Azur’s full compliment with three new components

Cambridge Audio bolsters flagship hi-fi separates Azur 851 Series with three new components

Adding to its hi-fi separates range, Cambridge Audio has announced the introduction of three new components. Swelling the ranks to five, the flagship Azur 851 Series now includes the Azur 851E preamplifier, Azur 851W power amplifier and Azur 851D digital-to analogue converter. The new introductions join the existing Azur 815A integrated amplifier and 815C up sampling DAC/CD player/preamplifier models from 2013 to create a full compliment of separates.

The Azur 851 Series adds new preamp, power amp and DAC models to the range

The three models were originally announced at the Munich High End show in May 2013, but with only preliminary details available. We can now confirm that the Azur 851W power amplifier utilizes an all-metal chassis and is built around the company’s proprietary Class XD amplification system, combining Class A and Class AB amplification for superior power efficiency, which the maker claims runs to 200W per channel into 8ohms or 500W RMS in mono-bridged configuration.

The matching Azur 815E preamplifier replaces the 840E with a more versatile range of inputs including three selectable RCA/balanced XLR inputs geared for high-end sources. A further five RCA inputs are available, plus configurable trigger and IR outputs that allow the 815E preamp to fully integrate with the 815W power amplifier – as well as other modern power amplifiers.

The last addition to the range is the 851D digital-to-analogue converter, which the maker says extends the brilliant digital audio handling and upsampling technology of the 851C CD player ready for all your digital sources. The spec sheet details a comprehensive range of digital inputs including coaxial, Toslink optical, BNC coaxial and AES/EBU, plus asynchronous USB that can upsample to 24-bit/384kHz using ATF2(second-generation Adaptive Time Filtering algorithms). Bluetooth wireless connectivity is also supported via the supplied BT100 Wireless Audio Receiver dongle with aptX.

Modern power amplifiers can fit you home well

The full compliment of Azur 851 Series hi-fi separates is available in silver or black brushed-metal finishes. Prices start at £999.95 for the Azur 851D digital-to-analogue converter, with the 851A integrated amplifier, 851C DAC/CD player and preamplifier and 851E preamplifier all costing $1972 each. The Azur 851W power amplifier costs $2465. All models are on sale now and available from your nearest Richer Sounds store.

Big Brother Is Listening To You

How does what you’re up to when listening to music shape the sort of stuff you like to listen to? Do you, for example, insist on pumping out banging techno when you go for a run, snuggle under the bedclothes with some Morrissey when you’re feeling down or let the dulcet tones of Barry White set the tone when you’re in the mood for lurrrve? It’s certainly a no-brainer to reveal that we like to hear different stuff according to what we’re up to, but Spotify is giving the idea some serious thought.

A new feature reportedly being explored by the streaming music service will use special sensors on the listener’s body or in their smartphone to measure their heart rate and then use that information to select appropriate music to match what activity the listener is undertaking. The thinking goes that motion, temperature and even sleep patterns could be used by Spotify to help provide suggested playlists to suit the mood or activity that you’re embarking on.

“The more we know about you,the better the Spotify engine can be”

As Spotify’s product manager for discovery and recommendations – Donovan Sung – explained: “Maybe with motion sensors in phones we can start guessing whether users are running, biking or driving? Maybe the phone has a temperature sensor or a heart rate sensor. We could guess whether the user is tense... The more we know about you, the better the Spotify engine can be.” So, in theory you will be able to use Spotify to get yourself pumped up before embarking on an early morning jog or to calm yourself down before going to bed at night.

Whether or not subscribers to the music streaming service are ready for such intrusion into their life, or indeed if they’re not smart enough to choose music to suit the mood themselves (the Orb is not great for getting yourself in the mood for a big night out and similarly Extreme Noise Terror isn’t a great choice for wooing the opposite sex), the idea and the application of the technology involved remains intriguing. You can guarantee Spotify will explore it in great depth, whether or not we’ll see the fruits of this toil remains another matter entirely...