Cambridge Audio Edge NQ/M Streamer/Monoblocks Lab Report

Lab Report

Rated at twice the output of the Edge A [HFN Nov '18] and Edge W at 200W/8ohm and 350W/4ohm, the new Edge M delivers 259W/8ohm and 435W/4ohm (a stiff +2.3dB increase in power) with reserve to accommodate 293W, 535W, 835W into 8, 4 and 2ohm under dynamic conditions at <1% THD [see Graph 1, below]. There's a current 'limit' of ~30A/885W into 1ohm [green trace]. The field-cancelling toroidal transformer flattens hum and helps the Edge M achieve a wide 92dB A-wtd S/N ratio (re. 0dBW) from a gain of +22.4dB (balanced ins). The response reaches out to 2Hz-75kHz ±1dB from a source impedance that rises from 0.015ohm through bass and midrange to 0.12ohm/20kHz before lifting to 1.3ohm/100kHz. As expected distortion is fabulously low at 0.0002-0.0003% from 1-200W/8ohm through the midrange and from 0.0001-0.008% (20Hz-20kHz), again from 1-200W/8ohm.

The NQ's analogue preamp offers a huge >20V maximum output (balanced), a gain of +9.2dB, distortion of just 0.0002-0.0003% (0dBV, 20Hz-20kHz) and a wide 102dB A-wtd S/N ratio. The response is flat to within ±0.1dB from 1Hz-100kHz although the ES9018-based DAC section, with standard linear phase filter selected by Cambridge, has its 'own' response of –0.2dB/20kHz, –1.35dB/45kHz and –3.6dB/90kHz with 48kHz, 96kHz and 192kHz media, respectively. The balanced outs achieve 11V with a peak level 0dBFs digital input, holding THD to 0.0002-0.001% (20Hz-20kHz). Distortion falls to a minimum of 0.0001-0.0002% at –10dBFs/48kHz [Graph 2] and low-level linearity holds good to within ±0.1dB over a full 110dB dynamic range. Jitter meanwhile is suppressed to ~10psec across all inputs/sample rates. PM

621camb.lab1

Dynamic power output versus distortion into 8ohm (black trace), 4ohm (red), 2ohm (blue) and 1ohm (green) speaker loads. Max. current is 29.8A

621camb.lab2

Distortion versus 24-bit digital signal level over a 120dB range (1kHz, black; 20kHz, blue)

Continuous power (<1% THD, 8/4ohm) 259W / 435W
Dynamic power (<1% THD, 8/4/2/1ohm) 293W / 535W / 835W / 885W
Output imp. (20Hz–20kHz, Pre/Amp) 91ohm / 0.015-0.120ohm
Freq. resp. (20Hz–20kHz/100kHz) +0.0 to –0.15dB/–1.6dB
Digital jitter (USB / S/PDIF) 10psec / 11psec (48kHz/24-bit)
A-wtd S/N ratio (DAC/Amp) 118.2dB (0dBFs) / 92.4dB (0dBW)
Distortion (DAC, 0dBFs/Amp, 0dBW) 0.0002-0.0009%/0.00018-0.001%
Power consumption (Preamp/Amp) 27W / 368W (98W idle)
Dimensions (WHD, each unit) 460x120x405/460x150x405mm
Prices (DAC/Preamp & Monoblocks): £4499/£3999 (each)

COMPANY INFO
Cambridge Audio Ltd
PRC
Supplied by: Audio Partnership PLC, London
0203 514 1521
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