The Cambridge Audio Minx Xi audio system is a complete solution for playing audio files from wireless devices or on your home network. One cannot but approve of the ergonomics of the front panel. A good half of its area is occupied by a 4-line display, indicating all the necessary information – from the name of the radio station to the characteristics of the track being played. Buttons surrounding the display provide access to basic functions and playback modes. The rotary handle on the right is also a push handle, providing not only volume control, but also selection of the desired item from the menu. Next to it is a 3.5 mm mini-jack for an analog external player. A digital gadget, such as a HDD drive, can be connected to the front USB port (located on the left, next to the 3.5 mm headphone output).
The rear panel is populated just as densely, which indicates wide switching capabilities. You immediately notice the connector for the Wi-Fi antenna and two USB sockets (the top one is compatible with the iPhone: when connected to it, the iPhone will be recharged; the bottom one is intended for the standard BT-100 Bluetooth adapter). You can connect the Minx Xi to a local network via a wired interface (there is an Ethernet port), and optical and coaxial inputs are provided for digital signal sources from optical media (CD, DVD or BD player). There are also two line inputs, so theoretically the Minx Xi is compatible even with a cassette deck or vinyl turntable via an external phono stage.
The significant mass of the component is explained not only by the housing material, but also by the presence of a powerful toroidal transformer in the power supply. The fact is that the amplification path is analog, operates in class AB and provides a load of 40 W/channel at 8-Ohm. root mean square (RMS) power. The on-board DAC is based on the audiophile Wolfson WM8728 chip, and the clock generator built into it is not used – it is replaced by a specially designed separate unit that allows you to radically reduce jitter (the same clock generator is installed in the NP30 network player, which was highly praised by our experts). Such audiophile solutions for compact devices are very rare.
We can talk about the audio talents of “Minks” for hours. Almost any audio files can be played from a variety of devices, including tablets or smartphones wirelessly. When connected to a home network, Minx Xi is capable of receiving audio data from a computer or NAS server with a resolution of up to 24/96 via the UPnP protocol (or via USB without the need to install a special driver on the computer). Working on the World Wide Web, this little guy will give you access to more than 20,000 stations through services like Rhapsody and Pandora. Everything has been done to prevent the user from drowning in this ocean of audio data; it is possible to create presets, playlists, etc. And by downloading a special proprietary application to your iOS or Android device, you can control Minx from your mobile gadget.
If the functionality of this player meets the latest requirements, then its sound demonstrates its commitment to the eternal values of Hi-Fi. In conjunction with fairly sensitive bookshelf speakers, he brilliantly proved that compactness is by no means synonymous with budget. Music of any genre sounded surprisingly realistic, and the audio scene was replete with carefully rendered details. As a result, the price of the device no longer seemed excessively high to our experts. Only when dubbing a rock concert from Blu-ray was the system slightly lacking in bass. But there is a way out – on the rear panel of the Minx. This is an RCA socket for connecting an active subwoofer.
Characteristics Cambridge Audio Minx Xi
Number of channels 2
Output power 2 x 40 W (8 Ohms)
Amplifier 2 channels, class AB
Frequency range 5 Hz – 50 kHz (-1 dB)
Signal-to-noise ratio 85 dB
Harmonic distortion 0.01% (1 kHz)
Supported formats (via network or USB) MP3, WMA, AAC, FLAC HD (24/96 kHz), WAV, PCM (24/96 kHz), ALAC (24 bit/96 kHz)
Gap-free playback with
Wolfson DAC WM8728, 24 bit/192 kHz
Four-line display
Auto-shutdown function yes
Built-in Wi-Fi module yes, 802.3, 802.11b/g
Bluetooth external USB module BT100 (included)
Control using the Stream Magic application yes
Supported Internet services BBC iPlayer Radio, Pandora, Rhapsody
Three line inputs (2 RCA, 1 mini-jack on the front panel), optical, coaxial, 2 x USB (24 bit/96 kHz, Ethernet interface
RCA outputs for subwoofer, 3.5 mm for headphones
USB format FAT32/NTFS drives
Power consumption 300 W
Power consumption in standby mode 0.5 W
Dimensions (WxHxD) 270x90x285 mm
Weight 5.8 kg
