Difference between Cambridge Audio Azur 650A & 640A??

pras123

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Hi friends !
after what happened, as stated in my previous thread,
i am curious about difference between Cambridge audio Azur 650A amplifier and the older n golder 640A amplifier.
Those who have auditioned these, please oblige me with your experience !:)
thanks in advance for any feedback !:clapping:
 
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Hi:

I have the 640 v2 for the past 1 year and its going good, it's the best budget amp money can buy. Now, what 650 has brought is better outlook and a little tweaking in the treble department that's all about it. The new 650 retains all other attributes of the old 640 wrt to musicality and bass, and yes the 650 also goes into 'safe mode - blinking red lights' when pushed harder. So, nothing much in 650, i guess.

If you're planning on an upgrade from your 640 to 650, remember, it's going to be only side ways, and it isn't an upgrade at all from your 640. Think about 740 and 840, now, you're speaking of upgrade.

All IMO.

:)
 
Thanks a lot Vinod_david ! i can see my future with your experience n guidance only !
i would like to know your feelings about CAP5 protection system in Cambridge Audio Amplifier,
Did u ever felt the need to eliminating it?
Are you offended by walking up to the amp after each time you increase volume above 50% mark and it switches off with 3 RED blinks? or is this limitation reduced by installing along 640C also? (may be you can get higher volumes by installing CA 640A+640C?)
Does 640C V2 cd player suits best for this amp? or have you auditioned any other set-up with this amp 640A V2?
Please give your tips n tricks to have a more enriching musical journey with my CA 640A! :)
 
Hi:

Ok, so if you don't have any upgrade option in place, keep the 640 and enjoy it until and unless something happens to the amp or you get bored. The protection system incorporated by CA in their amps is for good of the amp only, and I or you can't do anything about it, so just forget about that part - you either dislike or like it. As for me, I never go beyond 10 o'clock in volume and anything above that is going to make me irritating and not a sensible atmosphere to enjoy music, but that's just me. I've never hit that spot of 'protection' phase in the last one year of music listening FYI.

Now, I just can't believe you go beyond 12 o'clock in 640 and that too in your bedroom, goodness, you listen to music so loud is it ?, but anyway it's not my ears. Having said that, if you listen that loud on a daily basis, then i guess CA amps isn't your cup of tea, you need change of amp. And, adding a 640C cdp is not going to change the protection mode of your amp if you go above 12 - it's just the synergy thing that 640C goes well with the matching amp.

Any budget cdp goes well with the 640A, a best bet would be a NAD cdp which I think would gel well - one being forward and another warm.

:)
 
Hi Vinod_david !
i exactly understand what you are trying to convey, i had been a GRADO sr80i listener for quite sometime and i know why any equipment is expensive. its not because that it can play louder that a musical system is judged, but by how clear n soothing it can be at lower volumes is what determines the quality of circuitry.
But my problem is i find the 50% or 12 O'clock position to be the best to my taste, am not saying that it should play at 70 or 80% volume, but whenever i like some music n i start enjoying it, i raise the volume to 50% position and as soon as some heavy beats come the system is bound to go into standby mode. i mean that i cannot play it continuously at 50% without going into safe mode. i do understand that at volume above 50% the system sound cacophonic, but heyy i am not going above 50%.
i expect the system should clip the excess signal and reduce the volume, as stated, but not go to the safe mode.
have you auditioned/compared NAD amps to cambridge amps??
what is your opinion and differentiation between the two?
do NAD amps also have this kind of protection circuitry that prevents user to increase volume?
Moreover they have removed incognito multi room circuit from 650A, as said in their video site, by which they say that it is having more of real-world performance.
i definitely like the sound of cambridge but heyy, every amp should get loud sometimes as and when user feels !!
 
i expect the system should clip the excess signal and reduce the volume, as stated, but not go to the safe mode.
have you auditioned/compared NAD amps to cambridge amps??
what is your opinion and differentiation between the two?
do NAD amps also have this kind of protection circuitry that prevents user to increase volume?

NAD has soft clipping feature. It reduces the the dynamic range when pushed thats all. I have tried playing the nad 325 at close to max volume for short durations of less than a minute. And also played a few minutes at 12OCLock volume. Never saw any problems.

If you need to play loud at 12OCLock, then get a more powerful amp and play it at 9OCLock.

Cheers
 
Hi:

I guess a NAD will solve your problem. Volume at 9 o'clock in NAD is easily beyond 12 in CA amps, and have seen and heard NAD play so loud below 10 o'clock. But NAD SQ may not be as revealing and musical as 640, but NAD's punch way beyond 640. I've heard 320 bee.

Why not audition a NAD and find out ?

:)
 
... i raise the volume to 50% position and as soon as some heavy beats come the system is bound to go into standby mode. i mean that i cannot play it continuously at 50% without going into safe mode. i do understand that at volume above 50% the system sound cacophonic, but heyy i am not going above 50%.

Hi Pras, (hope I'm not too late to post this - Please ignore if you've changed your setup or the problem is gone (how, I doubt); use it if found helpful)! This is a clear sign that the amp runs out of breath before the speakers - not an ideal setup for the volume level that you are aiming for. I pulled up sites for the combo mentioned in your signature: Azur 640A + Symphony 8.4 FS.

CA's 640A is rated to feed 75W into an 8 ohms speaker while Symphony 8.4s are hungry for 115W to start with. Moreover, the speaker's specs say the impedance is 4-8 (variable) ohm and can reach 230W in peaks!

Now that's a lot of power obviously your 640A can't handle. Its good for the amp to go into protect mode both to save itself as well as your speakers. Otherwise your tweeters could be fried due to clipping!

If you like the speakers (which I guess you would) then look for a matching amp that can handle your demand of loudness - again nothing wrong in listening at that level; 9'O clock or 12'O clock all depends on the size of room, sound dampening done, etc. If not, then keep the amp and look for a matching speaker (say 60-70W rating).

Hope this helps! :cheers:
 
Hi Vinod_david !
but whenever i like some music n i start enjoying it, i raise the volume to 50% position and as soon as some heavy beats come the system is bound to go into standby mode. i mean that i cannot play it continuously at 50% without going into safe mode. i do understand that at volume above 50% the system sound cacophonic, but heyy i am not going above 50%.
i expect the system should clip the excess sig!!

Use speakers of 4 Ohms which can handle a power around 150w with a sensitivity of 100 - 105 db., to avoid protection mode at low sound levels. You can hear music at high levels. Nad Amp . is superior to cambridge in its dynamic power and fidelity under similar ratings.

Regards
 
I have been listening to my 640A V2 with the Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 for 6 years now and HAVE NEVER seen those CAP5 blinking lights.

I can hardly tolerate a volume above 11:30 and I would like to point out that people who are playing constantly above 12 are going to kill their ears sooner or later.

I would also like to know if the protection system kicks in with less sensitive speakers when 12 o' clock isn't that loud. If that is the case, then we have a real issue.
 
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