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  3. Cambridge Audio MXW70 vs Schiit Gjallarhorn F
Cambridge Audio MXW70 vs Schiit Audio Gjallarhorn F
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Cambridge Audio MXW70

Power Amplifier | 70 watts RMS into 8-ohms

Cambridge Audio MXW70
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Schiit Gjallarhorn F

Power Amplifier | 10 watts RMS into 8-ohms

Schiit Gjallarhorn F
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Cambridge Audio MXW70 Cambridge Audio MXW7...
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Schiit Gjallarhorn F Schiit Gjallarhorn F
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Cambridge Audio MXW7...
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Schiit Gjallarhorn F
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Cambridge Audio MXW70 vs Schiit Gjallarhorn F Power Amplifier Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing MXW70 and Gjallarhorn F, two Power Amplifiers from Cambridge Audio and Schiit Audio. Let's have a brief look at the main features of Cambridge Audio MXW70 and Schiit Gjallarhorn F first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key SpecsCambridge Audio MXW70Schiit Gjallarhorn F
BrandCambridge Audio
United Kingdom · founded 1968
Schiit Audio
United States · founded 2010
Power70 watts x 210 watts x 2 channels into 8 ohms, 15 watts x 2 channels into 4 ohms, and 30 watts into 8 ohms bridged to mono
Amplifier classClass DClass A/B
Damping factor—100
Built-in DAC—No
Phono input—No
Headphone output—No
Bluetooth—No
Weight—3.63kg / 8lbs
Dimensions (H x W x D)2-1/4" x 8-1/2" x 8-3/4"2-1/2" x 9" x 6"
63.5 x 228.6 x 152.4 mm

The rest of this page covers where each one wins, how they compare in size, their inputs and outputs, the full specifications and a verdict.


Reasons to choose Cambridge Audio MXW70 over Schiit Gjallarhorn F
Watts into 8-ohms 70 watts vs 10 watts Delivers higher power into 8-ohms speakers
Watts into 4-ohms 125 watts vs 15 watts Delivers higher power into 4-ohms speakers
Height 0mm vs 63mm Easier to fit in smaller spaces

Reasons to choose Schiit Gjallarhorn F over Cambridge Audio MXW70
MSRP Price(*) 299USD vs 599USD costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)
Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) 0.004% vs 0.015% Less Harmonic Distortion

Inputs and Outputs

The input and output selections that are offered is an important factor when comparing two amplifiers. Here you can find how the I/O selections of the Cambridge Audio MXW70 and Schiit Gjallarhorn F differs from each other.

Cambridge Audio MXW70 Inputs
  • Total Number of Analog Inputs: 2
Schiit Gjallarhorn F Inputs
  • Total Number of Analog Inputs: 2
  • RCA Line Input
  • XLR Input Port
Outputs
Outputs

Balanced connections

Schiit Gjallarhorn F has balanced XLR connections and Cambridge Audio MXW70 does not. A balanced cable carries the signal twice, on two conductors of opposite polarity. Interference picked up along the way lands on both equally and cancels when the two are recombined at the far end, so the longer the cable run and the noisier the surroundings, the more it is worth. Whether it also yields more power depends on how the amplifier is built inside - some are balanced end to end, others convert to single-ended internally and deliver the same either way.

Cambridge Audio MXW70 vs Schiit Gjallarhorn F full specifications

Every spec we hold for both, side by side
SpecificationCambridge Audio MXW70Schiit Gjallarhorn F
Overview
BrandCambridge AudioSchiit Audio
TypeStereo Power AmplifierStereo Power Amplifier
Channels22
Amplifier classClass DClass A/B
Output devicesSolid StateSolid State
ReleasedJune 20252025
Made in–USA
List price$599$299
Power and performance
Power into 8 ohms70 W RMS10 W RMS
Power into 4 ohms125 W RMS15 W RMS
Power, as rated70 watts x 210 watts x 2 channels into 8 ohms, 15 watts x 2 channels into 4 ohms, and 30 watts into 8 ohms bridged to mono
Minimum impedance4 ohms–
Damping factor–100
Signal-to-noise ratio–117 dB
THD0.015%0.004%
Frequency bandwidth20 Hz-20 kHz20 Hz-20 kHz
Bridge mode250 wattsYes, 30 watts mono into 8 ohms
Power consumption–80 W maximum
Digital and DAC
Built-in DAC–No
Network and streaming
Wi-Fi–No
Ethernet–No
Bluetooth–No
Inputs
Analogue inputs22
RCA inputs–Yes
XLR inputs–Yes
Phono input–No
HDMI input–No
Outputs
Headphone output–No
Speaker terminalsBinding postsBinding posts
Speaker outputs2–
Features and control
CD playerNoNo
Handheld remote–No
Physical
Dimensions (H x W x D)–63.5 x 228.6 x 152.4 mm
Dimensions, inches–2-1/2 x 9 x 6 inch
Weight–3.63 kg (8.00 lbs)
Finishes–Black
Removable power cordC7 non-polarized–
Parts warranty2 Years–
Labour warranty2 Years–

A dash means the manufacturer does not publish that figure, or it does not apply. 39 specifications compared.

Verdict

These are not the same size of amplifier: Cambridge Audio MXW70 has roughly 7x the power of Schiit Gjallarhorn F. That is about 8.5dB, so it is a question of room size and how hard your speakers are to drive, not of one being the better amplifier.

AreaBetterWhy
PowerACambridge Audio MXW70 has more power - 70W against 10W into 8 ohms. That is about 8.5dB - a different class of amplifier rather than a bigger version of the same one, and far more than most rooms will ever ask for.
Grip on hard loadsACambridge Audio MXW70 holds up better into a 4-ohm load: its output increases strongly to 125W, where the other increases strongly. That matters with demanding speakers far more than the 8-ohm figure does.
Analogue inputsevenly matchedThe same number of line-level inputs (2).
Room to growevenly matchedThe same expansion options on both.
Amplifier classdependsCambridge Audio MXW70 is Class D and Schiit Gjallarhorn F is Class A/B. Class D runs cool and draws almost nothing at idle; Class A/B runs warm and is the long-established mainstream choice. Modern examples of both measure well - judge by the rest of the page.
PriceBSchiit Gjallarhorn F costs less - $299 against $599 at list.
Watts per dollarACambridge Audio MXW70 is the cheaper watt - about $9 per watt against $30. A blunt measure, and it says nothing about how either sounds, but it is the honest one for raw output.

A Cambridge Audio MXW70  B Schiit Gjallarhorn F
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both amplifiers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.

Which should you choose?

The usual trade-off: Cambridge Audio MXW70 measures better, Schiit Gjallarhorn F costs about 50% less. With most speakers in most rooms that gap is smaller in practice than it looks here. If your speakers are a difficult load - 4 ohms nominal, big woofers, or a sensitivity in the low 80s - Cambridge Audio MXW70 is the safer partner, because how an amplifier behaves when the impedance drops matters more than its 8-ohm rating. Start with the room. In a large or open-plan room, or with speakers that are hard to drive - low sensitivity, or an impedance that dips - Cambridge Audio MXW70 has the headroom, and headroom is what stops an amplifier hardening up on peaks. At desk distance or in a small room, 10 watts is already more than most people ever use, and the extra 60 watts would be headroom you pay for and never hear.

What a spec sheet cannot show: how either sounds with your speakers, how the controls feel day to day, and what the app is like to live with - which is where most all-in-one amplifiers are actually won or lost. Power figures are the manufacturers' own and are not measured to a common standard, so treat small differences as noise. If you can hear both, that will tell you more than any row above.

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