Cambridge audio CXA80 power handling

appo2396

Standard Member
Joined
Mar 30, 2020
Messages
38
Reaction score
3
Points
33
Age
96
Location
Thailand
I have a CXA80 amplifier using both speaker outputs"A" and " B " and driving 4 speakers on each output connected in parallel. A total of 8 speakers at 4 ohms per channel.
My question is the Cambridge audio CXA80 amplifier gets hot but not too hot to kick in any breakers. Suppose I use a small USB powered mini fan to blow air into the CXA80 amplifier top grill to cool the inside circuits. Will it make any difference in the sense that I can mimic the CXA80 amplifier to think that it is ok to push itself while running a marathon of 4 hours of non stop music playing. All while the fan is sucking the heat out of the amplifier to bring the temperature down to like warm ?
 
I have the cxa 80 hrmm.. I think your pushing your amp,
8 speakers at 4ohm
Other details are important. Sensitivity of speakers. ie 87db up to 92db.

My cxa80 is connected to ma bronze 6s they are rated at 150 w dB of 90.
The cxa is a powerful amp but I think using 8 speakers isn’t a good idea aspecially 4 ohm. What’s the speaker wattage? If the speakers are low wattage maybe it’s ok.
To be honest I have never heard anyone using that amp for 8 speakers.
Why no use an av amp?

Remenber too much power draw then you will distort and clip.
 
Last edited:
If I understand correctly, I too think you're overdriving the amp. Bizarrely, the Cambridge CXA60/80 Users Manual doesn't specify speaker impedance - that's quite an omission - though it states the amp is capable of driving 4 Ohm loads.

Usually, when amps have two sets of stereo speaker terminals (which can be used individually or both used at the same time), the minimum impedance of each speaker should be 8 Ohms - for amps happy to drive 4 Ohm loads, like this Cambridge amp.

Seems to me that, by connecting pairs of speakers in parallel (assuming each speaker is 8 Ohms - hope they're not 4 or 6 Ohm speakers :eek:), you are presenting the amp with 4 Ohm loads on each speaker connection. That's a 2 Ohm load on each power amplifier channel when both sets of speakers (i.e. A + B) are used at the same time and is asking too much of this amp. Surprised the amp hasn't cut out or objected in some other way (noise, smoke etc).

When used in this way, I imagine you will shorten the working life of this amp. Not only that, but you could easily clip the amp which may damage the speakers too. If you really must have two speakers connected to each amp speaker terminal, then connect the speakers in series - although this will reduce maximum amp output and thus max. volume potential.
 
Dogfonos.
I think he’s driving 4 ohm speakers.
That will damage the amp. You are correct. Iam amazed the amp didn’t burnout.
 
If I understand correctly, I too think you're overdriving the amp. Bizarrely, the Cambridge CXA60/80 Users Manual doesn't specify speaker impedance - that's quite an omission - though it states the amp is capable of driving 4 Ohm loads.

Usually, when amps have two sets of stereo speaker terminals (which can be used individually or both used at the same time), the minimum impedance of each speaker should be 8 Ohms - for amps happy to drive 4 Ohm loads, like this Cambridge amp.

Seems to me that, by connecting pairs of speakers in parallel (assuming each speaker is 8 Ohms - hope they're not 4 or 6 Ohm speakers :eek:), you are presenting the amp with 4 Ohm loads on each speaker connection. That's a 2 Ohm load on each power amplifier channel when both sets of speakers (i.e. A + B) are used at the same time and is asking too much of this amp. Surprised the amp hasn't cut out or objected in some other way (noise, smoke etc).

When used in this way, I imagine you will shorten the working life of this amp. Not only that, but you could easily clip the amp which may damage the speakers too. If you really must have two speakers connected to each amp speaker terminal, then connect the speakers in series - although this will reduce maximum amp output and thus max. volume potential.
Hello friends, I have a simple question. Behind my CXA 80 amplifier there is a pre amp out RCA connection, can I connect another CXA80 amplifier by using a RCA cable between one RCA out and the RCA input connection of the second CXA 80 amplifier? I also have another option of using both the CXA80 amplifiers simultaneously by splitting the toslink digital source signal input into 2 separate toslink digital cables and plugging in each toslink digital cable into the CXA 80 amplifiers. As you can see RCA cables are analog to analog between the amplifiers. Vs toslink digital cables are digital to digital. I think that at some point the CXA 80 amplifier converts the source input from digital to analog anyway before amplification. Do you recommend connecting 2 amplifiers via RCA cables or via toslink digital cables? Does it matter or they both function the same
 
Last edited:
Just found this for you.

You can split RCA and connect multiple amps with it. The procedure is no difficult and you can connect two or three amps just by splitting one RCA jack. Amplifiers are used to reproduce sound by increasing the amplitude of the sound. RCA cables are connectors that help you connect between two electrical devices.

Let me know how you get on .
I have the cxa 80 which other amp do you have??

Here’s the link.
 
Hello friends, I have a simple question. Behind my CXA 80 amplifier there is a pre amp out RCA connection, can I connect another CXA80 amplifier by using a RCA cable between one RCA out and the RCA input connection of the second CXA 80 amplifier? I also have another option of using both the CXA80 amplifiers simultaneously by splitting the toslink digital source signal input into 2 separate toslink digital cables and plugging in each toslink digital cable into the CXA 80 amplifiers. As you can see RCA cables are analog to analog between the amplifiers. Vs toslink digital cables are digital to digital. I think that at some point the CXA 80 amplifier converts the source input from digital to analog anyway before amplification. Do you recommend connecting 2 amplifiers via RCA cables or via toslink digital cables? Does it matter or they both function the same

What are you trying to achieve? Using pre outs you might add a power amp or maybe biamp. With the optical out....I’m not really sure why you’d use that from an integrated amp.
 
Just found this for you.

You can split RCA and connect multiple amps with it. The procedure is no difficult and you can connect two or three amps just by splitting one RCA jack. Amplifiers are used to reproduce sound by increasing the amplitude of the sound. RCA cables are connectors that help you connect between two electrical devices.

Let me know how you get on .
I have the cxa 80 which other amp do you have??

Here’s the link.
The other one is also CXA80 amplifier. I am now using an external Bluetooth device to tap my phone signal into the Bluetooth device and behind the Bluetooth device I have a toslink digital out, which I plugged into the CXA80 digital input inlet. Now that I have a second CXA 80 amplifier I am debating whether to use a splitter to split the Bluetooth device digital signal and feed them one each to the 2 CXA80 amplifiers. Or use the RCA cables to connect the CXA80 amplifiers while keeping the digital input plugged into one amplifier
 
I think it’s more trouble than it’s worth.

Your intention is still to drive 8 4 ohm speakers?
You would be better off buying a power amp.

Or an av.
Why don’t you sell both amps and by a good power amp with 2 sets of speaker outs?

It’s not really practical to daisy chain amps.
I once asked Cambridge if cxas could be biamped they told me NO.
 
Even if they are 8 ohm speakers driven together, they are unlikely to be 8 ohms all the time.

If the 8 ohm speakers drop to 4 ohms or less, it'll give the amp a hard time, especially when driven loud.

Best to give each speaker its own discrete channel rather than sharing the load off a 2 channel amp.

Does the cxa80 have line or pre outs? connect the pre or line out from one i to a line in on the other.
 

The latest video from AVForums

Is 4K Blu-ray Worth It?
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Back
Top Bottom