*Cambridge Audio CX61 0:11 first song 2:28 second song 4:06 third song 5:21 fourth song 7:29 fifth song 9:03 sixth song **Rotel RA-1062 10:38 first song 12:02 second song 12:54 third song 13:40 fourth song 14:34 fifth song 15:05 sixth song ***Marantz NR1200 15:51 first song 17:25 second song 18:41 third song 19:42 fourth song 20:38 fifth song 21:28 sixth song 😊
I have the CX61 on the 3050i and I can tell you, they are a perfect fit for my ears. Give them a little breathing room and a good album. You will never say again this speakers sound boring !!! But one observation I made is, they like it if you go to slightly elevated volume levels. I do not talk deafening levels but upper levels of room volume. Try and be blown away.
Hello, nice comparison video. Personally rotel and Cambridge are quite close. I have rotel RA1520 paired with Kef R300 very satisfying sound. But i am always checking HiFi s for a future update. Cambridge amplifiers are on my wishlist.
@@HiFiSB hello again, i would like to hear your point of view. I am tempting to change my amplifier (rotel Ra 1520) to primare i22(found a second hand at 500€). Rotel is not a bad amplifier but i am looking for more musical sound. Paired with kef r300 rotel has nice sound stage and enough detail but something is missing. Nevertheless i don't want if worth the money and the trouble to make that change. My sources are vinyl and cd, pro ject 1xpression with grado gold - Marantz cd player. Look forward to hearing your thoughts. Mel
@@meletisstavridis3125 I can't help you much with equipment that you've mentioned since I don't recall that I've had experience with them. If you're missing something in the sound, try to analyze from the top to the bottom, top being environment, then speakers, amp and so on... Sometimes, small corrections in speaker position could have positive impact on the sound. But, on the other hand, everything I red about Primare is that it is decent brand. And the price you've mentioned is good price for that amp which usually goes much higher in SH.
Nice test! I find there's way too much bass overall (probably because of the room acoustics), but this gives a good idea of the overall sound signature of each amp :)
Woah, just the right pair I'm looking for between Marantz NR1200 and Q Acoustics 3050i. Is it perfect match for starter owner of floorstand speaker? Thank you for the video
+ Yes, I like laid back sound of Q Acoustics. From some time distance, I beleive that it would be better match to add something more sparkly than Marantz, let's say Rotel A11 Tribute would be good match I suppose.
Hi Silvio, first of all thank you for your test! Your video is extremely useful...with headphones on, we are able to taste all the differences. Please I have a question: why do you use an external DAC (topping E30) to test the 3 devices? In this way aren't you bypassing the internal DAC of each of them? Sorry for the question, I need to understand if their DAC is "enough" or if the Topping E30 is a "must have" to reach this audio quality.
Thanks for the comment. I can't recall why I used the same external DAC. :) But from my experience, CA has pretty decent internal DAC. Marantz is also ok as all in one device and it's DAC. I didn't spend too much time with Rotel unfortunately.
Rotel fits them best, giving control and killing owersweetnes. Marantz sounds the best with vocals. cambridge sounds more atractive with more fullnes like, but...think....can become to fatiguing witl longer listening. Rotel is winner here....for me. But...there is allweys something diferent in ouer taste and expectationes.
I have to agree with this review. I only listened to the 3rd song for comparison. I found it was the most available contrast between sound and no sound. the Cambridge creates a wide stage. It's broad and impressive, but it muddies the details, not much but a little. The marantz impressed me, I found myself tapping my foot to the bass line. It is the most enjoyable. I would buy it for my mom to listen to. But, the Rotel showed the most accuracy to me. I could hear everything, including the space on the left hallway that was irritating me. I would pick it, hear and could mess with the DAC, speaker combo, and feel that I had a good foundation to build on. Not everyone feels this way. Thanks for giving us options.
Man I was contemplating these same Amps with the 3050i's too! I went with NR1200 only because if the HDMI port so I can watch my HD amazon music on my TV and have go thru speakers/ Amp. but really wanted the CX61
@@HiFiSBthanks. Choosing my first amplifier nearly got me in the hospital 😂 there is just so much to choose from. I finally went for Lyngdorf TDAI-1120 paired with KEF R3 Meta. I am very happy with final result.
