Cambridge Audio MXN10 vs WiiM Ultra: which budget music streamer offers the best value?

The Cambridge Audio MXN10 has been at the top of our best music streamers guide ever since we reviewed it two years ago, and it's a well-deserved two-time and current What Hi-Fi? Award winner in the £300-£750 price category.

But if there’s one thing we won’t allow is for a product to rest on its laurels, and the arrival of the WiiM Ultra has presented the perfect opportunity to put the two streamers head-to-head.

Both of these products are brilliantly affordable ways to add cutting-edge streaming skills to your hi-fi separates, and they can even be used to create a simple but effective audio system by connecting them directly to a pair of powered speakers.

With both affordable streamers from Cambridge Audio and WiiM earning five-star reviews, you might be wondering which one should be the recipient of your hard-earned cash, so we’ve put these two network audio players up against each other to find out which one comes out on top.

WiiM Ultra vs Cambridge Audio MXN10: price

It can sometimes feel a little unfair to compare two products with different price tags, so helpfully Cambridge Audio has dropped the asking price for the MXN10 since we first reviewed it in July 2023, and it’s now available for exactly the same affordable price as the WiiM Ultra in the UK: £349.

In the US and Australia there’s still a bit of a price difference, with the WiiM Ultra setting you back $329 / AU$599, and the Cambridge Audio MXN10 costing closer to $399 / AU$749.

WiiM does trump Cambridge Audio by including all the cables – optical, RCA interconnect, HDMI – in the box (you only get a power lead with the MXN10), which could save you a few quid if you don’t already own the required cables for your set-up, but that’s unlikely to be a deal-breaker for most people.

** Winner: Draw **

WiiM Ultra vs Cambridge Audio MXN10: build & design

In terms of size, there’s not much between these two very compact streamers. Both take up as much space as a paperback book and have a solid build quality; either should easily fit on to your hi-fi rack, in your TV cabinet or on your desktop.

The WiiM Ultra is a couple of centimetres taller, but the MXN10 is slightly wider and deeper, so unless you have a very specific space to fit one of them into, size probably won’t play a huge part in your decision-making.

The most significant design difference between the two is that the WiiM Ultra sports a 3.5-inch touchscreen colour display. It’s slick and responsive, and we found it not unlike using the touchscreen on a smartphone.

For controlling basic playback, selecting inputs or choosing saved playlists, we actually prefer tapping at the display compared to the companion WiiM Home app. However, this depends entirely on where the Ultra is placed in your set-up and if you can reach it easily.

Seeing the album artwork on display and being able to tweak the volume dial using just the unit makes the WiiM Ultra all the more appealing.

There is still something to be said for the clean simplicity of the Cambridge Audio MXN10, which sports a small handful of responsive buttons for selecting inputs. You can, however, control everything you need using the StreamMagic app, but the MXN10 does look a little plain in comparison to the Ultra's more modern sensibilities.

In terms of colours, both are available in Apple-esque grey, while you can also get the WiiM Ultra in silver. Cambridge Audio did also release a limited-edition black version of the MXN10, but at the time of writing there are only a few left and it hasn’t had the same price cut as the grey model. Cambridge Audio has said there are no plans to make any more, so if the rest of your kit is black you’ll have to weigh up whether the extra £100 is worth it (and quickly).

** Winner: WiiM Ultra **

WiiM Ultra vs Cambridge Audio MXN10: streaming features

Obviously having the full complement of streaming features is paramount for a network audio player.

Both MXN10 and Ultra offer wi-fi and wired ethernet connectivity to your home network. There's also support for Bluetooth and Google Chromecast, although the WiiM Ultra misses out on AirPlay support. That will be a blow to iOS and Apple Music subscribers, so this alone is likely to be a dealbreaker for many when choosing between these two models.

In terms of high-resolution compatibility, both units are able to play hi-res tracks, but there are some small differences in the maximum file resolution they can play natively. The WiiM Ultra is equipped with a 32-bit/384kHz ES9038 Q2M Sabre DAC, and it can natively play up to 24-bit/192kHz PCM files. That covers pretty much all hi-res files available to download, so it should be more than enough for those with a large digital music collection.

The Cambridge MXN10 uses an ESS Sabre ES9033Q DAC and it goes a little further in supporting up to 32-bit/768kHz PCM, and it can also natively play DSD files (up to DSD512 resolution). Essentially, both streamers will be able to cope with pretty much any hi-res digital file you’re likely to throw at them.

And if it doesn't make your decision-making any harder, both units support multi-room audio, are Roon Ready and are able to play stored music files from a network storage device or connected laptop on the same network.

The major music streaming services such as Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Qobuz and Deezer are supported on both, as is internet radio. You can handily choose which services are prominent on your StreamMagic app homepage, and pin specific stations or playlists in the app. And as mentioned before, you can do the very same on the WiiM Ultra, but save your go-to favourites as presets that you can select directly from the unit's screen.

Speaking of the control apps, both are among the better ones we've used with music streamers. WiiM’s Home app is well laid out, accessible and intuitive to use even for hi-fi newbies, while Cambridge Audio’s StreamMagic app is a good example for any hi-fi brand to follow. The WiiM Ultra also comes with a voice-enabled remote control in the box. Both are easy to set up with their respective apps, too.

