I got my CXN100 a couple Weeks ago and i love it. It´s so simple to use especially with the App. Paired with a Marantz Stereo 70s and the Buchardt S400 MK2 it is just pure Joy to listen to.
Toodle pip. Got the CXN100 as an upgrade from my CXN v2 but I returned it and kept the v2. The dial feels better and more functional on the v2 and the CXN100 significantly raised the dependency on the app and I didn't want to be that dependent even though I can run the app on multiple devices, like my M series MBP and Mac Mini.
I use the CXN (version 1) in my office system every day (USB thumb drive with FLAC files) and love it. I use the Node X at home for headphone listening and love it there. The great thing in today's world is the vast variety of great options. Thanks again!
Feel better quickly, John! My number one streamer, which has been for a very long time, is the very simple Apple TV 4K. Despite the "Low Res" sample rates, I'll take the convenience and very large cover art over the sound "Quality" of the others.
picked up a CXN V2 a couple years ago partially off the back of your previous reviews. Been excellent , no fuss, so easy to use and has never missed a beat.
I’ve got the CXN100 and did a compare against the eversolo A6. I found the A6 to sound sharper at the top end and almost, dare I say it, cold and a bit shrill, whereas the CA (both the cxnv2 and 100) sound fuller and more traditional hifi sounding (warmer) to me than the A6. I really hope CA does a deal and adds native Apple Music like the A6 as that’s the one feature I really loved on that device, alongside the touchscreen, which is beautiful. For now the 100 plays the music I want, the stream magic app just works and I don’t get any issues and that’s what I need, but dang I wish Apple Music was a native/connect app on the 100 like tidal. Cmon Cambridge audio, play nice with Apple please.
Good review. Was waiting for Darko to speak out. That extra 100 Quid goes on par with the CXN100. The WiFi dongle of CXNV2 was san extra £85 that needed to be bought separately. The warmer tonality of the CXNV2 is what may not make me want to switch. I love the warmth of the CXNV2.
I'm in agreement with you that the absence of HDMI is a head scratcher. Many users will want to connect this device using that type of connection. I know there are work arounds, but this seems like an anti-convenience 'feature'. The cost to add this capability is simply not that great.
I have upgraded to the CXN100 from V2 and love it. With the latest updated software installed I would like to add that it works wonders if you have the matching CXC Transport. All of my CDs sound better and with a larger soundstage, too.
Toodle Pip! A timely review! I'm looking for a new streamer and you steered me in the right direction with the RPi/Volumio combo I've been using for a few years so far.
Just got my first hifi system today so amazing, though I went with an all in one intergrated amp ( ARCAM SA30) to save some space, been running it all day haha! Again another amazing viedo!
This streaming dac is exactly what i m looking for in hifi. Classic but not vintage. Would be nice with my cxa81 amp and cxc cd transport. ❤ Nice Cambridge
Just came to say that I love that Cambridge Audio is using the album art for Overmono’s Good Lies for all their product literature and advertisement. CXN would look great with my CXA81 but I went the cheap route and went with a Wiim Pro for my streaming purposes.
I have the Cambridge amp and cd transport. I'm very happy with them, but there are little niggles that I think are worth mentioning because adjacent to the CXN100. The remote you refer to looks exactly like mine - if it is, then the symbols on the buttons will rub off pretty quickly. It looks like the volume control on the CXN100 is also similar to my amp's which may mean there's no indication of volume level to the eye - I ended up applying a little piece of tape to address that. While I'm here, I'll also mention that the display on the CXA cd transport is very difficult to see in daylight and impossible if it's located above eye level on a cabinet. Toodle pip and wishing you a speedy recovery.
I owned the V2 for two years. It's a nice unit and I doubt that there are differences that justify an upgrade to the V100.. other than upgraditis! 😉 I recently switched to a Bridge-DAC-Kombo in a significant higher price-region.. that upgrade is audible. 😁
Good timing John! Enjoyed the video, and I am demoing the CXN100 right now feeding my M23. Its good, but I am not 100% convinced. Very interested in your next streamer DAC vids accordingly. Toodle Pip!
I stuck it out until the end. I hope you feel better. This was very informative as I have the CXN2 and this helps me understand the sound difference between the two. I too feel like they missed the HDMI mark on this one. Hope all is well.
