Cambridge Audio Azur 340R 5.1 HDMI review
Cambridge Audio is renowned for embracing new technology and making it available to a wider audience at a remarkable price. This is the case with HDMI and the Azur 340R 5.1 HDMI AV Receiver – the latest in a growing Azur range of AV receivers. The 340R features 5.1 multi-channel output and 2 in 1 out HDMI pass through so that, for instance, an HDMI DVD player and Sky HD™ set-top box can be connected with just one cable to the screen. A high quality Crystal CS42518 multi DAC also provides crystal clear sound reproduction for music or movie use. The 340R then is the ultimate entry level home cinema receiver, perfect for users who want the simplicity of a high-quality 5.1 speaker set-up. The Azur 340R is designed for excellent multi channel surround-sound performance without compromising on music reproduction. To this end, five fully discrete audiophile grade amplifiers are kept as separate as possible from the processing and input stages. A large power supply with low flux toroidal transformer and careful design of the audio stages ensure the 340R can reproduce the dynamics and scale required for modern movie soundtracks whilst also being able to reproduce a genuinely musical performance with either stereo or multi-channel music sources. Dolby, DTS 5.1 and Pro Logic II are featured for surround-sound decoding as well as Stereo and Stereo + Sub modes. Advanced Bass Management allows separate crossovers and trims for all these formats. All the 340R’s video inputs are fully assignable for ease of use. The 340R has an attractive On Screen Display (OSD) so that menus can be easily accessed for the simplest set-up imaginable. An on-board AM/FM tuner offers 30 station presets making tuning into the radio extremely simple. An RS232 connection with full control protocol available allows custom install use. As with all Cambridge Audio products, the 340R benefits from a solid aluminum front panel and acoustically damped chassis and is available in either silver or black. An ergonomic remote control is also supplied.Features:
50W per channel @ 8 Ohms all channels driven/80W per channel @ 8 Ohms 2 channel
High current transistors used in discrete output stages for optimized audio performance
Crystal CS42518 multi DAC and CS493263 DSP
Audio inputs: 6 line level in + tuner/5.1 direct
Audio outputs: 5 amplified speaker/1 subwoofer/1 tape record
Video inputs: 3 composite/2 S-video/2 component video/2 HDMI
Video outputs: 1 composite/1 S-video/1 component video/1 HDMI
Digital inputs: 1 coaxial/4 optical
Digital outputs: 1 coaxial/1 optical/1 HDMI
Fully freely assignable video inputs for ease of use and total flexibility
Processes Dolby Digital/DTS 5.1/Dolby PLII
Advanced Bass Management allows separate crossovers and trims for PLII/DD/DTS and Stereo + Sub modes
On Screen Display (OSD)
FM/AM tuner with RDS and 30 presets
RS232 control for custom install use and software updating plus IR emitter In
Solid aluminium front panel plus an ultra rigid, acoustically dampened chassis
Ergonomic remote control
Available in silver or black