Cambridge Audio Evo 150 SE review

When Cambridge Audio first unveiled its Evo 75 and 150 models back in 2021, streaming amplifiers weren’t quite as widespread as they are now. These premium units housed power amplification, DAC, preamp and streaming modules all in one neatly designed box – all you need to do is add speakers. Both got five stars.

Since then, plenty of established hi-fi and emerging audio brands have joined in on the action, offering a range of streaming amplifiers in all shapes and at all prices.

Cambridge has given its Evo 150 model a refresh (the cheaper Evo 75 is now discontinued), bringing purported sonic upgrades while keeping its ample feature set intact. The SE in the name might stand for ‘special edition’, but this is no limited, fleeting model with an unusual finish. It’s a full production model that aims to appeal to hi-fi and casual/lifestyle users alike. Does it succeed?

Price

At £1999 / $3299 / AU$5795, the Cambridge Audio Evo 150 SE is cheaper in the UK than the original Evo 150, which launched at £2249 / $3000 / AU$4299. Those in the US and Australia will unfortunately be paying more for the new model.

At this price range, our favourite streaming amplifier is the NAD C 3050 (with MDC2 BluOS-D module), which can be yours for less at £1699 / $2199 / $3599. The NAD isn’t just a current What Hi-Fi? Award winner; it’s also the recipient of a coveted Product of the Year trophy, so Cambridge Audio has some mighty competition to reckon with.

Features & connectivity

On the whole, there is plenty about the SE version of the Evo 150 that hasn’t changed. Its amplification power rating remains the same 150W per channel (into 8 ohms), it uses the same ESS Sabre ES9018K2M DAC chip, and has the exact same set of connections as before.

That might be a disappointment to some, but the original Evo 150 was so feature-packed that it would be difficult to see what else Cambridge’s engineers could add to it. As we said in our original review, “There’s little you can’t plug into the Evo 150.”

So what has changed? Instead of superfluous changes, Cambridge’s engineers have concentrated on elements of the internal circuitry to improve performance as much as possible. Firstly, there is a new Hypex NCoreX Class D amplifier module, which has been custom-tuned by Cambridge to deliver a “warm, dynamic and controlled sound” across all inputs. Additionally, the SE model uses uprated components, and features improvements throughout the signal path.

The Evo 150 SE runs on the current, fourth-generation StreamMagic platform, which offers a well-equipped, slick and user-friendly interface for all your streaming needs. All the popular music streaming services – Spotify, Qobuz, Tidal and their Connect versions, along with Amazon Music and Deezer – are supported, as well as internet radio.

Bluetooth, AirPlay 2 and Google Cast are also on board for easy streaming from mobile devices, and you can even connect a pair of wireless headphones by choosing Bluetooth as an audio output. You can stream large digital media libraries stored on hard drives or NAS drives connected to the same network thanks to UPnP compatibility, too.

File compatibility is extensive, with the Cambridge supporting hi-res audio files up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM and DSD256, and streamed playback is stable across both wi-fi and wired Ethernet set-ups.

As before, there are analogue and digital connections aplenty on the Evo 150 SE, including balanced XLR alongside the usual RCA line level inputs. You get an HDMI ARC input so you can use the Evo with a TV, and there is a moving magnet phono stage built in for connecting a turntable directly.

Optical, coaxial and USB type B inputs are available so you can plug in a variety of sources (we used a CD player and a laptop), and there is a 3.5mm headphone port for plugging in your favourite pair of wired cans.

The Evo 150 SE can also function as a preamp and, unusually at this level, there are two sets of speaker terminals in case you want to run a second pair of speakers in a different room.

In short, there is little the Evo 150 SE can’t do or play. Even streaming amplifiers double the price tend to struggle to deliver such exhaustive options.

Build & design

Physically, there is even less difference compared with the original model, but it’s hard to complain when the Evo 150 SE is such a looker. It’s a well-designed streaming amp, from the appealing footprint that’s roughly the size of a vinyl record sleeve, to the clean, modern and minimalist styling – for many, this streaming amplifier will have more lifestyle appeal than many of its more traditional hi-fi rivals.

The black aluminium cabinet is well made, and the Evo’s party trick is swappable side panels that you can change up to suit your tastes or match your interior design. There are two options in the box – a real wood veneer and a (new) all-black, slatted option – that snap on magnetically.

The front of the unit is dominated by a 6.8-inch full-colour screen that’s crisp and brightly contrasted, showing off album artwork with punchy colours. We especially like how large the font is, as song and artist names, and source inputs, can be clearly read from across the room. The knurled pattern on the control dial is slightly different from the previous model, but it feels well-machined and offers good grip when scrolling through the sources.

The volume dial, in contrast, feels less precise in action, and we wish this was given as much attention as the control wheel. The small strip of buttons on the side of the screen returns, and while they still feel a little cheaper than the rest of the unit, they are handy to have.

A sleek remote control handset is also included here, and we must applaud Cambridge for how well the unit responds no matter what you use to control it. During testing, the Evo 150 SE is a joy to use; we didn’t encounter any hiccups or barriers to playing our music no matter what method we used.

Most of the music playback control will naturally be done using the StreamMagic app, which is an organised, user-friendly interface that works in perfect unison with the streaming amplifier. There is a basic slider for room compensation and a suite of EQ settings, but otherwise the Evo 150 SE is a straightforward, plug-and-play operation.

You can hide unused inputs in the StreamMagic app so only the relevant sources and favoured streaming options are at your fingertips, while saving/selecting presets and scrolling through our large music library stored on a Naim Core server are intuitive in use. It’s a smooth system.