Hello heard the demo using iems. I think rotel sound a bit more dynamic that the cambridge and a bit brighter. Do you think that the cambridge is a bit compresed sounnding or the rotel has a bit of color to it thats gives a bit extra punch? In General which out of these three you think sound more natural and neutral?
CXA61 is my pick when we speak about enjoyment in music. it is potent and fun amplifier. It has that spark that other two don't have. My second pick would be Marantz in this setup. Rotel on the third place but it might be lack of synergy with these speakers.
Great demo and comparison! I have the 3050i and I love them, I was thinking of buying the Cambridge CXA60, now I have them connected to a Nad C352, I really like the way they sound but sometimes I notice that something is missing for the speakers to give their full potential. Have you been able to test it with a similar Nad? would you do this amp change? Cheers
The good thing about Q Acoustics is that they scale very well with better electronics. Cambridge has been proven as good match for these speakers due to lively nature and decent control. I heard even better things about Roksan amps as good match. NAD is nice amp but if I remember correctly, it might be better match for some speakers that are more bright than Q.
It's in similar price range over here in Croatia. When I was buying NR1200, CX61 was just a little bit more expensive. I thought that HDMI connections will provide more comfort but to tell the truth, I barely use those connections nowadays. It would be much better choice to go for dedicated integrated instead of all-in-one. CX61 is clearly superior device when it comes to sound quality.
I read some reviews indicating that bass frequencies are quite poor on 3050i despite the position of the speakers or the amplifier. They recommend a sub like a SVS to remedy this defect. Is that true?
Are you using the Topping external dac during this test ? If so, would you still prefer the Cambridge if one did not use a separate dac? I am thinking about buying the Cambridge, but would rely on the internal dac for streaming . Thank you
So tiny difference between 2 amplifiers of the same category, and so much between 2 speakers... Same for cables or turntable. That's why I concentrate on the choice of the speakers and one look at the specs of my amp to choose it.
It seems that the Cambridge beefs up every song and it is not to my liking, the sound is not clear enough. Rotel and Marantz do that better, but the Cambridge sounds more musical, like the Marantz all beit a little more laid back. I tend to go for the Marantz in this comparision, but I think I would never buy one of these, nor the beefy and boxy sounding speakers. There are way better speakers and way better amps. Take an all in one from T+A or AVM for instance, musicality is better, clearness and resolution too, bass also superb sounding and mid range very good. Put a couple of second hand speakers to the set and you are good to go. They will make any speaker sound good. These all in ones will crush any separate amplifier/streamer/dac combination for up to 25K. The English sound is done for folks.
There is always something better around the corner. ;-) It depends on the room. When I've moved to new place I had to get rid of these since I had too much bass. I'm happy owner of MA Silver 100 for couple of years but I started to look to upgrade...
Cambridge sounds much better to me. Better control and more lively which helps Q Acoustics. Marantz is ok but this comparison helped me to see/hear that speakers could sound better with better electronics.
Not very different , at least not here... Surprisingly Marantz kept up with the other two pretty good. Maybe the camera's mike is not enough revealing...Good job anyhow. Pozz.
Although I ended with CA CXA61, I still miss comfort of Marantz NR1200. It is decent all-in-one solution. Sound is a bit lazier than CXA61, that's for sure. :) But still good enough to compete with entry level dedicated amps.
@@HiFiSB I have been thinking of getting the CXA61 since they are on sale here (some $650) to replace my main listening integrated amp Audio Analogue Puccini SE ( made in Italy) which has non of the digital trickery, not even the remote (20+ years old). How ever, still not sure how much of the sound quality I will I lose...if any. I would hate to regret my move.
@@mickeystanic4750 I could only recommend CXA61. It is decent amp that punches way above its price range. If is fun, energetic and detailed with plenty of power despite its 60W rating. I don't even have a need for additional DAC since the one inside of the amp sounds great to me. Overall, you can't go wrong wit CXA61. In case that you don't like it, it is quite popular product and I believe that you can sell it quickly further on.
