Cambridge Audio AXA35 35 Watt 2-Channel Integrated Stereo Amplifier | Built-in Phono-Stage | .25 Inch Jack, 3.5mm Aux

For the right type of setup- this amplifier is staggeringly good. I have directly compared it to the NAD 3020 (the Cambridge sounds like it makes MUCH more power despite the identical rating) and the Denon PM6000 (the Denon absolutely plays louder- like WAY louder- but sounds restricted in the music it reproduces compared to the Cambridge which sounds open, full range, punchier in the bass, and effortless.) I have this amp in my bedroom running some Paradigm Reference Q100b’s with inputs supplied by an Arylic S50 Pro+. Obviously at this price point Cambridge made a pretty big concession- no digital inputs at all. That said- an Arylic S50 is $220 and gives you streaming and plenty of digital inputs along with a pretty decent DAC- so the 2 pieces together cost $70 more than the Denon. The combination sounds WAY BETTER than $70 more- the bass is far more detailed and tight, the highs are crisp without being fatiguing, and vocals are incredibly clear. I can’t speak to the long term durability as I have only had it for a couple days- but I’ve never had a stereo component outright fail on me before and as solid as this one feels I doubt it will be my first. The volume knob feels great, the display is nice- but not really legible from across the room. The remote is unremarkable but successfully makes the amp louder or quieter on command so it’s hard to complain. The sound from the NAD 3020 is better than the Denon- but it’s not neutral- it sounds fatter to my ears- richer and detailed, but lacks punch compared to the other two. That said- the NAD is a really good all-in-one type solution for a simple system as it has digital inputs and a subwoofer out. It’s FAR smaller than these other 2, plays well, but you have to crank the volume way up compared to the other 2 amps. So to sum up, the Cambridge is the best amp of the bunch, and the cheapest to purchase. The build quality is definitely NOT cheap though. It looks and sounds spectacular. My second choice would be the NAD, for its size and flexibility- though if you want to play music loud- you’ll want to look elsewhere. The Denon is a great amp, has digital connections and Bluetooth. It’s let down by a soundstage that never extends beyond the width of the speakers and feels like it’s centered well behind them. It is a monster on the power front- I can’t imagine anyone turning it up past 50% in a very large room- but because the soundstage is what it is, despite the extra volume it never sounds like it ever comes “alive”. Maybe it’s a bad pairing with my Paradigms, but I’ve heard these speakers with a similarly powered Marantz and they sounded better there. For $350 if there is a better stereo amplifier out there- I’ve not seen or heard it. To add the digital streaming/connectivity to bring it on par with the other 2 makes the price the same, but provides superior sound quality, and flexibility. An outstanding choice.

-This Cambridge AXA35 amp was purchased to replace a dying vintage Rega Brio in a cheap-n-cheery secondary CD/stream- based bedroom system.-My primary vinyl prioritized sound system is relatively sophisticated with a total value around $50K.Amazingly, the little Cambridge holds up surprisingly well-Obviously it lacks the last degree of ambience ,detail and transparency but it's timing , separation of instrumental lines and rhythmic drive are impressive.-The presentation leans toward warmth and with a more forward, upfront directness. Staging is deep, clearly focused but not broad. There tends to be a slight softness to note shaping/attack at both frequency extremes but they are of the forgiving kind rather than irritating or disappointing .-Simply put, this amp plays MUSIC and plays it well. If you're looking to recreate a 3 dimensional concert hall venue or play at stadium rock sound levels, it falls short-If it's singing along ,shedding a tear, air guitar or dancing you're after, this little Cambridge can do it and do it for far less than one would expect.-I've heard many systems and components at many times this price that could resolve all sorts of detail and/or produce startling soundstages and not be able to play a tune as well as the AXA35.-Looking thru the casing vents shows an impressively large toroid for this class of equipment with clean circuit board layouts. The designers appear to have put their resources into the components responsible for the greatest musical benefits for the money and cut back on the things that don't. The only place where I feel they went a bit too far are the speaker binding posts.

This is an analog-only design without built-in Bluetooth or DAC. The payoff is analog performance competitive well above its price point. It's rated at 35 watts per channel into 8 ohms. I'm driving a pair of Polk Monitor 60 towers with ease, enough ummph to blow my neighbors out of the building if I was at all prone to do that. I have a Focusrite Scarlett USB interface box to provide line-level input to the amp from a mini Windows box I use as a media server. The first thing I noticed is I could trim down the line output of the Scarlett into its sweet spot, whereas I had to bury the control in order adequately to drive the input of the old receiver I previously was using. So I definitely have a good match there. I also have the Cambridge CD player, a Samsung TV, an old tape deck, and my vintage turntable attached to the other inputs. If I want to use the phone through Bluetooth, I just plug a small receiver into the "Aux" connector on the front panel, to which the amp automatically switches over on input A1. The sound: I'm no golden ear, but I find the sound warm, rich, and spacious compared to the old receiver. It's very satisfying, especially at quite low volume. The AXA35 is able to reveal detail in a sublime chamber music performance and favorite quiet passages like the adagio of the middle movement of Rachmaninov's 2nd piano concerto. I'm impressed! A word about the AXA35 phono stage: My venerable Stanton 500e cartridge on my classic 1970s Fisher turntable never sounded better. SO, if you want a very decent analog integrated amp for both your older and newer source equipment that is in the value price range, you'd be hard pressed to do better than the AXA35.