Thinking about buying a Cambridge CXN (V2) streamer, opinions?

[STV]

With my 2 channel ML system slowly coming together, I’m currently deciding what components to add.

With my Scenario stat panels still many months from being ready to ship to me, I already know I’m getting the Anthem MCA 225 Gen 2 2 channel amp. l will be using my Sunfire TGIII preamp, but need to decide on a high quality (and good sounding) streamer.

I’ve got my eye on the Cambridge CXN (V2) , but I have no experience with Cambridge Audio products. Are they any good? Is this a quality streamer? If I use the streamers internal DAC’s, what is the sonic signature like?

Thanks

 

[Robert D]

I just bought my first nice streamer. Prior to this I was using a Sonos. The Lumin D2 is what I ended up getting from Upscale Audio. Ive only had it for about 1 week now, but can say it sounds incredible to me. Very realistic and much better sound stage than the Sonos. The bass drums sound incredible now. I guess comparing it to a Sonos isnt very fair,lol. Just something you might take a look at. I also got the power supply upgrade with it. The S booster. They even install it for you, so less hassle. Shipping went great and it was fast. Im using Tidal now, and it plays their MQA files. Not sure if the Cambridge does. Wish I could offer advice on the Cambridge. I was looking at it too but settled on the Lumin.

Lumin D2 Network Music Player – Upscale Audio

LUMIN D2 (luminmusic.com)

 

[Lurch]

Cambridge do some very good kit at fair prices, I would however forget the CXN and go for the much newer 851N, its very good at its price point. Another option that is great vfm with a superb App/interface is the BlueSound Node, its very flexible and sounds good on its own but the SQ can be scaled up with the addition of an External DAC (I use a Black Ice Glass fx DSD) further enhancement is available fitting the power supply mode and an external LPS.

 

[STV]

I just bought my first nice streamer. Prior to this I was using a Sonos. The Lumin D2 is what I ended up getting from Upscale Audio. Ive only had it for about 1 week now, but can say it sounds incredible to me. Very realistic and much better sound stage than the Sonos. The bass drums sound incredible now. I guess comparing it to a Sonos isnt very fair,lol. Just something you might take a look at. I also got the power supply upgrade with it. The S booster. They even install it for you, so less hassle. Shipping went great and it was fast. Im using Tidal now, and it plays their MQA files. Not sure if the Cambridge does. Wish I could offer advice on the Cambridge. I was looking at it too but settled on the Lumin.

Lumin D2 Network Music Player – Upscale Audio

LUMIN D2 (luminmusic.com)

The Lumin D2 looks like an amazing streamer. Quite a bit more than I was wanting to spend, but does pretty much everything I’d need or want in a streamer.

Now if I was going to pay that much for a streamer, for $300 more there’s the Rose HiFi RS250. Not quite to the level of their flagship RS150B, but very nice nonetheless. But $2,500 is still very pricey.

Thanks for the input, and glad to hear that you’re enjoying the Lumin D2.

 

[STV]

Cambridge do some very good kit at fair prices, I would however forget the CXN and go for the much newer 851N, its very good at its price point. Another option that is great vfm with a superb App/interface is the BlueSound Node, its very flexible and sounds good on its own but the SQ can be scaled up with the addition of an External DAC (I use a Black Ice Glass fx DSD) further enhancement is available fitting the power supply mode and an external LPS.

The Bluesound Node has gotten some glowing reviews. It looks to be an awesome unit. I just wish it had a front display. Not a need but something I would like. Definitely something I’ll keep on my short list.

Thanks!

 

[STV]

Any thoughts on the Marantz ND8006 CD player/music streamer? This made in Japan unit has gotten a lot of praise from reviewers and owners alike. It’s really gotten my interest. Bummer that it doesn’t have a color screen for cover art though.

I own a quite a few Marantz products and find them to be quite reliable and of high quality.

 

[wink]

Went down this road for two years. Started with looking at Cambridge Audio 851N priced at $1500…two years later, bought the Rose RS150B for $5000, way, way more than I ever dreamed of spending on a streamer/DAC. As I compared and contrasted a ton of other streamers, the Rose bested all and gave me everything (sound quality, rendering capabilities, ergonomics) I was looking for in one place… oh well. Good luck on your journey!
I have heard and read really good things about the CXN,a very good entry level streamer.

 

[Stefan_DR3]

The CXN V2 is the newer model. I have its predecessor and it is very good, with a "musical" sounding Wolfson DAC. They just keep adding more features and have not changed the British award winning sound in many years.

I used to have the 851N which is a better digital preamp with top build quality. As a DAC it sounds "better" in an audiophile way but it was overkill since I also have an analog preamp (as you do).

Bluesound Nodes and the like are cool but you are glued to the app (no conventional human interface).

So my advice, if you just want to add a streamer with a nice display that can operate without an app, get the CXN V2. If you want to go all digital then get the 851N and kill two boxes, but it may be discontinued already.

 

[STV]

Went down this road for two years. Started with looking at Cambridge Audio 851N priced at $1500…two years later, bought the Rose RS150B for $5000, way, way more than I ever dreamed of spending on a streamer/DAC. As I compared and contrasted a ton of other streamers, the Rose bested all and gave me everything (sound quality, rendering capabilities, ergonomics) I was looking for in one place… oh well. Good luck on your journey!
I have heard and read really good things about the CXN,a very good entry level streamer.

Sorry for the late reply.