I wish you would have told us about your cold at the beginning of the video, my audiophile ocd had me thinking what could be going and what do I need to buy to fix it it throughout. Sigh of relief at last, keep it up John! Top vid as usual.
You do sound rough John. Hope Olaf's using the long lens. Good review, thank you: not something I'm looking at just now but always good to be informed. I would be interested to hear your perspective on the music scene in Berlin, as we have similar tastes. Cheers.
What are the speaker stands that you have for the Zu DWX? I'm thinking of getting a pair but am having trouble finding some stands that would fit. The Wharfedale Linton stands are about the right fit, but as you said before, the wood grain made to match the Linton speakers just doesn't look good with the Zu's. I was thinking perhaps the KLH Model 3 stands, or the JBL L82 stands. But I rather like the ones that you have here.
Thank you John, for a rather concise but nonetheless informative overview of these particularly priced streaming DACs. I glean from your insights that there really isn’t too much to choose from between these streamers, or rather, the most apposite differences are feature not SQ-based. I’m in the market for a new streamer, my eyes are looking towards the Eversolo A8 (so, your next vid will be much anticipated) or something like the Naim ND5XS2. Thank you again for your marvellous channel. (I am a cheapskate non-patreon, non-subscriber, but I really admire your work and ethics in this field of reviewing and infotainment). Regards, Geoff
Toodle pip. As the owner of a Bluesound Node X in my office and the combination of CXN V2 and a DacMagic 200M in my living room I find this video very interesting. As I am using the V2 as a streamer to the DacMagic I wonder what the differences between my combo and the CXN100 will be. They share the same Dac. As does the Node X actually.
Still drooling on those zu's .. but have the v2 .. as it is with Cambridge the difference will be very evolutionary and that is what is brilliant about it. But then the v2 was a Goliath so why change something that's not broken. Glad they updated it to 2024 in the screen department. The screen itself lowers the noise floor and improves instrument seperation a wee bit by 15% over the outgoing model 😅... Feel better. We all have this throat flu bug thing. Just recovered myself.
John; great video. I like the new streaming devices, which are increasingly providing touch screens but, they are still a bit small to view from my sweet spot. This is why I enjoy RUclips Premium music videos.... just wish the streamer manufacturers would provide a method of projecting/connections with our televisions... Just thinking. Get well soon bro.
My personal conclusion/opinion is : its way overpriced and just different than the cxn v2 , not better. IMO a Wiim pro or an Octavio stream using digital out + a decent external dac (used rega dac, or a chord mojo 2 just for example )would be a way more clever buy at that price point.
Toodle pip, old boy!. Good video, interesting as I am contemplating jumping forward my hifi setup a quarter of a century. I am getting old and really can't be arsed to turn over LPs so I am streaming more and more of my music from Tidal. At present I have a Heath Robinson setup with a Wiim mini and Cambridge Audio dac connected in to my pre turn of the Century pre amp power amp etc.
Another good review featuring side by side comparisons. In terms of sound quality and your descriptions of the 4 streamers the competition for my money is between the 2 Cambridge units. Dare I ask what man flu is?
Hallo. Offtopic: I wish you could do a review of the new FiiO R9 soon (they've jumped from the R7 to the R9). One thing I was expecting and they haven't corrected is about the ethernet, it's still 10/100 when nowadays any decent device has 10/100/1000 Gigabit ethernet.
Toodle pip! Will you check the Fiio R9? Double the power output of the R7 and add an hdmi input, that's for the spec side, and it's double the price. It seems to me a bit excessive to double the price for that.
The R9 has a much better DAC stage and power supply as well plus a real USB sync chip that doesn’t lag. @darko audio has had this lying around in previous videos but who knows if it will get a review slot.
