Minimalist Audiophile System Breaks All the Right Rules!

[@blinkingmanchannel]

I know you know, but... We're so lucky to be in the audio world we're in at 2024, vs 1980s... Cheap is the word. Even the expensive stuff is stupid cheap by comparison. When is the last time you saw somebody seriously discuss signal to noise, or "wow and flutter" in audio...? The fact that we spend money to put analog noise in ON PURPOSE tells us a lot. Nuff said. You da man!

[@welderfixer]

Randy, Considering how much you do to help everyone I have to say that you are the Very Generous Audio Man. Thank you! It's far beyond time for me to return the favors to folks that have helped me with so much throughout my pitiful life. Hats off to ya CAM!

[@marchuvfulz]

Good job from Cambridge. I see this as an ideal system for your study or bedroom, an ideal "second system" where you want an all-in-one solution.

[@BobbyTwoTimes]

Crazy cool! Cambridge is on fire. Thanks, Randy!!

[@rareearthfab5511]

I totally dig this. I have $50K invested in my 2 channel system and my wife won’t go near it. In all fairness she loves music but really doesn’t care if it’s through my stereo system or her Beats Pill speaker. This would bridge the gap in our living room under the TV as a not so complicated AV setup since my 2 channel stereo resides in my den. This would be enough for her and me when just casually listening and I’d enjoy it as a soundbar for my TV.

[@maegnificant]

Sad it doesn't have dolby Support for movies tho

[@skipb525]

Just say you have too much money and be done with it.

[@rareearthfab5511]

@@skipb525 Oh come on… I know people who have single components that cost more than my entire system. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@skipb525]

@@rareearthfab5511 Is that supposed to impress me?

[@rareearthfab5511]

@@skipb525 I sure hope not! If something the cost of an inexpensive car would impress you… 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@TonyMacina]

Between this, Ruark and Naim I'm loving the current trend of nice looking audiophile gear

[@oohmeconkers1968]

Lovely ‘lifestyle’ system.. affordable and judging by your review it sounds great and will realistically provide a very satisfying experience for many years to come! Love the channel and keep them coming 🎉

[@AEFisch]

Thanks!

[@rianredfield5252]

I've grown to be a Cambridge Audio fan from my 1st integrated, the 540a. My Cambridge kits bring out the best in all speakers/gear I own, all without a 2nd mortgage! This product confirms yet another great piece with a reasonable price tag. Thanks for the intro and discovery CAM! Kudos.. quality vid 👍

[@SandsOfArrakis]

I've went down the Cambridge path last year. My nearly 20 year old hifi was showing its age, so I've went looking for gear to replace it with. Started out with the CXN V2 streamer. After that added the CXC V2 CD transport to the mix. The old 5.1 Harman Kardan receiver got replaced with the CXA81 amplifier. And finally a DacMagic 200M now handles the sound coming from my streamer. I'm very happy with the combination and the total price of the equipment didn't break the bank as much as I feared it would. The set should last me for years to come.

[@ginom407]

Cambridge keeps hitting it out of the park!!!

[@geographyinaction7814]

This is cool! I have two systems, one in the living room, one in my office. When I get my mancave back, one system will go downstairs, and my smaller Rotel receiver will become a pre-amp in that much larger space. This Cambridge bad boy could go into the office to fill in for the departed stereo and do it without breaking the bank.

[@foldspacenavigator6011]

I appreciate your going off the beaten path. Definitely sounds like a good solution for those who want a no fuss, quality all in one thing for general entertainment. Music first for the masses.

[@ericadcock]

Literally the only review I’ve seen of this product that talks about the sound quality, almost as if Cambridge gave people instructions not to speak on it. I ordered this product at launch and they are 45 days late and counting in shipping it out to USA. If it wasn’t for this review, I’d cancel my order but I have high hopes that this will be an adequate solution for my small 1300 square-foot apartment. Especially since I hate having wires anywhere thank you for such a good review.

[@konstantinosbalaskonis4553]

I have it since Monday. It's kinda meh. Doesn't look as good as the ruark R410, although tbh, I think for the same amount you can do much better with a 2.0 system. I'm probably sending it back and going back to 2.0. Edit for anyone who cares: didn't send it back. Wife loves the thing and put her foot down. Sound quality is actually quite nice, especially if sitting in the "sweet spot" isn't always possible (in my case, most of the time).

