Thoughts on the Cambridge Audio Azur 351R ?

grunthos

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Just came across the Azur 351R on the Cambridge Audio website. It is described as a stripped down 551R, with focus on stereo (pushes out 80W per channel in stereo mode vs. 50W per channel in 5.1 mode)
Plus its an entry level model, priced at $799, which makes it more interesting to us Indians
That and the famed sweet-sound of Cambridge Audio seems to make it a winning deal

However, while it is up for sale on amazon, there are no reviews of the 351R available. Anyone saw it in action or read any interesting reviews ?

Azur 351R AV Receiver for Home Theatre Surround Sound
 
The good part in its spec is that it says clearly how much power (wpc) when all channels are driven someti9ng which many manufacturers purposefully omit.

Power output: 70W RMS per channel, into 8 Ohms (two channels driven)
50W RMS per channel, 8 Ohms (all 5 channels driven)

However at this price point you will also get good denons.
 
Even though CA Azur 351R has a lower power rating, most of the other AVRs (at the same price level) will not come close to the actual power delivered by 351R with all channels driven. This indicates how strong the power supply unit and the amps are and it is one of the parameters in having better sound quality.

The drawback would be that you will get more features from other AVRs. If you are okay with that, you can give a try for an audition in your city. The other problem is that the sales volume of CA Azur AVRs is very much less compared to others and so most of the dealers/distributors may not have a demo piece for you to audition. Hope you are lucky enough to find a demo shop for 351R and find a chance to compare with other AVRs. The other AVR which is more or less the same as 351R is NAD T748. They both have similar specs and price. I think Lakozy Mumbai will be having some demo stocks as well for T748. Again, look for 35R/T748 only if you are okay with less or zero features.
 
Hmmm, I never knew NAD did AV receivers. I have always heard them mentioned in the stereo amplifier space on this forum. And I confess most of my information about the hifi world comes principally from this forum ...

As far as missing features go, which missing feature do you think is a deal-breaker here?

- It doesnt have analog video inputs - I dont think they'd be missed that much
- It doesnt have 7.1 - again, not going to be missed so much if 5.1 is available (it is a budget system, after all)
- Does not have USB input - constraining, but optical input takes part of the load
- Cant make out if its lacking the latest Dolby mode
- Networking features - yes, will hurt a little. Bluetooth receiver can be added but WiFi will be missed

Against all these, if it sounds really good (all Cambridge Audios supposedly sound much more musical than others), then there is a case to be made ?
 
Hmmm, I never knew NAD did AV receivers. I have always heard them mentioned in the stereo amplifier space on this forum. And I confess most of my information about the hifi world comes principally from this forum ...

As far as missing features go, which missing feature do you think is a deal-breaker here?

- It doesnt have analog video inputs - I dont think they'd be missed that much
- It doesnt have 7.1 - again, not going to be missed so much if 5.1 is available (it is a budget system, after all)
- Does not have USB input - constraining, but optical input takes part of the load
- Cant make out if its lacking the latest Dolby mode
- Networking features - yes, will hurt a little. Bluetooth receiver can be added but WiFi will be missed

Against all these, if it sounds really good (all Cambridge Audios supposedly sound much more musical than others), then there is a case to be made ?

If you are very much aware of what features you actually need and what not, then you can very well try CA or NAD or even Anthem receivers for audition. I haven't auditioned CA receivers and so I cannot give a feedback on that. Did you audition it or any other receiver in Mumbai ?
 
Guys, How good a deal would it be if I am getting a Cambridge Audio Azur 551R for Rs.45000??
How will a Azur 551R compare with Marantz NR1504 or NR1604? I have heard on the forum about Cambridge Audio being sweet and Warm; will it go well with Boston Acoustics speakers?
 
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