First Look
You will love at first sight the rounded edged aluminum chassis the Azurs come housed in. Pointless to say, when you're talking power amplifiers, you're talking heavy and the same holds true for the 840W. But it looks spectacular with an uncomplicated power button and a couple of little dots for the bluish LEDs across the front panel marking the output speaker settings. The top sides of the chassis have wide gaps in it for heat dispersal, but laid out keeping equilibrium in mind so that overall aesthetics of the power amplifier aren't compromised. As for the 840E, its size and weight is a lot lesser than the 840W, and the front panel has a lot more things on it, but not to a congested look. A big bluish LED sits at the centre, with little input buttons lined across both sides of it. The trademark volume knob is on the right-most side with the power button on the other extreme. It is definitely an aesthetic masterpiece that would fit as well in your living room.
Technological aspects
Since this is the highest range of audio amplifier you're going to get from the Azur series as far as amplification is concerned, we're talking of classy and knowing Cambridge Audio, efficient technology as well. Taking the 840W Power amplifier can be bi-amped or bridged-mono, depending on what you'd like to use it as, a single power amplifier that amplifies the highs and lows individually or as a mono block. With 840E you're getting 200-watts pumped through your speakers in totality, but divided Individually between tweeter and the woofer. On the other hand, the 840W converts into 500-watt mono block, which needs to be coupled with another 840W for stereo amplification. All this can be done with a little tweaking of some switches and connections.
The 840W comes with Class XD technology, a type of amplification-technology that switches from Class A to Class B amplification; as the levels are increased through Crossover Displacement.
This reduces levels of distortion radically when compared to Class AB amplification because it is delivering the sound pure Class B technology with the help of an jumbo toroidal transformer with a silicon-steel screen! That explains the weight.
The 840E has some very exciting features inside of it as well. Starting with the cleverly named Terrapin Modules, rather than going in for the conventional op-amps (operational amps) for the low level gain stages, Cambridge Audio had been developing these ten-pin (that's why the Terra-' in Terrapin Modules) low-noise, low-distortion amplifier modules as an independent project. These, as Cambridge-Audio claims will outperform the standard op-amps. This technology couples well with the Class XD rating of the power-amplifier as far as low-level amplification is concerned, as it is a critical level for any amplifier to function in.
Along with this, the 840E has an individual collection of relays and resistors positioned along each channel to perk up the stereo division and imaging performance. At the same time, the volume and balance control are done with a stylish resistor ladder and relay-based attenuator that provides a 1dB incremental volume modification, positioning Mute or the 0 value of the volume knob way down at -95dB. So you're cranking up the volume knob quite-a-ways up before in fact getting the sensible listening level you need.
Like the majority Cambridge Audio controllers, this smooth silver remote resembles the apparatus it is built to control beautifully. The ergonomics of the round buttons could have been better with ease in the controls. As far as range goes, you can function with this remote from any corner of the room, with the gentle most touch of the buttons.
Bottom line
Staying true to the Azur series, the 840E and the 840W are a remarkable pair to listen to. The price is high because of the hi-end technology, but the pair comes housing sure makes it sensible. From an flawless imaging performance to an almost over-the-top sonic display of low-level amplification, they are truly the flagship amplifiers of Cambridge Audio and surely they hold the flag high enough to take on the audiophile-grade competitors across the globe.
