but particular good on dance music. And also is forgiving on less than perfect recordings. Build quality and reliability are also very important to me.

Any ideas to put on my shortlist.

Thanks for all your help

 

[Din5]

I suggest you audition a Rega Elex-R or even as a further step up the Elicit-R, both are really good amps and should tick your boxes.

 

[gasolin]

get better speakers

 

[Basso]

Marantz PM8000 range or Arcam SA20 would be worth an audition.

 

[gasolin]

Maranatz PM8000 is not better than a cambridge CXA81

He need to look at something like a DENON PMA-1600NE, Rotel RA-1572 MKII,Marantz Model40n,Yamaha A-S1200

 

[Basso]

Why didn’t you suggest those originally instead of the short “get better speakers” reply that was not really useful.

 

[RoA]

The Arcam SA20 is a very fine amplifier but is not the fastest around. It has a relatively full midrange, great resolution but the bass is not the most controlled.

Something like a Cyrus One would be better for driving/dance music but it looses out slightly elsewhere.

Audiolabs 6000A is an allrounder and totally non-fatiguing. Good bass. I have it currently connected to my Sterling BBC LS3/6 Ref's in place of the Hegel I nformally use and it does a fantastic job. That is with £5000 speakers. Good built-in DAC with filter choices.

Going back to the Arcam, it has 'quasi' class A (Class G) for a few watts and you can hear it. Super clean and refined. Decent power too. It's only the slightly loose/full bass that may be an issue with some speakers. On the other hand, with bass light speakers that might be an advantage. For example, it works very nicely with my Quad S2's. Great in-built DAC, slightly superior to the Audiolabs on paper.

For the money, the Audiolab is hard to beat. I felt it was superior and better balanced than both the Cambridge CXA 61 and 81 despite RS's Sales Advisers best attempts to convince me otherwise. Auditioned with Monitor Audio Gold floor standers in RS. A soupcon of High End on a budget. Problem is it shines with speakers outside it's price range, something that many don't attempt.

Currently using an Audiolab 6000A/Arcam SA20/Hegel H95

Hope that helps.

 

[gasolin]

Becuase the speakers are not that great, totally overrated byt whathifi, the highs are NOT forgiving on less than perfect recordings, it's bright forward an fatiguing, they just have what you don't want

 

[camcroft]

My Cambridge CXA60 is one of the best sounding if not the best I have ever owned. I also have a Marantz one and it can't touch the Cambridge. Just my opinion.

 

[gasolin]

Becuase the speakers are not that great, totally overrated byt whathifi, the highs are NOT forgiving on less than perfect recordings, it's bright forward an fatiguing, they just have what you don't want

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8sGsOWR5rg&t=1s

 

[doifeellucky]

I suggest you audition a Rega Elex-R or even as a further step up the Elicit-R, both are really good amps and should tick your boxes.

I’m also looking at the Elex. The Elicit is apparently a different sound signature to the rest of the Rega range and has been discontinued. I’d also be looking at, or certainly demoing, alternative/better speakers as well based on the marmite reviews of the 600 series.

 

[12th Monkey]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8sGsOWR5rg&t=1s

He might be right or wrong, but I suspect there's not an opinion that won't find video supporting it on the interweb.

 

[Din5]

I’m also looking at the Elex. The Elicit is apparently a different sound signature to the rest of the Rega range and has been discontinued. I’d also be looking at, or certainly demoing, alternative/better speakers as well based on the marmite reviews of the 600 series.

My Rega dealer says a new Elicit amp is being released this year, probably 1st half, so anytime soon. Someone on Steve Hoffman forum also says it will have digital connections and headphone socket, this seems likely.
Both the Elex and Elicit are fine amps (read the reviews & audition if you can), I recently owned an Elex-R but was loaned an Elicit-R by my dealer for a few days, I noticed the difference straight away. The Elicit-R had all the amazing clarity and lively presentation of the Elex-R, but with a really noticable improvement in bass control and a smoother high frequency - I think the bass control comes from the larger wattage reserve of the Elicit-R. I liked my Elex-R a lot and rather wish my dealer hadn't loaned me the Elicit, because once I had compared the two, I just had to have the Elicit-R. Yes it cost me more cash, but now I feel I have a really excellent amplifier for the long term. BTW - I use them with Rega RX5 speakers and in my room (6x4.5m) the sound is amazing.
Everyone to their own, but these are my thoughts on Elex-R Vs Elicit-R.

 

[nopiano]

There’s also the recently updated mark 2 version of Rotel’s RA-12 and Musical Fidelity’s M2si worth looking at.