[@Contractedharry]

@@konstantinosbalaskonis4553 I care, thanks. Did the sound quality grow on you? Would you still buy a 2.0 compared to Evo one?

[@thomasdix8453]

Perfect for my wife; she can stream all the stuff she loves with simplicity. Great 20 year anniversary I hope she loves it.

[@chrishuyler3580]

Tell me you want a divorce without telling me.

[@dropthehammer1360]

This is a boombox on steroids. And that’s not a bad thing.

[@CrashTestingAudio]

How awesome would it be if it had a handle and a tape deck?

[@danieloherrick6332]

@@CrashTestingAudio And a battery pack

[@erics.4113]

How about an actual boom box for 2024? Like a LASONIC or JVC but streaming

[@dropthehammer1360]

@@erics.4113 there’s probably somebody out there attempting to do that.

[@dropthehammer1360]

@@CrashTestingAudio absolutely.

[@tinicum54]

700W of breathtaking clarity and deep, controlled bass

[@chipnadeau5095]

"I feel fancy when I listen to it" Randy you crack me up

[@markwalsh2709]

I would buy this immediately except that I don't have a room where it fits aesthetically or makes sense. I love the idea of a minimalist look on a console under a wall mounted tv, but my wall mounted tv's are over fireplaces, a desk, and a bar. the ones over the fireplaces and desk have Sonos soundbars and the bar TV has a pair of Klipsch Fives, which look great and blend in well for the look. With that being said, this is a very cool product and I may find a reason to buy one anyhow. I do wish it had more HDMI inputs. I hate the idea of running three or four hdmi devices to a tv and then an hdmi back to the evo one. it would be better to run them all to the evo one and then just one cable to the tv. I see below someone mentioned B&O, which is the original cool looking euro systems. I had a lot of B&O in the 80's.

[@EvenHarmonics]

Streaming Speaker. It’s a Streaker !!!

[@Brian_Romska]

I don’t know why I haven’t heard that yet, that’s what I’m calling them from now on!

[@mr.hansen5195]

Sounds like an excellent choice as the main music console/tv-soundbar for a small apartment. Thanks for the introduction! 🙌 Btw, you should take a look on a Beosound A5: 32 hertz (-6 dB), gorgeous Danish design and sound - and portable.

[@jC-kc4si]

Looks like a device Frasier or Patrick Bateman would have in their stylish apartments.

[@asrarul12]

The best (critical) review just after the launch. Thanks. Love from Bangladesh.

[@JohnSmith-qt4pv]

7:58 Sometimes for live music, especially electeonic shows, we'll have a large speaker arrays in and around the stage for visual effect but only the subwoofers and flown line arrays are active and the rest are dummys, but you can't tell from within the crowd because it sounds great.

[@A_Handle_2_Continue]

I have dreamed of a super extraordinary over the top boom box. THIS IS IT! It doesn't have a handle. I know I couldn't move it with one hand. I would make/buy a trailer. (Yes, trailer!) I must show this thing off to my friends, but I'm not putting it on a dolley! Or a wheel barrow! One slight problem if you must use an old school turntable. The cord is barely long enough to reach much less get out of the shockwave of the bass coming from this monster. It would probably sit on my coffee table for a month. Hopefully the floor will do good for my turntable. I would get fatter, because I'm not going to move. Price wise, it's still out of my range. $1500 is a STEAL!!! There is no way someone could build something at this price point with these features AND with Cambridge sound. This is the most impressive product that I have ever seen on this channel. Just saying I saw your review of the Nines! 🤤🤤🤤🤤

[@illsubmarine]

Would gladly take a whole video of you explaining your favorite songs you use to test your equipment. Found that part of the video very interesting would love to hear more songs you use.

[@gilpena9591]

1:21

[@stcredzero]

He does this in dribs and drabs all throughout his videos.

[@10sassafras]

Can the long throw woofer catch a frisbee?

[@OldGuyHifi]

I get to play with one this weekend.

[@huskydogg7536]

and....

