Cambridge Audio AXA25-25 Watt Separate Integrated Stereo Amplifier HiFi System Featuring Tone and Balance Control with Front Aux Input - Lunar Grey

Product Information

I've still got the NP30. It could be better in some respects, the app for one, FF\FR could of been included and maybe 1 or 2 other bits, but overall, it performs well and sounds very good imo.

AXA25 - Integrated Stereo Amplifier | Cambridge Audio UK

The LM3886 does, however, have inbuilt protection against over and under-voltage, power supply and output short circuits, thermal runaway and instantaneous temperature peaks. They are durable and reliable chips and offer excellent performance comparable to a discrete output stage. Regardless of the amplifier you use you should always consider its limitations in partnering equipment and the environment. I’ve fixed a few AM10s over the years with blown output chips all as a result of driving too heavy a load at too high a volume. If your system is obviously distorting or if you’re running the amp at or near its maximum volume, upgrade to a model with more power. Cambridge do not give a spec into a 4Ω load, which is unsurprising given that the power supply isn’t built to drive difficult or low impedance loads. Larger reservoir caps, for example, would have given the AXA35 a significant bump in headroom and a bit more grunt. It’s not uncommon to see 4700UF caps as a minimum on the PSU rails of a DIY-built Gainclone. You could up the voltage too – the LM3886 can handle peak input voltages of +/-94V, and comfortably up to +/-40V with ample cooling, which the AXA35 certainly provides.My first Philips CD player top loader from 1992 lasted 20 years, my Roberts slot loader from 2002 about 7 years and my Cambridge tray loader from 2013 about 3 years... Is this a trend? At the bottom end, the AXA35 and AXC35 show off another common Cambridge trait. Not only is the bass firm, detailed and blessed with excellent timing, but when things become more dance orientated it laps up a decent beat. Spinning The Divine Comedy’s I’ve Been To A Marvellous Party is an absolute hoot as the Cambridge duo makes a fine job of Neil Hannon’s soft murmurings during the verses, and then hit their stride with the thumping techno beat in the choruses. Give this combo a bangin’ tune and it loves it – pushing it out with confidence and punch. I too had the CA540R v3 which i liked a lot but weren't up to the task as first thought and moved it on. Another peculiarity is that the USB port fitted to the rear only provides power to a connected USB item – it is not actually an audio input. Also at the rear are a set of good-quality loudspeaker binding posts and Cambridge continues its tradition of labelling all its available connections both upside down – so that you can see the input you’re grappling with on the rear panel when looking over the top of unit – as well as the right way up, which all helps to make interconnect and speaker cable connections a doddle.

Cambridge Audio AXA25 Lunar Grey - Richer Sounds Cambridge Audio AXA25 Lunar Grey - Richer Sounds

The AXA35 has plenty of power to fill a mid-sized room providing you’re using efficient speakers. Most budget amps of the ‘70s and ‘80s were this way, and they survived many a party. The A1, the amplifier that revived the Cambridge brand after the Audio Partnership takeover, was only 25 watts per channel and it can make a lot of noise with the right speakers. The rest of this review focuses on the AXA35 exclusively as I don’t have an aXA25 for comparison. The AXA35 has plenty of useful facilities for a budget amplifier in the contexts of an aptly specified hi-fi system. When compared against a 2004 era Cambridge A5, years of inflation and cost prioritisation mean the omission of a preamplifier output and the second pair of speaker outputs for bi-wiring, not that bi-wiring offers any real-world advantage. There’s no true tape monitor in the newer amps either, nor an option to bypass the tone controls. You do get a remote though, which the A5 didn’t have. The frequency response is relatively flat. There’s a gentle roll-off below 100Hz and above 10kHz, but it’s only 0.2dB down at 20Hz and 20kHz, the limits of the audio band. In reality this won’t be audible, so any characteristic sound will be due to its limitations in power, component-level tuning and preamplifier noise more than anything else. Needless to say I've gone for a top loader with minimal mechanical gubbins this time (Rega). I'll let you know how that goes.

Listening Room: Chord Qutest; Marantz CD6005; Rega PL6 + Ania; Rega Fono MC; Rega Aethos; B&W 703 S3

AXA25 | Cambridge Audio

After connecting it up to my nice but equally old JVC CD player, and Goodmans plastic covered chipboard 3-way passive Q70 speakers, I turned it all on. These are Clearance items and therefore condition and accessories / promo items supplied may vary. This is also why we use guide prices for in-store items, as managers price these units according to state and completeness. Speaking of the tone controls. They are of the shelving type and cut and boost at 100Hz and 10kHz respectively. They’re not subtle as a result, but as this amp is likely to be paired with smaller bookshelf speakers or less capable floorstanders they will be more useful than controls that adjust the 20Hz and 20kHz frequency extremes. Covering the history of Cambridge Audio and the evolution of its budget offerings would serve only to prematurely wear the keys of my already battered keyboard. If you’re interested, I wrote on the subject at length in my AX series summary. If you’re not, the review herein is strictly dedicated to the AXA35 amplifier and will also detail the AXA25. On paper the two amplifiers are very similar with only a 10W jump in output power and specification improvements setting them apart, but in practice they are two very different amplifiers. The AXA25 is a very indirect successor to the A1 and to an extent my A5, whereas the AXA35 is cut from the same cloth as the proceeding Topaz AM10 and the Topaz receivers. However, rumors of faulty products have reached my ears too. Cambridge sent the Flagship 851A to Stereophile for review, and they had problems with the device. Upon getting a new copy, things worked better.Cambridge is not simply the House Brand of Richer Sounds; Cambridge is sold all over the world, and is consistently highly rated for sound quality. Just after warranty period ended (typical!) the CD player started making mechanical noises on disc load and then during play. Eventually disc tray would not open. It should be noted though that abusing the tone controls to get more bass out of a low-powered system is not always a good idea. It’s nothing to do with some snobbish view that “it’s not how hi-fi should be heard” blah blah, but because with a 35W amp excessive use of the tone controls at high volume will cause the amp to clip sooner. Clipping, a flattening of the peaks in the audio waveform, is more often than not the cause of blown speakers, not excessive power. Thus you’re more likely to damage your speakers with this amp if you turn the bass to max and crank up the volume than you will if you leave the tone controls flat. Inside the AXA25 you’ll find quality components and short signal paths for the best sound quality in its class. Careful circuit design reduces the signal path, giving higher purity sound and less distortion. Other quality engineering components include a high-spec heat sink that is die-cast rather than pressed steel and a damped power supply – reducing the chance of annoying transformer hum and buzz. Just like the partnering CD player, the AXA35 feels solid when you lift it. There’s no flex in its casework which is perfectly fitted and neatly presented with the side screws in deep recesses to obscure them from view. The top of the amp is vented with a grid of tiny holes to let the heat escape, though it doesn’t get above mildly warm in operation.