Cambridge Audio- SX-80 £400

Can this cheerful new floorstander from an old British brand live up to its reputation?

Over its long, proud history, Cambridge Audio has come up with a wide range of interesting, innovative and often quirky products that have one thing in common – a laser-like focus on offering value for money.

With its clean-looking, smooth front baffle and slim and tall proportions, the SX-80 is one of the company’s most attractive speakers and looks rather more expensive than its price tag would suggest. Only the lack of magnetic grille fixings let it down visually – but that’s to be expected at this price point.

Twin 165mm mid/bass drivers sit D’Appolito-style above and below a single 25mm silk dome tweeter. This gets a foam damper behind its diaphragm that’s said to reduce sound wave reflections. The crossover is claimed to be “precisely optimised” well, you’d hope so, wouldn’t you? – and the cabinet shape is a result of CAD modelling. Rigid MDF is the material of choice, which is standard fare at this lower price point.