Cyrus Mono X Temptation...

pba_target

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Ok all, I'll admit. I have a problem!

The Cyrus mono X's that have now been replaced by the Mono X 200 & 300 are available at effectively "buy one, get one free" for around £1700 for the pair. I'm extremely tempted it must be said, but with it comes a dilemma.

At the moment my system consists of a Cyrus 6XP fed by a couple of various sources but mostly using the pre-outs from my onkyo 3007 from NAS with flac and 320kbps mp3. The 6XP is feeding a pair of B&W CM7s. The intention had been to get myself a seperate streaming product to bypass the onk for music, but keeping the cyrus wired into the AV setup so as to have one neat system. However, a "domestic conflict" is arising with regards use of music and telly box at the same time, so I'm tempted to break away the music side and put it in the other living room as a seperate entity. Also, I feel the 6xp is perhaps struggling a touch with the CM7s.

A) Stick with the 6xp, move it to the spare room, buy some standmounts to match and a squeezebox touch or similar, leaving the onk and CM setup as the AV setup.

B) Buy the mono X's, upgrade the 6xp to a pre-xpd, get a streaming product to match and some suitable speakers. If I go for the mono X's, I'm thinking I'll want something floor-standing to go with. Either move the CM7s to the spare room and replace them in the av setup with some smaller CMs, or preferablly get something a little more upmarket to go with the mono x's.

C) go halfway and maybe buy one X-power to start with, adding a second later. Move the combo to the spare room and get some floorstanders or decent standmounts to match.

For a) thoughts on speakers and a streaming source? A reasonable number of my FLACS are 24 bit, and I think that is the way the world is going, so I'm a little reluctant to plug for a sonos setup, as slick as they are.

For b) thoughts again on speakers? I think if I'm plumping for that much money's worth of Monobloc, I'm wanting a more capable speaker than the CM7s, good as they are for cinema. Any thoughts? Also, with that setup, is a squeezebox touch going to cut it, even through a cyrus DAC, or am I going to want something a little more refined?

for c) what are thoughts on Xpower vs mono x? It is a bit of a halfway house, but won't give me quite the same level of buyers guilt. It also allows a stretch of the purchases over a longer stretch of time.

Is there another, better solution I'm missing?

Budget, aside from my personal guilt, is not too much of an issue so long as it stays the right side of about 6k for amp, streamer/DAC and speakers. The main thing is, if I'm spending that much, I'd like to get mostly ex-demo or clearance stuff to make the money go further (guilt relief!)

Sorry for the epic! Ideas on a postcard please!
 

Gusboll

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Go for Option B and get some floorstanders like PMC which compliment Cyrus beautifully. Jealous!

Currently listening to: Drive-By Truckers - The Dirty South
 

Frank Harvey

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pba_target said:
B) Buy the mono X's, upgrade the 6xp to a pre-xpd, get a streaming product to match and some suitable speakers. If I go for the mono X's, I'm thinking I'll want something floor-standing to go with. Either move the CM7s to the spare room and replace them in the av setup with some smaller CMs, or preferablly get something a little more upmarket to go with the mono x's
Go for the Mono X's - at that price, they're a good buy, and they can be upgraded to X200's or X300's at a later date. Anyone who can get Mono X's for £1700 would be mad to spend £1000 on an X Power instead, especially if you're looking at speakers like the A9's.
One thing I would do differently though. If you were to change for the PreXpd, will you need any analogue inputs? What sources do you currently use? If you don't need any analogue inputs, You could go for the StreamLine XP. The reason for this would be that it'll stream high quality audio (which it does excellently - I've heard it), which is something you're after, plus, it's a better digital pre-amplifier than the PreXpd. The only drawback being that it's only digital inputs.
The Mono X's will drive the A9's extremely well - it's just the sort of power amplification that speakers like this thrive on.
 

datay

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FrankHarveyHiFi said:
pba_target said:
B) Buy the mono X's, upgrade the 6xp to a pre-xpd, get a streaming product to match and some suitable speakers. If I go for the mono X's, I'm thinking I'll want something floor-standing to go with. Either move the CM7s to the spare room and replace them in the av setup with some smaller CMs, or preferablly get something a little more upmarket to go with the mono x's
Go for the Mono X's - at that price, they're a good buy, and they can be upgraded to X200's or X300's at a later date. Anyone who can get Mono X's for £1700 would be mad to spend £1000 on an X Power instead, especially if you're looking at speakers like the A9's. One thing I would do differently though. If you were to change for the PreXpd, will you need any analogue inputs? What sources do you currently use? If you don't need any analogue inputs, You could go for the StreamLine XP. The reason for this would be that it'll stream high quality audio (which it does excellently - I've heard it), which is something you're after, plus, it's a better digital pre-amplifier than the PreXpd. The only drawback being that it's only digital inputs. The Mono X's will drive the A9's extremely well - it's just the sort of power amplification that speakers like this thrive on.

When you say "a better digital preamplifier" David, you mean a better preamp full stop? The PreXPd being an analogue preamp.
 

pba_target

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David,

Thanks for the opinion. Yes I agree actually that may be the way forward. I don't require any analogue sources at all as I'm a fully digital man these days.

The only thing I don't understand is why the Stream XP is the most expensive of the bunch, is it a different DAC to the other 2?

The main thing we're looking at there is quite a lot of cash. 1700 for the monoblocs, 2700 for the speakers, and another 2000ish for the stream Xp no?

Edit to add> I wasn't actually looking at the A9's originally, I wouldn't normally aim that high. But I've the chance of picking up a pair for 2700 ex-demo, which strikes me as a good deal?
 

