Cambridge Audio AXA35

Amid a busy 12 months for Cambridge Audio, the company has launched a new entry-level range of hi-fi separates. The AX series comprises two CD players, two stereo amplifiers and two network receivers, all under £500.

The Cambridge Audio AXA35, a 35W per channel stereo amplifier, looks reasonably elegant for a budget amp. The dark grey finish that Cambridge has adopted for many of its products looks stylish and helps add a sense of purpose.

At just over 8cm tall, this is quite a slender hi-fi separate and, combined with a minimalist front panel, it makes rivals, such as the Marantz PM6006 UK Edition look fussy in comparison.

The dot-matrix display is bright and easy to read head-on, but because it appears to be set back from the front panel, you don’t always get a clear view from a more acute angle.

Under the display, there’s a row of four buttons, each corresponding to the relevant analogue input on the rear. A volume dial and menu button are on the right, while a 6.3mm headphone output and 3.5mm auxiliary input sandwich the amp’s infrared receiver on the left. The balance and tone controls are tucked away in the amp’s menu system.

Disappointing omission

If you own a budget turntable, you can take advantage of the amplifier’s built-in moving-magnet phono stage. There’s no Bluetooth connectivity or USB input for the AXA35, though – the absence of the latter is understandable at this price, but no Bluetooth is a little disappointing.

The remote looks like a DVD player handset, minus a few buttons. It looks a bit messy, but is perfectly functional, though its ability to communicate with the amp does seem to suffer off-axis.

The first thing that strikes you about the AXA35 is just how confident it sounds. There’s no wavering over the placement of notes, no blurring of lines. Whether it’s carving out a bassline, delivering the leading edge of a drum thwack or positioning a vocal inside its stereo image, the Cambridge delivers them all in a precise and assured manner.

There’s a sense of power and weight attached to the rolling, rumbling bass notes during Like A Dog Chasing Cars from The Dark Knight soundtrack. Those low notes are tricky to master at the best of times and the Cambridge Audio does a commendable job of controlling them.

A spirited sound

The AXA35’S dynamic skills come to the fore when conveying the drama of the track. The swell of each wave of drums powers through the track like a strong riptide. It’s a spirited sound, but by no means aggressive. There’s no harshness or brightness, nor is the amp’s sound coloured or tainted in any way.

Play Alicia Keys’ Fallin’ and there’s an impressive sense of transparency to the track. Her vocal sounds precise and tightly focused – the Cambridge Audio has no trouble communicating a track’s midrange – as are the piano, percussion and the track’s pointy bass line. All the elements sound clear, yet closely knit.

We experiment with both the amplifier’s phono stage and its headphone output and the sound stays consistent, with the same bold character traits shining through. It’s easy for a manufacturer to take the eye off the ball here, but credit to Cambridge Audio for making sure there’s no sacrifice.

One thing to bear in mind is that the AXA35 doesn’t leave much room for manoeuvre in terms of speakers. We’d have no hesitation partnering a £400/£500 pair of standmounters or floorstanders, but any higher and you’ll expose the amp’s slight lack of bass grip when pushed. During testing, we found the Dali Oberon 1s (£349) to be a great match for the Cambridge Audio, forming a lively and entertaining partnership.

There’s a shortage of high-quality hi-fi electronics at the budget end of the market, so it’s good to see Cambridge Audio produce an amplifier with the musicality and all-round appeal of the AXA35. A Marantz PM6006 UK Edition will get you greater subtlety and refinement and it can also be partnered with more expensive speakers. Currently, it is around £50 more, though this amp did start out life around the £500 mark.

Having said that, the AXA35 arguably sounds clearer and has a more neutral tonal balance, doing more than enough to justify a five-star rating at this price point. It looks and sounds the part, and if this is just a hint of what the rest of the Cambridge Audio’s AX range has to offer, we’re in for a sonic treat.