John, great video thank you. I am checking the smaller MXN10 as target buy but the question is: do companies like Cambridge Audio have long term agreements with streaming companies?. It happened to me with Sony entry level TVs or Blu rays that after 5-6 years you get a message such us "Netflix will not be supported in this device as of next month". I can cope with that for a 100 usd device, but when you spend 1000, is there any backup on this point?. Thank you
Is that beautiful cabinet vintage or new? If vintage, do you have problems with your equipment's rubber(?) feet leaving marks in the vintage finish? I've messed up two pieces thus far. If yes, start eating Renée's 'dressing and dip' in the 355 mL bottle. (We put the Cucumber & Dill on salmon prior to baking.) Under the screw-top lids are plasticy foam (or foamy plastic) inserts that acts as airtight seals. They're white, thin and easy to remove, not being glued in. And they're superb at protecting vintage furniture from cruel rubber feet! I've collected over a dozen so far and I'm happy with them. Again, they're quite thin and so visually not too noticeable at less than 3/4 of a mm thick. They're round, 62 mm in diameter, and glossy on either side. Some might think they have a cushiony feel to them (I do). And they're free! Good luck! :)
If you have older CX series equipment, and you think this is going to match it, it's good to know that the color does not match. The brushed aluminum was replaced with painted gray plastic (looks much cheaper) and the shade isn't the same.
The app/UI is everything on a streamer so for me it would be the Eversolo or the Bluesound. Currently running 3 Nodes so i guess im a bit biased but bluOS is pretty good.
Toodle pip! Hello John. I almost bought the V2 a few years ago, but decided to go for the much cheaper Node 2i. The only thing I’m missing from the node is the ability to stream stuff from the BBC sounds app without tieing up my device. I really need BBC to create a “connect” version of Sounds that works with Bluesound.
What do you think of Eversolo DMP-A8? Is it better than DMP-A6? Would love to see your review and comparison. I’ve seen others, but I favor your opinion. LOL.
My mother is toodle piping you from her grave in Vernal Utah… have you ever tried to review a Pathos product? I love their stuff. I have their classic mark 3 mono amps & their headphone/preamp. It’s a bit pricey setup, but it’s very articulate with a pinch of guts that sounds just right with my speakers
Ok John, if you must do a paid promotion inside a video, this is the way to do it - showcase a feature of the amp that you would have touched on anyway and get paid for it? Brilliant! Toodle Pip!
I was glad to hear that my quite new CXN V2 has not been made obsolete!
How much is it these days?
Johns going through puberty. That voice. Better late than never.
Thank you for comparing to the CXN v2! I had a feeling they would be quite similar, and this helped confirm that I can focus on other upgrades.
I got my CXN100 a couple Weeks ago and i love it. It´s so simple to use especially with the App. Paired with a Marantz Stereo 70s and the Buchardt S400 MK2 it is just pure Joy to listen to.
Toodle pip. Got the CXN100 as an upgrade from my CXN v2 but I returned it and kept the v2. The dial feels better and more functional on the v2 and the CXN100 significantly raised the dependency on the app and I didn't want to be that dependent even though I can run the app on multiple devices, like my M series MBP and Mac Mini.
And soundwise?
I do hope you get to feeling better soon!
"A total Dad remote", thank you John, something for me at last!! Get well soon, always great content.
I love your videos! Thank you! I bought the CXN100 and I personally like it better than the Hifi Rose streamer that was $5K that I returned.
Thanks for this. I have the CXN and was considering the upgrade, but think I’ll stick with what I have for now. Thanks as always.
I use the CXN (version 1) in my office system every day (USB thumb drive with FLAC files) and love it. I use the Node X at home for headphone listening and love it there. The great thing in today's world is the vast variety of great options. Thanks again!
Feel better quickly, John! My number one streamer, which has been for a very long time, is the very simple Apple TV 4K. Despite the "Low Res" sample rates, I'll take the convenience and very large cover art over the sound "Quality" of the others.
Toodle pip, thanks for getting the old CXN back to compare! Really helpful comparison to have.
picked up a CXN V2 a couple years ago partially off the back of your previous reviews. Been excellent , no fuss, so easy to use and has never missed a beat.
Another interesting review thanks John. Toodle Pip 😊 Hope the man flu clears up soon.
I’ve got the CXN100 and did a compare against the eversolo A6. I found the A6 to sound sharper at the top end and almost, dare I say it, cold and a bit shrill, whereas the CA (both the cxnv2 and 100) sound fuller and more traditional hifi sounding (warmer) to me than the A6.
I really hope CA does a deal and adds native Apple Music like the A6 as that’s the one feature I really loved on that device, alongside the touchscreen, which is beautiful.
For now the 100 plays the music I want, the stream magic app just works and I don’t get any issues and that’s what I need, but dang I wish Apple Music was a native/connect app on the 100 like tidal. Cmon Cambridge audio, play nice with Apple please.
