The Cambridge Audio AXC35 CD player is part of the company’s entry-level AX range, but shares many of the design features of more expensive models.
The Cambridge Audio AXC35 has a robust metal casing with an aluminum front panel, in the center of which is the disc tray. Below it there is a luminescent display with a large display that is easy to read even from a great distance. There is a minimal set of controls on the front panel of the player, and full access to all its functions is possible from a small and very convenient remote control.
The AXC35 CD player is practically no different in appearance from its younger “25th” brother – the same laconic, neat lines of a gray body with a central drive location and a small display below it, the dimensions and weight are also the same. Inside, both devices have a Wolfson WM8524 chip, and the signal spectrum is controlled by a two-pole Butterworth filter. The main parameters are also identical, in particular the harmonic distortion factor and the signal-to-noise ratio. Both players play CD-DA, CD-R/RW, CD-ROM discs, read WMA format and (not mentioned lately) MP3.
The main difference was the output devices: while the initial model only had linear RCA connectors, the “35th” player added a coaxial output. In other words, for a relatively small overpayment, you get the opportunity to use the player as a transport with another signal processing device, if you suddenly want to change the specific DAC feed from Wolfson.
The power supply in the player is made on the basis of a network transformer of considerable power, which has separate windings for powering digital and analog circuits, as well as a servo drive. The digital-to-analog converter and output stages in the player are mounted on a separate board to improve their noise immunity. The player’s steel chassis provides good vibration isolation for all its functional components. Also in its design one can note a second-order Butterworth filter, which prevents ultrasonic noise from reaching the output, as well as shortened audio signal transmission circuits. The Cambridge Audio AXC35 is equipped with a digital coaxial output, which allows you to connect an external digital-to-analog converter to it if desired.
Despite its modest price, the Cambridge Audio AXC35 player provides very high sound quality, with a natural and extended stereo image and good dynamics. The CD player confidently copes with playing music of any genre and is very suitable for music lovers with an extensive collection of CDs. The device is highly reliable, has a nice design and will look great in a rack along with high-end AV equipment.
The combination of the AXC35 CD player and the AXA35 integrated amplifier from Cambridge Audio provides a reasonable combination of price and quality for that part of the listener’s journey when music lovers have not yet developed into audiophilia. These components, albeit with varying degrees of success, will cope with most genres and, I think, will appeal to users who simply enjoy listening to music and are not yet inclined to delve into the nuances of the sound of DACs and the features of amplifiers.
Specifications Cambridge Audio AXC35
Supported formats CD-DA / CD-R / CD-RW / CD-ROM
MP3 / MP3 Pro / WMA
Frequency response 20 Hz – 20 kHz
Output impedance 50 Ohm
Harmonic distortion 0.006% (1 KHz)
Signal-to-noise ratio 95 dB
Channel separation 98 dB
DAC Wolfson WM8524
Outputs Line, coaxial
Dimensions 430 x 74 x 305 mm
Weight 4.3 kg