Cambridge AX and MX Streamer Overview

Brand & Product Overview

This article is on two brand new network music streamers from Cambridge Audio — the MXN10 and AXN10. Cambridge Audio has been based in the UK for decades and has always tried to provide very high value audio components. From the time some grad students at Cambridge University built their first integrated amp in 1968 to today, they have received numerous awards for their sound quality.

Cambridge designs all of their gear in the UK and has it made in Asia at a factory they have used for decades, which is similar to other high performance audio companies, but they do something frequently on Fridays at their UK facility which we feel really sets them apart. Most of us got into the fun of improving our systems because we love listening to live music. The ultimate goal of a music lover is for your system to sound like your favorite band is in your living room. Yet many audio engineers design their gear in a vacuum, just relying on specs and measurements. Cambridge Audio hosts a live band almost every Friday afternoon and the performers run the gamut from hard rock to classical. When you are exposed to live music every week, you will certainly learn to know when a component sounds like real music.

Design & Build Quality

This has led the Cambridge Audio engineers to focus on two things, the most simple signal path, and using both measurements and listening tests to determine if a component used in the path is the right choice. They will spend hundreds of hours comparing individual parts to come up with the final design with the reminder to listen first, measure later as it's not always the most expensive component that sounds the best. The proof is certainly in how their units sound and how highly regarded they are in the audio community.

The CXN model from Cambridge Audio is now in its second V2 version and ever since it first came out has been the product to beat for its price. The CXN V2 is a world-class music streamer with Dual Wolfson DAC’s, balanced audio outs, and one of the easiest and most robust streaming apps on the market. wet matches up with the CX series of components, but we even see them going into far more expensive systems as it sounds so good for the money. Cambridge has had their AX series out for a long time, but there has never been a more cost-effective matching streamer that fits into the AX price. Well, enter the AXN10 and MXN10 streamers! We were lucky enough to get the first two pieces to arrive in the US and put them through some testing.

Features & Technology

First, we want to go over exactly what these units can do. Unless you have had your head in the sand, you probably know music streaming is now the way most people enjoy music. When streaming was first introduced,  the streaming services did not sound very good, but as time has moved on and broadband speeds have improved, some streaming services sound far better than a CD. Both of these music streamers will let you access this wonderful world of streaming music.

The AXN10 and MXN10 are actually identical in performance with the AX version simply physically matching the size of the other AX components from Cambridge Audio. We feel like most people will go with the MX version as it takes up less space and sounds the same.

Feature-wise, they have just about everything you would want in a modern music streamer. Spotify Connect, Tidal, Qobuz, and Deezer are all built-in with a free upgrade to Amazon HD coming. You also get a great internet radio experience you can access with their StreamMagic app. If that does not cover everything for you, they also have Airplay 2, Chromecast, and Bluetooth on board. Finally, local audio files you might have on your network are available in the app or you can plug in a USB drive or USB stick. The USB part is pretty cool if you have a friend come over with some of their own Hi-Res music to check out. The icing on the cake is they are also Roon ready.

Both units can be either hard wired or set up wirelessly and have two separate antennas which in our testing resulted in a great wireless experience. 

Now, if all this sounds like a whole lot of tech that might be more challenging than connecting up a CD player, have no fear. When you purchase your gear from Audio Advice, you get our team of tech experts to help you with any set up issues you might have. We found set up to be very simple, but if it's your first time setting up a music streamer, it is nice to know someone has your back.

Another neat feature they have is both Toslink and Coax digital outs. Should you really get into audio and wind up with an integrated amp or separate DAC that might have better components in it than the AX or MX, you can simply connect up the digital out and still use it as the front end of your streaming system. 

In classic Cambridge Audio fashion, the labels for all the connections on the back panel are printed both right side up and upside down so you can read it when you lean over the back. 

The DAC’s inside the AX and MX though are pretty high end, coming from ESS Technologies. They use the ES9033Q DAC chips which fit in the ESS SABRE 2-Channel Audiophile DACs lineup. These can do up 768KHz 32bit PCM and DSD512. Now, we do have to say, for the cost of these units, you are not getting a DAC that has a raw parts cost on the DAC alone of 50 plus dollars like some very expensive DAC’s, but with careful component selection and circuit design, Cambridge Audio has squeezed a whole lot of performance out of these mid level ESS DACs.

While the CXN v2 has a beautiful front panel display and quite a bit of functionality from the front, the AX and MX are very basic to keep the costs only into the sound. However, Cambridge Audio added a pretty clever feature. You’ll notice four small buttons on the front panel. Through their app, you can assign these to playlists or internet radio stations, which is pretty cool.

We’ve talked a lot about the Cambridge Audio Stream Magic app and its worth noting just how great it is. This app has been constantly evolving over the last 10 years. Cambridge Audio will add popular music streaming services and has added quite a few recently. Cambridge Audio will add popular music streaming services and has added quite a few recently.  They have an entire  in house team of software engineers who continually improve the app and make it even more fun to use We do think its one of the best out there that has multiple streaming services, almost to the level of Sonos, which is saying something. 

Performance

We decided to first listen to the MXN10 by itself and then compare it to the CXN v2. Wireless setup took less than two minutes on our iPhone as it just uses Airplay to join your network. After playing a few of our reference tracks we normally use in testing, it was very clear that Cambridge Audio has done it again with a streamer that will set a new standard for the price — especially with the smaller MX version. It is extremely musical and gave us a great presentation of the music. 

When we compared it to the CXN v2, it became obvious these were from the same heritage as they have a similar sound, but you just get more of it with the CXN v2. In the CXN v2, we heard improvements in the level of detail you hear in the music, the width and depth of the soundstage, and improved rhythm and pacing. The CXN v2 slightly edged it out on deep bass definition as well. Now, we should point out we were doing these comparisons on a system that cost far more than you would put an MXN10 or even CXN v2 into as it was north of $40,000, but we wanted to hear the differences for ourselves. What really stood out was how the MXN10 did nothing wrong that made us want to try something else. As an entry-level streamer that will get you into the fun world of music streaming, Cambridge has a home run here.

Overall Recommendation

Our advice is, you can’t go wrong with the MXN10. We do not see a reason to get the more expensive AXN10 unless you just want a full width component. The MXN10 is a fantastic way to discover streaming music. This analysis also reminded us of how good the CXN v2 is and why it is so popular. If you have a higher resolution system, you will certainly appreciate its improved sound, not to mention its great display! 

 If you have any questions, call 888.899.8776, chat with us, or stop by our award-winning showrooms and we’d be happy to help.

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