I believe it's the 21st cent. spin on the classic receiver. Part 2 of my review of the $2999 EVO150
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- Опубліковано 31 тра 2024
- My final take on the Cambridge EVO150 and a look at the Stream Magic software and device interface. I am very impressed with it's sound and ease of use. I think these kinds of products are the future of high performance audio and even at nearly $3K it offers value.
Again, thank you to Ultimae Records in Lyon France. You can find more info here: ultimae.com or on Bandcamp here: ultimae.bandcamp.com
Tidal Playlist of some of the tracks I used to review the EVO150 ttidal.com/browse/playlist/504...
The Tablet I use for control is a pretty generic 10.1 Inch Android 12 Tablet, 6GB RAM 64GB ROM amzn.to/3KswX50
*DISCLOSURE: Some of the links below contain affiliate Amazon links. If you purchase with those links, I do receive a small commission but, it doesn't affect your price or your ability to return something. Thank you for supporting the channel.
Current audio equipment list:
• Cambridge AXR-100 Receiver amzn.to/49Nq4Ft
• Cambridge MXN10 amzn.to/44sBhdL (on loan from Cambridge)
• Cambridge EVO150 amzn.to/3UTJowI (on loan from Cambridge)
• Schiit Bi-Frost Multi-Bit DAC with Unison USB
• Schiit Lokius EQ amzn.to/3Qhuu0x
• Schiit Mani Phono Pre-Amp amzn.to/3JyyCVW
• Geshelli Labs JNOG2 SOCKETED [J2S] DAC (on loan from Geshelli Labs)
• Elac Debut 2.0 F-62 Speakers amzn.to/3Jy6eUc
• Fluance RT-84 turntable. amzn.to/4aMuZrt Upgraded with the Audio Technica AT540ML. amzn.to/4diAyzy
• iFi AC iPurifier amzn.to/3UWb4ko
• All line level cables are from World’s Best Cable. I primarily use Mogami 2964 Wire and Amphenol ACPL connectors. amzn.to/3JWCDE9
• My main streaming source is a small format PC amzn.to/3yhCoAI
• I also use a remote-controlled line level switcher so I can run all my source components through the Schiit Lokius. amzn.to/3w8IZwL
My desktop gear:
• Schiit Magni “Piety” headphone amp
• Schiit Modi Uber 2 DAC
• Ayima A07 amp
• Sennheiser Mass-Drop HD6XX headphones
• Sony MDR-V6 Headphones
Email: oldguyhifi@gmail.com
Tidal Playlists:
• The Fahrenheit Project (ambient electronic music): tidal.com/browse/playlist/69c...
• Electronica for Audiophile: tidal.com/browse/playlist/e29...
• My Classical playlist: tidal.com/browse/playlist/8e5...
• Baroque Weekend: tidal.com/browse/playlist/cfe...
• DJ Ed, a collection of music that is all over the place. tidal.com/browse/playlist/f89...
Spotify:
• Classical Weekend: open.spotify.com/playlist/648...
• 80’s Patio Mix: open.spotify.com/playlist/4RU...
Qobuz playlist:
• "Audiophile Electronica": open.qobuz.com/playlist/20718243
• "Vivaldi": open.qobuz.com/playlist/15233981
My final take on the $2999.00 Cambridge EVO150 and a look at the Stream Magic software and device interface. I am very impressed with it's sound and ease of use. I think these kinds of products are the future of high performance audio.
Again, thank you to Ultimae Records in Lyon France. You can find more info here: ultimae.com or on Bandcamp here: ultimae.bandcamp.com
Tidal Playlist of some of the tracks I used to review the EVO150 ttidal.com/browse/playlist/504...
Never apologize for the "deep dive". That is what I enjoy about all your videos. So informative and educational.
Thank you Jeff.
New subscriber here. Just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy your videos and appreciate your perspective. Thank you!
Mr. Phegley, Thank you for the kind words. I am glad you get something from my incessant ramblings.
Awesome. Hey Cambridge, Ed is going to sell some of these units for you! cut him a deal! 😂
They have already been very good to work with. They allowed a small channel like mine to review one of their flagship units. That's more than I could have hoped for.
We're big Ed fans. We'll make sure he's well looked after!
@@cambridgeaudio Thx so much.
I am here because of the Cheapaudioman. Thank you for giving a deep dive into Stream Magic. Subscribed.
Randy is a good guy and a good friend. Thank you so much. Let me know how I do.
