Cambridge Azur 640A, Deceptive looks

• "Don't be fooled by its looks, and even less by its price. Excellent in every respect."

• Price: €499

• Specialists' rating: 5

• Text: Ramon Sendra

When you catch the stereo bug and tend to follow the advice of salespeople in specialist stores, you often come away somewhat discouraged by the initial budget. That's normal; everyone wants to sell. I'm not saying it isn't legitimate, but it is worth trying components which, given their price, shouldn't be at the very top of absolute high fidelity. Yet they exist. One example is the stereo integrated amplifier we bring to these pages: the 640A from Cambridge Audio's Azur series, a range that has enjoyed great success precisely because of its superb value for money. If I were a newcomer myself, I would hardly pay attention to this amplifier, but since curiosity killed the cat, I would probably give in. This 640A deceives the eye. It looks very basic, and its weight of just 7 kg will put off those who still associate weight with quality. Of course, if I told you about its toroidal transformer, capable of delivering enough current for very full dynamics, about an electronic design that emphasizes the shortest signal path and the lowest possible distortion, about the use of aluminum in its construction or about its exceptional protection circuitry, many would pay more attention. Our guest delivers on all of the above, point by point. See how looks can be deceiving? Its connection panel includes up to 6 unbalanced stereo analog audio inputs, two line outputs for recording and a third serving as a preamp output, all gold-plated. Although there is an input labeled Aux/Phono, a phono preamplifier will be needed for a turntable. There are dual sets of speaker binding posts; higher-quality posts might have been desirable, but these do their job well.

The results are immediately apparent. Its 65 W of power will drive a wide variety of loudspeakers in living rooms of almost any size. There will be exceptions, of course, but they would make for a system unbalanced in terms of price. This Azur 640A proves truly versatile, with the dynamics and speed needed to reproduce anything from the most demanding symphony orchestra to modern electronic rock. Yet it is subtle and never temperamental with any intimate passage, whether jazz or acoustic. Even at low volumes.

This Azur is convincing when we let it show its hand. It offers very good value for money thanks to its all-round character and high current delivery capability (considering those 65 W). Obviously, there are better ones, but they cost more. With the Azur series, Cambridge Audio succeeds in bringing high fidelity to a wide audience at affordable prices. Give it a chance.

Cambridge Azur 640A, Deceptive looks

Specifications

Output power: 100 W into 4 ohms; 65 W into 8 ohms. Maximum power consumption: 615 W. Standby power: 6 W. Total harmonic distortion: <0.005% at 1 kHz. <0.07% at 20 kHz (unweighted). Frequency response: 4 Hz to 80 kHz (+3 dB, -3 dB). Signal-to-noise ratio: 92 dB (unweighted). Slew rate: 50 V/uS (into 8 ohms). Dimensions: 100 x 430 x 310 mm. Weight: 7 kg.

Distributor: ProTech (902430410).

Price: €499