Cambridge EVO 150 SE Streaming Amplifier
Serious hi-fi sound and a full streaming platform in a single elegant box, with none of the rack of equipment that usually comes with it.
When You Want the Sound Without the Stack
Real two-channel performance has usually meant separates: a streamer, a DAC, an amplifier, a tangle of cables, and a shelf built around them. It sounds excellent, but it can take over a room and make daily listening feel like operating equipment rather than playing music.
The trade-off many people accept instead is a compact all-in-one that looks tidy but sounds like a lifestyle product. Convenient, but never quite convincing once the music gets demanding.
Why We Chose the EVO 150 SE
We chose the Cambridge Audio EVO 150 SE because it closes that gap. It puts 150 watts per channel of Hypex NCore Class D amplification, an ESS Sabre ES9018K2M DAC, and Cambridge's StreamMagic platform into one chassis small enough to sit on a sideboard, yet capable enough to drive quality speakers with control.
It streams high-resolution audio over Wi-Fi and works with Spotify Connect, TIDAL, Qobuz, Amazon Music, Deezer, AirPlay 2, Chromecast, and Roon. A moving-magnet phono stage, balanced XLR and RCA line inputs, optical, coaxial, USB, and HDMI TV ARC mean turntable, TV, and digital sources all connect to the same box.
What the Specs Won't Tell You
One Box Replaces the Whole Stack
The EVO 150 SE does the job of a streamer, DAC, phono stage, and integrated amplifier at once. That's one box on the sideboard instead of a stack of components, a fraction of the cabling, and nothing on the rack drawing your eye, while the sound stays firmly in hi-fi territory rather than background-music territory.
It Drives Quality Speakers, Not Just Fills a Room
The Hypex NCore amplification gives the EVO 150 SE the grip to control proper bookshelf and floorstanding speakers. Bass stays defined instead of soft, and the presentation holds together as the music gets louder and more complex, the point where lesser all-in-ones start to strain.
Vinyl and Streaming Meet on Equal Terms
The built-in moving-magnet phono stage means a turntable plugs straight in, and the same box streams hi-res files and services without a separate streamer or DAC. You can move from a record to a Qobuz playlist without changing anything about how the system is set up.
What the Reviewers Found
What Hi-Fi? praised the EVO 150 SE as beautifully packaged with an exhaustive feature set that is lovely to use, delivering a clear, spacious and refined presentation, as long as you pair it with the right speakers.
StereoNet awarded it an Applause Award, describing it as a great all-round one-box system with a large, spacious, confident sound and plenty of detail across a wide range of material.
The Audio Two Verdict
The EVO 150 SE is the all-in-one we reach for when someone wants a proper hi-fi system without building a rack to get it. It has the amplification to take quality speakers seriously and the source flexibility to be the only box in the system.
Paired with the right speakers, it delivers detail, space, and control that hold up against separates at a similar total cost, and it fits on a sideboard instead of taking over a rack. If you want the sound without the pile of gear, this is how you get it.
"A great all-round one-box system that is hard to fault in so many areas." StereoNet
Tech You Can Hear
| What You Hear | Why It Happens |
|---|---|
| Speakers stay controlled as the music gets more demanding | 150W per channel of Hypex NCore Class D amplification |
| Digital sources sound clean and detailed | ESS Sabre ES9018K2M DAC with a four-layer low-interference PCB |
| Streaming feels native and reliable across services | StreamMagic platform with Roon Ready, AirPlay 2, and Chromecast built in |
| Vinyl plugs straight in with no extra box | Built-in moving-magnet phono stage |
| Hi-res files play at full resolution | USB Audio Class 2 up to 24-bit/384kHz and DSD256 |
| One box instead of a rack of separates | Single compact chassis with magnetically changeable side panels |
Technical Highlights
- 150W per channel into 8 ohms, Hypex NCore Class D amplification
- ESS Sabre ES9018K2M DAC; USB Audio Class 2 up to 24-bit/384kHz and DSD256
- StreamMagic streaming: Spotify Connect, TIDAL, Qobuz, Amazon Music, Deezer, Internet Radio, Roon Ready, AirPlay 2, Chromecast
- Built-in moving-magnet phono stage
- Inputs: 1x RCA, 1x balanced XLR, phono, optical, coaxial, USB-B, HDMI TV ARC; Bluetooth 4.2 with aptX HD
- Outputs: Speakers A+B, preamp out, subwoofer out, 3.5mm headphone
- Dual-band Wi-Fi and Ethernet; 317 x 89 x 352mm; 5.3kg; interchangeable side panels included
Why Choose Audio Two
Audio Two ships across Canada. That said, a system at this level is worth a conversation before you commit. We can make sure it's the right fit for your room, your source, and how you actually listen. Reach out and we'll help you get it right.