Comfort has change into a way more acceptable idea in hi-fi nowadays. Now not shorthand for compromise, its significance for contemporary listeners has as an alternative impressed complete strains of merchandise — and the spectacular Cambridge Audio Evo vary is among the most spectacular amongst them.
Initially made up of a few just-add-speakers streaming amplifiers and an all-in-one participant, the road up has provided an amazing resolution for anybody seeking to simplify their setup since its launch 5 years in the past.
Final 12 months, Cambridge retired the lesser powered of the 2 streaming amps — the Evo 75 — leaving the reconfigured Evo 150 SE and the also-includes-speaker Cambridge Evo One holding the fort on their very own… till now.
Cambridge lately unveiled the Evo 300, a model new range-topping stereo streaming amp, promising to be twice as {powerful} and, the model says, a “actual step up” from final 12 months’s Evo 150 SE in “just about each approach”. I obtained to listen to it at this 12 months’s Excessive Finish Vienna hi-fi present, and we deemed it ok to win considered one of TechRadar’s Excessive Finish Vienna Finest in Present awards.
As a lot as I really like the enjoyable of system matching with hi-fi separates, it may be costly and time consuming, so there’s quite a bit to be mentioned for a the simplicity of a streaming amp — significantly one that’s claiming a hefty output of 300 watts per channel of Class D amplification, all wrapped up in a critically trendy design.
You even get to select from interchangeable aspect panels for the Evo 300’s black aluminum physique, with the choice of a conventional real-wood end or a extra trendy black slatted look. I’m a fan of the wooden look myself.
The Evo 300 is sort of a barely stretched out model of the Evo 150 SE, measuring simply a few inches wider. This implies it additionally options the model’s largest display at 7.8 inches, which is an OLED that looks as bright and crisp as ever. This shows any changes to volume and input as they happen, but also displays album artwork or a choice of digital VU meters, if you prefer.
The same incredibly tactile dual-concentric control dial from the 150 SE sits along the front panel, for adjusting volume and choosing input, plus there’s a front-mounted 6.35mm headphone output and a handful of playback controls just to the right of the display.
While Cambridge told me that it’s managed to squeeze even more power from the same Hypex NCOREx amplification modules as the 150 SE, the company’s flagship streaming amp has had a DAC upgrade, with the improved 32-bit ESS Sabre ES9038Q2M now on board to support playback of just about any Hi-Res Audio you can throw at it.
It also now features a dual-mono layout under the hood, for maximum channel separation, and improved stereo imaging, alongside a balanced pre-amplifier stage. Plus there’s now the addition of HDMI eARC for the most up-to-date connection for your TV, and flexibility with independent volume and subwoofer controls.
These join the things we loved from the 150 SE, such as dual speaker outputs, optical, RCA and balanced XLR inputs, and a moving magnet phono stage for hooking up a turntable.
Comprehensive streaming support is of course offered via Cambridge Audio’s excellent StreamMagic platform, which includes Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect and Qobuz Connect, plus you can use AirPlay 2, Google Cast, and Bluetooth 5.4. It’s also Roon Ready for multiroom support with other Roon-compatible devices.
All of this points to a seriously capable centrepiece in a serious hi-fi system — particularly considering the much more powerful speakers it can now be paired with.
I got to listen to the Evo 300 hooked up to a pair of Dynaudio Contour Legacy floorstanders — which really aren’t messing around at $14,000 / £10,000 / AU$20,000 per pair. But the Evo 300 takes them in its stride, with a confident, full-bodied presentation, and volume to spare.
From a brief first listen, it’s easy for the power and scale that this relatively compact single box is capable of to be the main takeaway. Streaming from Spotify Lossless, the Evo 300 delivers an incredibly expansive and spacious sound, with a solid stereo image and good separation.
But the level of insight, clarity and detail retrieval also feels notable here. Combined with Cambridge’s reputation for musicality and what appears to be a more refined tonal balance — even at high volume levels — it all means that, on first impressions, the Evo 300 certainly sounds to be the substantial step up it is promising to be.
Of course, trade show demos offer far from perfect conditions for a truly critical appraisal of sound, so I’m very much looking forward to seeing how it performs in the real world.
The Cambridge Evo 300 is very much priced for its capabilities though, so at $3,999 / £3,499 / AU$6,399, you’re going to want to make sure your space or gear can really make use of these beefier specs before you invest.
If not, the Cambridge 150 SE remains a great option for just-add-speakers convenience, and at almost half the price in the UK and Australia (£1,999 / $3,299 / AU$3,849). In the US, the price is bizarrely close between the two models, though the Evo 150 SE often falls to $2,699.
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