Полочная акустика — Cambrige Audio EVO S

The EVO S is a passive two-way bookshelf speaker from Cambridge Audio, the London company founded in 1968. It was designed as the matching speaker for the EVO all-in-one streaming amplifiers and shares their styling, but it works with any stereo amplifier. The pair ships complete with speaker cable, which reflects its role in a compact system built around a single amplifier.

Key specs that matter

It uses a 25 mm (1 in) black silk dome tweeter and a 165 mm (6.5 in) anodised aluminium mid/bass cone in a rear-ported cabinet. Response runs from 50 Hz to 40 kHz, sensitivity is 88 dB, impedance is 8 ohms, with 25 W to 200 W of amplification recommended. The cabinet measures 200 x 284 x 216 mm (W x H x D), and each speaker weighs 7.1 kg.

Engineering and use context

A 165 mm driver is large for a cabinet of this height, and it gives the EVO S more cone area and bass output than a typical 130 mm compact speaker. Anodising hardens the aluminium cone surface, and its low mass and rigidity keep it moving as a piston across its working range, while the silk dome tweeter extends to 40 kHz to cover the high-resolution band that EVO streamers can play. The cabinet is medium-density fibreboard with a solid outer plating and a floating base that visually separates the speaker from its shelf. A rear bass port extends low-frequency output, and foam bungs are supplied to block it when the speakers sit on a desk or close to a wall, which reduces bass reinforcement from the boundary. Gold-plated binding posts accept the supplied cable, two 3 m lengths already terminated. Magnetic grilles attach without visible fixings, and the finish is black. Cambridge Audio's manual recommends amplification from its own range designed to the same standards.

Pairing

The EVO 75 and EVO 150 all-in-one players are the intended partners, providing streaming, DAC, HDMI ARC and amplification in one box. As a moderately sensitive 8 ohm design, the EVO S also suits any stereo amplifier of modest power, including the CXA and EXA integrated models, in rooms of up to about 20 m2. With the port open, the cabinet wants a gap to the wall, and stands that put the tweeter at ear height make the most of the tweeter's dispersion. In a desktop system, the EVO S can run from a compact amplifier with a headphone output, and the bungs keep low-frequency output under control on a desk surface where boundary gain is high.

Alternatives

Cambridge Audio's SX-50 is a smaller and simpler two-way bookshelf speaker for tighter budgets and spaces.