[@OldGuyHifi]

@@huskydogg7536 This coming weekend. I will do a quick video on it.

[@erics.4113]

I'm just gonna play with myself this weekend.

[@OldGuyHifi]

@@erics.4113 A self made man?

[@erics.4113]

@@OldGuyHifi self made, which comes in handy!

[@jeffbrown5675]

Who makes the audio stand for the evo one that’s shown at 1;33 in you video? That’s something I would need for the Cambridge Audio Evo One.

[@rhorto01]

If you don't need to set this up with a TV the Technics SC-C70MK2 does a lot of this for $1099, plus you get a decent CD player as well and the Technics product sounds and looks great.

[@danyost4777]

No phono pre-amp thought 😢

[@rhorto01]

@@danyost4777 True, though with this sort of product I would think a table with a built in phono stage might be the speed.

[@Crimsonphilosophy]

If they had added atmos support, I think it would sweeten the deal

[@Brian_Romska]

I like it, definitely needs exactly what you said was missing tho, also cool to say that is the new style ‘console stereo’, those were great, thanks again Randy!

[@cunawarit]

The soundbar is sleek and stylish, with a vintage charm reminiscent of classic BOSE or Bang & Olufsen designs-I absolutely love it! I only wish BOSE still made something like this today. Their current soundbars sound great, but they’re a bit lacking in visual appeal... Although, they seem to be becoming more stylish recently with the SoundLink Home. The one downside is that it doesn’t have a headphone jack or the option to add a subwoofer-those features would make it perfect. As for the audiophile critique, does it really matter? Systems like this aren't just about audio quality; they’re about convenience and aesthetics too. It’s like a well-rounded car, practical for everyday use rather than a hyper-focused sports car. It’s all about striking the right balance.

[@geertd3244]

This gets a spot on my shortlist to become the main audio system in our new house. Right next to the Naim Muso 2, Ruark R410, Sonus Faber Omnia and maybe even a Beosound Stage. We loved the Naim so far. The control mechanism on it is something we unexpectedly found super nice and something we would be using all the time. The important thing is that a turntable and the TV should be able to connect to it. I think a loooot of people would be looking at getting a system like this if they knew it even existed in the first place.

[@rossdev]

All good choices! I've owned the Naim Muso 1 and the Muso QB2 and currently own the R410. The Muso 1 has a very warm sound with plenty of bass, but I found the uppers lacking a bit. The QB2 completely sounded quite thin and trebly in comparison. Both units had very high build quality with that swish volume dial on top. The R410 has fantastic sound and a beautiful tactile remote, but suffers from sibliance in stereo plus mode which can be tuned out a bit. The display is on the small side though and it doesn't have a mobile app. I've preordered the Evo, so far I can see the cons are the generic remote and a volume dial would have been nice on the unit. Otherwise I hope it sounds as good as it looks!

[@geertd3244]

@@rossdev Cool! Thanks for input. Let me know what your experience is with the Evo :)

[@nikhilpanjwani1]

@@rossdev I’ve owned the muso 1 for 8 years now. Was looking for an upgrade and was hoping they would launch muso 3 soon. But stumbled upon this. The option of connecting it to the TV seems tempting. Do let me know how it sounds. If it’s punchier than the naim.

[@rossdev]

@@nikhilpanjwani1 Unfortunately I cancelled my preorder, I didn't want to risk the investment without hearing it first. I also don't have room for both the Ruark R410 and the Evo in my living room, so can only keep one :( It does sound good on paper, hopefully I can get to hear it in person soon.

[@Nowandthen-zen]

Love how you peel back the curtain of time✌🏻🎸🎶🍄

[@jim010109]

It brings back memories of my buddies parents console from the 70's. Get a turnrable or CD player, hook up the TV and you're done.

[@LorDarkGoose]

Totally with you on the preamp out. Loved my Marantz 7000n, but no preamp out meant it had to go.

[@boblinscott6052]

Well for 1500.00 bucks I agree with you ! It would be nice if it had sub out & per amp outs , because yes it could give us more bang for 💵👍keep up the good work maybe the manufacturer will pay attention!?

