Cyrus ONE Cast

[Witterings]

I was unsure about the lack of remote, but I find the software/phone remote works very well. I can understand why it wouldn't suit everyone though.

I'm a very light mobile user, it can be switched off for days at a time although that said I normally have a phone or tablet on to play music.

The killer part though I use a Harmony Hub and the Cyrus's aren't in their list of recognised products, if you have a remote you can clone what it's doing but you're stuck if you don't.

 

[RoA]

Unfortunately it seems my unit is faulty. This will end my 'review' (comparison) with my other amplifiers. I can't connect the unit to WiFi (which makes the built in cast function ... non-functional). In addition optical and co-ax in's also don't work.

I am currently talking to Cyrus which acknowledged an issue with Google home connection but have not elaborated on it. The One Cast has been out a few years so I don't know if this just happened recently but the casting ability is obviously an integral part of this particular product. Perhaps the all the issues are connected by a part failure, I don't know, but as it stands the Cyrus One Cast is going back for either a refund or replacement and I can't really recommend it as is.

 

[Witterings]

Unfortunately it seems my unit is faulty. This will end my 'review' (comparison) with my other amplifiers. I can't connect the unit to WiFi (which makes the built in cast function ... non-functional). In addition optical and co-ax in's also don't work.

I am currently talking to Cyrus which acknowledged an issue with Google home connection but have not elaborated on it. The One Cast has been out a few years so I don't know if this just happened recently but the casting ability is obviously an integral part of this particular product. Perhaps the all the issues are connected by a part failure, I don't know, but as it stands the Cyrus One Cast is going back for either a refund or replacement and I can't really recommend it as is.

That's a shame for you .... you'd obviously bought it for a purpose it's now not going to serve.

If you've only just got it they should replace it and pick up all the cost of sending it back to them etc. ... it may just be you were unlucky and got the Friday jobbie which can happen, would have thought if they were prone to failure I would have come a cross a few threads addressing it when doing my research on them but I didn't.

Good luck and hope you get it sorted, let us know what happens.

 

[RoA]

Thank you. No problem, both Cyrus and the retailer Tyson replied immediately. A replacement is on its way.

I am not aware of reliability issues for the product either.

Better luck second time.

 

[Gray]

I would be interested to know your thoughts. I have partnered Kef iq10s (predecessors to Q100s) with my Cyrus and it's the clarity which I like.

Yes clarity is essential 👍
As it happens, my Cyrus / Kef pairup wasn't great.
My thoughts will (and should) mean nothing to you though, since both models are different - and I really don't like 'house sound' generalisations.
My test was meaningless all round really as I doubt that anybody would pair I7-XR with Q100 🤔
Of course, there were still tracks that sounded good....but that's more to do with the love of the music - some of which, thankfully, can never really sound bad 😉.

 

[Gray]

Thank you. No problem, both Cyrus and the retailer Tyson replied immediately. A replacement is on its way.

I am not aware of reliability issues for the product either.

Better luck second time.

Without going into too much detail, there is a digital incompatibility issue between the I7-XR and the HAT board of my streamer (on coax but not optical).

I'm not saying that the Cyrus is faulty as such, but I am most definitely saying that much modern stuff is too clever for its own good.

Better luck with your replacement ONE cast 👍

 

[plastic penguin]

You can't blame the company if you pick up a bum version. This happens from time to time. As the dealer is sending a replacement it shouldn't be an issue.

Clearly the ONE seems to be a step up from previous incarnations.

Look forward to DMs views.

 

[RoA]

I will get the replament today so will post some photos of the comparison with the others.

 

[davidf]

The main area where the One amplifiers are strong is that they actually seem to have balls - something which their classic amplifiers (like the 6 and 8) have lacked since the originals.

 

[RoA]

Well, I was looking forward to get a working Cyrus ONE Cast.

It's working, kind of, but I still can not connect it to my home network ... it's just not visible through any of my streaming apps ie. Tidal and Quobuz and just shows up on Google home as 'offline' (whereas the CCA is there, ready).

Perplexed as I have used a Chromecast Audio for years and never had an issue neither do I have problems with any other devices.

As the casting feature is obviously the USP of this product ... if it is not working there is little point keeping it. I'll hang on a few days and see if there is a solution forthcoming.

 

[Gray]

Your home is looking like a dealership 🙂

The cast problem is a bit mysterious.
It seems that's the way it is with the model - yet if that were the case, you'd expect multiple reports of the problem.

Will be interesting to see what (if anything) transpires.

 

[RoA]

Your home is looking like a dealership 🙂

Cyrus acknowledged an issue but as you, I am puzzled. I don't have network problems usually.

 

[plastic penguin]

Cyrus acknowledged an issue but as you, I am puzzled. I don't have network problems usually.

Well, if this new Cyrus isn't working correctly, it's a bummer.