Thank you for sharting. unfortunately for my tastes either the speakers or microphone produce a kind of sound that particularly kills me, where middle range is very pronounced and it's weak in higher frequencies so it seems like a box. They sound too similar to me from this recordings. In other videos I could get something in Cambridge that I really didn't like: it seemed it was cutting too much the voice dynamic, a sort of excessive control in middle range. it's better if you play less songs bur for longer time so that voice reached its total extension that usually in the first bar is not used
*Cambridge Audio CX61
0:11 first song
2:28 second song
4:06 third song
5:21 fourth song
7:29 fifth song
9:03 sixth song
**Rotel RA-1062
10:38 first song
12:02 second song
12:54 third song
13:40 fourth song
14:34 fifth song
15:05 sixth song
***Marantz NR1200
15:51 first song
17:25 second song
18:41 third song
19:42 fourth song
20:38 fifth song
21:28 sixth song
😊
Thanks! :) I appreciate.
@@HiFiSB you’re welcome! 😊 , also welcome to the big RUclips family 😉
Thank you very much 👍👏
0:10 Cambridge Audio CX61
10:37 Rotel RA-1062
15:50 Marantz NR1200
Thx mate!
Thank you I love you
Nice clarity, spacious sound, wide and bold sound. Room filling presentation. Vocals and guitars shine.
I have the CX61 on the 3050i and I can tell you, they are a perfect fit for my ears.
Give them a little breathing room and a good album. You will never say again this speakers sound boring !!! But one observation I made is, they like it if you go to slightly elevated volume levels. I do not talk deafening levels but upper levels of room volume. Try and be blown away.
I'm just thinking about buying an amplifier and this comparison helped me a lot. Cambridge is audibly the best. Thanks so much for the test.
Yes, CXA series is great product.
Hello, nice comparison video. Personally rotel and Cambridge are quite close. I have rotel RA1520 paired with Kef R300 very satisfying sound. But i am always checking HiFi s for a future update. Cambridge amplifiers are on my wishlist.
I really like CX series. Sounds great with Q Acoustics.
@@HiFiSB hello again, i would like to hear your point of view.
I am tempting to change my amplifier (rotel Ra 1520) to primare i22(found a second hand at 500€). Rotel is not a bad amplifier but i am looking for more musical sound. Paired with kef r300 rotel has nice sound stage and enough detail but something is missing. Nevertheless i don't want if worth the money and the trouble to make that change.
My sources are vinyl and cd, pro ject 1xpression with grado gold - Marantz cd player.
Look forward to hearing your thoughts.
Mel
@@meletisstavridis3125 I can't help you much with equipment that you've mentioned since I don't recall that I've had experience with them. If you're missing something in the sound, try to analyze from the top to the bottom, top being environment, then speakers, amp and so on... Sometimes, small corrections in speaker position could have positive impact on the sound. But, on the other hand, everything I red about Primare is that it is decent brand. And the price you've mentioned is good price for that amp which usually goes much higher in SH.
Thx for this test, very well made!
Hi. In terms of sound, this speaker is at the level of which focal or b&w speaker model ??
Nice test! I find there's way too much bass overall (probably because of the room acoustics), but this gives a good idea of the overall sound signature of each amp :)
👍👏👏👏 Very well done and great songs 🎵 (Amy & George Michael ❤), Dire Straits ! Thank you so much. 3 great amplis
The 3050i - Top Gun Blueray, nice
Woah, just the right pair I'm looking for between Marantz NR1200 and Q Acoustics 3050i. Is it perfect match for starter owner of floorstand speaker? Thank you for the video
+
Yes, I like laid back sound of Q Acoustics. From some time distance, I beleive that it would be better match to add something more sparkly than Marantz, let's say Rotel A11 Tribute would be good match I suppose.
taking into account the price at which you can buy these amplifiers, Rotel wins
Many thanks for the test but we have no way of knowing which amp is used and when.
Look for the module on top of the amp..cheers!
Exactly this! :) Good observation.
Super sounds nice..
Hi Silvio, first of all thank you for your test! Your video is extremely useful...with headphones on, we are able to taste all the differences. Please I have a question: why do you use an external DAC (topping E30) to test the 3 devices? In this way aren't you bypassing the internal DAC of each of them? Sorry for the question, I need to understand if their DAC is "enough" or if the Topping E30 is a "must have" to reach this audio quality.
Thanks for the comment. I can't recall why I used the same external DAC. :) But from my experience, CA has pretty decent internal DAC. Marantz is also ok as all in one device and it's DAC. I didn't spend too much time with Rotel unfortunately.
As I'm watching on my phone I can't see which amp is playing. Might be better if you can indicate which is which.
Rotel fits them best, giving control and killing owersweetnes.
