T isn’t as overstuffed as the land of Bluetooth speakers or wireless earbuds, but there is still plenty of quality competition for Cambridge Audio’s new and somewhat boastfully named The One. The Naim Mu-so 2 has been around for more than five years, yet continues to earn plaudits at its ever-reducing price, whereas the stunning Ruark Audio R410 is the bruiser to beat on this block. Some decent alternatives are out there, but is the Evo the ‘One’ for you?
Classy looks
Built like a sort of scaled-down Brutalist structure, the Evo One’s careful blending of a rectangular exterior with that dominant front grille makes for a pleasing fusion of hard and soft. It’s a classy system and, when put up against the retro-modern aesthetic of the Ruark Audio R410 or the industrial looks of the Naim Mu-so 2, demonstrates that there is more than one way to skin this particular metaphorical cat. The Ruark’s crafted wooden grilles are arguably on another level of drop-dead gorgeous, while Naim’s metal finish and illuminated control dial has a touch more je ne sais quoi; but the Evo One is far from an ugly stepsister.