3:30 No, you're absolutely right. No HDMI eARC in that price category is indeed a missed opportunity. It's not you, it's them.
Appreciate seeing the Red Hot Chili Pepper button demo'd!
Good review. Was waiting for Darko to speak out.
That extra 100 Quid goes on par with the CXN100. The WiFi dongle of CXNV2 was san extra £85 that needed to be bought separately.
The warmer tonality of the CXNV2 is what may not make me want to switch. I love the warmth of the CXNV2.
Stayed until the end....no struggle... very good video.. and informative as always
Thanks JD, I made it to the end yes, get well soon man.
I'm in agreement with you that the absence of HDMI is a head scratcher. Many users will want to connect this device using that type of connection. I know there are work arounds, but this seems like an anti-convenience 'feature'. The cost to add this capability is simply not that great.
I have upgraded to the CXN100 from V2 and love it. With the latest updated software installed I would like to add that it works wonders if you have the matching CXC Transport. All of my CDs sound better and with a larger soundstage, too.
An ever changing view is so good!!
Todal piip! Always looking forward for your videos 😊. Keep up the good work mate.
Toodle Pip! A timely review! I'm looking for a new streamer and you steered me in the right direction with the RPi/Volumio combo I've been using for a few years so far.
Toodle pip! Hope you're feeling better soon. Excellent video as usual. Thanks
oh man I can't wait for next week's video to see what the 2x cost model is going to be, and to hear how John's hoarse voice is developing.
Toodle pip. Well done as always John. Get well soon and greetings from Sydney.
Just got my first hifi system today so amazing, though I went with an all in one intergrated amp ( ARCAM SA30) to save some space, been running it all day haha!
Again another amazing viedo!
Love that you showed my favorite band in this video.... The Rosebuds! However, I prefer their album Birds Make Good Neighbors. Love your reviews!
Well done John. A real nice piece of gear. Hope you feel better.
This streaming dac is exactly what i m looking for in hifi. Classic but not vintage. Would be nice with my cxa81 amp and cxc cd transport. ❤ Nice Cambridge
Just came to say that I love that Cambridge Audio is using the album art for Overmono’s Good Lies for all their product literature and advertisement. CXN would look great with my CXA81 but I went the cheap route and went with a Wiim Pro for my streaming purposes.
Toodle pip, with that voice a late night FM radio DJ gig is in your future!
ToodlePip, hope you mend well and thank you for the streamer coverage.
I have the Cambridge amp and cd transport. I'm very happy with them, but there are little niggles that I think are worth mentioning because adjacent to the CXN100. The remote you refer to looks exactly like mine - if it is, then the symbols on the buttons will rub off pretty quickly. It looks like the volume control on the CXN100 is also similar to my amp's which may mean there's no indication of volume level to the eye - I ended up applying a little piece of tape to address that. While I'm here, I'll also mention that the display on the CXA cd transport is very difficult to see in daylight and impossible if it's located above eye level on a cabinet. Toodle pip and wishing you a speedy recovery.
Get well soon John
I owned the V2 for two years. It's a nice unit and I doubt that there are differences that justify an upgrade to the V100.. other than upgraditis! 😉
I recently switched to a Bridge-DAC-Kombo in a significant higher price-region.. that upgrade is audible. 😁
Love the stands you’re using for the Zu’s. I settled on the Warfdale stands but yours are way better looking.
Good timing John! Enjoyed the video, and I am demoing the CXN100 right now feeding my M23. Its good, but I am not 100% convinced. Very interested in your next streamer DAC vids accordingly. Toodle Pip!
Not the only side by side comparison - I, too, am streaming with man flu. You sounded a little higher in the mid range than me!
I really appreciate all the music recommendations in this review… I’ll be busy!
Toodle pip, I’m off to listen.
Great. Was waiting for this video! ❤
I stuck it out until the end. I hope you feel better. This was very informative as I have the CXN2 and this helps me understand the sound difference between the two. I too feel like they missed the HDMI mark on this one. Hope all is well.
Toodle Pip. Despite the man flu, great insight as always. Hope you’re better soon.
Toodle pip, and high end tequila will chase your xold away faster!! Great comparison, and liok forward to what you get fir twice as much.