Marantz sounds the best with vocals.
cambridge sounds more atractive with more fullnes like, but...think....can become to fatiguing witl longer listening.
Rotel is winner here....for me.
But...there is allweys something diferent in ouer taste and expectationes.
I have to agree with this review. I only listened to the 3rd song for comparison.
I found it was the most available contrast between sound and no sound.
the Cambridge creates a wide stage. It's broad and impressive, but it muddies the details, not much but a little.
The marantz impressed me, I found myself tapping my foot to the bass line. It is the most enjoyable. I would buy it for my mom to listen to.
But, the Rotel showed the most accuracy to me. I could hear everything, including the space on the left hallway that was irritating me. I would pick it, hear and could mess with the DAC, speaker combo, and feel that I had a good foundation to build on.
Not everyone feels this way. Thanks for giving us options.
Man I was contemplating these same Amps with the 3050i's too! I went with NR1200 only because if the HDMI port so I can watch my HD amazon music on my TV and have go thru speakers/ Amp. but really wanted the CX61
Marantz is more comfortable option but CXA61 is really nice sounding amp. It depends how you listen to the music...
The Cambridge simply blows Rotel and Marantz out of the water here. The 3050i and Cambridge together...quite a good match.
I feel that differences are so small that it does not matter which one you go for in terms of sound quality.
It is always hard to get better impression when someone records video with the phone like I did. But in this case, CXA61 was clear winner.
@@HiFiSBthanks. Choosing my first amplifier nearly got me in the hospital 😂 there is just so much to choose from. I finally went for Lyngdorf TDAI-1120 paired with KEF R3 Meta. I am very happy with final result.
Amazing sound, music, and sound capture! Please tell me what audio equipment you have used to capture the sound? Thanks!
Thanks Grigore. I think that I had Samsung Ultra or S series at the time when I recorded this video.
Do you still have these speakers and are they worth buying? Thanks for your answer
No, I don't have them anymore but they are still worth buying. Those are nice speakers.
@SilvioBaricevic Thanks for your answer and can I ask what kind of speakers you have or what you recommend me to buy under 1000 euros thanks
@@HiFiSBwhat did you replace them with?
I have Monitor Silver 100 for some time now. IOTAVX stack driving those. Source is Tidal over WiiM mini connected to SMSL SU-1 DAC.
Thanks a lot Rotel it is
Hello heard the demo using iems. I think rotel sound a bit more dynamic that the cambridge and a bit brighter. Do you think that the cambridge is a bit compresed sounnding or the rotel has a bit of color to it thats gives a bit extra punch? In General which out of these three you think sound more natural and neutral?
CXA61 is my pick when we speak about enjoyment in music. it is potent and fun amplifier. It has that spark that other two don't have. My second pick would be Marantz in this setup. Rotel on the third place but it might be lack of synergy with these speakers.
@@HiFiSB Thanks !
Greetings, great presentation! What is your source? A streamer ?
Hi, in this case it was Chromecast Audio.
Great demo and comparison! I have the 3050i and I love them, I was thinking of buying the Cambridge CXA60, now I have them connected to a Nad C352, I really like the way they sound but sometimes I notice that something is missing for the speakers to give their full potential. Have you been able to test it with a similar Nad? would you do this amp change? Cheers
The good thing about Q Acoustics is that they scale very well with better electronics. Cambridge has been proven as good match for these speakers due to lively nature and decent control. I heard even better things about Roksan amps as good match. NAD is nice amp but if I remember correctly, it might be better match for some speakers that are more bright than Q.
The CX 61 is a $1000 in the US. The other 2 had MSRP of $700. Should mention price.
It's in similar price range over here in Croatia. When I was buying NR1200, CX61 was just a little bit more expensive. I thought that HDMI connections will provide more comfort but to tell the truth, I barely use those connections nowadays. It would be much better choice to go for dedicated integrated instead of all-in-one. CX61 is clearly superior device when it comes to sound quality.
I love it
I read some reviews indicating that bass frequencies are quite poor on 3050i despite the position of the speakers or the amplifier. They recommend a sub like a SVS to remedy this defect. Is that true?
yeah 16.5 cm (6.5") is quite small for a woofer. By experience, I would rather recommend 8" or more (20cm +) for the woofer(s).
Bass is quite good I would say. When I moved into different apartment, I had to get rid off of these speakers because I had too much bass.
Marantz has better control over music. Better tone than other two.
