John Darko
Cambridge’s EVO 150 is a streaming amplifier that promises 150wpc of Class D power into 8 Ohms: its 12″-square shoebox enclosure features swappable magnetic side panels, a 6.8″ non-touchscreen with HDMI ARC, MM phono and balanced XLR (among others) hanging out on the back panel. Streaming smarts are broad: aptX HD Bluetooth, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, Roon Ready, Apple AirPlay 2 and Google Cast, with numerous other streaming services wrapped by the UK company’s StreamMagic app. We made a video about it back in 2021.
This week brings news of a company rebrand (read: a new logo that drops the ‘audio’) and the EVO 150 SE, which comes in the same 12″ x 12″ shoebox enclosure, features the same swappable side panels, the same 6.8″ non-touchscreen and offers the same hard-wired and streaming connectivity as the original.
So, what’s new with the Special Edition?
Three things.
1) Cambridge’s engineering team has upgraded the DAC circuit. It is now built around ESS Labs’ ES9018K2M chip.
2) The amplifier has also been reworked, this time around a pair of Hypex NCOREx modules that have been “tuned by Cambridge Audio”, again for 150wpc into 8 Ohms. The press release says nothing about 4-ohm loads.
3) The price has been reduced in the UK to slip under the all-important two thousand British pounds barrier.
The EVO 150 SE is yours for £1999, €2399 or US$3299.
And don’t think for a moment that we didn’t notice Rhythm & Sound’s “Mango Drive” in the promo photos. Not very British 🇩🇪😆.
Further information: Cambridge Audio
