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

Product Information

By the standards of budget-conscious stereo amplifiers, the Cambridge Audio AXA35 is a remarkably self-assured listen. No matter the sort of material you serve it up, there’s no suggestion it ever feels out of its depth. The latest manufacturer to highlight this advantage is Cambridge Audio. The company was arguably better known for making premium products in its formative years – such as the groundbreaking CD-1 compact disc player in 1985 – but has more recently become known for its excellent value two-channel audio components and multi-room speaker systems. 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 Audio AXA35 Review | Trusted Reviews Cambridge Audio AXA35 Review | Trusted Reviews

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. 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. One of the key differentiators is the user interface. The AXA25 has old-fashioned analogue knobs for bass, treble, volume and balance. I presume that it is a fully analogue component design, though I don’t have one here so I can’t lift the lid to say for sure. The AXA35 has a digital interface as evidenced by the push-button input selection and digitally-controlled volume, complete with volume level display and tone and balance controls hidden behind a simple menu system. Assuming I’m right about the AXA25’s implementation of good old-fashioned potentiometers, the better AXA35 should be a significant jump in performance without the channel mismatch and noise issues associated with cheaper analogue pots.There are four pairs of stereo RCA inputs on the rear panel, plus an additional 3.5mm input on the fascia. The rear panel also has stereo RCA outputs for connection to a recording device. And, just to prove that the old school and the new school can sometimes be the same thing, there’s a moving magnet phono stage for use with a turntable, accessible via RCA inputs on the rear panel. You can drive a 4Ω load with the AXA35, and you’ll get just shy of 60W per channel before clipping starts to occur. Expect about 50W into a 4Ω load at more reasonable distortion levels. I didn’t test this extensively as blowing up the review sample is generally frowned upon, accidentally or otherwise. Cambridge are nicely designed and they do sound good, and I would expect that good sound from the New CX series. Cambridge makes great DACs for the money, and excellent Streaming devices. Cambridge Audio’s AXA35 integrated amplifier and AXC35 CD player make a fine budget combo. Individually, the amplifier is no slouch, but the CD player is something of a budget marvel that really doesn’t put a foot wrong in any aspect of its performance. The combo works well together and forms an ideal starting point for anyone seeking an enjoyable and affordable setup. AS

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

The preamp appears similar if not identical to the AM10. It is responsible for most of the noise in the amp’s output – 79.8dB signal to noise ratio (A-wtd, ref 0dBW). It’s a bit of a shame Cambridge didn’t spec up the preamp a bit to better match the performance of the output stage. Nevertheless it is well designed with NE5532s unsurprisingly making up the basis of its audio circuitry and input selection and volume control handled by digital logic. 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.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. It might be the AXA35’s confident way with timing that’s the single most surprising/impressive aspect of its performance. Vinyl gives a system every chance to show off its facility (or otherwise) for the timing and unity of a recording, and the AXA35’s phono stage lets Felt’s The Splendour of Fear roll along in the most natural manner. There is one slight niggle. The power button has a white LED in the middle, which remains lit whether the amp is turned on or off.

Cambridge Audio AXA35/AXC35 | Hi-Fi Choice Cambridge Audio AXA35/AXC35 | Hi-Fi Choice

I set the volume knob to my normal listening level, which pointed to about 'half-past-seven'. So the volume was hardly turned up at all. It just serves to tell you that mains power is coming to the amp. You have to work out for yourself whether the amp is actually on or off. At the top end, the pairing offers up highly impressive clarity, with little trace of hardness. The Usher’s tweeter can be unforgiving in this respect, but the AXA35 caresses it delicately and the result is a crisp yet composed delivery through the upper frequencies and the overall presentation is a delight. Although not quite managing the levels of forensic clarity that more expensive setups can muster, the AXA35 and AXC35 combo delivers a good amount of detail.

Cambridge Audio AXA35/AXC35

If anything, I suspect Chinese manufacturing, and poor quality control, and I blame poor quality control on a corporate desire to maximize profits at the expense of consumer satisfaction. Which also explains poor customer service. This is not limited to Cambridge, it can be found in may sectors of audio and non-audio products. Otherwise the amps are functionally similar, broadly speaking. One reviewer referenced past Cambridge amps as having “something of the biscuit tin about them” with “casework that wasn’t what you’d call well-damped”. Neither comment I feel is justified based on my experience with multiple iterations of the A1, the A5, early CD players and the first models in the Azur range. I gave it an all-around listen − Neil Young’s Cortez the Killer via Spotify, on a smartphone, through the 3.5mm input, sounds confident, straight-edged (as much as Neil Young can ever sound all that disciplined) and there’s plenty of detail revealed about the condition of both Young’s larynx and the state of his guitar strings. The low-level dynamics are handled well, and there’s well-controlled impact to the drumkit.

AXA25 - Integrated Stereo Amplifier | Cambridge Audio UK

There were complaints about the CAP5 protection circuits being overly aggressive. But new CX model are released now and we assume they have dealt with this.Pressing the power button brings the amp out of standby and, after a few seconds, the speakers are connected with the clunk of a substantial relay. I was surprised to learn that, just like the AM10, the AXA35 doesn’t remember the previous volume setting when the power is cycled. It does remember the settings for balance, bass and treble, so this is a daft omission on Cambridge’s part. Generally speaking, I would certainly consider a Cambridge Amp or other equipment if I were in the market. I would not automatically cross them off my list. But, as a safety measure, it might be wise to spring for the Extended Warranty, which is usually direct replacement rather than repair. By the standards of a long-in-the-tooth concept like an affordable stereo amplifier, the AXA35 is quite a good looker: the smoky grey finish is pretty sophisticated (to my eyes at least − no one ever accused me of being a slave to fashion). It’s not all that bulky and is visually quite arresting thanks to the minimalist selection of fascia controls and equally minimalist display. 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. If we ignore the poor customer service and the spotty quality control, when they work, they work exceptionally well. And keep in mind that the spotty quality control is based on Internet rumors.