I’m really torn between buying a Cambridge CXN (V2) or buying a HiFi Rose RS250. The RS250 is a much higher end product, and its price tag reflects that. But HiFi Rose is a newer company and it’s streaming products have not really been out there for a long time.

Also the Cambridge has a 3 year warranty while the HiFi Rose only has a 1 year warranty. Even the comparably priced Lumin D2 has a 2 year warranty. What happens if say right after the year warranty is over and my HiFi Rose gets bricked for some reason? To bad they don’t have a longer warranty period on such an expensive product.

Not saying I won’t buy the HiFi Rose, but right now I’m leaning towards the Cambridge.

 

[STV]

The CXN V2 is the newer model. I have its predecessor and it is very good, with a "musical" sounding Wolfson DAC. They just keep adding more features and have not changed the British award winning sound in many years.

I used to have the 851N which is a better digital preamp with top build quality. As a DAC it sounds "better" in an audiophile way but it was overkill since I also have an analog preamp (as you do).

Bluesound Nodes and the like are cool but you are glued to the app (no conventional human interface).

So my advice, if you just want to add a streamer with a nice display that can operate without an app, get the CXN V2. If you want to go all digital then get the 851N and kill two boxes, but it may be discontinued already.

Thanks for your helpful reply. I’m really leaning towards the CXN V2. Price is not overblown (although some places are now selling it for $1,300 like Crutchfield), and it checks most of the boxes of things I want in a streamer. Plus it has a 3 year warranty, which is nice.

 

[STV]

Just curious, is anyone here familiar with Atoll Electronique? I saw a music streamer from them that I really like. It’s the MS120. Looks like a really nice product.

Any thoughts on this music streamer?

 

[STV]

After a LOT of research into various music streamers (Cambridge, Lumin, HiFi Rose, Marantz etc.) I think I found the right one for me. I mentioned in my previous post about the entry model streamer from Atoll (MS120), a full featured compact unit.

But after looking at the step up models I really liked their ST200 Signature. This one is said to be on the level of the Lumin D2 (possibly edge it out), and has native support for not only Qobuz and Tidal, but Deezer as well. And is currently getting native support for Amazon Music.

I love the beautiful touch screen on the HiFi Rose RS250, but this units specs are better. The RS250 has an output impedance of 100 ohms, the Atoll ST200 Signature is 22 ohms. From what I’ve read, the lower the number the better. I don’t know if it’s audible but it’s nice knowing that it’s that low. I think the Lumin may be even lower, but not sure by how much.

I also like that the Atoll comes with a full featured remote. With the Lumin you need to use your smartphone. A dedicated remote is available to buy, but $250 is a tad expensive.

What do you guys think?

 

[amey01]

What do you guys think?

Well, it looks nice

The biggest red flag for me is the apparent lack of USB output, meaning you are limited to the crappy 1970s era SPDIF and its 24/192 limit. Not a problem if you are buying this solely for Qobuz/Tidal or whatever (or solely for its analogue output, and you're not going to ever want to upgrade this) - but it might be a limitation for you one day.

 

[STV]

Well, it looks nice

The biggest red flag for me is the apparent lack of USB output, meaning you are limited to the crappy 1970s era SPDIF and its 24/192 limit. Not a problem if you are buying this solely for Qobuz/Tidal or whatever (or solely for its analogue output, and you're not going to ever want to upgrade this) - but it might be a limitation for you one day.

The Lumin D2 also only has 2 USB inputs and no outs as far as I know. And it’s a very highly regarded unit.

 

[STV]

Well, it looks nice

The biggest red flag for me is the apparent lack of USB output, meaning you are limited to the crappy 1970s era SPDIF and its 24/192 limit. Not a problem if you are buying this solely for Qobuz/Tidal or whatever (or solely for its analogue output, and you're not going to ever want to upgrade this) - but it might be a limitation for you one day.

I will only be using the analog outs, and have no need for USB outs. So I think this streamer should do and have all I need and want.
Also just found a killer deal on a demo unit at $450 off of retail.

So I’m pretty sure I’m going to buy it.

 

[Necrosuit]

I have the CXNV2, even though it has the lower bit rates it does sound killer on my system. For the price and what it does its a no brainer. Of course there is always better at a premium. Go for it, you wont hate it.

 

[Narcosis]

I'm just delving into the streaming arena, the first devices is a Raspberry Pi 4 Model B (purchased via Canakit.com) running Volumio, and a Hifiberry "DAC+ ADC". So far so good, with a cash outlay of under $200. This can be taken with a grain of salt, as I've no other streaming devices to compare it to.

 

[Brandon Hartwick]

How do you guys find dedicated streamers stack up compared to a PC going through a DAC? I don't see myself moving away from vinyl but I'm curious nonetheless.

 

[Necrosuit]

How do you guys find dedicated streamers stack up compared to a PC going through a DAC? I don't see myself moving away from vinyl but I'm curious nonetheless.

My Buddy uses PC / DAC setup and loves it, I personally wouldn't use a PC but there are a lot of options. I too have Vinyl for life but this Cambridge streamer really has a nice sound and detail of course going through my Amp and system but I recommend it.

 

[Brandon Hartwick]

My Buddy uses PC / DAC setup and loves it, I personally wouldn't use a PC but there are a lot of options. I too have Vinyl for life but this Cambridge streamer really has a nice sound and detail of course going through my Amp and system but I recommend it.

Cool! I've honestly done zero research into what goes into a "proper" streaming setup to get good results. It is interesting though and I like how convenient it is, but unfortunately Spotify sounds like **** and I can't see myself paying for another service.