Cambridge 650A: The new Azur 650A focuses on our most closely guarded principles – explosive sonic performance, incredible value and timeless design. Whatever music you’re into, we guarantee we’ve invested all our passion into making the very most of it.

Cambridge Audio’s highly-respected amplifier topology goes to new levels of performance and refinement with the introduction of the 650A. A completely redesigned output stage helps improve bass response and dynamics even further while enabling control of virtually any speaker with aplomb.

If you demand the most from an amplifier, then look no further than the 650A. Building on the impressive specification of the 550A, the even higher specification 650A leaves many “high-end” hi-fi competitors behind thanks to separate transformer taps for the left and right channels, twin rectifiers and separate power supplies for dual-mono operation of the left and right power amplifiers. It also features a larger transformer and heatsink; essential to keep it cool with so much power on board! The net result of these critical upgrades is a pure 75 watts (at 8 Ohms) of smooth unruffled performance.

Making the 650A a true benchmark in its category was of course a key requirement to Cambridge Audio’s design team.

One area which has received considerable attention is the company’s proprietary CAP5 protection system. Maintaining the original design’s raison d'être – constantly monitoring for overloads, faults and clipping whilst guaranteeing no sound degradation – this new iteration now allows for even greater dynamics and more powerful real-world performance. And like its highly respected predecessors, the 650A features an oversize toroidal transformer for excellent efficiency and extremely low noise.

But power is nothing without control and it’s not just at high volumes where this amplifier offer peak performance. A completely new high specification Alps volume pot control ensures perfect channel balance at low levels and is complemented with new tone controls offering equally intricate level setting.

Other important improvements include new audiophile grade polypropylene signal capacitors, gold-plated speaker outputs, custom-made electrolytic capacitors in critical positions and several new carefully calculated circuit tweaks.

With so much shoehorned inside, it’s astonishing how the new Azur 650A looks so elegant. In addition to a raft of sonic and environmental benefits, the new Azur range has a completely fresh contoured look with razor sharp displays and velvety smooth controls. A substantial brushed aluminum front panel, a seamless wrap-over lid assembly and dual-layer damped feet all adhere to Cambridge Audio’s rock-solid design standards and also help improve performance through superb resonance

Cambridge 740A: Cambridge Audio continues to meet the needs of audiophiles at all levels and the 740A is no exception. The Azur 740A offers true hi-fi quality but at a fraction of the cost. Indeed the technology in the 740A is normally only used in products costing many times more. The 740A uses a further development of Cambridge Audio’s trusted amplifier topology. Two pairs of extremely high current output transistors per channel allow the 740A to drive almost any speaker with ease and ensure excellent bass response and dynamic control.

The 740A also includes support for multi-room use. By plugging in one or two external Cambridge Audio Incognito keypads (or Incognito active speakers) and a power supply unit, the 740A can become the hub of a simple multi-room system. In addition, Control Bus Input/Output and IR emitter input are provided to make it easy to integrate this unit into custom installation systems if desired.

Cambridge 840A V2: Cambridge Audio breaks new ground with an entirely new class of amplifier in the shape of the 840A which marks the zenith of Cambridge Audio’s critically acclaimed Azur line-up.

Embracing Cambridge Audio’s patent pending proprietary Class XD™ technology, the 840A brings together the quality of Class A amplification, the power economy of Class B designs, and most amazingly of all, avoids many of the distortion pitfalls inherent in Class AB designs.

Completely separate pre-amp and power amp toroidal transformers and circuits make the 840A effectively a pre and power amplifier combination in one chassis

Another enormous benefit is its ability to integrate seamlessly with a home cinema system. Fixed level inputs allow the 840A to provide the front channel amplification to systems which use an AV receiver. The receiver continues to provide centre and rear amplification.

In addition to this innovative technology, the 840A uses an extremely sophisticated resistor ladder and relay attenuator for volume control and the same high quality relay switches for input selection. This enables high isolation between inputs, very accurate channel balance and leaves the amplifier completely free from the distortion associated with conventional semiconductor switching and volume control.

