Main trade-off
Cambridge Audio CXA81 Mk II
No phono stage, so a raw-output turntable needs another component.
Head-to-head
Cambridge CXA81 Mk II vs Yamaha A-S801: Quiet handoff or fewer vinyl boxes?
The short answer
Choose A-S801 when a compatible MM turntable and computer should connect without an extra phono stage. Choose CXA81 Mk II when its documented headphone muting of speakers, pre-out and sub is the more useful daily feature, and phono amplification is already handled. Both have computer USB input. Cambridge’s USB does not play a flash drive directly, and neither provides HDMI ARC.
Before you choose
The reasoning and the trade-offs
The record player determines whether Cambridge needs another box on the desk
Both accept computer USB audio, but only A-S801 has a built-in MM phono stage. A person sharing passive speakers between a work computer and a raw-output MM turntable can therefore keep both sources connected without adding that stage on Yamaha. CXA81 Mk II needs preamplified line audio, which may already come from the turntable or an owned phono stage. If it does, the missing input is no longer an extra purchase. Compare the equipment already in the room, including cartridge type and loading, before treating one amplifier as universally more complete.
What this is based on
A mixed work and vinyl space with limited cable room crossed with computer DAC and MM-stage integration. Existing source equipment reverses the extra-box cost.
Main trade-off
Yamaha A-S801
Verify speaker and sub behavior rather than assuming the same complete automatic mute.
Cambridge Audio CXA81 Mk II
- Choose it for
- Move to wired headphones with speakers, pre-out and sub explicitly muted by insertion.
- Use a supported computer or a source with balanced XLR outputs.
- Main trade-off
- No phono stage, so a raw-output turntable needs another component.
Yamaha A-S801
- Choose it for
- Connect appropriate MM phono and computer USB in the same amplifier.
- Use variable loudness while following the direct-mode volume warning.
- Main trade-off
- Verify speaker and sub behavior rather than assuming the same complete automatic mute.
About this comparison
CXA81 Mk II vs Yamaha A-S801 for a computer, records and late-night listening. Compare complete output muting, phono hardware and USB source limitations.
Both are established full-width integrated amplifiers with computer USB audio and digital inputs. A mixed desk and vinyl household can reasonably choose between their different phono and output-control arrangements.
Winner by situation
Start with what you need it to do
The powered sub must mute when wired headphones connect
Cambridge explicitly documents all three room-output groups muting.
- Cambridge Audio CXA81 Mk II
- Better fit
- Yamaha A-S801
- Caution
Raw MM vinyl and computer audio should need fewer source boxes
Yamaha includes MM phono and the USB DAC.
- Cambridge Audio CXA81 Mk II
- Caution
- Yamaha A-S801
- Better fit
The turntable already has a suitable phono stage
Both can use the proper line-level route.
- Cambridge Audio CXA81 Mk II
- Good
- Yamaha A-S801
- Good
A flash drive should play without a computer or streamer
These computer USB inputs do not establish that standalone playback route.
- Cambridge Audio CXA81 Mk II
- Caution
- Yamaha A-S801
- Caution
What matters in practice
The differences that matter
The record player determines whether Cambridge needs another box on the desk
Both accept computer USB audio, but only A-S801 has a built-in MM phono stage. A person sharing passive speakers between a work computer and a raw-output MM turntable can therefore keep both sources connected without adding that stage on Yamaha. CXA81 Mk II needs preamplified line audio, which may already come from the turntable or an owned phono stage. If it does, the missing input is no longer an extra purchase. Compare the equipment already in the room, including cartridge type and loading, before treating one amplifier as universally more complete.
How we reached this conclusion
A mixed work and vinyl space with limited cable room crossed with computer DAC and MM-stage integration. Existing source equipment reverses the extra-box cost.
A powered sub can make automatic headphone muting more valuable
CXA81 Mk II’s current manual explicitly says headphone insertion mutes the speakers, pre-out and sub output. That is useful when a room changes from shared music to private listening while someone else sleeps, especially if the powered sub is easy to overlook. The checked A-S801 documentation does not establish the same complete automatic behavior, so test its speaker selector and sub separately. This is a documented workflow difference, not proof that Yamaha lacks every possible quiet setup or that Cambridge guarantees silence elsewhere in the home.