 

[daytona600]

Musical Fidelity M3si , Rotel A12 MKII , Croft Phono integrated
Croft Acoustics Phono Integrated integrated amplifier | Stereophile.com
Best Integrated Amplifiers Below $3,000 - ecoustics.com

 

[gasolin]

Rotel ra is not that great with B&W 606

 

[Time Sparrow]

Thank you for all your responses.
All makes for some interesting reading .
This Hi FI game seems to be of a minefield.

Much appreciated

 

[Al ears]

Thank you for all your responses.
All makes for some interesting reading .
This Hi FI game seems to be of a minefield.

Much appreciated

my advice would be if you don't actually use the internal DAC of the CXA81 don't buy a replacement amplifier being an inbuilt DAC.....
The Croft mentioned earlier would be a good replacement, as would the Exposure 2510
To get a significant upgrade you might have to spend more than £1000 as this is around what the CXA81 cost originally.

 

[doifeellucky]

My Rega dealer says a new Elicit amp is being released this year, probably 1st half, so anytime soon. Someone on Steve Hoffman forum also says it will have digital connections and headphone socket, this seems likely.
Both the Elex and Elicit are fine amps (read the reviews & audition if you can), I recently owned an Elex-R but was loaned an Elicit-R by my dealer for a few days, I noticed the difference straight away. The Elicit-R had all the amazing clarity and lively presentation of the Elex-R, but with a really noticable improvement in bass control and a smoother high frequency - I think the bass control comes from the larger wattage reserve of the Elicit-R. I liked my Elex-R a lot and rather wish my dealer hadn't loaned me the Elicit, because once I had compared the two, I just had to have the Elicit-R. Yes it cost me more cash, but now I feel I have a really excellent amplifier for the long term. BTW - I use them with Rega RX5 speakers and in my room (6x4.5m) the sound is amazing.
Everyone to their own, but these are my thoughts on Elex-R Vs Elicit-R.

Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated.

 

[doifeellucky]

my advice would be if you don't actually use the internal DAC of the CXA81 don't buy a replacement amplifier being an inbuilt DAC.....
The Croft mentioned earlier would be a good replacement, as would the Exposure 2510
To get a significant upgrade you might have to spend more than £1000 as this is around what the CXA81 cost originally.

I currently own a CXA60 and am looking at the Exposure 2510.

 

[rainsoothe]

Becuase the speakers are not that great, totally overrated byt whathifi, the highs are NOT forgiving on less than perfect recordings, it's bright forward an fatiguing, they just have what you don't want

Stop writing nonsense, please. I pointed you a short while ago to a forum poster that absolutely raved about these speakers. Why is it that HE is overrating them and not YOU or Robinson UNDERrating them?

 

[Al ears]

Stop writing nonsense, please. I pointed you a short while ago to a forum poster that absolutely raved about these speakers. Why is it that HE is overrating them and not YOU or Robinson UNDERrating them?

It is his opinion, not nonsense to him I feel.
Just because he doesn't like them and someone else does is no reason to attack the owner of those opinions.
The crux of the matter is you can take anyone's opinion with a pinch of salt until you actually audition for yourself, as it is with all things hifi.
Please keep things civil.

 

[rainsoothe]

It is his opinion, not nonsense to him I feel.
Just because he doesn't like them and someone else does is no reason to attack the owner of those opinions.
The crux of the matter is you can take anyone's opinion with a pinch of salt until you actually audition for yourself, as it is with all things hifi.
Please keep things civil.

He's not saying he doesn't like them, though, he's stating "facts", like "they are bright" or giving advice like "don't get them". I wouldn't have said anything if it was "I find them this way or the other, but audition for yourself, maybe YOU might like XYZ"...

 

[Al ears]

He's not saying he doesn't like them, though, he's stating "facts", like "they are bright" or giving advice like "don't get them". I wouldn't have said anything if it was "I find them this way or the other, but audition for yourself, maybe YOU might like XYZ"...

He is stating opinions not facts, some of which I disagree with, however everyone does it.

 

[rainsoothe]

my advice would be if you don't actually use the internal DAC of the CXA81 don't buy a replacement amplifier being an inbuilt DAC.....
The Croft mentioned earlier would be a good replacement, as would the Exposure 2510
To get a significant upgrade you might have to spend more than £1000 as this is around what the CXA81 cost originally.

@Al ears agree to disagree on the previous post, but I'll leave it at that and return to OP's issue. I'm +1ing these suggestions, and if OP doesn't mind going SH, I'd look at a Naim Supernait 1 or a Unitiqute 2. The SN1 is a beast, and it can be found around this budget. The UQ 2 is surprisingly potent, and if the AXC 35 cd player has a digital output, you could use the (single) analogue input for the TT setup.