Read review:

Denon PMA-2000AE: UHC-MOS Single Push-Pull Circuit, for balancing details and power The PMA-2000AE features UHC (Ultra High Current) MOS circuitry that has been developed to balance advanced speaker drive capabilities and improved sound quality. UHC-MOS technology uses a minimum number of amplifier elements while achieving approximately 10 times the normal supply of current, balancing artistic expression with high output power. The PMA-2000AE thus masterfully reproduces the full sonic range from soft delicate details to powerful transparent climaxes of a musical performance. Available in Premium Silver only

Denon PMA-1500AE: The PMA-1500AE features UHC (Ultra High Current) -MOS technology that utilizes a minimum number of high-current amplifier elements to balance advanced speaker drive capabilities and improved sound quality. UHC-MOS is an ideal amplifier whose power supply performance is superior to that of bipolar transistors and incorporates the sound quality advantages of MOS-FETs. The PMA-1500AE's UHC-MOS is provided in a single push-pull configuration that eliminates deviations in the amplification stage and balances high power with delicate musical details. This circuit masterfully reproduces the full sonic range, from the delicate musical nuances to the powerful climaxes of rich musical expression. Available in Black and Premium Silver

Denon PMA-700AE: The PMA-700AE's HC Single Push-Pull Circuit, for dramatically brings out the amplifier's best ability, inherits the same concept of the UHC Single Push-Pull Circuit that is used in DENON's high-end integrated amplifiers and has been critically acclaimed for the expressive richness of its sound. The HC transistor has twice the capacity of conventional transistors to supply electrical current and handle moments of peak current, ensuring rock-solid stability in musical expression. HC single push-pull technology masterfully balances high power and the delicate nuances of music. Available in Black and Premium Silver

Denon PMA-500AE: The PMA-500AE's HC Single Push-Pull Circuit, for dramatically bringing out the amplifier's best ability, inherits the same concept of the UHC Single Push-Pull Circuit that is used in DENON's high-end integrated amplifiers and has been critically acclaimed for the expressive richness of its sound. The HC transistor has twice the capacity of conventional transistors to supply electrical current and handle moments of peak current, ensuring rock-solid stability in musical expression. HC single push-pull technology masterfully balances high power and the delicate nuances of music.

NAD C355BEE: The C355 is the latest in NAD’s range of affordable, yet very high performance Integrated Amplifiers. Building on the strengths of our highly acclaimed C352 (winner of What Hi-Fi Amplifier-of-the-Year and the Hi-Fi Choice Gold Award among many others), the C355 boasts many upgrades and refinements taken directly from the highly acclaimed NAD Masters Series M3 Amplifier. These include the application of Bjorn Erik Edvardsen’s innovative and patented Distortion Canceling Circuit in the output stage and BEE Clamp in
the power supply. An improved tone control circuit and revised PCB layout has reduced distortion and noise to unprecedented levels. Taken together, these improvements mark a sharp upturn in performance that simply must be heard, to be fully appreciated!

NAD C315BEE: NAD has an enviable reputation for creating some of the best performing budget amplifiers of all time. The lineage is impressive, all the way from the 3020 of 1978 to the current C325BEE, with many “Best Amp” awards and 5 Star reviews along the way. As loudspeaker quality and performance has continued to improve, especially at modest price points, NAD felt that there was room for a lower cost amp that could take advantage of these speakers; creating a new entry point for serious musical performance. Introducing the C315BEE Integrated Amplifier.

Rega Brio 3: The third generation of Brio the Brio 3 now boasts a modified power supply and up-rated power transformer.

The increased power output (49 watts per channel into 8W) of the Brio 3 greatly improves control and musical performance over its predecessor.

Rather than having unnecessary gadgets and frills usually found on products in this price range, the Brio 3 utilises the highest quality components to achieve the best sonic performance.

The output amplifier is built around a pair of Sanken 150w Darlington output transistors and an electronic circuit protects against shorted speakers and reactive loads of 1.7W or less.

The power supply uses the new generously rated toroidal transformer and 10,000µF smoothing capacitors that provide enough current to drive the hardest of loads.

