Integrated amplifiers — Cambrige Audio CXA61

The CXA61 is an integrated amplifier from Cambridge Audio's CX Series 2, from the British company that has built amplifiers for more than 50 years. It combines a 60 W Class AB amplifier with an ESS Sabre DAC, USB audio, optical and coaxial inputs and aptX HD Bluetooth, and it is Roon Tested. It sits below the CXA81 in the range.

Key specs that matter

Output is 60 W RMS into 8 ohms and 90 W into 4 ohms. The DAC is an ESS Sabre ES9010K2M. Frequency response is below 5 Hz to 60 kHz within 1 dB. THD is below 0.002% at 1 kHz and 80% of rated power, noise sits more than 93 dB below a 1 W reference, and damping factor is above 110. Analogue inputs are four RCA and a front 3.5 mm input. Digital inputs are one coaxial, two optical, USB and Bluetooth. USB accepts PCM up to 24-bit/384 kHz and DSD256, coaxial up to 24-bit/192 kHz and optical up to 24-bit/96 kHz. Bluetooth 4.2 supports aptX HD at 24-bit/48 kHz. Outputs are speakers A and B, a 3.5 mm headphone jack, a preamp output and a subwoofer output. Maximum power consumption is 600 W, standby below 0.5 W. It measures 115 x 430 x 341 mm with height given first, and the amplifier weighs 8.3 kg.

Engineering and use context

The Class AB output stage runs from a toroidal transformer, and capacitor values have been optimised for this amplifier. The signal path is kept short to limit interference. The volume control is designed to minimise crosstalk between channels. The digital section sits on its own circuit board around the ES9010K2M, a converter that handles high-resolution files from a computer through the USB input. The USB interface supports audio profiles 1.0 and 2.0, with 2.0 as the default for high-resolution playback. The aptX HD receiver streams 24-bit audio from compatible phones and tablets. A second speaker pair can run from the B terminals. The subwoofer output adds bass extension to small speakers, and the preamp output allows a separate power amplifier to be added later. A remote control and a Control Bus cable for linking Cambridge Audio components are supplied, along with three AAA batteries and a power cable, and the standard Lunar Grey finish was joined by a black limited edition.

Pairing

The CXA61 pairs with compact speakers of 86 dB and above in spaces of around 25 m2. A Cambridge Audio streamer or a computer via USB completes a compact system.

Alternatives

Cambridge Audio's CXA81 is the larger integrated amplifier of the CX Series 2 with 80 W per channel and balanced input.