When Cambridge Audio releases a fresh, new-look family of budget-friendly speakers, we naturally take a step back from the excitement surrounding Prime Day to tell you about it.
The British audio outfit (and makers of the Award-winning Melomania 1 wireless headphones) has unveiled no fewer than five new speaker models, marking a thorough update to its affordable SX series.
The new range comprises SX-50 and SX-60 standmount speakers, SX-70 centre speaker, SX-80 floorstanding speakers, and SX-120 subwoofer.
Key features across the range include 25mm silk dome tweeters, a dedicated foam damper behind the tweeter diaphragm, treated paper cones in the mid/bass drivers, carefully optimised woofer magnet systems promising a deep, punchy bass, precisely honed crossovers and new rigid MDF cabinets, modelled using CAD (Computer-Aided Design) to minimise standing waves.
Kicking off with the most affordable standmount, the SX-50 (above) is billed as an "entry-level pair of compact bookshelf speakers that can sit in the tightest and most demanding of spaces and still produce a confident, room-filling sound".
These two-way speakers (a comprehensive update on the SX-50 we reviewed in 2014) are rear-ported, have a 25mm silk dome tweeter and a 13.5cm treated paper cone mid/bass driver.
The SX-60 standmount speakers build on the strengths of the SX-50s (and the SX-60s we reviewed back in 2013) but have a larger footprint than their smaller sibling. Cambride Audio says that the SX-60 can work happily in bigger spaces while still offering considerable flexibility in terms of placement. The SX-60s feature a larger 16.5cm paper cone mid/bass driver, and are front-ported.
The SX-70 centre speaker has been designed to match the SX range both acoustically and aesthetically. Two 10cm mid/bass drivers flank the 25mm silk dome tweeter.
If it really must be a floorstander, the SX-80 (main image) promises the power and presence of one but at a very competitive price-point. The SX-80s are a two-way, rear-ported design with two 16.5cm treated paper cone mid/bass drivers and a 25mm silk dome tweeter.
Cambridge Audio's SX-120 subwoofer (above) features a 70W RMS amplifier that boasts clean and immediate power for the custom 8-inch (20cm) long throw driver. It features individual volume, crossover frequency and phase adjustment for precise set up in your specific room, as well as auto on/off detection that helps conserve power when the subwoofer is not in use.
Cambridge Audio says that the SX-120 is ideally suited to complement other models in the SX speaker range, adding the bass extension to your music and movies.
The Cambridge Audio SX Series speakers are available now from CambridgeAudio.com, and will be available at Richer Sounds and Amazon from October 2020.
Prices are as follows:
SX-50 standmount speakers – £179 ($200, about AU$349)
SX-60 standmount speakers – £229 ($300, about AU$449)
SX-70 centre speakers – £149 ($180, about AU$299)
SX-80 floorstanding speakers – £399 ($600, about AU$899)
SX-120 subwoofer – £199 ($300, about AU$399)
Not bad at all, eh? Of course, we cannot vouch for the sound – yet.
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