The Rotel RA-1062 is the evolution of Rotel’s highly regarded RA-1060. The design team spent hundreds of hours evaluating individual component performance from input to output. Chief among these improvements is the UK designed and manufactured T-Network power supply capacitor. These premium grade components follow the tradition of our Slit Foil capacitors by incorporating tiny perforations in the capacitor foil to reduce distortion.

Full Floating and Balanced Circuit Design Achieves for the First Time the Full Potential of Analogue Amplification

An entirely new floating and balanced power amp that, by using power transistors with the same polarity that are not complementary, achieves complete symmetry of pullable operation at the output stage and permits full balanced transmission (amplification) from the input jack to just before the speaker jack ó a capability that has long been the dream of audiophiles.

Full-Stage Balanced Signal Transmission

The A-S2000 achieves fully balanced signal transmission from input to output (balanced design refers to the use of two signal conductors that have equal impedances to ground). Balanced transmission is capable of canceling noise produced internally and externally, and so is considered to be an ideal amplification method, eliminating the sound quality degradation caused by noise.

Floating Balanced Power Amp

The floating balanced power amp configuration is completely different from the pure complementary circuit design that has been the mainstream of Hi-Fi amps for nearly 40 years. It adopts an output element having identical polarity on the plus and minus sides of the output stage, with both sides having their own power supply and feedback, thereby achieving total symmetry of pullable operation at the output stage. The power supply unit has four floating elements (no restrictive grounding connections), two for each channel, so plus and minus are completely symmetrical.

Fully Balanced Control Amp

To achieve fully balanced transmission, all audio circuits except for the phono equalizer are balanced. The line amp also uses a balanced configuration for its volume and tone circuits, achieving fully balanced transmission from the XLR balanced input jack to just before the speaker jack. Additionally, the output from the unbalanced RCA input and phono equalizer undergoes balance conversion internally.

Parallel Volume and Tone Controls

To ensure ideal fully balanced operation, the volume and tone control systems must be extremely precise. Conventional analogue volume systems suffer from gang error, and cannot achieve sufficient accuracy, even when using high precision parts. Therefore, for the A-S2000 we developed a unique method: canceling out slight precision differences by the parallel operation of three high sound quality digital volume ICs for each channel and operating the system with an analogue encoder. When using the bass and treble tone controls, each of the three volume elements is applied in succession, and during tone default, three equivalent volume elements for each channel are used for volume adjustment. This ensures the best sound quality during both tone control and default operation.

Power Supply

The A-S2000 has four large capacity power supplies for the power amp that are completely isolated from ground. Shunt type local regulators that prevent degradation of sound quality by amperage fluctuation ensure a clean and stable power supply for the preamp.

Symmetrical Construction

The A-S2000 has a completely symmetrical construction intended to achieve the ultimate in integrated amp left-right separation, equal to that of separate amps. A central reinforcing bar ensures that the chassis is rigid and stable.

Specially Designed Feet

The extra-heavy feet provide a choice of two bases. You can leave the round, flat neodymium magnets in place or remove them to rest the amplifier on four single points. The feet are also height adjustable. They ensure stability on any surface, with superior vibration damping.

Headphone Amp for Low Impedance Drive

The fully discrete, high performance headphone amp is compatible with low impedance drive. Its pure and powerful sound quality is best appreciated with high quality headphones.

Discrete Phono Amp

An extremely low-noise phono amp plus a dedicated MC head amp ensure excellent musical clarity and imaging with both MC and MM phono cartridges.

The AS-2000 comes with a five year warranty.

Yamaha's All-New Approach to Achieving Superior Performance

The development of the modern audio amplifier began in the 1960s with the introduction of full-transistor amplifiers. In the 1970s, pure complementary configured power amps appeared, made possible by high output PNP/NPN transistors, and became the dominant type of analogue amplifier. Now digital amps have become popular for their high conversion efficiency and superior operating precision, as well as for their lower weight, size and heat production as compared to analogue amps. Some manufacturers of audiophile-quality amps are working to improve the traditional pure complementary analogue amplifier, while others are seeking to achieve higher sound quality from digital amplifiers.