Hey, Ed. Watched you on the Skylabs vid and was impressed with your erudite presentation and the clarity of your views. Your ideas on what you want from hifi echo my own in many ways. And, as you know, audiophiles love to have their own viewpoints validated. We love our little bubbles. But also, I like the fact that you are unafraid to challenge some of the received wisdom which plagues the hifi community, for example that a good system should somehow faithfully reproduce the sound of live music.
I look forward to seeing more.
Jim, Thanks so much for the kind words and return "validation." Yes , we are a strange lot. I just want everyone to have fun and to listen to more music that they enjoy for longer.
Awesome!
Thank you sir.
Great review. It's definitely a good all in one solution. The screen is really cool. And it does look very well built. If I was starting over, it would be on a short list. Looking forward to what the next product review is. As well as you explain things, your channel is going to explode. Between this review and the DAC video, you're hitting it out of the park.
That's so nice of you Jim. Thank you. I have a couple things in house and more on the way. I think next I may do a music playlist video about the electronic music I listen frequently. Then some amps and a DAC or 2.
Hi Ed. I enjoyed watching your review of the Cambridge streamer/amp combo. Impressive. Particularly the Stream Magic interface. Clearly Cambridge did a lot of planning and design in its development. Definitely something I would consider if I was looking for a new system for a dedicated music room. When you realize it is a one box solution, the price does not seem so high.
It looks like we are about to get some more rain here in the DFW area. Staying home and listening to some Schubert. I know you prefer 2 channel listening, but I have tried the Auro-3D decoder on my receiver and am really pleased and impressed with the way it uses surrounds and height speakers to create the illusion I am sitting in a great music hall, like the Meyerson in Dallas. I find it sounds wonderful.
Once again… Great review. Looking forward to many more. Enjoy your weekend.
Rafael, Thank you. Stay safe. Pour yourself a nice beverage and ride out the strom. I use that Hafler circuit to increase the sound field in my room. The bottom line is if you like it, that is all that matters. Thank you my friend.
Glad to see Solar Fields on that screen! Love the Movements remaster. Love your channel BTW. I think you bring that old school audiophile experience to the table so we can tell if the new stuff is actually good. Very valuable for us just getting into the hobby to have your perspective.
Michael, Thank you. I am going to be doing a playlist video featuring ambient electronic music from Ultimae Records in France (Solar Fields label). I will be curious to get everyone's take on it. I am so glad you are coming into the hobby. Please feel free to reach out me if you have any questions. My email address is in the description of all the videos.
@@OldGuyHifi Wow that sounds great I’ll check it out!!
You have some insightful and perceptive observations about this product and the modern audio environment. Thank you very much for this quality content, your time, expertise, and for sharing this with us all. I may have to consider a unit like this to replace my PC. I think with a price tag of $3000 , it may be out of the reach of some audiophiles, but I think you could have mentioned the price so viewers can level set their expectations between this and say, the WiiM Streamer or some other manufacturer's streamer. Stay well, Sir.
Thank you Simon, I did forget that small detail. Sorry,
@@OldGuyHifi No worries my friend. You mentioned it in the title of your short. Great review all the same. I costs the same as my high-end PC gaming rig with a 48" OLED TV monitor included, so I really can't justify a piece of audio equipment at this price level right now. Take care, Sir.
Thank you my friend.
4:00 is why I will probably always use vacuum tube gear
As I said, I did feel the same way. This unit, IMHO doesn't sound like other Class D products in the category. We will see. I have an NAD C7000 coming for review. I should be able to hear the difference. Thanks for watching and commenting.
I forgot to mention that I have an Orchard Audio GANFET amp coming in for review as well. That is also a Class D topology. Watch this space.
@@OldGuyHifi I'm happy channels like your are around. I can't be going out and buying all this gear but it's fun to see it in use
@@jamesrobinson9176 Thanks.
Wonderful review and this is now being considered instead of the CXN100 or Eversolo DMP-A6
Thank you so much. I am getting an Eversolo DMP-A6 with an upgrade LPS in for review soon. Thanks for the comment.
Great Job ED!! I should send you my Eversolo A6 with the LPS upgrade. Cheers.
Done. Let me know weight and dimensions via email or discord and I will get a label out to you. Thank you so much for offering.
I have the basic Eversolo DMP-A6 and really enjoy it.
@@rafacq I am getting one in for review in a couple of weeks. Keep an eye out for that review. Thanks my friend.
