No single best amplifier here. What decides it is what you have to drive, what you need to plug in, and how much of the system you want in one box.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Power | A | Denon PMA-600NE has more power - 45W against 35W into 8 ohms. That is about 1.1dB, which is a small step in loudness but real headroom on peaks. |
| Room size | depends | We rate Denon PMA-600NE the better fit for a very large room, and Cambridge Audio AXA35 for desk or near-field listening. Match the amplifier to the room you actually have, not the one you want. |
| Speaker load rating | A | Denon PMA-600NE is rated down to 4 ohms against 8, so it is the safer partner for a low-impedance speaker. |
| Noise floor | A | Denon PMA-600NE is the quieter design on paper - 105dB against 82dB. Audible mainly with sensitive speakers in a quiet room. |
| Built-in DAC | A | Denon PMA-600NE has a DAC on board; the other needs an external one, which is another box, another power lead and another purchase. |
| Analogue inputs | B | Cambridge Audio AXA35 takes more analogue sources - 5 against 4. |
| Room to grow | A | Only Denon PMA-600NE offers preamp outputs - which decides whether you can add a subwoofer or a power amplifier later without replacing the box. |
| Price | B | Cambridge Audio AXA35 costs less - $399 against $499 at list. |
A Denon PMA-600NE B Cambridge Audio AXA35
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?
Denon PMA-600NE leads across most of the measured areas for a fairly modest premium, so it is the easier pick if the budget stretches. Cambridge Audio AXA35 is the one to take if it does not. If you already own a DAC or a streamer, the built-in one is money you are paying twice for, and Cambridge Audio AXA35 becomes the more rational buy.
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.