Cambridge Audio L/R S evaluate

Cambridge Audio may not be the primary model that involves thoughts for desktop audio system, not least when the area has been dominated up to now by the likes of KEF, Ruark and FiiO in recent times.

Nonetheless, the model’s L/R S have been proven off to me at an occasion in December at its London HQ, and I have been itching to get my arms on them since. After months of ready, I’ve lastly been in a position to get my arms on them to guage how they sound and the way straightforward they’re to dwell with as a set of $549/£399 desktop audio system.

I am a very massive fan of the way in which that the L/R S seems to be, with a trendy and minimalistic end to it. My pattern got here in a contemporary white colourway, though it is attainable to get them in black, darkish inexperienced, darkish blue, shiny orange, or, for an additional payment, a walnut veneer. My decide primarily based on the fashions I’ve seen can be the white or orange, I have to admit.

These are on the bigger aspect for desktop audio system, I might wager, being taller and deeper than competing choices from Ruark and FiiO, though they don’t seem to be so massive that I discovered them unwieldy on my desk or sideboard. I just like the ‘floating stand’ these audio system come on too, because the chassis tapers off in the direction of the bottom to offer the phantasm they’re floating—neat.

The entrance of the L/R S confidently boasts the 2 drivers, with no choice for grilles, be it magnetic or from the manufacturing unit. Personally, I’ve all the time been a giant fan of the uncovered driver search for added fashion and intrigue, though I can see why you may favor a grille.

As is typical with numerous different lively audio system, Cambridge has opted for the ‘slave and grasp’ combo, with one speaker dealing with the entire ports and smarts, with the opposite linked to it by a pleasing, locking braided cable.

On the one with all of the ports and such, you get a pleasing array of inputs with commonplace RCA line-in, an optical out and a USB-C. The optical out and USB-C inputs assist resolutions of as much as 24-bit/96 KHz PCM, which is why my SACD rip of Genesis’ Abacab would not play… There’s even room for a subwoofer through a devoted port for while you want extra thump. You additionally get two toggle switches so you possibly can ‘inform’ the speaker the place it’s, be it close to or additional away from a wall, or whether or not it is on a desk or not.

Wi-fi connectivity is proscribed to aptX HD Bluetooth, which is switchable with the devoted ‘supply’ button on the rear, and pairing to my Honor Magic V3 labored decently effectively. You do not get any streaming smarts, not like some barely dearer lively audio system, when you needed some Wifi powers for Tidal, Spotify or in any other case—for that, you will must look additional up the vary.

That is to not say the L/R S is not joyful to take inputs from a streamer for added flexibility. In case you chuck a WiiM Mini or a FiiO SR11 with these, you have bought a really competent desktop hifi system with streaming smarts and minimal fuss for underneath £500/$750. For my testing, I not solely used these audio system with my most important Home windows gaming PC and a MacBook over optical and USB-C, respectively, but additionally with my WiiM Extremely desktop streamer for a extra ‘typical’ use case.

As these cans are bereft of a companion app or comparable technique of phone-based management, Cambridge offers a small Bluetooth distant to make use of with these audio system. It offers a better approach of selecting inputs than coping with the guesswork of utilizing the enter change on the audio system’ rear and the related LED underneath the right-hand unit.

There are additionally some fundamental EQ presets for voice and film use, with the previous upping the prominence of the mid-range and the film mode bringing somewhat extra bass, not that I discovered the L/R S wanted way more bass.

And now the vital bit—how these audio system sound. Effectively, if the headline is the truth that I used to be very unhappy to must field these up and ship them again to Cambridge, that ought to let you know sufficient.

For a set of desktop audio system, I used to be pleasantly stunned by the energy and energy of the L/R S’s sound signature. These actually sound larger than the extra modest measurement of their cupboards, and had no hassle at extra cheap quantity ranges, filling both my eating room on the sideboard or in my workplace on my desk. There’s 100 W of Class D amplification to play, with every driver getting 25 W—we have a 21 mm hard-dome tweeter behind a waveguide and part cap above a 76 mm mid/bass driver in every speaker.

A number of that’s as a result of energy of those audio system’ low finish, as they have some tight bass with pretty extension. Granted, the L/R S is not designed because the final phrase in reference audio system, however extra as a enjoyable and fascinating hear, which they actually are.

For example, spinning up Rush’s Digital Man demonstrated the presence and depth of Geddy Lee’s bass and the gritty guitar riff from Alex Lifeson. The identical was true in utilizing an SACD rip of Huge Time from Peter Gabriel, which completely demonstrated the facility and punch of those models, though I discovered the decrease frequencies may encroach somewhat within the music’s busier components.

The distinguished low-end helps the L/R S’s gaming chops. It helps present an immersive contact for explosions and heavy gunfire once I use them in Counter-Strike 2, whereas they assist to show Los Santos is usually a actual hellscape of PvP battles once I boot up GTA On-line.

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I used to be additionally impressed with the directionality and precision afforded by these Cambridge audio system to be used in music and video games. Loading up the brand new 2026 remix of Marillion’s Go!, I bought a beautiful sense of width and expanse for the monitor’s components, comparable to every part from Steve Rothery’s guitar riff and solo to the quieter acoustic within the background, and the rounded texture of Pete Trewavas’s bassline. The L/R S may also extract a beautiful quantity of element.

Likewise, a dwell minimize of George Benson’s Affirmation supplied additional proof of that pretty sense of area and a large, exact soundstage. This went for components comparable to clapping arms from the viewers because the music’s intro started, plus the percussion that was additional again within the combine in opposition to the melodic guitar traces.

A extremely difficult check for any audio equipment that I like to make use of is a monitor from seventies jazz fusion band Model X referred to as Dance of the Unlawful Aliens. A very good set of audio system or headphones will probably be exact in its organisation and supply sufficient room for the monitor’s particular person components, be it the persistent drum hits, percussion or the pounding bassline. Take heed to it on a much less exact system, and it may well flip right into a muddy mess. On the L/R S, that actually wasn’t the case, with it performing as an actual demonstration of those audio system’ width and precision.

Likewise, the extra immersive notice to the L/R’s sound high quality helps Forza Horizon 5 with precision of the place different automobiles could also be once I’m sat in cockpit view, and I would like somewhat extra consciousness of the place the following punt into the wall from one other participant could also be coming from.

I may go on in regards to the L/R S all day, admittedly, nevertheless it’d simply be extra of the identical of me waxing lyrical about them. These are a giant brute of a desktop speaker that makes for an actual entertaining hear with deep bass, crisp mids and a clean treble that makes for a perfect companion for video games and music alike. Connectivity is nice, and so they’ve bought some actual fashion, too.

Granted, they’re larger than the likes of the Ruark MR1 MK3s and FiiO SP3 BT, and barely dearer, however I’ve no hesitation in recommending these for an entertaining and trendy set of desktop audio system that I’ve been very unhappy to must ship again. I’d simply must exit and spend some actual cash on them.

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