NEWS: Cambridge Audio plans upgrades, pre/power and turntable for Azur range

  • Version 2 model of the higher-end Azur 840A amplifier
  • New Azur 840E preamplifier and 840W power amplifier
  • New midi-size range of hi-fi/AV players and receivers
  • New TT50 turntable, developed with Pro-ject
  • New upsampling DAC
  • Version 2 of Azur 640H music server
  • New Azur 740H music server
  • A Sonos-style multiroom system

The TT50 turntable - due by the end of 2007 - is designed in conjunction with deck-specialist Pro-ject, but Cambridge Audio claims it's more than just a re-badging exercise. The tone arm is being exclusively made by Pro-ject for CA, with Audio-Technica supplying the cartridge. Sadly there are no pricing details - or officIal pictures - available at the moment, but a quick glimpse at a prototype deck revealed a very Proj-ect Debut-looking design (see snatched camera-phone pic below!)

Also in line for an upgrade - this one early next year - is the Azur 640H hard-disk player, which will stay at £599. Version 2 tweaks include support for lossless music files (either on the HDD, or streamed from your computer's music collection) and UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) compatibility, which should enable the player to integrate with other compatible music-server systems.

The software-only upgrade will also be made available to existing 640H owners via the Cambridge Audio website. A new, higher-end HDD player - the Azur 740H - will follow by mid-2008.

Details are also sketchy on other 2008 product plans, including an upsampling DAC and that Sonos-style music server system, but we were briefly shown Cambridge Audio's forthcoming family of four compact-size separates - a stereo DAB/FM receiver; FM/AM receiver; CD player and DVD player - designed to offer two-part cut-size systems.

Cambridge Audio will be demonstrating the new 2007 products - and possibly previews of the 2008 range - at the What Hi-fi? Sound and Vision Show in November: www.whathifishow.co.uk

And of course, What Hi-fi? Sound and Vision is lining up exclusive tests of the new products as soon as they become available - watch this space to find out precise release and review dates.

Technorati Tags: Amplifier, Azur, Cambridge Audio, CD player, Power amplifier, Richer Sounds, Stereo amp, Stereo preamplifier, Turntable, What Hi-fi? Sound and Vision Show