[@eddents]

Thanks Randy! It fills a niche in the marketplace. It is odd they don't have a sub out, since a wireless sub would complete the "easy peasy set up". But if you had that set up in your guest bedroom with a nice TV, your guest may never leave! So, the lack of sub output is for a reason perhaps.

[@Zimmy_1981]

A sub may drown out the small drivers' outputs

[@crimlarksSteve]

Cambridge has some great products. Nice video, Randy!!

[@bobtowncarguy82]

The EVO 150 DeLorean is way cool and a beautiful looking unit.

[@great100m]

Wow, you suckered me into watching the whole thing and I'm glad that I did. Very interesting, I found myself comparing this Evo to a Sony Quad A9 in my mind. Different products but unique in their own ways.

[@cobar5342]

Cambridge Audio gear has always been very good value

[@frankierodriguez8661]

No idea about the sound quality of power but if it sounds a portion of the good it looks, hell, you are right, you have a win win here for a second rom, little parties, lunch or diner with guests (not audiophile 😂). Compact, awsome looking and made by an experienced company. great new product from the dudes at Cambridge Audio.

[@wgm247]

I'm not interested in this product but i want to keep watching and will not stop.

[@shankararora8117]

Nice, reminds me of the Naim Muso I used to have. Can’t say I agree with not having a pre-out as being a negative. This simply wasn’t the design choice and for good reason

[@douglasmaclean5836]

Awesome 👍 .. excellent post thanks

[@Durkhead]

The comparatively inexpensive audio man?

[@LorDarkGoose]

🤣

[@erics.4113]

I'm sure we could all stay glued to our phones watching a detailed breakdown of the ear buds they sell at the dollar store vs five below

[@Durkhead]

@@erics.4113 i actually watched some reviews on the cheapest walmart earbuds turns out best ones for the money are the fake apple earpods next to the registers

[@dragonstone6594]

I agree that it should have pre outs and sub outs. But I also would want it to have speaker outs so if you want to upgrade to bookshelf speakers in the future you could use the built in amp of the EVO One. Or so that it could be setup as LCR (Left, Center Right) speaker for 3.1 home theater. Other than that it looks cool and like it came out strait out of the 70's.

[@terenceyow]

I’ve thought long and hard about your new name. Value Audio Man. VAM. Problem solved. You’re welcome 👊🏻

[@grumpy9478]

I've been into stereo since the '60s. minimalism has ALWAYS been an aspect of hi-quality hi-fi. heck, it even started w/ a single channel.

[@lurcharoni]

I am pretty sure I will replace my system with this ... I mean I could ditch my soundbar, amp (Cambridge), speakers, phono preamp and just use this wonderful looking all in one. Hook up the turntable, tv and dvd and good to go for anything.

[@peterwolfanger3268]

This is thinking outside the box… in a box! Very cool

[@Simon_Hawkshaw]

Market flooded with streamers. If my PC and / or NAS ever fail, I may have to consider this technology. Thank you as always for your time, perspectives, and fir sharing this with us all. Stay well, Sir.

[@GiguereSylvain]

Naim already had its equivalent in the Mu-so (450watt though) but much less expensive.. how do they compare? And yes, that's a nice combo alternative to those who put their interest on having music around.. rather than a stack of un-matching hifi gear. And it's affordable.. one in each room! 😉

[@SuperMcgenius]

Not for me, but a very cool product and seems like a good value. You are bang on about pre and sub outs.

[@guillermobrito4987]

great video....i guess with the pre out you could run it as a center ....can see that

[@Snarkyafterthoughts]

The universe wanted me to see this video. I was doom scrolling used Bose Wave units on eBay last night. Remembering it sounded mediocre but the form factor had some charm.

[@seheyt]

Were the flowers sent with the unit? They really seemed to say "High end upper class audio man" :)

[@drahcir1951]

I have previously read about this item and have viewed other review videos-I would like to purchase this to replace my sonos sound bar and add misic streaming-It has not been available on the Cambridge website when I have checked there-including now-though it is listed as out of stock-can't find it anywhere else either-not on Amazon-nor at retailers that sell Cambridge. Any ideas?

[@d.s.6268]

Could be the solution for my bedroom. Thx.

[@captainthunderbolt7541]

Man... I want to get this and use it as a side table!