Yamaha has developed a third approach that we believe is superior to the other two. The Floating Balanced Power Amplifier uses patented technologies featuring power transistors with the same polarity at the output stage to achieve completely symmetrical operation. First introduced in the A-S2000, this method is also used to good effect in the A-S1000, which combines a floating balanced power amp section with a high quality pre-amp section. Simpler in configuration yet with many of the same sound quality features as the ultra high-end A-S2000, it will deliver excellent performance with the CD-S1000 Super Audio CD Player and other high quality components.

High Performance Amplifier that Brings Out the Best of Other Components

The power amp, power supply, and phono EQ circuits that contribute to the A-S1000's high sound quality are identical to those of the A-S2000, while the line amp section and volume and tone circuits are nearly the same. Designed to take full advantage of the excellent sonic qualities of the matching CD-S1000, the A-S1000 will also bring out the best of other high performance components.

Floating Balanced Power Amplifier

With the A-S2000 and now the A-S1000, Yamaha has taken the bold step of using a floating balanced configuration to update the power amplifier for serious music fans. This method, which is completely different from the pure complementary circuit that has been the main type used for the past four decades, features identical polarity on the plus and minus side of the output stage. By completely isolating the plus and minus sides of the left and right channels of both the NFB and power supplies, it achieves perfectly symmetrical operation in the output stage. The use of four sets of floating power supply units (not connected to earth), provides further operating precision. The result is very low levels of noise and distortion for exceptionally pure and transparent sound quality.

Triple Parallel Electronic Volume and Tone Controls

Conventional audio amps have the volume and tone control circuits arranged in series (in line); when the tone controls are used, the signal route becomes more complicated, which can lower sound quality. Many high quality amps therefore have a default circuit that can be selected to bypass the tone controls, but this forces you to choose between tone control and optimum quality. The A-S2000 and A-S1000 are the first amplifiers to avoid this problem by employing triple parallel electronic volume and tone controls, providing maximum sound quality even when the tone controls are used (signal goes through fewer ICs, so there is less noise). When the tone controls are set to the centre position, the passive element used for tone control is bypassed, so the three volume elements connected in parallel operate solely to drive and control the volume, for more efficient use of the power output. Each volume element is an ultra-high quality device and an analogue potentiometer is used to provide a very smooth operating feel.

Fully Discrete Phono Equaliser and MC Head Amp

The A-S1000 uses a fully discrete phono equaliser circuit, making it's quality comparable to those in high-end control amps. With its high priority on maximising musical response, it is also equipped with a discrete head amp for MC cartridges. If you enjoy listening to records via high performance cartridges, the A-S1000 is an ideal choice.

Power Supply

Power is provided by four large capacity power supplies that are completely isolated from earth. In the pre-amp stage, the combination of a low-current circuit that prevents the occurrence of noise due to current fluctuation and 12 shunt regulators supply all stages with clean and stable power. The extra-large power transformer, the carbon sheath block capacitors and other parts that directly affect sound quality were chosen only after extensive testing.

Symmetrical Construction

Although it is an integrated amplifier, the A-S1000 has a completely left-right symmetrical construction that makes it virtually the equal of separate amps. A central reinforcing bar ensures that the chassis is totally rigid.

Specially Designed Feet

The base is equipped with height adjustable, solid steel feet that maximise stability and thoroughly dampen any external vibration.

Description

High Sound Quality

• ToP-ART (Total Purity Audio Reproduction Technology)
• I/O (input to output) Direct Symmetrical Design with top-quality parts, ART (Anti-Resonance and Tough) Base and solid center bar
• Pure Direct
• CD Direct Amplification
• High dynamic power, low-impedance drive capability
• Aluminium front panel and knobs

Advanced Features

• Continuously Variable Loudness Control
• Rotary-encoder input selector with LED
• Remote controllable motor-driven volume control
• Gold-plated input terminals
• Rec Out Selector
• Speaker A, B, A+B selection

The A-S700 is available in black and silver.