 

[RoA]

I unplugged the Cyrus for a few hours and ... it connected and now streams. I don't like things like that but hey, at least it works (for the moment)

 

[Al ears]

I unplugged the Cyrus for a few hours and ... it connected and now streams. I don't like things like that but hey, at least it works (for the moment)

Unplugged from what? Mains power?
Don't see why that should make a difference.

 

[RoA]

Exactly. I have no idea.

 

[RoA]

Living room speaker being the Cyrus.

Working (unless you call Coleman's music faulty)

 

[RoA]

 

[plastic penguin]

Is this unit behaving itself now?

 

[RoA]

Hi PP

Yes it is (but not before sending another email to Cyrus, more on that on a separate thread).

I have a day off so today I am comparing the amplifiers with each other. No lengthy plugging in/unplugging. Each one literally connected for perhaps 15 mins in quick succession after warming them all up for maybe an hour prior.

I simply compared them on a few reference tracks through Tidal Hifi and BBC Radio spoken word through their respective apps. - Having owned all the amplifiers except the Cyrus for some time I kinda know what they sound like ... . I also briefly switched in the Quad standmounts.

Source; CCA through amplifiers internal DAC's as well as direct to AUX.
Speakers; Mission 752 Freedom and Quad 11L Classic

So, very brief without going into specs etc. ... all that is available online;

Arcam SA20; Punchy with a round full bass/lower mids and good impact. Very clear mids/highs. A tad too bright for me in default flat so I turned the treble down a couple of notches. In summary, powerful, warm (and bright). very good detail. Engaging. Superbly built. Display not as nice as the one of the Hegel. Good Soundstage front to back. Average wide. Goes loud effortlessly but watch that bass. No problem if tone controls are used. The best built in DAC of all integrated's here on paper (ESS 9038 K2M)

Arcam SA20


Hegel H95: Controlled and a perceived flat frequency response. Nothing dominates. Bass is strong if there is some and not if not. Better low frequency control, more solid, slightly more forward mids than the Arcam. Not quite as punchy or forward sounding as the Arcam (but not far off) but it does control difficult speakers slightly better. Highs are just right to my ears. Rated at 60 watts/ch but sounding like more at higher volume. Quite a large power supply for size and power rating. - Very nicely built. Good transparency front to back, Average wide. Perhaps not quite a bargain at its full RRP (although I believe Hegel kept the price to roughly the same over the years where others have gone up hundreds!). Superb as a s/h find (as is the H90 which I had previously).


Hegel H95


Audiolab 6000A: Balanced, smooth. Not as powerful or quite as punchy as the Arcam nor quite as controlled in the bass or outright detailed as the Hegel. Nothing stands out in a bad way. Soundstage is very wide and average to good front to back. Although only rated at 50w/channel it can drive speakers to very high volume without changing its sound signature (ie getting bright and loose in the bass, within it's limitations compared to the Hegel). This is due to a substantial power supply with 60'000 uf of supply capacitance and a decent torroidal transformer. A grown up sound and a bargain for the money. Lacks the pinpoint imaging of the Hegel but is not that far off. An amp you can relax in to. May not impress compared to more bombastic products in a demonstration but all the better for it in the long run. Build is superb for the money.

Audiolab 6000A

Cyrus ONE Cast; Fun. Reasonably balanced with a full, driving bass similar to the Arcam but not quite as controlled as the Hegel. Mids are very clear and velvety and highs slightly toned down (but still very clear), similar to the Audiolab but not quite as resolved as the Arcams. Good rythm, very engaging without fatigue. Build is average/ok and interaction on the amplifier itself not as tactile/nice as the others but no issue as remote is used most of the time. SID (automatic impedance sensing) is cool and the front lights (once dimmed down) look very smart, as does the amp itself. Bargain at its current (discounted) price. Although this is classified as a Class D amplifier it has a substantial linear powersupply with heavy torroid and a 750W maximum power rating at the wall. (is this why it sounds so good?). - It is rated at 100w/ch at 6 ohm but this is at 0.1 THD whereas many other rate their products at 1%. To all intent and purpose this is a hundred watter, almost doubling into 4ohm, restricted only by the protection system into lower loads.

Cyrus ONE Cast

So, there you have it, judged by my own (large and ageing) ears. I've dabbled in Hifi many decades and think I know what to listen out for but that may well differ from what you value.

Everything above is influenced by source and speakers too so take it with a pinch of salt.

I have not tested the Headphone outs (yet) but I believe all the amps have dedicated circuits for that though I may be wrong there.

Thanks guys. Let me know if you need to know anything else.

 

[Witterings]

Oh brilliant ... great review

You're only allowed to keep one .... which is it

 

[RoA]

If they'd all sell at their original RRP ... for value ... the Audiolab.

As is ...

 

[plastic penguin]

Hi PP

Yes it is (but not before sending another email to Cyrus, more on that on a separate thread).

I have a day off so today I am comparing the amplifiers with each other. No lengthy plugging in/unplugging. Each one literally connected for perhaps 15 mins in quick succession after warming them all up for maybe an hour prior.