Frank Harvey

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datay said:
When you say "a better digital preamplifier" David, you mean a better preamp full stop? The PreXPd being an analogue preamp.
Yes, basically a better pre-amplifier, if you were to compare the PreXpd and StreamXP directly using a digital source.
 

Frank Harvey

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pba_target said:
David,

Thanks for the opinion. Yes I agree actually that may be the way forward. I don't require any analogue sources at all as I'm a fully digital man these days.

The only thing I don't understand is why the Stream XP is the most expensive of the bunch, is it a different DAC to the other 2?

The main thing we're looking at there is quite a lot of cash. 1700 for the monoblocs, 2700 for the speakers, and another 2000ish for the stream Xp no?

Edit to add> I wasn't actually looking at the A9's originally, I wouldn't normally aim that high. But I've the chance of picking up a pair for 2700 ex-demo, which strikes me as a good deal?

The StreamX is a purely digital product - it has no analogue circuitry in it at all. It will stream and give you access to Internet radio and HDD's but send them out digitally to a system that already has a DAC or digital inputs. The StreamXP has a DAC and a digital pre-amplifier built into it, so is a little more expensive.
As far as speakers are concerned, only you can decide where your priorities lie, whether that be getting the front end sorted first, or investing in the reduced speakers as a long term benefit. Have you heard the A9's?I only ask as I can't see the first post while typing this. It's worth ringing round to see what clearance speakers dealers have, there may be more options than you think.
 

pba_target

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I've not heard the A9s yet, no. I'm hoping to tee up a listen at my local, but havent had a chance to check they've got A9's in yet (they stock the rest of the spendors though). How do the A9s shape up relative to speakers around the 2500 bracket?

With regards the Stream XP being more expensive, I meant in relation to the streamline, which I assume has pre-outs?
 

Frank Harvey

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As far as The StreamLine is concerned, it's a bit of a different product, as it's an all-in-one - add speakers and you're done. I believe it's the same DAC, but I wouldn't bet my packet of Skittles on it. The StreamLine also has pre-outs for flexibility, but is primarily for those adding another zone, or are looking for an all in one solution.
 

manicm

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FrankHarveyHiFi said:
As far as The StreamLine is concerned, it's a bit of a different product, as it's an all-in-one - add speakers and you're done. I believe it's the same DAC, but I wouldn't bet my packet of Skittles on it. The StreamLine also has pre-outs for flexibility, but is primarily for those adding another zone, or are looking for an all in one solution.

The StreamLine seems a direct competitor, albeit more expensive, to the UnitiQute.
 

pba_target

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Do you know if the streamline has pre-outs?

I'm definitley looking at the mono x's now, should be auditioning a pair shortly.

Any recommendations on speakers available for around the 2>3k mark?
 

pba_target

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Ok, I cracked! Picked up a pair of mono's for £1700.

Now, the quandry. I've wired them up with the CM7s at the mo, and they're sounding pretty good! But the question is now,

a) move the cm's to the other room, get something similar to replace at the front of my AV setup (preferably cheaper > CM1s?)

b) keep the cm's where they are and pick up something to go with the mono x's

As i mentioned before, I've spied a pair of A9's for £2700, but there are also a pair of Vienna Acoustics Beethoven Concert Grands in fairly good second hand nick knocking around for £2400. Any thoughts on floor standers for those kinds of prices?
 
pba_target said:
Ok, I cracked! Picked up a pair of mono's for £1700.

Now, the quandry. I've wired them up with the CM7s at the mo, and they're sounding pretty good! But the question is now,

a) move the cm's to the other room, get something similar to replace at the front of my AV setup (preferably cheaper > CM1s?)

b) keep the cm's where they are and pick up something to go with the mono x's

As i mentioned before, I've spied a pair of A9's for £2700, but there are also a pair of Vienna Acoustics Beethoven Concert Grands in fairly good second hand nick knocking around for £2400. Any thoughts on floor standers for those kinds of prices?

Hi pba_target

I would get a better pair of speakers for the Mono X's. At around £2.5k ATC's SCM40 monitors are also worth serious consideration. I've got quite a number of clients happily using SCM40 monitors with APA 7's, APA 7.5's and Mono X's :)

Btw, from my experience i'll suggest that you should also consider looking at alternative makes of pre amplifiers to really get a firmer grip on the Mono X's.

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft
 

pba_target

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Rick,

What pre-amp would you suggest? I'm currently running a very sketchy setup as I build my way to nirvana, so now is the time! I'm trying to avoid a speaker pairing that is too bright, so some auditioning clearly has to be done...
 

Frank Harvey

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There are two ways a pre-amp will influence a system - quality, and synergy. Synergy isn't an issue in this case, so that leaves quality. The pre-amp is the window of the system - it should be completely transparent and not alter the music in any way, or at least not in a way that's not intended by the manufacturer.

Yes, there are any number of pre-amps that will improve on your, just like there will be any number of speakers, CD players, power amps etc etc. I would get used to your system now you have the Mono X's, and once the novelty if the new has worn off, then look to see what sort of changes you want to make, if any.
 
pba_target said:
Rick,

What pre-amp would you suggest? I'm currently running a very sketchy setup as I build my way to nirvana, so now is the time! I'm trying to avoid a speaker pairing that is too bright, so some auditioning clearly has to be done...

Hi pba_target

Thanks for your reply.

I am sorry for my late response as i have been very busy.

Anyway are you also happy to also consider used/discontinued components?

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft
 

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