Cambridge Audio AXA35

Kicking us off with quite some style and exuberance at the budget end of proceedings is this lovable 35W-per-channel machine from Cambridge Audio. Out of the box, it looks understated and reasonably elegant for an affordable amp. The dark grey finish that Cambridge has adopted for many of its recent products looks stylish and helps add a sense of purpose.

It’s just over 8cm tall, so you’re confronted by quite a slender hi-fi separate. This appearance, combined with a minimalist front panel, makes a rival amp such as the Marantz PM6007 look fussy and messy in comparison.

From the front, it looks as though the AXA35 is floating. It’s an effective illusion created by a thin plastic wedge running under the front edge, which lifts up the chassis and is set back just enough to blend into its own shadow.

The dot-matrix display in the middle of the amp is bright and easy to read head-on, but because it appears to be set back quite far from the front panel, you don’t always get a clear view if you’re looking at it from a more acute angle.

On the facia

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.

There are balance and tone controls, but these are tucked away in the amp’s menu system. Strangely, both bass and treble can be adjusted only in steps of two, although we doubt you’ll have much reason to use them.

If you happen to 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 point, but the lack of the former is a little disappointing.

The handset that comes with the Cambridge Audio looks like a DVD player remote, minus a few buttons. It’s a bit messy and you can even feel through the top surface where the holes are for the missing buttons. It’s perfectly functional, though its ability to communicate with the amp does seem to suffer off-axis.

Vote of confidence

The first thing that strikes you about the Cambridge Audio 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 AXA35 delivers them all in a precise and assured manner.

There’s a real 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 does a commendable job of controlling them.

The AXA35’S dynamic skills come to the forefront when conveying the drama of the track. The dynamic swell of each wave of drums surges through like a powerful riptide. It’s a spirited sound, but by no means aggressive. There’s no harshness or brightness, nor is the amp’s sound obviously coloured 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 does the piano, percussion and pointy bassline. All the elements sound clear, yet closely knit.

We experiment with both the amp’s phono stage and its headphone output and we’re pleased to report the sound stays consistent, with the same bold character traits shining through.

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

Filling the void

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 providing such musicality and all-round appeal with the AXA35.

A Marantz PM6007 will get you greater subtlety and refinement and it can also be partnered with more expensive speakers – perhaps not surprising considering it is a little more expensive. Having said that, the AXA35 arguably sounds more forthright and has a more neutral tonal balance, doing more than enough to justify a five-star rating at this price point.