Sound

We plug our reference Epos ES-7N speakers into the Cambridge, rev up Midnight City by M83 and are put smack in the middle of a big, shiny, neon-lit soundscape. The Evo 150 SE’s soundstage is impressively large and wide, with ample space given over to the various instrumentals. The dreamy synth track is delivered with clarity and plenty of detail, with enough headroom and shine to the sparkling synths – but never making those highs sound too bright or wince-inducing.

Play Meltphace 6 by Aphex Twin and the Cambridge eats up the ambient noises with relish; the initial sparse electronic noises bubble around in a spacious, enveloping soundscape that’s fairly easy to listen to. The stop and start of notes are clearly defined, and the punctuating, low-frequency beat thumps you in the chest with brawny physicality.

The Evo 150 SE prefers being played loudly rather than at softer volumes, and you’ll be rewarded with a clean, powerful sound with little distortion as you turn the volume up and up.

That powerful bass can sound a little overcooked when listening to more delicate pieces of music, such as Waxahatchee, Norah Jones, Nick Cave or Billie Eilish. That slightly relentless, muscle-bound lower end works with frenetic songs that require that high energy, but it does these gentler, emotive songs a disservice. Toning down the bass EQ helps mitigate this somewhat, but the more we listen, we find that while there is plenty of punch through the Cambridge, its rhythm and dynamic prowess are lagging somewhat behind.

There is a curious lack of real grip and propulsive momentum to the performance. Fat Larry’s Band’s Act Like You Know sounds big and brawny on the surface, but is lacking the gritty textures and dynamic subtlety to really get us grooving. We’d like to hear greater precision with each note that hits, along with a more tuneful, agile bassline that we can really sink our teeth into.

Play Joni Mitchell’s A Case Of You, and we find ourselves struggling to connect with her lilting vocals. The Evo 150 SE’s midrange sounds a touch reserved, with voices coming across less focused and not packing the emotional nuance and textural insight we’d normally hear. Dynamically, we find ourselves willing the Cambridge on, to gain more momentum and variation to the notes as the song ebbs and flows.

Switch to the rival NAD streaming amplifier, and all that rhythmic cohesion, the dynamic subtlety, the momentum and emotional pull come flooding back into the same tunes. Yes, the NAD is smaller-scaled, less refined and doesn’t sound as muscular, but the music hangs together better through it.

Joni Mitchell sounds sweeter, with more vocal and emotional nuance clearly and more capably delivered to capture our senses, while even the shiny, spacious ambient Aphex Twin tracks have more dimensionality and greater precision here. There’s more grip and control; there’s greater agility and fluidity; it simply makes more musical sense and sounds more engaging.

We switch back to the Cambridge and note the slightly detached and less dynamic presentation, even as more power, space, clarity and refinement are added into the mix.

Our experience with testing streaming amplifiers tells us this might well be a case of finding the right speakers to pair the unit with, and we go through some trial and error. Swapping our reference Epos and ATC speakers (both quite neutral and transparent) for the smooth and subtle Acoustic Energy AE300 Mk2 doesn’t quite work to bring the Cambridge out of its shell. But pair the Evo 150 SE with the KEF LS50 Meta or PMC Prodigy 5 speakers, and suddenly, more pep, warmth and dynamism enter the fray.

It almost sounds like it’s given a new lease of life. The White Stripes’ In The Cold, Cold Night has more verve and precise footing when using either KEF or PMC speakers, while the electric guitar distorts with scuzzy edges and textures that sound more vibrant and enjoyable when using either of these speakers. Voices such as Mitchell’s or Norah Jones’ have more immediacy, and sound more tender and affecting. Altogether, music flows with greater fluidity and there is more warmth given to the Evo 150 SE’s performance.

It doesn’t quite fix all of the Cambridge’s inherent issues, however. Nina Simone has plenty of headroom when singing My Baby Just Cares For Me and the Evo 150 SE is capable enough to convey the differences between a 1950s/’60s soul jazz track and a shiny modern K-pop track with a good deal of transparency. The NAD rival, however, gets more of the spirit and personality of her singing through, regardless of what speakers it is paired with. Dynamically, the Evo is still outperformed by the less costly NAD streaming amp.

To give credit to the Cambridge, its open, refined sound character is consistent throughout every input we test. Yes, tracks played over lossy Bluetooth and AirPlay sound less refined, but it won’t make much of a fuss; feeding it higher-quality tracks (from our Naim server or through our laptop via USB type B) results in a more detailed and composed sound overall.

Plug in a pair of Grado SR325x headphones and we’re treated to much of that clear-eyed, tonally balanced sound that marks the Evo’s overall sonic characteristic. We also use a Cyrus CDi CD player to test the Evo 150 SE's DAC (good) and a Rega Planar 3 RS Edition to test its phono stage (less good). The phono stage sounds lightweight and muddy; it’s not particularly dynamic or detailed, and we’d urge anyone serious about vinyl to opt for an external phono stage.

Verdict

The Evo 150 SE proves just how important system matching is. Get the speakers right, and you’ll be rewarded with a fluid and spacious sound that is wonderfully clear and detailed. A mismatch in partnering speakers will show the Evo at its worst: lacking in dynamics and rhythmic flow.

The Evo may not be an all-rounder this time, but there’s no denying how good its design, ease of use and exhaustive features are for this kind of all-in-one unit. It has greater competition than before when it comes to sound, but its lovely, user-friendly design is worth an audition.

Review published: 18th February 2026

SCORES

• Sound 4
• Build 5
• Features 5

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