CES 2008: Cambridge Audio Azur 840W Power Amp & Azur 840E Pre Amp

Shiny silver powerhouses from the UK

11 January 2008 17:56 GMT / By Duncan Madden

Cambridge Audio has had another great year with plaudits aplenty, and the Azur 840 Class XD power amplifier and Azur 840E pre-amp combo unveiled at this year’s CES Las Vegas look set to keep the UK company in favour.

The 840W is the peak of CA’s Azur series and features second-gen class XD technology with a meaty 200W @ 8 Ohms and 500W into 8 Ohms bridged mono for humungous load driving capability and the very best speaker set ups.

The flux toroidal transformer has a huge 1200VA power rating, while the system allows for biamp or bridged mono modes. The chassis is acoustically dampened with a 7mm solid aluminium front panel and is available in silver or black.

Tailored to match the 840W is the 840E pre-amp. It sports CA’s new Terrapin amp modules to garner the very best sonic fidelity from the 840W, with a sophisticated resistor ladder and relay based attenuator for precise volume and balance control. You can now turn this system up and down by 1dB.

There are eight inputs, single ended phono/RCA, RS232 port, IR emitter In and Control Bus In/Out for integration with install systems and a Trigger In/Out for auto power up and down with the 840W power amp.

Both are available in the spring, with the 840W setting you back £1000 and the 840E £750.