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Cambridge Audio adds a retro-cool VU meter to its CXN100 streamer

The Cambridge Audio CXN100 with the VU meter update.
Cambridge Audio

Digital and analog worlds continue to collide as Cambridge Audio announced that it has extended the retro-cool digital VU meter update that its Evo streaming amplifiers are getting today to its acclaimed CXN100 network music streamer as well.

In March, the renowned British audio gear maker fully embraced the iconic 1980s design of the DeLorean automobile with the launch of an Evo 150 Limited Edition integrated amplifier/network player. But as an added bonus, it also dropped the news that that amp, along with the Evo 75 and regular Evo 150 all-in-one players, would also receive a cool, analog-style digital VU meter and clock display feature that would be added as an over-the-air (OTA) update in May.

The new VU meter software upgrade on the Cambridge Audio Evo 150.
Cambridge Audio

Well, it’s May, and today that update has arrived, but the company surprised owners (and would-be owners) of its popular CXN100 network player that launched in February by announcing that it would be able to receive the update as well.

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How to get the VU meter update

“The new display options are accessible via the (i) button on the front of the unit. This gives listeners the choice to switch between viewing the VU meters, an easy-to-read digital clock, or to showcase the current album artwork while playing,” Cambridge Audio says.

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The $1,099 CXN100 is the updated and redesigned version of Cambridge’s acclaimed CXN V2 network streamer that allows you to bring high-quality digital music from all your streaming services, local music files, and internet radio stations to your existing hi-fi system. It features a redesigned digital-to-analog-converter (DAC) capable of handling 32-bit/768kHz, faster, more precise and streamlined processing, built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and all-new tuning by the company’s “engineering magicians.”

The Evo 75, Evo 150, and Evo 150 DeLorean Edition are also award-winning all-in-one integrated amplifier/network players that feature 75 watts and 150 watts per channel of power, respectively. They also feature a best-in-class DAC and the ESS SABRE ES9018k2m Reference DAC, as well as a built-in moving magnet phono input for connecting a turntable.

The OTA update is available now for CXN100 and all Evo models.

Derek Malcolm
Derek Malcolm is a contributing editor and evergreen lead for the A/V and Home Theater section of Digital Trends. Derek…
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