Cambridge Audio EXA100 Integrated Amplifier - Lunar Gray

An Integrated Amp That Can Become a Power Amp

The Cambridge Audio EXA100 is a Class A/B integrated amplifier with a DAC built in. It makes 100 watts per channel into 8 ohms, and 155 watts into 4 ohms. Cambridge Audio says the amplifier modules and output transistors come down from its flagship Edge M monoblocks.

It also has a switch most integrateds do not. Power Amp Mode bypasses the volume control, so the EXA100 takes a feed from an outboard preamp or a surround processor. Buy it as an integrated now, fold it into a bigger system later.

Plug In Everything You Already Own

Analog connections run to four pairs of RCA inputs and one balanced XLR pair. Digital covers two TOSLINK optical inputs, a coaxial input, HDMI eARC for a television, and USB Type B for a computer. Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX HD handles a phone wirelessly.

An ESS Sabre ES9018K2M DAC does the conversion. Over USB in Class 2 mode it reaches 24-bit/384kHz and DSD256. Coaxial and HDMI eARC both take 24-bit/192kHz, and optical goes to 24-bit/96kHz.

Two Speaker Pairs, a Sub Out, and Headphones

Two sets of speaker outputs let you run a second pair in another room, or bi-wire a single pair. There is an RCA preamp output, a dedicated subwoofer output, a headphone jack on the front, and RS232 for custom install control.

The chassis is 430mm wide and weighs 12.8 kg, or 28.2 pounds. It comes in Lunar Gray with a milled aluminum front panel and a knurled volume knob. A remote and power cords are in the box, and Cambridge Audio covers it with a two-year warranty.

What Three Years of Tuning Bought

Cambridge Audio put the first toroidal transformer in a consumer amplifier in its 1968 P40. The EXA100 carries a shielded toroidal transformer flanked by heat sinks. Cambridge Audio also specifies a four-layer circuit board and a selected reservoir capacitor for the supply.

A proprietary protection system called CAP monitors power and temperature in real time. Cambridge Audio designed it to step in before a fault reaches the speakers, the sort of engineering you notice only when it saves you.

Where the Bench Numbers Show Up

Distortion stays below 0.02% from 20Hz to 20kHz at 80% of rated power. Signal-to-noise measures better than 91 dB, and channel crosstalk better than 90 dB at 1kHz. Quiet backgrounds are what let low-level detail survive at normal volume.

Frequency response runs from below 3Hz to above 40kHz within a decibel. Damping factor is better than 160 at 1kHz, which is the figure that tracks how firmly the amplifier grips a woofer. Standby draw stays under half a watt.

What Reviewers Are Saying

Roger Kanno gave the EXA100 a Reviewers' Choice award in SoundStage! Hi-Fi on September 1, 2025. In his review he wrote that it "offers exceptional amplification quality and an accomplished DAC section for an attractive price".

On December 20, 2024, What Hi-Fi? scored it 5 out of 5 for both build and features, praising a "Clean, spacious, powerful sound" along with a "Wide soundstage and refined detail" and "Excellent build quality".

One limit is worth knowing before you order. What Hi-Fi? listed "No phono stage" among its cons, so a turntable needs an outboard phono preamplifier ahead of one of the line inputs.

Who Is This Integrated Amplifier Best For?

• You have demanding speakers — 100 watts into 8 ohms and 155 into 4 ohms, with a damping factor above 160.
• You want the DAC built in — an ES9018K2M handles optical, coaxial, HDMI eARC, and USB to 24-bit/384kHz, so the TV, a streamer and a laptop all arrive without a separate converter.
• Your system will change — Power Amp Mode lets the EXA100 slot behind a preamp or processor later without being replaced.
• The television is part of the system — HDMI eARC brings TV sound in on one cable.
• If you want streaming built in, the EXA100 has no network player — its EX-series sibling, the EXN100 Network Player, adds it and is built to stack with this amplifier.

How Does It Connect to Your System?

Speakers go to the A terminals, with B free for a second pair or for bi-wiring. Sources connect over RCA, balanced XLR, coaxial, or optical. A television uses HDMI eARC, and a computer uses USB Type B.

If you own a preamp or a surround processor, switch to Power Amp Mode and feed it from there. Headphones plug in at the front, and a subwoofer takes the dedicated output at the back.

One box, and room to grow.

Pairs Well With

Building a system around the EXA100? Start here:

• Floorstanding speakers — 155 watts into 4 ohms is real headroom for towers: floorstanding speakers.
• Bookshelf speakers — the second pair can live in another room: bookshelf speakers.
• CD players and transports — feed the onboard DAC over coaxial or optical: CD players and transports.
• Speaker cables — bi-wiring needs a second run: speaker cables.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the EXA100 have a phono stage?

A turntable needs an external phono preamp, which then feeds any of the four RCA inputs.

Can it stream music on its own?

Not over your network. Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX HD works from a phone, but Spotify Connect, TIDAL, or Qobuz need a network player such as the EXN100.

What does Power Amp Mode do?

It bypasses the preamp and volume control so the unit works as a straight power amplifier, ready to join a system run by a separate preamp or processor.

Can I connect my television?

Yes. The HDMI input is eARC compatible and accepts PCM up to 24-bit/192kHz, so one cable carries TV sound and passes volume control to the TV remote.

What is in the box?

The EXA100, a remote control, power cords, a welcome letter, a registration card, and a safety guide. Cables are sold separately.

What warranty does it carry?

Cambridge Audio covers the EXA100 with a two-year warranty in the United States. Registering the unit with Cambridge Audio after purchase makes support faster if you ever need it.

See It in Action

The Absolute Sound reviews the EXA100 alongside the EXN100 streamer.

Andrew Robinson puts the amplifier through a full review on his own channel.

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Learn More

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