It's fairly neck and neck between the two, but the lack of AirPlay on the WiiM Ultra is a big omission. Cambridge Audio MXN10's extensive streaming features and handling of even higher-res tracks make it the preferred choice here for pure streaming ability.

** Winner: Cambridge Audio MXN10 **

WiiM Ultra vs Cambridge Audio MXN10: connectivity

Where the Cambridge Audio MXN10 and WiiM Ultra start to diverge is with the spread of connectivity included.

The MXN10 is a straightforward music streamer, offering coaxial and optical digital outputs, a pair of RCA line level outputs, and a USB type A input. This covers the basic elements you'd normally expect from a budget streamer.

The WiiM Ultra aims to be more than just a streamer, with more features thrown in to create a one-stop music hub for your system. For starters, it has an HDMI ARC input – an increasingly popular demand from customers who want to connect their hi-fi to their TV more easily. (In fairness, newer Cambridge Audio models now include an HDMI connection, so here's hoping the next iteration of the MXN10 will feature this input.)

The Ultra also sports a moving magnet phono stage for incorporating a turntable easily into your system, and there is a 3.5mm headphone socket on the front. You get the same amount of optical, coax and RCA outputs as the MXN10, but the Ultra provides an additional optical input.

The amount of features and connectivity thrown in for the Ultra's price and compact size will clearly have huge appeal. While its talents as a network streamer may not be as exhaustive as the MXN10, the additional inputs and headphone stage here will give plenty for prospective buyers to think about.

** Winner: WiiM Ultra **

WiiM Ultra vs Cambridge Audio MXN10: sound quality

Cambridge Audio might have more long-standing pedigree in the hi-fi world than WiiM, but the Ultra continues an impressive run of releases for a company that’s relatively new on the scene.

In our five-star review of the Ultra, we praised its “mature and engaging performance” that offers a clear step up in audio quality compared to its cheaper, Award-winning WiiM Pro Plus. It's a crisp, clean, easy-going presentation regardless of what source you use, but the Ultra offers a good dose of solidity, muscle and clarity with all kinds of music.

We said in our review: "We play Doechii’s Alligator Bites Never Heal album over Tidal and her fierce yet playful tone comes through with crispness and clarity through the Ultra. There’s agility and decent snap behind the driving rhythm, while her distinct, crystal clear vocals come through with ample attitude and detail on Denial Is A River. Play Billie Eilish’s Blue, and we find the Ultra treads a fine balancing act, with neither end of the frequency sticking out unduly or sounding smoothed off.

There’s enough space and bite at the top end without getting too shrill or splashy; while basslines on Massive Attack’s Paradise Circus have a decent amount of punch and solidity."

But what about in comparison to the Award-winning MXN10?

This is where Cambridge Audio’s experience shows, with the MXN10 delivering “an extra level of textural depth and subtlety to detail” and “greater dynamic scope and rhythmic precision” than the Ultra. It’s the all-round performance of it that’s so impressive, keeping us entertained with everything from Max Richter to Wu-Tang Clan.

We said in our original review: "We like that the Cambridge remains composed when the music becomes demanding, and the way it renders the tone and texture of instruments in such a convincing way. There is a good sense of scale here combined with a surprising dose of authority."

The way it delivers the energy, punch and momentum of a track is hugely enjoyable and captivating. The layers of subtle detail and harmonies around a piano note are delivered with nuance and richness; it sounds musical and entertaining.

It’s important to point out, though, that we never felt shortchanged by the WiiM’s performance. It’s nimble, balanced and likeable, but just lacking a little in terms of texture and rhythmic propulsion compared with the Cambridge rival.

There are a few more elements to the Ultra's sound quality. The WiiM's headphone stage is of a good quality, retaining the same sonic characteristics but with a touch of added richness when we plug in a pair of Beyerdynamic Amiron wired headphones.

Its phono stage is decent but not its strength by far. We connect the Rega Planar 3 RS Edition turntable during testing and it loses clarity and dynamic breadth, opting for a mid-forward balance. Having the phono stage option is nice, but we think going for a dedicated phono preamp or choosing an amplifier with a good phono stage is the way forward if you want the best from a turntable.

** Winner: Cambridge Audio MXN10 **

WiiM Ultra vs Cambridge Audio MXN10: verdict

The WiiM Ultra has plenty of appeal thanks to its touchscreen-enabled modern design and more features than we'd expect from a standard affordable music streamer. It's a talented, multi-faceted unit and its clear, balanced, likeable sound quality will reward many fans. We highly recommend it.

The Cambridge Audio MXN10, however, is the more complete streamer when it comes to its wireless talents, and triumphs in the area that matters the most: sound quality.

What that means to a prospective buyer who’s torn between the two is that both will make great purchases, but the MXN10 remains our top choice if sound quality is your main priority. For this affordable price, the little MXN10 delivers a big performance that still excels and impresses us to this day.

MORE:

Read our full WiiM Ultra review

And our Cambridge Audio MXN10 review

Best music streamers: top network audio players tested by our experts