I bought an Evo150 about a month ago I connected a pair of Dali Rubicon 2 and it is the best sounding system i have ever owned and i have had a few over the years but i was interested to see your vid on streaming music i was undecided weather to use Tidal or one of the others after watching i'm going to try Tidal at the moment i'm listening to the radio Thanks for the vid that really helped my decision.
Note with High-Rex as part of the standard pricing Tidal is a compelling choice. Thank you for the view and comment.
Sounds like an awesome system. Now with High-Res as part of the standard pricing Tidal is a compelling choice. Thank you for the view and comment.
Thanks for the detailed overview. I was able to look up that this unit is Roon ready. However, I do have some questions. Can you run the unit with the screen off and just use the tablet? Is there anyway to configure a home theater bypass? Lastly, with a TV connected to the arc input, can you put the cover art on the TV screen while playing music? Thanks…
Warren, Answers in order: 1) Yes you can dim and/or turn off the display from the front panel or remote and just use a tablet/phone. Its got meters though! 2) No home theater bypass. The workaround is to take a front main channel pre-out from the HT unit and run it into the Aux in on the EVO but you would have 2 volume controls to contend with. It does not output cover art over the HDMI. Thanks so much for watching and commenting. I hope I was able to help a bit.
Thanks for your reply. I asked about being able to put cover art onto a TV screen because I really enjoy putting the cover art and the lyrics up on the TV screen while I’m streaming to my stereo. I do it through the Roon app which costs extra. It would’ve been a nice option to be able to do it without having to pay extra for Roon.
HDMI ARC only carries data and audio. It is a limitation of the hardware.
I'd be interested to know how this Class D streaming amp compares to models from Yamaha and Denon for a lot less dough, and they are Class AB.
That's kind of an apples v. oranges comparison. IMHO Denon doesn't have a lot of dynamics and is a bit flat. I have heard the Yamaha R-N1000A & R-N2000A and to me they sounded sterile and mid forward. Denon doesn't offer anything in the same performance category as the EVO and the Yamahas are not anywhere near as powerful and will current limit into 4 ohms. Both brands are to be respected and considered but, not really in the same league. Just my take. Opinions can differ and that's ok.
Thanks for listing Some speakers to pair with this amp same. I got the DeLorean edition a month ago. So far I really love it! I have a pair of 24 year old monitor audio silver s10s. I’ve been playing with them. I noticed you said you don’t recommend Monitor audio with the evo 150. I thought it would be a good mach, because they are both British. Do you think the older Monitor models are different and still have the British sound and would pair well with this? Or do you think I sound switch them out? It sounds really good but maybe it could be better.? But they are 24 years old and I was thinking of upgrading. So I really appreciate you listing some speakers you think would pair well. I was thinking new monitor audios but now you’ve given me something to think about! I do love my old monitors but I’m afraid I’m missing out. Would love to know what you think.
Thank you so much for messaging me Jeremiah. Isn't the EVO amazing? I haven't heard the 10's in a long time. I thought the Silver 100's sounded very good once I notched the treble down 2 clicks. They also image extraordinarily well. The "British" sound I am referring to goes back to the days of soft dome tweeters. For me, and this is just my preference, Wharfedale comes to mind as a current example of that sound but, in the Diamond series and the Dentons, Super Dentons, Lintons and Avondales. I think the models with the folded ribbon tweeters can be a bit hard. I like detail but, and I think this is an age thing, I seem to be more sensitive to that region from 1kHz to about 5kHz. Really no matter what speaker I listen to, even the ones I own, I do EQ out a bit around 2kHz. If you are enjoying the sound of those Sliver 10s don't sweat it. Unless there is a big compelling reason to change them enjoy. The best speakers in the world are the ones you like. I hope I have helped. I would be interested in your thoughts on the Silver 10s/EVO combo. Thx.
