CX-Pro Amplifier review

Mine came in a tin with a USB‐A adaptor—unmentioned in the sale—‐which for an amp is useful. The CS‐Pro is obviously assembled from stock/generic items, nicely thought‐through. The plugs are hefty. The cable is also thick, and subtly high‐quality—may be part‐silver. Rather large overall for a cable amp, but the short cable makes it tidy. If construction is reliable, good for robustness. Dead easy to grip and use. Aesthetically weird—these plugs look old‐fashioned and over‐large, they have the same finish—a subtle rose gold that shows badly in most photos—no coherent design, so I make the CX‐Pro only passable… but it is better than it looks in photos… until you see the blue LED.

Volume boost reasonable on a computer—trickable, but only perhaps a quarter volume. Volume range is good, but not outstanding. Attack/decay is lazy, decay especially seems to die fast. Precision is good, but disguised by the lazy envelopes. Overall timing is groovy. The CX‐Pro strolls through swells, though there is a little compression. Frequency range is good. There are some signs of noise, but not much—highband is outstandingly clean. Scale is good and wide and deep, positioning good.

The clean highband makes this a good orchestral and minimal‐music amp lacking only the last word in resolution and enthusiasm. Good for rock also, because the CS‐Pro stays clean and controlled while listening to much of the recording, although distant. Pop is endlessly nice, with good detail, but is that pop should be? Say the same for games and soundtracks, but the good ranges makes that seem a minor complaint.