Considering Arcam sa20

[RoA]

Having read the specs on the ONE Cast, it seems like Cyrus have thrown the kitchen sink at it, but it's not strictly a full-blown streamer/amp. Makes you wonder, with that retail price, where the compromises are.

Just my view.

It has built in Chromecast so is a streamer. I am not sure where full blown comes into it. One of the advantages of CC is I can use native apps. Not unique perhaps but imo defo a bonus.

The compromise perhaps is build quality. It doesn't quite stack up to your average £1300 amplifier. Even the £600 Audiolab 6000A feels more substantially put together but that one is perhaps better built than price suggests.

The Cyrus will of course not fall apart but the volume and selector knobs and speaker terminals do not feel too nice. I did mention all this in my comparison of 4 amplifiers. Luckily, apart from initial set up there is not much need to use these on the unit. Still, for its original RRP I would have expected better.

Other than that it is truly superb imo and it's sound and facilities/features are worth every cent of its cost.

It has re-instated my confidence that Class D can indeed sound very good, something that I kind of have given up on since my previous Active Speaker ownership. Worth noting that Cyrus use their own development of Class D not the off the shelf NCore and Hypex/IEC modules. Something they have quite some experience in since their first implementation of their 200 and 300 series years ago.

I think Cyrus have perhaps even undermined it's more expensive lines with the ONE. It certainly seems the case if you watch 13th Note Hifi Reviews review. He questioned the sense of his very expensive Cyrus system in comparison.

 

[plastic penguin]

It has built in Chromecast so is a streamer. I am not sure where full blown comes into it. One of the advantages of CC is I can use native apps. Not unique perhaps but imo defo a bonus.

The compromise perhaps is build quality. It doesn't quite stack up to your average £1300 amplifier. Even the £600 Audiolab 6000A feels more substantially put together but that one is perhaps better built than price suggests.

The Cyrus will of course not fall apart but the volume and selector knobs and speaker terminals do not feel too nice. I did mention all this in my comparison of 4 amplifiers. Luckily, apart from initial set up there is not much need to use these on the unit. Still, for its original RRP I would have expected better.

Other than that it is truly superb imo and it's sound and facilities/features are worth every cent of its cost.

It has re-instated my confidence that Class D can indeed sound very good, something that I kind of have given up on since my previous Active Speaker ownership. Worth noting that Cyrus use their own development of Class D not the off the shelf NCore and Hypex/IEC modules. Something they have quite some experience in since their first implementation of their 200 and 300 series years ago.

I think Cyrus have perhaps even undermined it's more expensive lines with the ONE. It certainly seems the case if you watch 13th Note Hifi Reviews review. He questioned the sense of his very expensive Cyrus system in comparison.

Fair play. But it makes you wonder what or who they are trying to reach out to, as you rightly said, it could undermine their higher end amps.

 

[RoA]

Fair play. But it makes you wonder what or who they are trying to reach out to, as you rightly said, it could undermine their higher end amps.

I think this is aimed at the lifestyle scene with one eye on Audiophiles. That it sounds so good may not have been Cyrus' full intention but I applaud their failure if that was the case.

 

[manicm]

https://www.naimaudio.com/product/uniti-atom

https://lyngdorf.steinwaylyngdorf.com/lyngdorf-tdai-1120/

https://www.marantz.com/en-gb/product/amplifiers/model40n

Not so unique

Also all your Bluesound amps/streamers.