Cambridge Azur 740A

By Brent Burmester

August 2007

Cambridge Azur 740A integrated amplifier. $1599.

Cambridge 740A (click for larger image)

Rear panel of the Cambridge 740A (click for larger image)

It shouldn't come as a surprise, in an audio market dominated by bristling home-theatre receivers, but it took a while for me to get used to a programmable LCD display on a hi-fi amp. Not that the display on Cambridge Audio's Azur 740A isn't in keeping with its overall look; it’s just that serious amps are traditionally designed with that “less is more” aesthetic, indeed it's rumoured that the most esoteric high-end amps have no controls on them at all, they just play a single source at one volume. That may not be true, but should Cambridge Audio be taken seriously if they garnish a hard-core analogue unit with digital frippery? Goodness me, yes.

All the trimmings

Just like it's CD-playing brother-in-arms, the Azur 740C, the 740A borrows unashamedly from its immediate superior in the Cambridge Audio range, in this case the 840A. The pre- and power-amp circuit design, high-spec transistors, and control logic are, if not identical, very like those in the more expensive range-topper.

This, in short, is the complete package, or would be if it only had a built-in phono preamp. The modern audiophile will be hard pressed to find anything near the price of this machine that does so much, so well. It knocks out 100W per channel, it has six line level inputs, a tape loop (!), two line-outs, a headphone socket, and its remote control will even talk to your iPod. It’s easily integrated into a custom multi-room installation, and everything is packaged in a sturdy, aluminum plated case that looks svelte in silver or slightly old-hat in black. But, none of that matters in the least, because even it played only a single source at one volume it's sound would justify the price.

Money, money, money

The 740A won't let you close your eyes and imagine you're listening to something frightfully expensive by Naim or Chord, but you'll never feel in the least bit short changed by this unit. When one keeps in mind that this is a mid-priced, perhaps even entry-level unit, the sound is exemplary. The treble rings clear without hardness or abrasiveness, the bass is firm and full, and the mid-range articulate and insightful. NAD, Denon, and Marantz do good work in this class, but the Cambridge, does a less idiosyncratic job. By that I mean the 740A shows less colouration, or perhaps less 'character', acting more as an dispassionate conduit of information than its nearest rivals.

I place of lot of store in the upright bass as an instrument to test the mettle of audio equipment. It's a weird amalgam of woody, stringy, boxy, buzzy noises perched atop a fulsome throb, and the full sound spans a wide frequency range. A double bass sounds just a bit wrong when heard live, and a good recording will leave that wrongness intact. You can hear in the works of the Jacques Loussier Trio, bass legend, Stanley Black, or even the drum 'n' bass outfit, Lamb. Armed with a variety of upright bass-heavy tracks, I expected good things from the 740A and I got them. The extension was there, the speed, and the power, but just as importantly, the maddening askewness in its strange and subtle glory.

Nearly Nirvana

In the realm of minor disappointments I would have held out for just an extra ounce of soundstage definition. This gripe runs counter to the reports of other reviewers, who have praised the 740A's imaging. While it is fine for the price, I wonder if the 740A has been constrained here to give the 840A a more apparent advantage? The soundscape is by no means blurred or indistinct, it just wants for a little more separation in more complex compositions. I add this reservation with a reservation, as I've been reviewing much pricier AudioLab amplification and can't be entirely sure I'm not letting the very excellent imaging shown by those components colour my judgment of the noble Cambridge Audio unit.

Conclusion

If you're still reading, I can't have made myself very clear, so I'll sum it all up by announcing that this amp represents a tremendous bargain. It's a serious step up from the Azur 640A, and the difference in price between the two units gives little indication of the performance differential. The 740A amplifier is a component I am very happy to recommend, particularly in partnership with the 740C CD player.

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