Roksan K3 Intergrated vs Cambridge CXA81

[12oner]

Evening all,

So, Roksan K3 intergrated vs Cambridge CXA81, for the extra £300 is the Roksan heaps better? I understand it has more power on paper and is probably better quality overall but believe the CXA81 has higher res Bluetooth capabilities and I do stream music quite often.

The CXA81 has a reasonable DAC but I can't find easy info on the K3's?

I would mainly like to know if the Roksan is worth me saving that bit more, is the bass that much more controlled/grippy, is the soundstage much bigger, does the overall quality warrant the extra money?

Thanks!

 

[Al ears]

Evening all,

So, Roksan K3 intergrated vs Cambridge CXA81, for the extra £300 is the Roksan heaps better? I understand it has more power on paper and is probably better quality overall but believe the CXA81 has higher res Bluetooth capabilities and I do stream music quite often.

The CXA81 has a reasonable DAC but I can't find easy info on the K3's?

I would mainly like to generally know if the Roksan is worth me saving that bit more, is the bass that much more controlled/grippy, is the soundstage much bigger, does the overall quality warrant the extra money?

Thanks!

It's very much going to come down to what you want to connect to it. They K3 is simply an amp with Bluetooth ability, five line level inputs and a MM phono stage.
If you're all about streaming and digital and need an inbuilt DAC you'd best be going to have to look at the Cambridge, but if you're after sound quality............
I would take the Roksan any day of the week......

 

[DELBOY14]

If your just going to Bluetooth then your wasting your money, but if you have a very good CD player or record deck (£600 to £1000 plus) then you need to get along to a dealers and listen before spending as CD or Vinyl is going to blow away Bluetooth. If you have never heard the tonal caricature of an instrument you are about to and that includes finding it easy to follow all the instruments including the ones you have never heard before in that track you like, assuming you have the CD or Deck to go with the amps you are proposing and of course speakers around £800 plus as a guide.

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

I think that's a little harsh. I use bluetooth for background listening (and only for background listening), and I think my system's good enough to show trash for what it is. It does give BT the benefit of allowing the DAC to be done by my CD player and whilst it's certainly not as good as CD, it's perfectly listenable.

 

[lbutron]

I have Kef LS50 speakers, I have the same doubt if in the musical part the K3 ($2,100) is much better than the CXA81 ($1,300) and justifies the $800usd. Taking into account only the analog part and if I am going to connect and control the entire digital part with a streamer like the CXNV2. Would you recommend spend the extra money?

 

[Deleted member 160668]

control the entire digital part with a streamer like the CXNV2. Would you recommend spend the extra money?
[/QUOTE]

Ah balls, my quote thingy didn't work.... @ibutron

I'm going to respond to a question you haven't asked 😉.

I can't comment on the two amps as I've not heard them. But I have owned the CXN streamer and currently own it's big brother 851N. If you plan on dropping that kind of cash on a streamer - as they are not miles apart in cost now - the extra couple hundred is totally worth it. The jump in SQ is huge (and the CXN was awesome, but the 851N is breathtaking). Both have just received firmware updates to integrate Tidal Connect too.

 

[lbutron]

The jump in SQ is huge

I already have the CXN V2, The huge jump in SQ you refer to the Amps (K3 vs CXA81) ?

 

[Deleted member 160668]

I already have the CXN V2, The huge jump in SQ you refer to the Amps (K3 vs CXA81) ?

If you already own the CXN my post is not relevant and may be ignored.