We’re surprised Cambridge Audio managed to find the time to build the AXA35 stereo amplifier. After all, it’s been a busy 12 months for the British hi-fi brand – first we saw the launch of its high-end Edge range of separates, with its fantastic Edge NQ streaming preamp, then there was the Alva TT turntable, a premium Bluetooth deck with plenty going for it.
More recently, Cambridge Audio made a big splash with its first pair of true wireless headphones, the five-star Melomania 1, and yet it has still found time to launch a new entry-level range of hi-fi separates, the AX series, consisting of two CD players, two stereo amplifiers and two network receivers, all under £500. We're getting to know the range with this, the Cambridge Audio AXA35.
Build
The Cambridge Audio AXA35 is a 35W per channel stereo amplifier, positioned at the budget end of the market. 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.
At just over 8cm tall, you’re confronted by quite a slender hi-fi separate. This, combined with a minimalist front panel, makes a rival amp such as the Marantz PM6006 UK Edition 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.
Features
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 6.35mm 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 only be adjusted 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 remote 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.
