Cambridge Audio's New EX Series - First Look

Cambridge Audio’s New EX Series – First Look

All Image Credit: Cambridge Audio

Cambridge Audio have released a new EX Series that initially includes the; EXA100 integrated amplifier and EXN100 streaming DAC. This new EX Series is said to be the “spiritual successor” to the older Azur 851 range, and sits between the brand’s CX range and the high-end flagship Edge range. The new EX Series has a similar minimalist design as its CX siblings and the same signature ‘lunar grey’ finish, but the EX models have a larger casework and a large display in the middle of the milled-aluminum front panel. Both models feature a knurled volume/control dial and can be controlled by a dedicated remote control (EXA100) or the StreamMagic app (EXN100).

The EXA100 integrated amplifier employs trickle-down technology from the Edge M monoblock power amps. It features 100 watts of Class AB amplification per channel, a DAC, an HDMI eARC input and Bluetooth aptX HD.

The design is powered by a large toroidal transformer that is heavily shielded by the heatsinks and uses the same power transistors as used on the Edge M monoblocks. Attention has also been given to the four-layer PCBs and proprietary CAP protection system that deals with potential problems including; power and temperature overloads. The EXA100 also has a DAC circuit built around a two channel ESS ES9018K2M SABRE DAC chip that can be fed over aptX HD Bluetooth TOSLINK, coaxial, USB-B, or HDMI eARC.

Control is available via the front panel buttons and volume/control dial or the included IR remote.

Rear panel signal connectivity includes; 1 x switchable RCA/XLR and 3 x RCA analog line inputs, 2 x optical and 1 x coaxial digital inputs, 1 x RCA subwoofer output, 1 x RCA power amplifier input, 1 x pre-amplifier output and a USB-B. Wired control is available using the control bus RCA I/O, 3.5mm trigger I/O or the RS232 connections. Speaker connectivity includes two pairs of binding posts that support two speakers zones or speaker bi-wiring. There is also a front panel 6.3mm headphone jack.

The EXN-100 hi-res music streamer is an evolution of the CXN100 released earlier this year, it also uses the same ESS ES9028Q2M SABRE 2 channel DAC chip and includes HDMI eARC. It uses the latest generation of Cambridge Audio’s proprietary StreamMagic Gen 4 platform, which supports wired and wireless streaming methods and most music services, as is playback of hi-res audio up to 32-bit/768kHz and DSD512 files. Digital connectivity to the DAC is available via aptX HD Bluetooth, HDMI eARC, USB-B, coaxial or TOSLINK. Audio formats supported include; ALAC, WAV, FLAC, AIFF, DSD (x512), WMA, MP3, AAC, HE AAC, AAC+, OGG Vorbis. Services supported include; Google Cast, Apple AirPlay 2, Tidal Connect, Chromecast, Spotify Connect, Internet radio, it is Roon Ready and supports UPnP, with Qobuz and Deezer available via the StreamMagic app. which also handles; setup, configuration and control.

Control and setup is offered via the front panel buttons and rotary control and/or StreamMagic app. in conjunction with the large 1280x569px front-panel color display that shows; menus, track data, album artwork, a clock or VU meters.

Rear panel signal connectivity includes; 1x stereo XLR and RCA line level outputs, 1x optical & 1x coaxial output, 1x optical & 1x coaxial input, 1x HDMI eARC, 1x USB-A media and 1x USB-B audio and an RJ45 Ethernet connection. Wired control is available using the control bus RCA I/O or 3.5mm trigger I/O.

Features At A Glance:

EXA100:
- Best-in-Class Sound: Amplifier tech inspired by our flagship Edge M monobloc delivers an incredibly wide, detailed soundstage. Be moved by your music like never before.
- Power With Control: 100 Watts per channel of perfectly tuned Class AB amplification skillfully drives even the most demanding speakers with ease.
- Digital Connectivity: Get your TV, CD, USB drives and more connected via HDMI eARC, TOSLINK, Coaxial & USB Audio digital inputs
- Balanced XLR Inputs: Enjoy the best possible analogue sound quality with these premium analogue connections.
- ESS ES9018K2M SABRE 32 DAC: For exceptional digital-to-analogue conversion; tuned in London like no other for peak performance.
- Bluetooth aptX HD: Wirelessly connect devices such as the Alva TT V2 turntable and stream in glorious hi-def quality.
- Power Amp Mode: For use with a dedicated preamp or as part of a multi-channel system.
- Dual Speaker Zones: Two sets of speaker outputs offer a second zone option.

EXN100
- Expertly Tuned for Exceptional Sound: Carefully crafted in London to bring out the full potential of the ESS ES9028Q2M SABRE 32 DAC and our StreamMagic streaming platform.
- Stream Your Music: Effortlessly enjoy your favorite services such as Spotify, TIDAL, Deezer, Qobuz, Internet Radio, and more.
- Boost Your TV Sound: Enhance your home entertainment experience with an easy HDMI eARC connection for immersive audio.
- Versatile Connectivity: Plug in via USB audio, Coaxial & TOSLINK, or connect wirelessly with Chromecast built-in, AirPlay 2 & Bluetooth aptX HD.
- Roon Ready: Seamlessly explore your entire digital music library through Roon’s intuitive interface.
- Preamp Mode: Doubles as a digital preamp, offering input switching and volume control for any system.
- Multiroom Capability: Fill your home with sound, thanks to compatibility with Google Home, Apple AirPlay, and Roon.
- Larger Hi-Res Colour Screen: Immerse yourself visually with album artwork, VU meters and more.

