Trade in your old player and save $300 on the new Cambridge Audio 651BD Universal Disc player.

All about the new Cambridge 651BD Bluray, DVD and CD player

Let us introduce you to our new screen sensation - the multi-talented Cambridge Audio Azur 651 Blu-ray player.

Archived page: January 2016

– Read about the new Cambridge CXU player

This may well be the last silver disc player you ever consider buying - there is that much that it can do to a very high standard and it incorporates an almost bewildering array of upgradable paths for both audio and video media of every description and standard. The earlier Cambridge Blu-ray player - the well proven Azur 650 BD - was highly capable. But the 651 works on another level again. No doubt reviews will follow, but it's immediately obvious that with any movie disc - DVD or Blu-ray - you'll enjoy the best cinema can offer. Vivid picture, crystal clear sound.

"The Cambridge Audio 651BD is, for me, perfect... And if, like me, you want to play every format of optical disc you have, then the 651BD is for you."

The complexity of a machine like the 651 is nicely balanced by the thought Cambridge Audio have put into making it easy to use - even if we disregard all the video playback abilities, it's a fantastic music player - dealing with CD, SACD, HDCD, DVD Audio and as many other formats as you’d care to bring up. The sound is pleasingly lush and full of detail.

But it's as the heart of your home cinema system that the new Azur model will really rock your socks. Even if you consider 3D a feature you may never use, what you should know is that the processing grunt that goes into allowing for this also means every other aspect of video performance is enhanced - you'll see a whole lot of stuff that was previously blurred, and motion is the best we've yet encountered. Again, it deals with just about every video format known - disc and network.

"'When it comes to spinning discs the 651 proves to be genuinely universal, happily playing Blu-rays (2D and 3D), DVDs, SACDs, DVD-As and CDs. As you would expect from a player capable of 1080p24 playback, Blu-rays look fantastic with the 651BD producing a clean and unadulterated image. The Marvell QDEO video processing is equally impressive and results in some superb deinterlacing and scaling, with the player passing every test we threw at it. The video processing is so good in fact, that it might well give your old DVD collection a whole new lease of life. The 651BD is also a very capable audio performer and whether it was analogue or digital, the audio sounded fantastic. The 651BD was also able to detect all the different discs and audio formats without any problems and played each one back flawlessly.

The 651BD's rear connections are impressive, offering two HDMI v1.4a outputs, a composite video and a component video output both of which use RCA connectors. There is a second USB socket, a LAN port (in case you don't have a wireless router), a connector for the external IR sensor, a digital audio out using both optical and coaxial and an RS-232C connector for custom installers. One new addition is an e-SATA (external Serial ATA) port which allows for a faster connection when playing content from external sources. The 651BD includes 7.1 analogue audio outputs via RCA connectors for those that don't have HDMI capable receivers.

The result of all these permutations was that we could not detect any differences between any of these modes and every format sounded wonderful. The 651BD is clearly a very capable audio performer and whether it was DTS-HD Master Audio or a stereo CD the audio sounded fantastic. The 651BD was also able to detect all the different discs and audio formats without any problems and played each one back flawlessly."

Then there is the 7.1 sound; we're talking absolute precision here. Just imagine a full room soundscape with detail to burn and everything from the most delicate nuance to shattering bass effects. This is the immersive experience home cinema is supposed to be about, but unless you have a machine like this to put it into your system, you'll never get the return on all the expense and effort you have put into the choice of screen, amp and speakers. "This player uses a Cirrus Logic CS4382A 8-channel, 24-bit, 192 kHz DAC to provide excellent sound; the device outputs both stereo and multi-channel, up to 7.1. As I said earlier, all of my music is digitized, but with the 651BD, I've been finding myself listening to CDs anew. The sound is richer with this device than my previous DVD player (which had, let’s be honest, mediocre sound), and the act of listening to a CD has become enjoyable again."

"Like it's award winning big brother, the 751BD. the 651BD is incredibly fast at both powering up and loading discs, taking less than 5 seconds to power up and extend the disc tray. The loading times of discs will vary from studio to studio and depend on how much BD-Live and Java content there is on the disc but on average discs were loading up in about 25 to 35 seconds which is excellent. For the eco conscious amongst you, the 651BD performed superbly in our energy consumption tests, using about 18W when not playing a disc and 22W when in full flow. In standby, the 651BD used so little power that our meter didn't register which means it was less than 0.5W."

Also note that the Cambridge 651BD will play DVDs from all regions straight out of the box and we do have a region free bluray kit option if required. Unlike competing players the Cambridge comes with a full 2 year warranty and is part of a solid range of components from a UK based specialist audio manufacturer.

Simply put, Cambridge bring their considerable heritage of both value for money and serious audio performance to the game to give you a player that far outperforms cheaper mass market brands, yet remains affordable.

Right now you can save a full $300 on the price of the new Cambridge 651BD - just trade in any existing disc player - CD, DVD or Bluray and you can have the Cambridge for just $899 (normally it's $1199). Even if you are outside of Dunedin, it's no problem to do this via courier. On the payment front you can just drop us a line for for internet banking. Or you can spin us your Visa or Mastercard details.

Visit Cambridge Audio's website page about the 651BD here.

And read all the latest reviews on the 651BD here

Cambridge Audio Azur 651 BD disk player NZ$899 with trade in.

Also just in - the new Cambridge Audio Azur 551R Receiver at $1595 to compliment the 651BD.

Help NZ’s Hector Dolphin

We may not be the only people to sell Cambridge Audio in New Zealand, but we are the only ones who’ll give a worthwhile donation to the World Wide Fund for Nature’s Hectors Dolphin program when you buy your Cambridge from us. And to say thank you you’ll get a WWF gift from us.

Drop us an e mail or call if you'd get your hands on a new 651BD player. Or have any questions you want answered. And if you can, why not call into the shop to see and hear just how good the new Cambridge model is for yourself.

Direct Contact

John Ransley and Carolyn Guytonbeck are the principals behind Totally Wired. It’s our own business and we take pride in building something worthwhile.

If you want to contact us directly per mail:

• John Ransley
• Carolyn Guytonbeck

Related links

• Cambridge main page
• Cambridge 751BD Player
• Sonos Multiroom Music
• Monitor Audio Speakers
• Support WWF