Cambridge Audio Azur 651R AV-receiver
The approach of manufacturers of mass electronics and small-scale Hi-Fi to making receivers is very different. The formers hurry to implement a maximum of functions, more sound processing programs, network protocols, colors in the graphical menu, inputs and outputs; as for analog part, it is designed according to the residual principle, and often also with increased attention to reducing energy consumption and the harmfulness of components during utilization. Other, on the contrary, gives priority to the quality of components and considers all kinds of digital functions to be secondary. As a result, the user gets the possibility to choose in accordance with their concepts about whose position is more correct.
Cambridge Audio Azur 651R may seem to be an ascetic against the background of some competitors. Four HDMI inputs do not imply the organization of an extensive entertainment system based on the full range of game consoles, but two outputs allow you to simultaneously connect the TV and the projector. Video and audio inputs of other types are present in excess, even S-Video is not forgotten. There are no network functions for the model - we must assume that the developers thought that it would be more promising to use a specialized source. On the front there are neither HDMI ports nor USB, you can not connect a gadget or video camera.
Power, when working with a speaker system with nominal impedance of 8 ohms, is declared at the level of 140 W in stereo mode and 100 W with all seven channels in work. Due to large dimensions and slow rotation, there is an effective and virtually inaudible fan for cooling the amplifier in quite a compact body. The outputs of the rear center can be used for bi-amping of the front pair of loudspeakers or for organizing the second zone in a two-room installation. There is an analogue 7.2 output, i.e. it is possible to connect two subwoofers. The integration tools are well developed, there are RS-232 connector, multiple IR-bus ports and 12 V triggers.
The receiver is assembled from high-quality components, including the mighty toroidal transformer and digital-to-analog converters from Cirrus Logic. DAC CS43122, the same as in a number of audiophile models, works for the front speakers. The receiver is designed to meet the increased requirements for musicality. Based on the results of listening, we can say that it really corresponds to them. The right frequency balance and a wide spectrum make the sound rich and full. Perceptible relief of images is a rare feature for an AV device. Excessive digital processing is not present obviously, which, on the one hand, increases the reliability, but, on the other hand, somewhat presses the spatial effect if you compare with competitors. Cambridge Audio Azur 651R is the best choice for whose, who puts music on the first place in the repertoire of their system and for each media format (network player, wireless receiver, Internet radio) prefers to have a separate component.
