Cambridge Audio has just unleashed two beautiful beasts into the just-add-speakers streaming system market. The Evo 75 and Evo 150 are the first of their kind from the British brand, and oh boy don't they look lovely?
Hopefully they sound just as lovely too – not least as they're positioned in the firing line of the multi-Award-winning Naim Uniti Atom and five-star Arcam SA30.
Cambridge is hoping to continue its good run of form with this new product venture, which is naturally based on the company's established StreamMagic streaming platform for playback over – deep breath – DLNA, AirPlay 2, Bluetooth, Chromecast, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Qobuz, aptX HD Bluetooth and internet radio. The new Evo systems are also Roon Ready.
The Evo 75 and Evo 150 are powered by Hypex NCore Class D amplifiers (chosen by Cambridge for their, "clear advantages in clarity, resolution and musicality") and rated at 75 and 150 watts per channel respectively.
The other discrepancy between the two models lies in physical connectivity: both have RCA, optical and coaxial inputs as well as HDMI ARC and 3.5mm headphone sockets, but the Evo 150 expands on that further with an MM phono stage, asynchronous USB and balanced XLR inputs, plus two sets of speaker terminals for running two pairs of speakers. The Evos are determined not to be out-featured.
That walnut wooden panel you see up top is a nod to Cambridge's first-ever product, the 1968-released P40 amplifier, although owners can choose to dress the black anodised aluminium cabinet with black side panels made from Richlite (an innovative new material made primarily from recycled paper) instead. The side panels can also be switched out according to each customer’s taste.
Completing the look is a dual-concentric rotary dial and 6.8in LCD panel that hark back to the company's flagship Edge products.
The Cambridge Audio Evo 75 and Evo 150 will be available from this month, priced £1799 ($2250, AU$3299) and £2249 ($3000, AU$4299) respectively.
A specifically designed Evo CD transport (£799, $950, about AU$1600) and a pair of Evo S speakers (£649, $750, about AU$1300) will join the Evo range later in the year, with further details on those promised nearer the time.
Whether or not the new Cambridge Evo systems have sonic appeal remains to be heard, but one thing's for sure: they have plenty of visual appeal.
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