[@liamporter1137]

There are more non audiophile than audiophile. Thus this product should be popular especially those who love their home deco.

[@rianredfield5252]

Agree, caters to a much greater audience with all-in-one, simplistic needs/wants than you'd think I'd bet.

[@erics.4113]

Lifestyle products are huge market

[@butchbantug4731]

Was just about to buy the klipsch sevens or nines as it's on sale at Amazon at $300 off. Will be using in my living room so it's mostly for watching tv and occasionally for music. Would this perhaps be a better all in one solution?

[@eddents]

Good question. Your cabling will be less with the EVO, but I'll guess you could have a sub with the Klipsch. If your room could allow for wide speaker separation, this EVO may not give you a wide sound stage as two speakers would. But if you don't plan to have a center channel, the Evo may do a better job with dialogue. Lots to think about to decide. The single device is nice and streamlined, but may not wow you in the space as much as separates would, especially with a center channel and a sub. Those outputs need to exist though on an active speaker, unless you have an AVR, in which case the aspect of a simple setup is giving way to complexity.

[@andylaszczyk4748]

Sonos made something similar, the soundbase, (playbase?) or something like that without the screen and a few inputs. It's a sound bar. You're right, it needs a pre-amp out. It is limited as a sound device.

[@rossdev]

Thanks for the video, not many reviews out on this yet. Interesting you mention Ruark, I have the Ruark R410 and here in the EU it is the exact same price (€1500) as the Evo One, so I see it as natural competitor. The R410 has a fantastic remote control and shows how it should be done. The remote with the Evo is boring alright, very like the one supplied with the Naim Muso. I'm very interested to hear the Evo in person though, the R410 suffers a bit from sibliance and the Muso I found to be overly warm sounding.

[@sesante2000]

I can’t wait buy this.

[@rickbejar5752]

Love the channel! So I am looking for a HiFi centerpiece in my livingroom. I want the ability for both streaming and viewing movies / tv as well as listing to vinyl on my Alva TTV2. I am leaning into either the Cambridge Audio Evo One or a pair of Klipsch the Sevens. They both seem to fit the bill on paper and are reviewed highly. Any recommendations or watch outs from the group at large, here?

[@papasquat355]

That's the same remote for my solar light in my shed and my tv retractable mount. It must be the Chinese preferred remote.

[@richardlloyd5519]

"You're not the Cheap Audioman anymore! >>> Whine...Whine...Whine".

[@kevinvitale8980]

It looks beautiful and I’ll bet it does sound great… BUT… I long ago want my sound system to visually recede into background vs. putting the system on display. I do appreciate these videos regardless.

[@Justwantahover]

Get a thin good streamer amp and build a box the same shape as the amp (but a little deeper) and attatch it to the amp. And buy high wattage 2" woofers (or down firing 3-4 inch woofers). Also medrange 2" drivers and tiny soft dome tweeters (for tweeter heads). I personally prefer the med and treble coherance of a 2" FR driver. You could reproduce the Cambridge all-in-one unit. Especially if you already have the amp. You will have the same convenience. If you have the amp and are TEMPTED to sell your system and buy a unit like in this video, maybe you won't have to sell your system or buy another one, so to have an all in one system. Just saying.

[@abxaudiophiles]

Let’s go!! 🎉❤😊😊

[@OmShivaSoham]

Would have been great if they had speaker out terminals, to use semi 2.0 system for more soundstage, etc.

[@majicogarcia8417]

Thanks for the great review. Would you say that the Evo One has better sound quality than the Naim Muso?

[@dharmachile999]

John Darko class audio. I like it.

[@supergdesign]

Wondering what stand you are using for the Evo One. Love your videos.

[@watermelonbeast]

I think this would look cool in my really cool friend's double-wide in West Virginia!😊

[@CinemaDemocratica]

I want to hear Randy's take on the HiFi Rose RA 280.

[@Nickatina7]

This would be perfect for a bedroom system.

[@0robbi0]

Hey, Cheap (Randy). Still haven't received my Denafrips Enyo 15th, yet. I shall keep you updated. lol

[@michielnijboer]

Nice vid, interesting product. Can’t help but remark that you remind me of Heisenberg in the last 2 episodes of Breaking Bad. 😅

[@ihots1]

Interesting, Thanks.