Specifications:

EXA100
- Power Output:100W RMS into 8 Ohms @ <1%THD+N, 155W RMS into 4 Ohms @ 1kHz <1%THD+N
- Amplification Class: AB
- THD (Unweighted):<0.002% 1kHz at 80% of rated power (8 Ohms) | <0.02% 20Hz – 20kHz at 80% of rated power
- S/N Ratio (REF 1W): >91 dB
- Crosstalk @1kHz: >90
- Input Sensitivity: Input A2-A4 (unbalanced) 395mV RMS
- Input Impedances: Input A1 (balanced) 100 kOhm Input A2-A4 (unbalanced) 45 kOhm
- Power Amp Damping Factor: >160 at 1kHz
- DAC: ES9018K2M
- Preamp Mode
- Frequency Response: <3Hz – >40kHz +/-1dB
- Toroidal Transformer
- Bi-wiring possible
- Analogue RCA Inputs – 3 pairs
- Balanced XLR Input – 1 pair
- S/PDIF TOSLINK: Input x1
- S/PDIF: Coaxial Input x1
- Asynchronous USB Input: USB Type B conforming to USB Audio Class 1 or USB Audio Class 2 (user selectable)
- Bluetooth 5.0 aptX
- HD HDMI ARC: Input x1 (eARC compatible)
- Preamp Output: RCA pre-out
- Headphone Output x1
- Subwoofer Output: RCA x1
- S/PDIF TOSLink Optical: TOSLINK 16/24-bit 32-96kHz
- S/PDIF Coaxial: Coax SPDIF 16/24-bit 32-192kHz
- HDMI eARC: PCM up to 24bit/192kHz
- USB Audio: USB Audio Class 1: Up to 24-bit 96kHz (asynchronous) | USB Audio Class 2: Up to 24-bit 384kHz (asynchronous) and up to DSD-256
- Bluetooth: 5.0 A2DP/AVRCP supporting SBC, aptX and aptX HD codecs
- RS232 Control
- Subwoofer Output: RCA x1
- Max Power Consumption: 1200w
- Standby Power Consumption: <0.5W
- Dimensions (W x H x D): 115 x 430 x 341mm (4.5 x 16.9 x 13.4”)
- Weight: 12.8kg (28.2Lbs)

EXN100
- DAC: ESS ES9028Q2M
- Preamp Mode
- StreamMagic Version Gen 4
- Display Screen: 4.76″ IPS TFT – 1280 x 569
- USB Drive Input: 1 x USB 2.0
- S/PDIF TOSLINK Input x1
- S/PDIF Coaxial Input x1
- Asynchronous USB Input x1
- Bluetooth5.0 with aptX
- HDHDMI ARC Input x1 (eARC compatible)
- Analogue RCA Outputs: 1 Pair
- S/PDIF Output x1
- TOSLink Output x1
- Balanced XLR Output 1 Pair
- S/PDIF TOSLink Optical: 16/24bit 32-96kHz PCM, DoP64 S/PDIF
- S/PDIF Coaxial: 16/24bit 32-192kHz PCM, DoP64
- HDMI eARC: PCM up to 24bit/192kHz
- Local USB Media: PCM up to 32-bit 768kHz, DSD up to x512
- File system support: FAT32, NTFS, Ext2/3/4, ExFAT
- USB Audio: PCM up to 32-bit 768kHz, DSD up to x512
- Bluetooth: 5.0 A2DP/AVRCP supporting SBC, aptX and aptX HD codecs
- UPnP: PCM up to 32bit/768kHz
- Services: Internet Radio, Tidal Connect, Spotify Connect, Qobuz, Deezer, Amazon Music(via Google Cast), Google Cast, AirPlay 2, Roon Ready
- Audio Formats: ALAC, WAV, FLAC, AIFF, DSD (x512), WMA, MP3, AAC, HE AAC, AAC+, OGG Vorbis
- Ethernet: IEEE 802.3, 10 Base-T or 100 Base-T
- WI-FI: IEEE: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz / 5GHz)
- RS232 Control
- THD @ 1kHz 0dBFs: < 0.0005 %
- Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz +/- 0.1dB
- Crosstalk @1kHz: < -120dB
- Signal to Noise Ratio (Ref 1W)> 120dBr
- Bass / Treble Controls (Advanced DSP features)
- Max Power Consumption: 30W
- Standby Power Consumption Network Standby: >2W ; Eco mode: <0.5W
- Dimensions (W x H x D): 430 x 90 x 305mm
- Weight: 4.1kg

Pricing (EXN100/EXA100):

US: $1,799/$2,199
UK: £1,599/£1,999
EU: €1,799/€2,199

For more information visit the US Cambridge Audio web site.

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One man's quest for audio perfection

Cambridge Audio’s New EX Series – First Look