Cambridge Audio CXN100SE Music Streamer - Lunar Gray

What You Need to Know

What Is the CXN100 SE?

The CXN100 SE is a music streamer. A streamer is a small box that connects to your Wi-Fi or Ethernet network and pulls in music from services like Spotify, Tidal, and Qobuz, then turns that digital signal into sound your stereo system can use. Think of it as the bridge between the internet and your speakers.

The CXN100 SE is a refresh of Cambridge Audio's popular CXN100, which has already picked up several awards on its own. The "SE" stands for Special Edition, and the main change is the addition of an HDMI eARC input, so you can send your TV's sound through the same system you use for music. Everything else that made the original CXN100 a strong performer — the DAC chip, the sound tuning, the StreamMagic app — carries over unchanged.

How It Makes Your Music Sound Better

At the heart of the CXN100 SE is a chip called a DAC, short for digital-to-analog converter. Your music is stored as digital data (a long string of numbers), and a DAC is what turns those numbers back into the analog electrical signal your amplifier and speakers actually use. The CXN100 SE uses an ESS ES9028Q2M SABRE32 DAC, a well-regarded chip known for low distortion and a wide dynamic range, so quiet and loud passages both come through cleanly.

The CXN100 SE runs on Cambridge Audio's fourth-generation StreamMagic platform, which handles the streaming side of things. It gives you native access to Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect (with MQA unfolding), Amazon Music, Qobuz Connect, Deezer, and internet radio, plus Apple AirPlay 2, Google Cast, and Bluetooth for casting from your phone. It is also Roon Ready, so if you already use Roon to manage your music library, the CXN100 SE will show up as a device you can send music to.

The new HDMI eARC input is the SE's headline addition. Plug it into a compatible TV, and the CXN100 SE can carry your TV's audio — shows, movies, sports — straight through your hi-fi system, so you get better sound without adding a separate soundbar.

A 7-band equalizer in the StreamMagic app lets you fine-tune the sound to your room and your taste, and a Room Compensation setting can help account for how reflective or absorptive your listening space is.

What People Are Saying

The CXN100 SE has already been reviewed by several publications. StereoNET's Dave Berriman gave it an Applause Award, and AVForums scored it 9 out of 10, both citing the SE's combination of sound quality, build, and ease of use. SoundStage! Simplifi called it easy to recommend for anyone adding streaming to a hi-fi or home theater system. You can read full details in the Reviews section below. It's also worth knowing that the standard CXN100 this SE model is based on has already won a Product of the Year Award from StereoNET, a Highly Recommended Award from AVForums, and Five Star reviews from What Hi-Fi? and T3 — since the SE shares the same DAC and audio circuitry, it's built on a genuinely proven foundation.

Who Is the CXN100 SE Best For?

You already own an amplifier or powered speakers and want to add high-quality streaming without replacing anything else.

You want one system that handles both your music streaming and your TV sound.

You use Tidal, Qobuz, or Spotify and want the best possible sound quality from those services.

You use Roon to manage your music library and want a Roon Ready endpoint.

You want a streamer with enough connections to work as the hub of a small system, not just a single-purpose box.

How It Connects to Your System

Keep in mind, the CXN100 SE is a streamer and digital-to-analog converter — it does not have a built-in amplifier for regular passive speakers. You will need a separate amplifier or receiver, or you can connect the CXN100 SE directly to a pair of active (powered) speakers using its built-in preamp mode, which adds a volume control to the analog outputs. If you need help choosing an amplifier or speakers to pair with it, give us a call.

For hooking up your gear, the CXN100 SE offers balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA analog outputs, plus digital outputs over coaxial and optical (TOSLINK) if you want to feed an external DAC. On the input side, there is a USB-B port for connecting a computer, a USB-A port for playing music from a flash drive, and coaxial and optical digital inputs for other gear like a CD player. The new HDMI eARC port connects to your TV. RCA Control Bus connectors let the CXN100 SE communicate with other Cambridge Audio CX Series components, like a matching amplifier.

For streaming, connect the CXN100 SE to your home network over Wi-Fi or a wired Ethernet connection, and you are ready to start playing music through the StreamMagic app or directly from apps like Spotify and Tidal.

What's in the Box

• CXN100 SE streamer
• AC power cable
• Control bus cable
• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth antennas (2)
• Quick start guide
• Safety sheet
• Registration card

Note: no remote control ships in the box. The CXN100 SE is controlled from its front panel or the StreamMagic app, though Cambridge Audio's CX Series 2 remote is available separately if you would like one.

Reviews

Pairs Well With

• Need an amplifier to power your speakers? Browse our Integrated Amplifiers, including Cambridge Audio's matching CXA81 Mk II.
• Connecting to active speakers instead? Check out our Powered Speakers.
• Want an external DAC to pair with the CXN100 SE's digital outputs? See our Digital-to-Analog Converters.
• Need a cable to connect your TV, computer, or amplifier? Browse our HDMI Cables and Digital Cables.

Features & Specifications

Stream Every Service You Use

StreamMagic Gen 4 — Native access to Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect with MQA, Amazon Music, Qobuz Connect, Deezer, and internet radio, plus AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Bluetooth, and Roon Ready support.

TV Sound, Simplified

HDMI eARC — The SE's new addition. Connect a compatible TV and route its audio through your hi-fi system, with no extra soundbar needed.

Clean, Detailed Sound

ESS ES9028Q2M SABRE32 DAC — A digital-to-analog converter (the chip that turns digital music files into the signal your amplifier uses) known for low distortion and a wide dynamic range, so both quiet and loud passages come through clearly.

Fits Right Into Your System

Flexible Connections — Balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA analog outputs, coaxial and optical digital outputs, USB-A and USB-B inputs, and a built-in preamp mode for connecting directly to a power amp or active speakers.

Tune It to Taste

7-Band Equalizer — Adjust the sound to your room and your ears right from the StreamMagic app, with a Room Compensation setting to help account for reflective or absorptive surfaces nearby.

Quick-Reference Specifications

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