GRACIAS SILVIO. 😄
Hi sir may i ask what kind of gadgets you used in your video I can say its a superb sound quality
Everything is in description and the title I think.
Are you using the Topping external dac during this test ? If so, would you still prefer the Cambridge if one did not use a separate dac? I am thinking about buying the Cambridge, but would rely on the internal dac for streaming . Thank you
DAC in CXA61 is excellent.
Hi could you let me know how to connect the Rotel to your Tv as it doesn’t have any digital out put? A DAC ?
Yes, external DAC would be solution for that.
Try pulling them further away from wall
i am marantz pm6003...and qacoustis 3050.
Play the same track on all amplifiers
So tiny difference between 2 amplifiers of the same category, and so much between 2 speakers...
Same for cables or turntable. That's why I concentrate on the choice of the speakers and one look at the specs of my amp to choose it.
I agree. Speakers influence the sound much more than anything else.
It seems that the Cambridge beefs up every song and it is not to my liking, the sound is not clear enough. Rotel and Marantz do that better, but the Cambridge sounds more musical, like the Marantz all beit a little more laid back. I tend to go for the Marantz in this comparision, but I think I would never buy one of these, nor the beefy and boxy sounding speakers. There are way better speakers and way better amps. Take an all in one from T+A or AVM for instance, musicality is better, clearness and resolution too, bass also superb sounding and mid range very good. Put a couple of second hand speakers to the set and you are good to go. They will make any speaker sound good. These all in ones will crush any separate amplifier/streamer/dac combination for up to 25K. The English sound is done for folks.
There is always something better around the corner. ;-) It depends on the room. When I've moved to new place I had to get rid of these since I had too much bass. I'm happy owner of MA Silver 100 for couple of years but I started to look to upgrade...
Bass is very heavy
The right speaker needs space
🥰🥰
1.Cambridge ma šťavu.2.Marantz da sa.3.rotel.nedá sa.
Yes, I've ended with CXA as my choice of amp.
Wow...Cambridge comes in dead last for me. Marantz wins easily...shoot. /:
I don't know. The Cambridge sounds better than the Rotel. The Marantz sounds really good and is actually made in Japan I believe
Cambridge sounds much better to me. Better control and more lively which helps Q Acoustics. Marantz is ok but this comparison helped me to see/hear that speakers could sound better with better electronics.
Kembridg good
Wonderful amp for the price.
Not very different , at least not here...
Surprisingly Marantz kept up with the other two pretty good. Maybe the camera's mike is not enough revealing...Good job anyhow. Pozz.
Although I ended with CA CXA61, I still miss comfort of Marantz NR1200. It is decent all-in-one solution. Sound is a bit lazier than CXA61, that's for sure. :) But still good enough to compete with entry level dedicated amps.
@@HiFiSB I have been thinking of getting the CXA61 since they are on sale here (some $650) to replace my main listening integrated amp Audio Analogue Puccini SE ( made in Italy) which has non of the digital trickery, not even the remote (20+ years old). How ever, still not sure how much of the sound quality I will I lose...if any. I would hate to regret my move.
@@mickeystanic4750 I could only recommend CXA61. It is decent amp that punches way above its price range. If is fun, energetic and detailed with plenty of power despite its 60W rating. I don't even have a need for additional DAC since the one inside of the amp sounds great to me. Overall, you can't go wrong wit CXA61. In case that you don't like it, it is quite popular product and I believe that you can sell it quickly further on.
@@HiFiSBGood point. Going to check it out this weekend. Thank you for the input. Cheers!
i remember my old 3050.....too much bass for me.
It comes handy if you listen at lower volume.
@@HiFiSB So true, exact reason why I got a (smaller 8") subwoofer for my secondary system with book shelf speakers and Marantz NR1200.
Thank you for sharting. unfortunately for my tastes either the speakers or microphone produce a kind of sound that particularly kills me, where middle range is very pronounced and it's weak in higher frequencies so it seems like a box. They sound too similar to me from this recordings. In other videos I could get something in Cambridge that I really didn't like: it seemed it was cutting too much the voice dynamic, a sort of excessive control in middle range. it's better if you play less songs bur for longer time so that voice reached its total extension that usually in the first bar is not used
Recorded with phone. Not the best result at the end. In reality it definitely sounds at least little bit different. This is just for fun and info.