Cambridge Audio Azur 851N

Offering award-winning digital and streaming performance – the 851N is an outstanding network player. Its features include; 24-bit/384kHz upsampling from all sources, native 24-bit/192kHz playback, USB, digital audio inputs and streaming over wi-fi including UPnP and NAS drives, Tidal, Qobuz, Spotify Connect, Apple AirPlay, and DSD.

851N is built on our award-winning streaming platform, StreamMagic. We developed StreamMagic at our London HQ to support playback of multiple digital files and formats from a variety of sources. Enjoy gapless playback from a huge number of sources including Spotify Connect, Tidal, AirPlay, Qobuz, Internet Radio, NAS Drive/ UPnP, optional Bluetooth (with BT100 adaptor) and much more.

Digital source components such as TVs, smartphones, PCs or MACs can connect via optical, co-axial, AES/EBU and asynchronous USB Audio digital inputs. Music files in all the popular formats are supported, from MP3, through to FLAC/Apple Lossless, DSD64 and WAV 16-24 bit master files.

No matter what digital files you play, they’re first put through our 2nd generation Adaptive Time Filtering (ATF2) that upsamples everything to 24bit/384kHz. As a result, jitter – a type of unpleasant digital distortion common in digital audio and often caused by timing issues – is almost completely absent, ensuring no disruption to the enjoyment of your music.

The upsampled data passes through twin Analog Devices DACs (very high-end digital to analogue converters) which are implemented in a dual differential configuration meaning each channel has its own DAC. The result is lifelike stereo imaging where instruments can be heard in specific parts of your room with uncanny accuracy.

Not just a great network player the 851N is also an outstanding digital pre-amp that can be connected directly to a dedicated power amplifier, like 851W. Keeping the signal digital to the last moment makes it less susceptible to analogue deterioration ensuring the best possible sound is achieved, even at very low volume levels.

Put 851N proudly on display. A gorgeous aluminium finish surrounds a 4-inch, full-colour display. Quickly see what’s playing at a glance.

Control the 851N with the Cambridge Connect smartphone app, available on iOS and Android. Through the dedicated app you can access all your music libraries and control playback.

At the back of the 851N, you’ll find multiple connectivity options. Optical coaxial outputs provide digital connectivity and analogue is output either via RCA or balanced XLR.

You can experience your current music library on 851N without having to convert or replace files thanks to its extensive compatibility. 851N supports high-resolution files including ALAC, WAV, FLAC, AIFF, WMA, MP3, AAC, HE AAC, AAC+ and OGG Vorbis. USB audio input also enables streaming up to 24-bit/192kHz and supports DSD streams.