I wish you would have told us about your cold at the beginning of the video, my audiophile ocd had me thinking what could be going and what do I need to buy to fix it it throughout. Sigh of relief at last, keep it up John! Top vid as usual.
You do sound rough John. Hope Olaf's using the long lens. Good review, thank you: not something I'm looking at just now but always good to be informed.
I would be interested to hear your perspective on the music scene in Berlin, as we have similar tastes. Cheers.
Get well soon, the audio world needs you!
What are the speaker stands that you have for the Zu DWX? I'm thinking of getting a pair but am having trouble finding some stands that would fit. The Wharfedale Linton stands are about the right fit, but as you said before, the wood grain made to match the Linton speakers just doesn't look good with the Zu's. I was thinking perhaps the KLH Model 3 stands, or the JBL L82 stands. But I rather like the ones that you have here.
In the same boat here, those stands are fire!
Pitchfork, thanks for the recommendation 👍🏼
Toodle pip! Thanks mate. Love these streaming dac comparisons
toodle pip very pleased with my new cxn 100, running into an old school NAIT 1and out to Monitor 252s
Very informative as always.
Thank you John, for a rather concise but nonetheless informative overview of these particularly priced streaming DACs.
I glean from your insights that there really isn’t too much to choose from between these streamers, or rather, the most apposite differences are feature not SQ-based.
I’m in the market for a new streamer, my eyes are looking towards the Eversolo A8 (so, your next vid will be much anticipated) or something like the Naim ND5XS2.
Thank you again for your marvellous channel.
(I am a cheapskate non-patreon, non-subscriber, but I really admire your work and ethics in this field of reviewing and infotainment).
Regards,
Geoff
Thank god I didn't comment on your new voice b4 u did 😊
Toodle pip.
As the owner of a Bluesound Node X in my office and the combination of CXN V2 and a DacMagic 200M in my living room I find this video very interesting.
As I am using the V2 as a streamer to the DacMagic I wonder what the differences between my combo and the CXN100 will be. They share the same Dac. As does the Node X actually.
Node x is sweet 👍
Feel better. Well done
Still drooling on those zu's .. but have the v2 .. as it is with Cambridge the difference will be very evolutionary and that is what is brilliant about it. But then the v2 was a Goliath so why change something that's not broken. Glad they updated it to 2024 in the screen department. The screen itself lowers the noise floor and improves instrument seperation a wee bit by 15% over the outgoing model 😅... Feel better. We all have this throat flu bug thing. Just recovered myself.
John; great video. I like the new streaming devices, which are increasingly providing touch screens but, they are still a bit small to view from my sweet spot. This is why I enjoy RUclips Premium music videos.... just wish the streamer manufacturers would provide a method of projecting/connections with our televisions... Just thinking. Get well soon bro.
Toodle pip, thanks for the review as it has been on my radar since it's launch and usual the 1st informative Cambridge side by side review.
Toodle pip😁 I made it, though, John. I hope you're feeling better soon, mate.👍🎧🙂
Dude, I hope what ever is going on with your voice improves ❤.
Best comparison of CXN new and old, on web. Toodle pip.
Poodle Tip it is ! Thank you for this very informative episode .
Toodle Pip! Nice video as always 😊
Get well soon. You should have led with the health report before I spent most of the video trying to adjust the DSP settings on my Vanatoos
Toodle pip - thank you for yet another great video :)
Toodle pip - John is still my favourite reviewer
Enjoyable as always John. Toodle Pip.
toodles! nicely done, despite the cold.
My personal conclusion/opinion is : its way overpriced and just different than the cxn v2 , not better.
IMO a Wiim pro or an Octavio stream using digital out + a decent external dac (used rega dac, or a chord mojo 2 just for example )would be a way more clever buy at that price point.
Toodle pip, old boy!. Good video, interesting as I am contemplating jumping forward my hifi setup a quarter of a century. I am getting old and really can't be arsed to turn over LPs so I am streaming more and more of my music from Tidal. At present I have a Heath Robinson setup with a Wiim mini and Cambridge Audio dac connected in to my pre turn of the Century pre amp power amp etc.
Gute Besserung!
A pity that is not made on black. I'm waiting a Triangle's BR09 feedback with enthusiasm! Thanx for your job!
I had endless problems with the Streammagic U.I. Went back to BluOs. Never fails. Granted, I'm not very technical.
