Cambridge Audio deliver another classy floorstander.
For those out there not throwing themselves into all the technical specifications of speakers, the technology doesn’t seem to have evolved significantly over the past decade or so, with many happy and content to settle for the brands we know and love like Tannoy, Dali and Mission (to name but a few). This couldn’t be further from the truth and for the rest who will happily tick the “Yes, I am an audiophile” box, Cambridge Audio should be given a huge round of applause for their offering in this market.
Their latest creation is the stunning Aeromax range, which continues the work on the award-winning and very well priced Aero range.
First impressions of this speaker would certainly send your mind dreaming of high end build quality with a high gloss finish in either white or black and similarly well finished spiked stands for a reduction in vibration (and to protect your carpets and floors).
The high gloss finish (in either black or white) on the Aeromax really impressed us.
After plugging in the Aeromax 6 speakers and running them through a Cambridge Audio 851A coupled with the 851C (also Cambridge), they come alive with warm tones, smooth bass and a presence that deserves significant volume. The BMR (balanced mode radiator) drivers now become more apparent when it comes to creating not only a fantastic sound stage when working in tandem with the premium hi-fi gear but a well balanced overall sound. The BMR driver is a flat panel upper-mid and high frequency unit that takes the crossover away from the most audible frequency to the human ear, (the crossover is the frequency point that splits the sounds between the bass driver and high frequency unit. Having the crossover at such an audible frequency highlights distortion). The result is a smooth, well distributed sound that has an almost eerily lifelike quality to it.
Some speakers tend to have a specific frequency where they shine brightest; Dali have a phenomenal tweeter sound, Mission have great mids and I’ll bet that a lot would jump to Bose for a booming bass, but the overall tone from these speakers feels precise, detailed, but most importantly it feels warm and inviting. It encompasses some of the best attributes from the previous range (Aero 6) with a little something extra, that special something that only comes from premium gear. When the great AC/DC are blasted at around -20db there is no distortion in the audio and the sound stage is set perfectly with Brian roaring at the front, Angus and Malcolm shredding in the middle and Phil & Cliff galloping along on drums and bass: the positioning is perfect.
To sum up, these are some great floorstanders and I would be very surprised if there are any new speakers coming out that are going to rival these in terms of costs and performance. You could look to the Focal 726’s as an alternative or possibly the Q Acoustics Concept 40’s, but (for this reviewer) both seem to lack the excitement the Aeromax bring. With the Aeromax 2s at your disposal, for smaller standmount speakers, this range really does deserve an audition. A real pair of winners.
Rating: 8.5/10
Author – Andrew, Weybridge store