@@OldGuyHifi thanks man! Yes it is an amazing amp! And all the gear that it replaces! I had separates everything and with wires going in and out everywhere I think I was getting some interference. Because I definitely hear a difference in clarity and detail with the 150. Also my old set up my wife never touched, out of fear of missing something up because it was so complicated to her. With the evo 150 she feels comfortable to use it even when I’m not home. Something this easy to use but still satisfies the high-tech audio file in me is really cool. My Thorens TD 160 turntable also sounds amazing with its pho preamp. I was getting it to primarily simplify my set up and update everything to work better together. But I didn’t expect how much better it would sound! I don’t feel bad about putting my old Marantz and power amps in the closet. It’s amazing what this record sized amp can do. The price is actually really good when you think about everything in this little thing. I’m also a big car guy so to combine two of my passions into one is incredible. My silver coned monitor audio speakers look amazing next to the silver DeLorean edition! They look like they were made to be together. I do hear people talk about the tweeters being bright in monitor audios but not in this model. I find myself with the trouble at 0 or +1 with these. Bass is good to, don’t really need a sub with these but I do have a SVS por 2000 just to hit the low lows. I think sound wise the Evo 150 and the Monitor silver s10’s pair really well. It brings out a center and imaging and wider sound stage I haven’t heard from these speakers before. And the speakers have seen a lot of different amps in the years. I do agree with some of your speaker suggestions. Maybe one day I’ll switch them out with one on your list but for now they are singing pretty good!
@@OldGuyHifi also thanks for replying. I think I’ve watched almost every video on the evo 150 and yours, was the best and more informative to a user standpoint and not just specs sheet.
Thank you for the kind words. I am glad you are happy with that amp-speaker combo. Ask that matters is that you are happy listening to the music you enjoy.
Two questions, Mr. OldGuyHifi: (1) Did you say the MXN100 requires a separate DAC, or that one is desirable? (2) I use an Android cell phone to access my Bryston BDP-pi streamer. I've long thought about buying a tablet. What do you use?
Curtis, My Dad was Mister, call me Ed please. (1) The MXN10 and the CXN100 (not sure which you meant) both have very good built in DACs. If you saw my video on DAC chips you will know that I think that it is the surrounding circuitry that makes all the difference. The MXN10's DAC sounds very good. Certainly on a par with, if not better, then DAC only units in the $300-$400 range. The CXN100 has a newer chip than the EVO150 so, I would place its performance on a par with $800+ DAC only units. So unless their is a compelling reason to use a 3rd. party DAC, I would use the built in ones. They are quite good.
(2) With Stream Magic you can use any Android or iOS device. I use my Samsung A52 phone and/or an $80.00 no name Android tablet. Both work very well and the software is an easy load. I have used on a 5 yr. old Galaxy TAB just fine. I hope I was able to answer your questions. Thank you for watching and commenting.
@@OldGuyHifi Thank you. I didn't know your name is Ed. Yes, CXN100. Thank you for the correction. My Bryston BDP-pi goes to a Schiit Audio Bifrost 2/64 DAC. It all works very well, but I'm now interested in exploring DSD. The Bifrost doesn't accept DSD. Mike Moffat thinks DSD is just another fad. Maybe. But I'd like to try it anyway. If it weren't for that, I wouldn't be exploring a change.
I understand. I have about 500 DSD rips on a hard drive and yes, my bifrost won't play them. I am using an MXN10 for streaming and with a hard drive attached it's internal DAC does DSD quite well. I also have a Geshelli J2S in for review and it only does DSD on USB so I have to use my PC running Audirvana for DSD. The more I listen to various DACs and streamers, the more I am concluding that once you get over $500 or so they all sound pretty good. Do I hear a difference? Yes. Is the difference make a difference? I am not so sure anymore. I think the quality of these products (less than $1000.00) has gotten so good I would just go with a brand you favor. Now I do have the MXN10 going into my bifrost as well as the J2S and they sound different but neither one is even remotely bad. Again just different. Sorry for the ramble. Thanks again for commenting.
@@OldGuyHifi I tried to use the "Unison USB" input on the Bifrost 2/64, which Mike Moffat claims is way superior to the coax. But I got sound glitches that sounded similar to mistracking on a bad CD in a conventional CD player. So I went back to coax. Maybe it has something to do with the Bryston BDP-pi. Schiit Audio suggested I try a different USB cable, but I'd already gone through that just to get the BDP and Bifrost to talk to each other. Jim Tanner at Bryston says they use USB connections for their digital equipment at shows. That's with their own DAC, of course.
I am sorry to hear that. I have had zero issues with the Unison USB but, I stream via Audirvana from a PC. I do use the Schiit Pyst USB cable. I know that not all USB cables adhere to the proper spec and the cable impedance can have a deleterious effect on the sound. Have you tried running say Tidal from a PC/MAC via USB into the Bifrost? See what happens. Let me know the results. Thx.
They do not publish output amperage?
I will ask them for that figure. I will also check with Hypex
According to Cambridge it produces 17 amps peak. which is very respectable. I hope that answers your query.