CAMBRIDGE AUDIO AXC35

This slimline, no-frills CD player is a capable contender

Those familiar with the British firm’s five-star AXA35 amplifier from the same AX series will note the Cambridge Audio AXC35’s near identical dimensions, colour scheme and looks. This slimline CD player stands just 75mm tall, and though we don’t recommend stacking your hi-fi components, its stackable dimensions are no bad thing provided you are on board with the understated, purposeful aesthetic that typifies the series.

For the design minimalist, there are refreshingly few flourishes to the AXC35’s build, and this carries through to the accompanying remote control.

As with the AXA35, the system remote that comes with the Cambridge Audio AXC35 looks like an entry-level DVD player remote minus some of the buttons. If you run your thumb along it, you can even feel through the top cover where the holes for the missing buttons are. It’s perfectly functional, but strays somewhat into corner-cutting territory. Otherwise, there’s a central, bright, pleasing dot-matrix display, five circular buttons for power, eject, play/pause, track skip and stop on the right side of the unit, and a power button on the left that has a subtle light in its centre. The display doesn’t provide CD text, but at this level, that’s hardly an issue.

Necessary bases covered

Around the back, aside from the line outputs and AC power cable, a coaxial digital output (for input to a separate DAC or digital recording machine) completes the list of connections.

The inclusion of coax is the main difference between the AXC35 and the cheaper AXC25.