Sound Advice
By Don Lindich
Week 34, 2018
Reader email: I read your article this weekend and ordered a Cambridge Audio Air 100. I consider myself lucky that there were still some available. Well, it arrived this morning and it is fantastic! Setup was a breeze, it’s not too big and the sound is enormous. I’m testing my jazz collection over AirPlay, it’s easy and sounds great. I should have bought two.
-S.L., Aptos, CA
Q. As soon as I read your article on the Cambridge Audio Air 100 and Air 200 Bluetooth/ Wi-Fi speakers, I went to the site to purchase. Unfortunately they don’t have it in stock, though you said they felt they had adequate supply to fill all the orders that might come in. Are these highly recommended speakers discontinued?
-J.L., Minneapolis, MN
A. The Cambridge Audio Air 100 and Air 200 are discontinued, which is why Cambridge Audio reduced their prices so dramatically. I spoke with the company and the special prices are not considered a discount, as Cambridge Audio products usually sell for the same price everywhere at MAP (Minimum Advertised Price) like Apple products do. Rather than “discounted” the Air 100 and Air 200 are discontinued products available at a lower price than before. The Air 100 and Air 200 have been replaced with a line of speakers called Yoyo. I just started testing the Yoyo speakers and they are also excellent. I will have detailed reviews in a future column.
Reader S.L. hit upon one of the reasons the speakers sold out so quickly, before my column even hit all the different newspapers that run it regularly. I spoke with Cambridge Audio and they informed me that a surprisingly high percentage of customers ordered not just one speaker, but multiple units, probably to get an early start on holiday shopping or to use in different rooms. I imagine that once purchasers hear them they will want to buy more, just like S.L. in the email above.
The good news is readers will have one last chance to get a Cambridge Audio Air 100 for $144.99, Air 200 for $189.99 or Bluetone 100 for $129.99. The company is bringing in a limited quantity of each speaker from inventory located in other parts of the world, and they will be available in mid-September. Given the prices it is not a money-making thing for Cambridge Audio, they are just trying to do right by their customers and introduce more people to the brand. These speakers will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis and when they are gone, they are gone. You can call the Cambridge Audio Customer Support line at 877-357-8204 or submit a support ticket at techsupport.cambridgeaudio.com to be added to the contact list. Anyone who wrote to me about the situation received a personal reply with this information, so the list is filling up already. If you want a speaker I suggest getting on the list right away as I suspect there may not be enough to go around, despite the manufacturer’s best efforts.
The good news is the smallest Yoyo speaker, the Yoyo (S) is only $179.99 and sounds a lot like its bigger brethren, as it uses the same innovative, patented Balanced Mode Radiator (BMR) speaker technology. Befitting a fine speaker from a British manufacturer, the Yoyo(S) has a beautiful worsted wool finish from famed Yorkshire weaver Marton Mills. Available in four different colors, the high-quality wool and the modern design of the Yoyo(S) combine to provide unbeatable visual and tactile appeal. You can see them all at cambridgeaudio.com.