Cambridge Audio EXN100 Network Player - Lunar Gray

A Streamer That Can Also Be Your Preamp

The EXN100 is the streaming half of Cambridge Audio's EX series, refined at the company's London headquarters. It runs the StreamMagic platform, so Spotify Connect, TIDAL, Qobuz, Deezer and internet radio are all built in. It is Roon Ready, and Chromecast and AirPlay 2 are on board.

Conversion runs on an ESS ES9028Q2M SABRE32 DAC, the same chip family Cambridge pushed hard in the CXN100. Over USB it handles PCM to 24-bit/384kHz. A USB Type-A port plays files straight off a drive, up to DSD512.

Flip One Switch and It Runs the System

Preamp Mode turns the EXN100 into the hub. Volume then works from the StreamMagic app or the front panel dial, so a power amp or a pair of powered speakers is all you need downstream. Outputs cover balanced XLR and single-ended RCA, switchable between fixed and variable.

Digital inputs take HDMI eARC for the television, plus coaxial and optical. Bluetooth 5.0 adds aptX HD. The front panel carries a 4.76-inch display at 1280 by 569, showing album art or Cambridge's VU meters. The chassis is aluminum, with a knurled control knob, and weighs 9.1 pounds.

Numbers That Explain the Review Scores

The measured performance is genuinely quiet. Distortion sits below 0.0005% at 1kHz. Signal-to-noise is better than 120dB. Frequency response holds 20Hz to 20kHz within a tenth of a decibel, which is tighter than most sources you will put beside it.

Input ceilings differ by socket, and it is worth knowing which is which. USB Audio takes 24-bit/384kHz. Coaxial handles 24-bit/192kHz. Optical stops at 24-bit/96kHz. The digital outputs mirror those coaxial and optical limits.

Built to Sit Powered On

Network standby keeps the EXN100 reachable while drawing a little over two watts. Eco standby drops below half a watt. Maximum draw is 30 watts, so it runs cool and can live in a closed rack without a fan or a gap above it.

Storage playback is broad. The USB port reads FAT32, NTFS, exFAT and Ext4, and handles WAV, FLAC, ALAC, AIFF, DSD, WMA, MP3, AAC and OGG Vorbis. Wired Ethernet and dual-band Wi-Fi both connect it to the network.

What Reviewers Are Saying

Trevor Butler gave the EXN100 five stars in The Ear on 27 March 2025. He found that "sonically, the EXN100 extracts enormous levels of details from recordings and reproduces them in an enjoyable, lifelike way."

Felix reviewed it for Headfonia on 28 September 2025, scoring 4.3 out of 5. On lower registers he wrote that cellos and bass "have good body and weight to them, which makes them sound particularly natural and organic."

Butler was blunt about one limit: "There are no analogue inputs provided". He called the EXN100 "very much a product for the digital age", so every source you connect to it has to be a digital one.

Who Is This Network Player Best For?

• You want one box between the internet and your amplifier — streaming, DAC and digital inputs are all handled, with no separate DAC required.
• You own a power amp or powered speakers — Preamp Mode gives you volume control, so the EXN100 becomes the whole front end.
• Your television is part of the system — HDMI eARC brings it in on one cable, alongside coaxial and optical.
• You use Roon, or you want to — it is Roon Ready, and StreamMagic covers the major services natively if you do not.
• If you need to plug in a turntable or any analog source, the EXN100 has no analog inputs at all — pair it with our Cambridge Audio EXA100, which adds four analog inputs and the amplification.

How Does It Connect to Your System?

Put it on the network by Ethernet or Wi-Fi, then run balanced XLR or RCA out to your amplifier. If you are feeding a power amp directly, switch the outputs to variable and turn on Preamp Mode. A television connects over HDMI eARC, and a CD transport over coaxial or optical.

Then set it up from the StreamMagic app and leave it alone. Everything else happens on your phone.

Pairs Well With

Building a system around the EXN100? Start here:

• Amplifier: The EXN100 has no amplification of its own — see our Integrated Amplifiers.
• Speakers: The end of the chain, and where the money shows — browse Floorstanding Speakers.
• Interconnects: It offers balanced XLR and RCA, so you have a real choice — see our Interconnect Cables.
• Audio Rack: It runs cool and stacks neatly with the EXA100 — browse Audio Racks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I connect a turntable or CD player's analog output?

The EXN100 is digital-only and has no analog inputs. A CD transport can connect over coaxial or optical, but a turntable needs an amplifier with a phono stage.

Do I still need an amplifier?

Yes. The EXN100 has no amplification. In Preamp Mode it can drive a power amp or powered speakers directly, otherwise it feeds an integrated amplifier.

Which streaming services are built in?

Spotify Connect, TIDAL, Qobuz, Deezer and internet radio through StreamMagic. It is also Roon Ready, with Chromecast built in and AirPlay 2.

What resolutions does it support?

USB Audio handles PCM up to 24-bit/384kHz, coaxial up to 24-bit/192kHz, and optical up to 24-bit/96kHz. USB storage playback reaches DSD512.

Is there a headphone output?

The EXN100 has line-level outputs only, on balanced XLR and RCA. Headphone listening needs a separate headphone amplifier.

What comes in the box?

The player, a power cable, a Control Bus cable, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth antennas, and the printed guides. Control is through the StreamMagic app or the front panel.

See It in Action

The Absolute Sound reviews the EXN100 alongside its matching EXA100 amplifier:

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Learn More

Want to learn more about network players, DAC implementation, or building a streaming system? Visit our Learning Center for guides, tips, and expert advice.