Cambridge Audio has launched a sequel to its Award-winning CXA81 stereo amplifier. The new Cambridge Audio CXA81 Mk II, as it is called, may not be an entire redesign or reimagining, keeping to the exact same dimensions and minimal aesthetic as its predecessor, just as the recently launched Cambridge Audio CXN100 music streamer stuck to the same design as the preceding, multi-Award-winning CXN (V2).
It's with the internal circuitry that Cambridge Audio has focused the core of the CXA81 Mk II's updates. There's a new DAC chip (an ESS ES9018K2M SABRE32) which handles up to 32-bit/384kHz and DSD256 files and aims to deliver "outstanding sonic resolution" from digital sources. There are new premium components used in the amplification circuitry and the sound has been "re-tuned and greatly refined" by the brand's London-based engineers.
