Cambridge Audio CXA81 MK II - 80W Integrated Amplifier

Key Specifications & Features

Power output: 80 W RMS per channel into 8 Ω, 120 W into 4 Ω. manuals.cambridgeaudio.com+2Cambridge Audio International+2
Built-in DAC: ESS SABRE ES9018K2M supporting high-resolution digital input (up to 24-bit/384 kHz PCM and DSD256) via USB. Electronic Forefront Australia+1
Digital & analogue connectivity:
- Digital: USB Type-B for computer, Coaxial S/PDIF, Optical (TOSLINK) inputs. Home Theatre Review+1
- Wireless: Bluetooth built-in supporting aptX/aptX HD codec for higher-quality wireless streaming. manuals.cambridgeaudio.com+1
- Analogue: Balanced XLR input + multiple RCA line inputs. Cambridge Audio International
Other features: Dual speaker outputs (Speaker A + B), subwoofer output, headphone output. Crutchfield
Build/design: Class AB amplification with a toroidal transformer, minimal front panel, high-end finish. Cambridge Audio International+1

Description

CXA81 Mark II combines unparalleled accuracy with vivid musicality, doing so beautifully. CXA81 has connectivity covered. As well as digital optical, coaxial, and USB Audio, it features stereo RCA inputs, balanced XLR sockets, plus wireless hi-res connectivity via Bluetooth aptX HD – perfect for Alva TT V2.

Warranty:

1-year manufacturer’s warranty

Features:

80 watts per channel with Class AB amplification for detailed and powerful audio performance
Separate, symmetrical left and right channels are carefully engineered to deliver incredible sound-staging
Balanced XLR inputs for low noise interference
High-Quality DAC – Connect digital sources directly via TOSLINK and Coaxial
USB Audio Input accepting up to 32-bit/384kHz & DSD 256 digital files from Mac or PC
Bluetooth aptX HD built 80-watts per channel with Class AB amplification for detailed and powerful audio performance
Separate, symmetrical left and right channels are carefully engineered to deliver incredible sound-staging
Balanced XLR inputs for low noise interference
High-Quality DAC – Connect digital sources directly via TOSLINK and Coaxial
USB Audio Input accepting up to 32-bit/384kHz & DSD 256 digital files from Mac or PC
Bluetooth aptX HD built-in

THE SOUND OF PROGRESS.
Half a decade after the CX range redefined performance at its price point, it’s time to reimagine, re-engineer, and reinvigorate. The all-new CXA61 and CXA81 integrated amplifiers build on the foundations laid (and the Awards won) by CXA60 and CXA80, but with a fresh and progressive perspective.
The CXA81 is poised, effortless, and sophisticated. It’s 80 watts per channel,l give it complete authority over music, and it wrings every emotional and musical nuance from your whole collection.

MAKING THE BEST BETTER
How do you take an admired and successfully integrated amplifier, one that’s won respect and plaudits around the world, and make it even better? Well, if you’re a Cambridge Audio engineer, you examine every aspect of the performance – and then you do everything you can to make it ‘more’. More refined, more precise, more engrossing… more musical. The CXA81: it’s everything you loved about the CXA80, but more so.

UNCOMPROMISED AND UNCOMPROMISING
All the research, all the development, all the time and effort that’s been expended on the CXA81 has been for one reason alone: to make this the most accomplished and absorbing integrated amplifier ever offered at the price. Every component selected, and every engineering decision taken, is based entirely on the desire to progress. The CXA81 has been designed and specified without compromise to deliver the complete musical picture.

THE WHOLE STORY
The CXA81 is designed to bring your music to life, no matter how it’s stored. So it features an entirely new digital board, including the cutting-edge ESS Sabre ES9016 digital-to-analogue converter. This means digital audio files up to a heady 32bit/384kHz, or DSD256, are brought dramatically to life, with every detail and nuance delivered intact and in full. The CXA81 combines unparalleled accuracy with vivid musicality, without sacrificing convenience.

POWER AND CONTROL
Thanks to numerous improvements and upgrades – and thanks to an overspecified toroidal transformer – the CXA81 delivers a prodigious 80 watts of power per channel. This means the CXA81 has complete authority over even the most demanding speakers, it means big dynamic shifts in music are handled with total control, and it means the whole musical picture is available, no matter if you’re playing at discreet background levels or party-time volumes.

ABSOLUTE FLEXIBILITY
The CXA81 covers all connectivity bases, giving you complete freedom of choice. As well as digital optical and digital coaxial inputs, it features unbalanced stereo RCA inputs alongside balanced XLR sockets – and wireless connectivity via Bluetooth’s cutting-edge aptX HD standard is on board too. So there’s no need to compromise on performance in the name of convenience.

UNMATCHED SONIC INTEGRITY
At the heart of the CXA81 beats a completely reimagined and redesigned power amplifier stage with optimized capacitor values. The resulting sound is pristine but not clinical, with unrivaled musical coherence no matter the source.

PARTNER FOR LIFE
Thanks to a relentless dedication to progressive engineering, the CXA81 is a complete solution. Its combination of versatility, power, and audio excellence means it can form the center of your musical experience for years to come.

Technical Specifications:

POWER OUTPUT	80W RMS into 8 Ohms, 120W RMS into 4 Ohms
DAC	ESS Sabre ES9016K2M
FREQUENCY RESPONSE	<5Hz– 60kHz +/-1dB
ANALOGUE AUDIO INPUTS	1x balanced XLR, 4 x RCA
DIGITAL AUDIO INPUTS	1 x S/PDIF coaxial, 2 x TOSLINK optical, 1 x USB audio, Bluetooth (integrated)
COMPATIBILITY	TOSLINK optical: 16/24bit 32-96kHz PCM only, S/PDIF coaxial: 16/24bit 32-192kHz PCM only, USB: audio profile 1.0/2.0 (default 2.0), up to 32bit 384kHz PCM, up to DSD256 or DoP256, Bluetooth: 4.2 A2DP/AVRCP supporting up to aptX HD (24bit 48kHz)
BLUETOOTH APTX HD RECEIVER BUILT-IN	Yes
ROON TESTED	Yes
OUTPUTS	Speakers A+B, 3.5mm headphone, Preamp Output, Subwoofer Output
REMOTE CONTROL	Yes
MAX POWER CONSUMPTION	750W
STANDBY POWER CONSUMPTION	<0.5W
DIMENSIONS (H X W X D)	115 x 430 x 341mm (4.5 x 16.9 x 13.4”)
WEIGHT	8.7kg (19.1lbs)
BOX CONTENTS	CXA81 Integrated Amplifier, Power Cable, 3 x AAA Batteries, Remote Control, Control Bus Cable