Another good review featuring side by side comparisons. In terms of sound quality and your descriptions of the 4 streamers the competition for my money is between the 2 Cambridge units. Dare I ask what man flu is?
Get well soon!
Hallo.
Offtopic: I wish you could do a review of the new FiiO R9 soon (they've jumped from the R7 to the R9). One thing I was expecting and they haven't corrected is about the ethernet, it's still 10/100 when nowadays any decent device has 10/100/1000 Gigabit ethernet.
Good work as always, toodle pip!
Toodle pip!
Will you check the Fiio R9? Double the power output of the R7 and add an hdmi input, that's for the spec side, and it's double the price. It seems to me a bit excessive to double the price for that.
The R9 has a much better DAC stage and power supply as well plus a real USB sync chip that doesn’t lag. @darko audio has had this lying around in previous videos but who knows if it will get a review slot.
Thanks John ! Ectomorphic indeed !
John, great video thank you. I am checking the smaller MXN10 as target buy but the question is: do companies like Cambridge Audio have long term agreements with streaming companies?. It happened to me with Sony entry level TVs or Blu rays that after 5-6 years you get a message such us "Netflix will not be supported in this device as of next month". I can cope with that for a 100 usd device, but when you spend 1000, is there any backup on this point?. Thank you
Is that beautiful cabinet vintage or new? If vintage, do you have problems with your equipment's rubber(?) feet leaving marks in the vintage finish? I've messed up two pieces thus far.
If yes, start eating Renée's 'dressing and dip' in the 355 mL bottle. (We put the Cucumber & Dill on salmon prior to baking.)
Under the screw-top lids are plasticy foam (or foamy plastic) inserts that acts as airtight seals. They're white, thin and easy to remove, not being glued in. And they're superb at protecting vintage furniture from cruel rubber feet!
I've collected over a dozen so far and I'm happy with them. Again, they're quite thin and so visually not too noticeable at less than 3/4 of a mm thick. They're round, 62 mm in diameter, and glossy on either side. Some might think they have a cushiony feel to them (I do). And they're free!
Good luck! :)
If you have older CX series equipment, and you think this is going to match it, it's good to know that the color does not match. The brushed aluminum was replaced with painted gray plastic (looks much cheaper) and the shade isn't the same.
The app/UI is everything on a streamer so for me it would be the Eversolo or the Bluesound. Currently running 3 Nodes so i guess im a bit biased but bluOS is pretty good.
From the back it looks like the Dacmagic 200M and it has the same DAC chip, I wonder whether sound similar between each other
Great review btw!
Toodle pip old chap!
(I can’t see the screen from my seat so I got the Cambridge MXN10)
Toodld pip!! Any chance to review the gustard r26??
Toodle pip! Hello John.
I almost bought the V2 a few years ago, but decided to go for the much cheaper Node 2i. The only thing I’m missing from the node is the ability to stream stuff from the BBC sounds app without tieing up my device. I really need BBC to create a “connect” version of Sounds that works with Bluesound.
What do you think of Eversolo DMP-A8? Is it better than DMP-A6? Would love to see your review and comparison. I’ve seen others, but I favor your opinion. LOL.
at 3:45 in the video you played Red Hot Chili Peppers and then hit the Red Hot Chili peppers button, how funny was that.
Could someone give me some context to the bashing of Red Hot Chili Peppers?
Toddle pip. Feel better. Thanks for the side by side comparisons.
Good information. Get well.
I did find the Eversolo was a bit bright, but it does have parametric eq which can sort that issue.
The difference in Darko's voice is great than the difference between these days. Get better dude! 😎
Toodle pip for seeing the bloopers
Toodle pip, John. That was a tickety-boo review too.
My mother is toodle piping you from her grave in Vernal Utah… have you ever tried to review a Pathos product? I love their stuff. I have their classic mark 3 mono amps & their headphone/preamp. It’s a bit pricey setup, but it’s very articulate with a pinch of guts that sounds just right with my speakers
Ok John, if you must do a paid promotion inside a video, this is the way to do it - showcase a feature of the amp that you would have touched on anyway and get paid for it? Brilliant!
Toodle Pip!
With 273 DSD-DSF albums, and 768 FLAC @ 96 kHz+ albums, my CXN v2 is STILL very capable. No HDMI on this means I won't be upgrading.