Network Audio Players/Servers

Rated at twice the output of the Edge A [HFN Nov '18] and Edge W at 200W/8ohm and 350W/4ohm, the new Edge M delivers 259W/8ohm and 435W/4ohm (a stiff +2.3dB increase in power) with reserve to accommodate 293W, 535W, 835W into 8, 4 and 2ohm under dynamic conditions at <1% THD [see Graph 1, below]. There's a current 'limit' of ~30A/885W into 1ohm [green trace]. The field-cancelling toroidal transformer flattens hum and helps the Edge M achieve a wide 92dB A-wtd S/N ratio (re. 0dBW) from a gain of +22.4dB (balanced ins). The response reaches out to 2Hz-75kHz ±1dB from a source impedance that rises from 0.015ohm through bass and midrange to 0.12ohm/20kHz before lifting to 1.3ohm/100kHz. As expected distortion is fabulously low at 0.0002-0.0003% from 1-200W/8ohm through the midrange and from 0.0001-0.008% (20Hz-20kHz), again from 1-200W/8ohm.

The NQ's analogue preamp offers a huge >20V maximum output (balanced), a gain of +9.2dB, distortion of just 0.0002-0.0003% (0dBV, 20Hz-20kHz) and a wide 102dB A-wtd S/N ratio. The response is flat to within ±0.1dB from 1Hz-100kHz although the ES9018-based DAC section, with standard linear phase filter selected by Cambridge, has its 'own' response of –0.2dB/20kHz, –1.35dB/45kHz and –3.6dB/90kHz with 48kHz, 96kHz and 192kHz media, respectively. The balanced outs achieve 11V with a peak level 0dBFs digital input, holding THD to 0.0002-0.001% (20Hz-20kHz). Distortion falls to a minimum of 0.0001-0.0002% at –10dBFs/48kHz [Graph 2] and low-level linearity holds good to within ±0.1dB over a full 110dB dynamic range. Jitter meanwhile is suppressed to ~10psec across all inputs/sample rates. PM