How we reached this conclusion
Private listening, a sleeping household and an easily forgotten powered sub crossed with exact output-muting documentation. Missing evidence is not treated as absence.
USB does not let the work computer disappear from a stored-music session
The USB-B ports on both amplifiers accept computer audio. They are not equivalent to a network player reading a library from a thumb drive. Cambridge explicitly excludes direct hard-drive playback, and Yamaha’s nearby DC OUT socket supplies power rather than sound. If the work laptop leaves the room each evening, plan another supported source for anyone staying behind. Check operating-system and driver support before buying around a computer that may later change. Higher supported file rates do not remove that dependency on a functioning source device.
How we reached this conclusion
A shared system whose work laptop leaves each evening crossed with USB device roles and current computer-support checks.
Choice A
Cambridge Audio, CXA81 Mk II
Cambridge Audio CXA81 Mk II
Move to wired headphones with speakers, pre-out and sub explicitly muted by insertion.
- Best matched use
- Move to wired headphones with speakers, pre-out and sub explicitly muted by insertion.
Checked facts
- MM turntable: Line-level only, external or turntable phono stage needed.
- Headphone insertion: Mutes speakers, PRE OUT and SUB output.
- Computer USB: USB-B computer input, not direct drive playback.
- Other source route: Balanced XLR input and Bluetooth reception.
Choice B
Yamaha, A-S801BL
Yamaha A-S801
Connect appropriate MM phono and computer USB in the same amplifier.
- Best matched use
- Connect appropriate MM phono and computer USB in the same amplifier.
Checked facts
- MM turntable: Built-in MM phono input.
- Headphone insertion: Headphone socket and speaker selector, full sub muting not established here.
- Computer USB: USB-B computer input, distinct from power-only DC OUT.
- Other source route: Variable loudness and MM phono, no built-in network playback.
Meaningful differences
What changes the fit
| What changes | Cambridge Audio CXA81 Mk II | Yamaha A-S801 | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| MM turntable | Line-level only, external or turntable phono stage needed. | Built-in MM phono input. | Yamaha can remove a source box from a mixed desk and vinyl setup. |
| Headphone insertion | Mutes speakers, PRE OUT and SUB output. | Headphone socket and speaker selector, full sub muting not established here. | Cambridge documents the complete room-output handoff more explicitly. |
| Computer USB | USB-B computer input, not direct drive playback. | USB-B computer input, distinct from power-only DC OUT. | Both need the correct computer path, cable and current driver support. |
| Other source route | Balanced XLR input and Bluetooth reception. | Variable loudness and MM phono, no built-in network playback. | Buy a connection or control the actual system will use. |
What you give up
Every choice has a cost
If you choose Cambridge Audio CXA81 Mk II
- Include the phono stage and its cables if the turntable has no internal one.
If you choose Yamaha A-S801
- Keep the night-listening selector and subwoofer check in the household routine.
Recommendation switch
The decision flips if...
Explicit speaker and sub muting is the daily priority
Choose Cambridge Audio CXA81 Mk II. Cambridge documents that headphone handoff.
Avoiding an MM phono box is more useful
Choose Yamaha A-S801. Yamaha integrates it alongside computer USB.
What matters in practice
Before you choose
The amplifier that removes the phono box does not provide the same explicit all-output headphone handoff in the checked documentation.
What this comparison cannot tell you
- No DAC audibility or sound-quality ranking.
- No assumption that missing Yamaha mute documentation proves no mute.
- Cartridge compatibility still needs checking.
What the facts say
What the comparison shows
Useful conclusions from the current stereo amplifiers comparison, followed by the checked facts used to reach them.
See the checked facts and calculation notes
| Product | Needs matched | Checked facts | Source records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge Audio CXA81 Mk II |
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| Yamaha A-S801 |
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Ready to choose?
Check the price. Read the owner reviews.
Open either model on Amazon to check the current price, customer reviews and delivery options.
Cambridge Audio CXA81 Mk II
Move to wired headphones with speakers, pre-out and sub explicitly muted by insertion.
Use a supported computer or a source with balanced XLR outputs.
See price & reviews on AmazonYamaha A-S801
Connect appropriate MM phono and computer USB in the same amplifier.
Use variable loudness while following the direct-mode volume warning.
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