John Darko
🎥 Camera: John Darko / Olaf von Voss
🎬 Editor: John Darko
🌈 Colour: Olaf von Voss
🕺🏻 Motion GFX: John Darko
💰 Ad segment: Jana Dagdagan
🎵 Song IDs? Playlists of all music heard in this video – and other videos – can be found on PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/johndarko
This video looks at the CXN100 – a streaming DAC from Cambridge Audio – with the review structure built around four side-by-side comparisons using music we would otherwise read about on Pitchfork, Resident Advisor or The Quietus.
At €1049 the CXN 100 sells for €150 more than its predecessor, the extremely popular CXN (V2). In return for that extra cash, we get: a slightly larger screen flanked by a simplified array of control buttons; a new DAC circuit built around an ESS chipset (instead of the V2’s Wolfson circuit); and the digital volume control has been integrated within the DAC for 100 steps of control instead of the V2’s 30 steps. Also inside the new model sits Cambridge Audio’s Gen4 StreamMagic module, which has been pulled from the British company’s EVO series of products. That means we no longer need a USB dongle for wi-fi.
The accompanying StreamMagic app is easy to use and essential if we want to stream from Deezer or Qobuz outside of Roon, AirPlay or Chromecast – all three are accommodated by the CNX100. As a staunch Roon user, I used the StreamMagic app for input/volume changes that can’t be executed elsewhere e.g. the TOSLINK input that takes care of my Samsung Frame TV’s TOSLINK output. The infra-red remote is now an optional extra (£25/€30/$15) but there’s no HDMI ARC here – and I think that’s a misstep by Cambridge. That said, I don’t design hi-fi products for a living so maybe I’m not seeing something I should. The upshot of no HDMI ARC Chez Darko is that, in the absence of a five-metre coaxial cable for the Shanling ET3 CD transport, the Samsung and Shanling have to take turns using the CXN100’s single TOSLINK input.
The large rotary on the front panel changes the CXN100’s volume when using it as a streaming pre-amplifier, which is exactly how I used it, alternatively feeding power amps from First Watt and Mytek. Those power amplifiers then alternated between the KEF R3 Meta and Zu DWX.
The first big question is: how does the CXN100 compare to the CXN (V2)? In this review video, we answer that. Not only. We also compared Cambridge Audio’s newest streaming DAC to similarly-priced units from Eversolo, Bluesound and FiiO. Whatabouters, therefore, need not apply.
Further information: Cambridge Audio
👉 As seen in this video…
Cambridge Audio CXN100
🛒 https://audioadvice.io/Cambridge
Cambridge Audio CXN (V2)
🛒 https://audioadvice.io/Cambridge
Eversolo DMP-A6
🛒 https://audioadvice.io/DMP-A6
FiiO R7
🛒 https://amzn.to/4aq8ZlJ
Bluesound NODE X
🛒 https://audioadvice.io/Bluesound
KEF R3 Meta
🛒 https://audioadvice.io/R3-Meta
Zu DWX
📖 https://www.zuaudio.com/loudspeakers/p/dwx
Mytek Brooklyn AMP+
📖 https://mytek.audio/world/shop/brooklyn-amp-290
First Watt F5
🛒 https://www.firstwatt.com/product/f5/
Cables and power products by AudioQuest
🛒 https://audioadvice.io/Audioquest
Hi-fi furniture and speaker stands by Solid Steel
🛒 https://howl.me/ckbW9947Hdi
Room treatment by Vicoustic
📖 https://audioadvice.io/Vicoustic
Darko.Audio may earn a small commission from items purchased via affiliate links, which are indicated with a ‘🛒’.