[@JB-vc6xj]

Nice piece of hifi equipment by Cambridge Audio 👌 but why manufacturers still use speaker cloth? I hate these dust collectors 🙄 I would have liked to have seen a metal speaker grill all around!

[@peterphan227]

I like it. $1500 sounds like a fair price. Definitely a high Wife Acceptance Factor.

[@ronnieg6099]

Getting great reviews.

[@Matt-sy8ie]

Great review, I bought one! But where did you get the cool stand. Can’t find it!

[@jetfansuperd]

Worldwide is a great outfit. Got my Audioengine HD3 there

[@edverbeek6292]

Too cheap. Speakers + poweramp + preamp + DAC + streamer + phono stage + color display + good looks @1500 usd!

[@Mate2Frio]

Flash back to the Cambridge SoundWorks Model 88 from Henry Kloss. You should get one in for a retro review.

[@Alan_Mac]

Love this except for the veneer. Wish they'd styled it like the 150 de Lorean

[@SirMountainpass]

More than good enough as a 2nd system in your bedroom while your main system in the living room with a pre-out powers an ELAC Varro DS 1200 sub 😃

[@kw6382]

Where is the headphone output? The integrated headphone amp on my Cambridge Alva Duo isn't going to win any prizes but for occasional listening it does the trick. Also, a moving coil phono pre-amp would be nice.

[@bonusbeat]

I do love My Naim Muso, I think it may have some competition, time for a listen...

[@chevy4x466]

I wish we could see more of the product. Instead, the whole vid was your face talking. Furthermore, the links did not take me to that product I was interested in Thank you for introductions the product. U r clearly a smart dude. This is the first vid KZbin showed me on ur channel

[@SKBond-hs7xb]

Randy just got the Emotiva Xb2s two days ago. I love them. Thanks for the recommendation. I've heard you mention a few times about break-in being controversial. Well, when I first started playing these speakers, I was a little disappointed. Yeah, I noticed the clarity of the high frequencies but I thought the woofers sounded bad, but then after a few hours they smoothed out and sounded great. It's a real thing. I have a question for you. I was watching a video and there was a quick shot of a finger pressing a Plex icon on a screen. What device was that? I would love a streamer that works with Plex.

[@ElCid_86]

Any thoughts on where it can be placed in the room? Does it need to be centered in front of the listener?

[@mikehoworth9860]

What stand did you put it on? Mine is on order and need something similar

[@tomowens7499]

I've owned several Cambridge products over the years, loved all of them... does this thing have a hard drive to store high quality rips of albums? If you covered this i missed it...

[@OrdinaryAverageGuy-z6w]

Hey Randy, I do love the channel and find it informative. I have noticed that you tend to stick to certain brands. Emotiva, Cambridge, Douk Audio among others. I had suggested on a couple of occasions that you take a look at Rogue Audio. Specifically their Sphinx V3 Magnum. Is there any reason other than the obvious, which is financial that you don't give some other manufacturers a try? I would love to get your take on the Rogue Audio, if for no other reason than the fact it's made right here in the USA. The Sphinx does not break the bank and is right on par with other units that you have reviewed price wise.

[@GeirRssaak]

All these products are just overprized copies of the the old masters!!!

[@OrdinaryAverageGuy-z6w]

​@@GeirRssaak I'm not sure which brands that you are referring to. The Sphinx is very affordable for the lvl of amplifier that you are getting. Anywhere from $1200.00 to $1900.00 depending upon which lvl. Both will easily compete with amps 3 times the price when all you care about is build and sound quality. I don't consider myself a true Audiophile but even I know that build and sound should trump equipment cost. If someone likes flashy expensive equipment and has the financial wherewithal to purchase it, kudos to them. I don't care if it looks like a steaming pile of dog poo and costs $50.00. As long as it is built well and sounds good to my ear, I am a happy camper.

[@delstone3801]

Do a video on your music!!! Maybe do a 60s 70s n 80s

[@johng9465]

That remote is the most generic thing I've seen all day, and I just went to the grocery store. The remote is the part of the system you touch the most and that is an Apple/Amazon generic remote. System looks cool though, I'll check it out.