COVER REVIEW/CAMBRIDGE AUDIO

 A WINNING Combination

CAMBRIDGE AUDIO AZUR 540R AND DVD77

Cambridge Audio is back in South Africa. The British marque, known for its focus on quality and musicality, has since extended its line-up to embrace home theatre components, too. We take a closer look at two of these new-generation components

Cambridge Audio is no stranger to South Africans. The British company built its considerable reputation for quality and performance on a range of stereo audio components that first saw the light soon after the firm’s founding in 1968.

More than three decades later, the core values of Cambridge Audio -- innovation, cutting-edge technology, quality and musicality -- remain unchanged, even though the product range has undergone several generations of change.

 

Interestingly, the brand’s focus still heavily favours stereo, which is where it first established itself with now legendary models such as the P50 amplifier, as well as digital components that were at the forefront of what was an emerging technology in the 1980s.

 

Its commitment to musicality has been unwavering even when the market was shifting towards the charms of home theatre. However, it also acknowledged the need to provide existing and new customers with some AV-related products -- and a new range of DVD players was born.

 

However, by far the most revolutionary step in Cambridge Audio’s home theatre strategy has been the emergence of the marque’s first AV receiver.

 

While many a sceptic believed that the London-based company had bitten off more that it could chew, the almost universal accolades bestowed on the Azur 540R AV receiver vindicated the decision to produce a specialist AV receiver with the typically British focus on performance, rather than unnecessary bells and whistles.

 

The 540R also underscores the ethos of a company that today focuses heavily on research and development. Cambridge Audio employs more than 20 dedicated engineers who are continuously seeking innovative audio and AV solutions.

 

The company’s ongoing commitment to using only high-quality components, strictly controlled ISO-standard manufacturing facilities, and to pushing the technology envelope, has never been more apparent than with the launch of the 540R.

 

As mentioned, this new AV receiver -- Cambridge Audio’s first -- is part of the all-new Azur range, which made its debut to much acclaim less than two years ago.

 

The range, which includes both stereo and home theatre components, is aimed at harnessing innovative solutions and technologies to provide a strong combination of performance and value, coupled to the kind of obsessive build quality usually associated with much dearer products.

 

That certainly seems to be vindicated from the moment you open the very tidy, suitcase-style packaging, unwrap the smart, blue dust cover, and make your first acquaintance with the Azur 540R. It certainly looks and feels expensive, thanks to an all-metal enclosure and a substantial 9,5 kg mass.

 

The thick, anodised aluminium faceplate fronts an all-metal, silver-finished case with fluted sides that indicate a much more expensive unit than the sub-R5 000 asking price suggests. And for once, even the most critical spouse is likely to be impressed by styling that’s both functional and aesthetically sound.

 

No frills here means that form follows function in attractive design that links round switchgear, including a beautifully calibrated volume control, to a blue fluorescent display with an unusual mirror finish when switched off. And it doesn’t only look good: the ergonomics are efficient, too.

 

An unexpected bonus is the slim, smart remote control handset, offering full armchair control of the 540R’s facilities, and only adding to the aura of upmarket quality that permeates this package.

 

The rear panel is further proof that much thought has gone into this design -- the input and output facilities are logically grouped, and the binding posts not only accept most speaker cable terminations, but are also colour-coded for easy identification.

 

There are many AV receivers that are better endowed on the features front than the 540R, but the question is whether what’s on offer here is sufficient -- and in reality, the connectivity features and interfaces do cover most requirements.

 

Thus, the 540R provides four video input sets, including one for DVD, and two audio-only input options, of which one is a tape loop. There are three optical and two coaxial digital inputs, as well as one optical and one coaxial digital input.

 

This is a fully-fledged 6.1 AV receiver, which means it offers front left and right, surround left and right, and front and rear centre channels. Thus, the 540R also provides a 6.1 input set, allowing a DVD player with DVD-A or SACD capability (or both) to deliver its sonic load directly to the receiver in the analogue domain.

 

By the same token, there is also a 6.1 output set, which means that owners can link separate power amplification to one or more channels as and when required. This output set also provides the subwoofer output necessary to feed the obligatory subwoofer most AV users opt for.

 

Of course, the Azur 540R will also operate in 5.1 mode, which is what most of the current software supports. Video connectivity options include composite, S-Video and the preferable component video interfaces.

 

The 540R is compatible with both Dolby Digital EX and DTS-ES 6.1 formats, as well as with more conventional Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 surround sound. It also offers Dolby Pro Logic II, and does a pretty good job of stereo, as we shall see.

 

There’s also an array of DSP modes, which simulate surround sound fields such as halls, theatres, movie theatres and the like. I have to say that these often sound contrived, and the 540R’s DSP modes are no exception, although they can be useful to add more impetus to broadcasted material such as sports games.

 

Let’s also not forget that this is a receiver, which means you get a built-in RDS tuner with FM Stereo and AM reception, as well as programmable presets.

