So Happy Together: Cambridge Audio Evo 150 All-in-One Player Offers 150Wpc Amplification, High-Res Streaming, an MM Phonostage, and a Platform for the Evo CD Transport in a Bundle That Saves You $699
The muscular power you need, the convenience you want, all the music you could ever hope to stream, a pair literally made for one another, and $699 savings: That's essentially what you get when you add Cambridge Audio's Evo 150 all-in-one player and Evo CD transport to a pair of loudspeakers. The Evo 150 amplifier/streamer that not only makes it easy to stream high-resolution tracks, but also helps you get the most out of your vinyl LPs. Thanks to its array of digital and analog inputs — as well as its ESS SABRE 32-bit DAC — Evo 150 can serve as the heart of an expanding hi-fi system.
Because Evo 150 has Hypex NCore Class D amplification and the StreamMagic music streaming platform onboard, after you've quickly set up the unit, millions of high-res files will be just a click away. Just fire up your favorite music streaming service on a smartphone, tablet, or other device. You can connect to Evo 150 using the app, Bluetooth, or the built-in streaming service support. If you want to connect a turntable, a built-in moving-magnet (MM) phono stage is a convenient option for record players without an internal preamp.
The Roon Ready Evo 150 is a gateway to a wide array of streaming options, including TIDAL Masters, with MQA decoding onboard. (Evo is a Roon endpoint, so it can be used as part of a Roon multiroom system.) With Qobuz's Studio Sublime plan, you can use Evo 150 to stream at 24-bit/192 kHz. Additionally, Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music, and dozens of other services are at your fingertips. (The Evo 150 is designed with Google Chromecast, so it could be part of a Google Home multiroom system.)
The Evo 150 is rated at 150Wpc (into 8 ohms), and under the hood. Advantages of the Hypex NCore Class D amplification include a proprietary self-oscillating feedback topology and a dedicated, high-current power supply. By incorporating aptX HD Bluetooth capability, Evo 150 delivers the convenience of wireless connectivity. Along with its 3.5mm output for headphones, Evo 150 is also a Bluetooth transmitter, so if want to enjoy a private listening session with wireless headphones, Evo 150 has you covered.
With its extensive suite of digital and analog inputs, Evo 150 is ready for you to add your favorite sources — a turntable, say, plus the incluced Evo CD transport — and build a wider system. Evo 150 delivers convenience and tremendous flexibility via its numerous connections: Ethernet port, Evo CD custom connection, HDMI input with ARC (Audio Return Channel), USB Type A, USB Type B, 12-volt trigger in/out, RS232, speakers A/B (with binding-post connectors), coaxial, dual optical inputs, balanced XLR input, RCA, moving magnet (MM) phono stage, subwoofer out, and pre-amp out.
Weighing less than 12 pounds and only about a foot wide, Evo 150 is easy to position and can be easily moved. The included wood side panels, which attach magnetically, can be added or removed, depending on the aesthetics of your listening space. A full-function remote control is also included. And thanks to the 6.8-inch high-resolution display, you can enjoy bright, clear album artwork when you're listening to a streaming service.
Designed to seamlessly mate with the company's 150 all-in-one player/amplifier, the Cambridge Audio Evo CD compact-disc transport mines deep-seated details, extended dynamics, and full-bodied tones from your discs in manners that bridges the divide between high-res streaming and traditional disc playback. Bolstered by a brand-new S5 Servo and all-metal transport drawer that team up to deliver near-perfect speed and stalwart precision, Evo CD is dedicated to one purpose and one purpose only — giving it a major advantage over multi-function components busied with extra circuitry, moving parts, and technological complexities. You'll experience new and old favorites with heightened clarity, immersive richness, and analog-like naturalism.
Housed in an acoustically dampened metal chassis that practically eliminates signal interference and provides stable isolation, the 11.7-pound Evo CD includes a custom-designed Evo Link digital output for connection to an Evo unit — ensuring high-end purity and ultra-low-noise performance. It's also a looker, with changeable side panels that can fit your particular decor or mood. Control is a cinch; you can use your 150 remote for easy operation from your chair. A sleek aluminum top panel, gapless playback, and cosmetic mirroring of the Evo 150 complete a transport that throws down the gauntlet in its price class.
Cambridge Audio Evo 150 Reviews
“This could be the box-to-end-all-boxes, or at least a great way to tame the hi-fi sprawl.”
—The Absolute Sound, 2023 Golden Ear Award
"It has a rich and expansive sound, looks great, and offers impressive functionality at a reasonable cost."
—StereoNet
"With the exception of the higher-than-expected levels of noise in its headphone output, the Cambridge EVO 150's measured performance reveals excellent audio engineering," JA summed up."
—John Atkinson, Stereophile, Class B Recommended Component
"Compact, clever and capable of driving even demanding speakers to deliver a room-filling sound."
—EISA Award for 2021-2022, Streaming Amplifier
"Partnered with a pair of speakers, the Cambridge Audio Evo 150 is a capable and talented all-in-one system — one of the most exhaustively featured, best-looking, and highly intuitive examples of its kind."
—What Hi-Fi?, five-star review
“It has a great DAC, a myriad of inputs, plenty of streaming options, and on final listening, it sounds great. It’s the sort of box that could anchor a new system or replace an aging one.”
—The Absolute Sound
"[The high frequencies] are incredibly detailed and articulate. It is likely you're going to hear some things that other amps gloss over."
—Andrew Robinson, The Recovering Audiophile (YouTube)
"My time with the Cambridge Evo 150 has been well spent and I'm going to be holding on to this unit... 150 watts per channel is nothing to sneeze at, and if you scan all of the specifications, features, and connections, you really have to wonder what it can't do."
—David Blumenstein, Dagogo