I simply compared them on a few reference tracks through Tidal Hifi and BBC Radio spoken word through their respective apps. - Having owned all the amplifiers except the Cyrus for some time I kinda know what they sound like ... . I also briefly switched in the Quad standmounts.

Source; CCA through amplifiers internal DAC's as well as direct to AUX.
Speakers; Mission 752 Freedom and Quad 11L Classic

So, very brief without going into specs etc. ... all that is available online;

Arcam SA20; Punchy with a round full bass/lower mids and good impact. Very clear mids/highs. A tad too bright for me in default flat so I turned the treble down a couple of notches. In summary, powerful, warm (and bright). very good detail. Engaging. Superbly built. Display not as nice as the one of the Hegel. Good Soundstage front to back. Average wide. Goes loud effortlessly but watch that bass. No problem if tone controls are used. The best built in DAC of all integrated's here on paper (ESS 9038 K2M)

Arcam SA20


Hegel H95: Controlled and a perceived flat frequency response. Nothing dominates. Bass is strong if there is some and not if not. Better low frequency control, more solid, slightly more forward mids than the Arcam. Not quite as punchy or forward sounding as the Arcam (but not far off) but it does control difficult speakers slightly better. Highs are just right to my ears. Rated at 60 watts/ch but sounding like more at higher volume. Quite a large power supply for size and power rating. - Very nicely built. Good transparency front to back, Average wide. Perhaps not quite a bargain at its full RRP (although I believe Hegel kept the price to roughly the same over the years where others have gone up hundreds!). Superb as a s/h find (as is the H90 which I had previously).


Hegel H95


Audiolab 6000A: Balanced, smooth. Not as powerful or quite as punchy as the Arcam nor quite as controlled in the bass or outright detailed as the Hegel. Nothing stands out in a bad way. Soundstage is very wide and average to good front to back. Although only rated at 50w/channel it can drive speakers to very high volume without changing its sound signature (ie getting bright and loose in the bass, within it's limitations compared to the Hegel). This is due to a substantial power supply with 60'000 uf of supply capacitance and a decent torroidal transformer. A grown up sound and a bargain for the money. Lacks the pinpoint imaging of the Hegel but is not that far off. An amp you can relax in to. May not impress compared to more bombastic products in a demonstration but all the better for it in the long run. Build is superb for the money.

Audiolab 6000A

Cyrus ONE Cast; Fun. Reasonably balanced with a full, driving bass similar to the Arcam but not quite as controlled as the Hegel. Mids are very clear and velvety and highs slightly toned down (but still very clear), similar to the Audiolab but not quite as resolved as the Arcams. Good rythm, very engaging without fatigue. Build is average/ok and interaction on the amplifier itself not as tactile/nice as the others but no issue as remote is used most of the time. SID (automatic impedance sensing) is cool and the front lights (once dimmed down) look very smart, as does the amp itself. Bargain at its current (discounted) price. Although this is classified as a Class D amplifier it has a substantial linear powersupply with heavy torroid and a 750W maximum power rating at the wall. (is this why it sounds so good?). - It is rated at 100w/ch at 6 ohm but this is at 0.1 THD whereas many other rate their products at 1%. To all intent and purpose this is a hundred watter, almost doubling into 4ohm, restricted only by the protection system into lower loads.

Cyrus ONE Cast

So, there you have it, judged by my own (large and ageing) ears. I've dabbled in Hifi many decades and think I know what to listen out for but that may well differ from what you value.

Everything above is influenced by source and speakers too so take it with a pinch of salt.

I have not tested the Headphone outs (yet) but I believe all the amps have dedicated circuits for that though I may be wrong there.

Thanks guys. Let me know if you need to know anything else.

Good appraisal. I only have experience of SA20 against a Rega Elex-R... in a shop demo room. No relevance to your home comparison.

The Cyrus ONE seems to be an improvement on the older, classic amps which, to my ears, could be provoked in the high frequencies.

Thanks RoA.

 

[manicm]

Just as an aside, someone mentioned the i7 xr is discontinued, well I saw it on the website 5 minutes ago, but it seems to suffer from a level of obsolescence by this review:

In a nutshell the new updated Classic Amp - replacing both the previous 6 and 8 - is a superior and cheaper amp, but with an inferior DAC, compared to the i7

Cyrus Classic AMP Integrated Amplifier Review

AVForums review of the Cyrus Classic AMP integrated amplifier which features analogue (incl. phono) and digital inputs plus 91W into 6 ohms.

www.avforums.com

 

[Gray]

Just as an aside, someone mentioned the i7 xr is discontinued, well I saw it on the website 5 minutes ago

Yes it's still on the website, but their idea is to have only the I9-XR in their lineup as they go into next year.....so the I7 is currently available in several places at £500 below the classic price.

The I7 is OK if around 50 watts are enough.
(It's more than enough for neighbours in attached houses).