 

Okay, so what doesn’t the 540R provide? Well, it has no onscreen display or graphic user interface, meaning that you have to rely on the receiver’s own fluorescent display -- which, at least, is bright and legible.

 

Set-up is a fairly simple process: a test tone allows the levels of each channel to be adjusted relative to the listening position. You can also set the delays for each channel to further optimise performance. And there’s a dynamic range control, which limits dynamic swings for more predictable levels during late-night listening, for instance.

 

But the 540R really comes into its own once up and running. In movie mode, it sounds bold and boisterous, with an energetic attack that never lacks verve, and always invites the listener to participate. It sounds much more muscular than its 80 watts per channel rating (all channels driven into 8 ohms) would suggest.

 

Even challenging soundtracks couldn’t manage to challenge the 540R’s control or authority, suggesting that it always kept something in reserve. Nor could it be caught out by complex effects, or by confusing dialogue.

 

Staging was excellent in multichannel terms. In terms of outright detail and integration, DTS got my vote every time, but is has to be said that Dolby Digital was the more exciting, more rumbustious option. Much will depend on the individual’s preference, and the quality of the soundtrack.

 

Either way, channel integration was very believable, really enveloping the listener in 360 degrees of sound, and ensuring that high levels of realism were achieved.

 

I liked the meaty midrange and mid/bass delivered by the 540R, which meant that the lower end of the frequency range never lacked substance or foundation, even without the benefit of a subwoofer -- which should please those on a tight budget.

 

Also, this is a receiver that delivers the finer details with clarity and precision, which greatly boosts realism and involvement.

 

As impressive as it was in movie mode, it was the 540R’s treatment of stereo music that provided the greatest surprise. Usually, this is an aspect that takes a back seat at the more affordable end of the receiver market, but in this instance, quite the opposite is true.

 

Cambridge Audio’s pedigree as a stalwart stereo component producer clearly comes to the fore here: in two-channel mode, the staging retains quite incredible dimensionality, so that it wouldn’t be too difficult to believe that all channels were actually in operation.

 

Again, cohesion and stereo focus were great, as was the pin-point accuracy of the musical image, which was so compelling that listening to normal CDs was a real joy. And tonally, the richness and the boisterous bass of the 540R’s surround sound performance was obvious here, too.

 

Indeed, this receiver is so good in stereo mode that it could well be bought by two-channel music fans for that purpose only, perhaps with the intention to upgrade to a surround sound configuration at a later stage. Obviously, Cambridge Audio’s stereo pedigree still holds true in its AV kit…

 

Accompanying the Azur 540R for this review was another impressive member of the Cambridge Audio clan. The DVD77 is priced at just above R2 000, yet offers a range of features that includes multiple-format playback, and a similar focus on believable audio and video performance.

 

With an anodised aluminium finish identical to that of the 540R, the slimline DVD77 again looks more upmarket than the price indicates. And that gap between perception and price is further widened by the player’s wide range of format compatibilities.

 

You see, this isn’t just a DVD player. As the 5.1 analogue audio output set on the rear panel suggests, it offers multichannel decoding of not only Dolby Digital-encoded movie soundtracks, but also DVD-Audio discs.

 

In addition, it will cope with music CDs, CD-R/W discs, MP3-encoded CD-R/Ws, and Kodak Picture CDs. Digital-to-analogue conversion is achieved via a Crystal CD4360 six-channel DAC chip. For DVD-A, both high-resolution 24-bit/192 kHz stereo and multichannel 24-bit/96 kHz audio is on offer.

 

The DVD77 can’t decode DTS soundtracks, which means the digital output (optical or coaxial) will transfer the DTS soundtrack to a receiver like the 540R for off-board decoding. Nor is the DVD77 a truly universal player, since it doesn’t offer SACD compatibility.

 

The video output choices embrace composite, S-Video and component interfaces. Video D/A conversion is afforded via a complement of six 12-bit/54 MHz video DACs, supporting progressive scan in both PAL and NTSC modes. And yes, there’s a remote control handset, too.

 

Performance again highlighted the exceptional price/performance ratio that seems to be a standard feature on Cambridge Audio’s products. Colours were vivid, resolution fine and very detailed, rendering smooth and flicker-free. The DVD77 shone particularly brightly when employing the component video interface.

 

Sonically, the 5.1 audio output set offered a great DVD-A performance, especially in multichannel mode. Fine slivers of detail, great staging and an extended frequency range made a recording such as Eric Clapton’s Pilgrim really come alive.

 

No less enjoyable was the player’s Dolby Digital decoding talent, which may well be better than many a mid-priced receiver’s on-board decoding abilities: rich tonality was a hallmark, together with vivid staging and stable imaging. And by now, nobody should be surprised that the DVD77 has a very sympathetic approach to CD playback.

 

All this for just a tad more than R2 000 translates into a very competitive, high-value package. Combine it with the Azur 540R receiver, and this has to be a winning combination.

Deon Schoeman