Cambridge Audio AXA25-25 Watt Separate Integrated Stereo Amplifier HiFi System Featuring Tone and Balance Control with Front Aux Input - Lunar Grey

Product Information

I gave it an all-around listen − Neil Young’s Cortez the Killer via Spotify, on a smartphone, through the 3.5mm input, sounds confident, straight-edged (as much as Neil Young can ever sound all that disciplined) and there’s plenty of detail revealed about the condition of both Young’s larynx and the state of his guitar strings. The low-level dynamics are handled well, and there’s well-controlled impact to the drumkit. Yet another top class budget standmount from Q Acoustics. It delivers a fabulous sound for the money." 'What Hi-Fi? Sound & Vision magazine'. 5-star review. At 360mm wide and taking up not much more space than an LP’s footprint, this Denon turntable fits where others don’t. The smart silver design stands out from the crowd but uses a matte finish for practicality. Easy to use, compact and stylish, the Denon DP-29F turntable makes it simple to get the best from your vinyl.

As the model numbers suggest, the AXA35 is more powerful than its junior counterpart, delivering 35Wpc into 8 ohms rather than 25Wpc. While those figures may seem low, they’re more than adequate to drive most speakers likely to be used with amps at this price to serious levels in all but the largest rooms. Keep things sensible, with standmount or even floorstanding models of reasonable sensitivity, and you won’t go far wrong. Placing its tweeter right at the top of the speaker and fitting it within a curved baffle helps enhance the speakers’ sound staging. This means you get a bright, open sound that effortlessly unfurls between the speakers. The Titanium tweeter unit also provides pin-sharp detail while remaining smooth and easy on the ear – the ideal balance. These tips should help you bring down your insurance price as much as possible. We know that it can be frustrating that you have to pay more because of your age. However, by driving safely and building up your NCD, you should hopefully start to see your price come down over time. Time to get on the road A young driver is typically someone aged 17-25. So, even if you passed your driving test at 17, and you’ve been driving for 5 years, you’d still fall under this category. Skilfully engineered, the Cambridge Audio AXC25 puts the emphasis firmly on sound quality. Features such as separate power and output circuit boards and a centrally mounted CD transport help reduce distortion and maximise the potential of the high quality Wolfson DAC (Digital to Analogue Convertor). Features are basic but the sound is certainly a step above its rivals.For ease of use, the DP-29F is a fully automatic design. Simply select the size of the record and the tonearm starts at just the right place. It also features auto-return, so you don't need to worry about damaging the stylus at the end of the record. You can drive a 4Ω load with the AXA35, and you’ll get just shy of 60W per channel before clipping starts to occur. Expect about 50W into a 4Ω load at more reasonable distortion levels. I didn’t test this extensively as blowing up the review sample is generally frowned upon, accidentally or otherwise. Pressing the power button brings the amp out of standby and, after a few seconds, the speakers are connected with the clunk of a substantial relay. I was surprised to learn that, just like the AM10, the AXA35 doesn’t remember the previous volume setting when the power is cycled. It does remember the settings for balance, bass and treble, so this is a daft omission on Cambridge’s part.

The built-in phono stage means that you don't even need to use an amplifier or system with a dedicated turntable input - any system with an AUX input in will do. If you do have an amp with a phonostage built-in, however, you can turn off the Denon’s, making it completely flexible with compatible amps. Inside the AXA25 you’ll find quality components and short signal paths for the best sound quality in its class. Careful circuit design reduces the signal path, giving higher purity sound and less distortion. Other quality engineering components include a high-spec heat sink that is die-cast rather than pressed steel and a damped power supply – reducing the chance of annoying transformer hum and buzz. Sadly, “reasonably robust” doesn’t apply to the remote control handset. It feels like a repurposed DVD wand, and the gaps where unnecessary buttons have been blanked over are obvious to the touch. It’s a bit like buying the lowest-spec car in the range and seeing all the empty areas in it where the more expensive versions have buttons. The -35 models have an impressive solidity, from their styling and build to the way the controls operate The output signal from a turntable is very quiet, and needs additional amplification before it’s able to be put into an amplifier. This boost is handled by what’s called a phono stage.If you’ve recently passed your driving test, congratulations. We’re sure you’re already eyeing up your first car. But before you’re ready to hit the road, you’ll need to think about car insurance, it is a legal requirement after all. 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.

With revised cabinet bracing, the distinctive Q Acoustics cabinets have been made even better. With reduced cabinet resonance, the sound becomes less coloured and truer to how it sounded in the studio/concert venue. Uprated audiophile grade crossover components improve the transparency of sound still further. It should be noted though that abusing the tone controls to get more bass out of a low-powered system is not always a good idea. It’s nothing to do with some snobbish view that “it’s not how hi-fi should be heard” blah blah, but because with a 35W amp excessive use of the tone controls at high volume will cause the amp to clip sooner. Clipping, a flattening of the peaks in the audio waveform, is more often than not the cause of blown speakers, not excessive power. Thus you’re more likely to damage your speakers with this amp if you turn the bass to max and crank up the volume than you will if you leave the tone controls flat.By the standards of a long-in-the-tooth concept like an affordable stereo amplifier, the AXA35 is quite a good looker: the smoky grey finish is pretty sophisticated (to my eyes at least − no one ever accused me of being a slave to fashion). It’s not all that bulky and is visually quite arresting thanks to the minimalist selection of fascia controls and equally minimalist display.