The Cambridge Audio CXA81 was one of our favourite stereo amplifiers for years – a four-time What Hi-Fi? Award-winner, five-star sound that married subtlety with powerful dynamics, and furnished with ample connections and a sleek design.
This model has been replaced by a newer, updated CXA81 MkII, but there's still some life left in the last-gen model – especially as it's now on a massive discount of just £699 at Richer Sounds, Amazon, Cambridge AudioThat's a whole £300 off the original retail price and we couldn't recommend it more if you're after a hugely capable and entertaining amplifier for your system. We are fully expecting stock of the good old CXA81 to disappear as the MkII version takes over, so don't wait too long to nab this superb deal.
Best Cambridge Audio CXA81 deal
While there is a newer CXA81 MK II model out on the market, the predecessor remains a stunning buy for its considerable talents. You don't get four Best Buy wins and our prestigious Product of the Year gong without being outstanding value, after all.
Central to our recommendation of the CXA81 is how it performs sonically. As we made clear in our original review, it's an immensely assured performer that seems to grab hold of music and shape it into something great. As we wrote in our review, "confidence is key to the CXA81’s performance, hammering out staccato rhythmic patterns with assured conviction, snapping in time and allowing its expert handling of alternately loud and soft beats to lock in a groove. Above it, a full-bodied and expressive midrange deals out melodies that are given space to soar, yet still sound definitively part of a musical whole".
The CXA81 houses a ESS Sabre ES9016K2M DAC and improved USB input that supports audio of up to 32-bit/384kHz and DSD256, while the amp's coaxial input is capable of handling native files up to 24-bit/192kHz. The Cambridge's pair of optical connections can handle 96kHz, and you get pre-amp and subwoofer outputs as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack and terminals to drive two pairs of speakers. Bluetooth streaming is also available via a built-in aptX HD receiver, but you will need to attach a separate dongle to get fully connected.
We said of the original CXA81 that this is "an amplifier that could last for as long as you wish – probably until you’re ready to spend a fair amount more on a significant upgrade" – and this is a statement that still stands even with newer competition on the market. With the MkII version taking over, don't miss this chance to buy a five-star amp for terrific value in this lowest-price deal.
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