CXA81
Integrated Stereo Amplifier

• Award-Winning Sound - 4x winner of What Hi-Fi? Product of the Year
• 80 watts per channel – power to drive the most demanding speakers
• Class AB Amplification – for balanced & efficient performance
• Toroidal Transformer – for incredible sound-staging
• High Quality ESS Sabre ES9016 DAC – to realise digital music at its best
• Digital inputs – TOSLINK, Coaxial & USB Audio Input (up to 24-bit/384kHz & DSD256 digital files from Mac/PC)
• Balanced XLR inputs – for premium connection 
• Bluetooth aptX HD input – connect wirelessly to devices, incl. Alva TT V2

OVERVIEW 

Rewarding Performance

Our CXA81 integrated amplifier builds on the foundations laid by the first CX Series, and over 50 years’ experience of building amps. It offers a progressive perspective – effortless, poised and sophisticated. 80 watts per channel give CXA81 complete authority over music, to reveal every emotion and nuance from your whole music collection – be that streamed or on disc.

CX Black Edition

We present a 1000-piece limited edition of each CX Series 2 model in a minimalist matt black finish, with discreet gloss black branding. The same award-winning sound as CX, only in black. Why? Because we thought they’d look dead cool. If you want some, please don’t delay – CX Black Edition won’t be here for long.

Your World’s a Stage

The thing that hits you when you hear CXA81 for the first time, is just how detailed everything sounds. You’ll pick up instruments, subtle shifts in tone, and harmonies you’ve previously missed. Close your eyes, and you’ll be able to place every musician in the soundstage. Once you’ve experienced CXA81, there’s no turning back.

Return on Investment

Our engineering team in London invested hours researching, developing, experimenting and, above all, listening to ensure that CXA81 was right. Their goal: to make the most accomplished and absorbing integrated amp in its class. Every component selected, and decision made, based on the desire to deliver the most complete musical picture possible.

Effortlessly Musical

At the heart of CXA81 beats a Class AB power amplifier stage with optimised capacitor values. It takes the musicality of Class A and blends it with the efficiency of Class B. The amp’s short signal path is efficient, leaving little opportunity for interference. The resulting sound is pristine while delivering the emotional impact the artist intended.

Power with Control

Thanks to a generous toroidal transformer, CXA81 delivers a prodigious 80 watts of power per channel. Dual taps into the left and right of the amplification board mean that, in effect, each channel has its own power supply – resulting in a vivid sound stage. Dynamic shifts in music – like those loud then quiet moments – are handled with ease.

Get the Message

Designed to bring your music to life, CXA81’s state-of-the-art digital circuit board includes the cutting-edge ESS Sabre ES9016 digital-to-analogue convertor (DAC). This means digital audio files, up to a heady 32-bit/384kHz or DSD256, are energised – with every subtle detail delivered in full. CXA81 combines unparalleled accuracy with vivid musicality, doing so beautifully.

Get Connected

CXA81 has connectivity covered. As well as digital optical, coaxial and USB Audio, it features stereo RCA inputs, balanced XLR sockets plus wireless hi-res connectivity via Bluetooth aptX HD – perfect for Alva TT V2. You can even connect a second set of speakers, to hear your music in another room.

Designed for Life

Thanks to the relentless dedication of our team in London, CXA81 is a complete solution. Its combination of versatility, power and audio excellence means it can form the centre of your musical experience for many years to come. Its elegant, minimalistic lines, crafted from aluminium and steel, will endure both physically and aesthetically.

Superb Amp. I Can’t Stop Smiling

"I bought this amp a week or so ago and cannot recommend it enough. The clarity, soundstage and depth are a giant stride better than my old amp. Everything is so tight and crisp. Digital or vinyl it’s like I’m listening to my music collection for the first time.”

CXA81 Listener – West Midlands, England

REVIEW & AWARDS 

Cambridge Audio CXA81 review - Read More

"Class leaders are constantly being replaced in hi-fi, but rarely is it done so soundly as by Cambridge Audio’s CXA81 integrated amp" - What Hi-Fi?

Cambridge Audio CXA81 integrated amplifier - Read More

"I greatly enjoyed my time exploring the CXA81. It helped me realize how much music can be had for such a low price. It knocked me flat with its ability to sound good in so many ways. It is versatile, well-made, and smartly designed. Most important, it sounds good to great. If you're in the market for an affordable integrated amplifier, this one should be on your audition list." - Ken Micallef

Cambridge Audio CXA81 - Read More

"The CXA81 is part of a second series of CX components that was originally launched by Cambridge Audio in 2014. As well as this integrated amplifier, the line-up also includes a second amp, CD transport and a network audio streamer. According to Cambridge Audio, the second generation CX Series has been re-engineered to bring “full-fat” hi-fi into the home at an “affordable” price (the CXA81 is most expensive product in the range)." - Rahiel 'Naz' Nasir

Cambridge Audio CXN V2 Network Audio Streamer and CXA81 Integrated Amplifier Review - Read More

"I must say, good show, old chap, on the lovely British sound—and at a price that’s more affordable than traveling to London." - Muse Kastanovich

SPECIFICATIONS