There are not many reviews to the Cyrus/Vienna Acoustic full line up so here's a post on my experience:
The System
- CDXT SE2
- PreAmp DAC XP+
- Two Mono Bloc X 300’s
- PSX-R to CDXT
- Vienna Acoustic Beethoven Baby Grand Speakers
- Music Hall MMF -5.1SE
- Tube Box S Phono PreAmp
Cables
- Chord Indigo Plus Digital
- Chord Anthem 2 XLR’s
- Nordost White Lightning
- Chord Epic to Speakers
Mixing and matching high-end audio equipment to achieve the ultimate sound one wants is often the way music lovers prefer. I had always done this until Sevenoaks Sound and Vision, Southampton, UK, introduced me to Cyrus.
Service
Cyrus staff have been extremely helpful and responsive to a multitude of questions thrown at them to convince me that building this system was going to deliver what was required, top quality balanced sonic sound from bass to treble with unrivalled detail.
Sevenoaks Sound and Vision retail outlet in Southampton also provided good service and advice. They were the first to introduce me to Cyrus with an impromptu purchase of the Cyrus 8 QX Dac integrated amplifier, for another system.
Cosmetics
One can read mixed reviews about Cyrus’s magnesium alloy die-cast casing but personally I find them aesthetically pleasing, attractive and compact not requiring a whole wall of furniture equipment to get a satisfactory layout configuration. In each boxed component comes both UK and European plugs (smart move!), the remote control, information on CD and where applicable the special speaker cable connectors and equipment interconnectors. The LCD displays have a green background clear and simple and once mastered can be labeled to each input source. The BUS system works well, one click with the remote and the whole system comes to life. Overall a class package from looks, size and equipment supplied.
The Experience
The complete System components had at least two weeks of ‘running in’ time as the equipment including cables improves over time.
A selection of CD’s including Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto, Pink Floyd, Mike Oldfield, Adele, Annie Lennox, Pavarotti, Wagner, Train and Snow Patrol were used for the tests.
My room is 22ft in length x 18ft wide x11ft to the ceiling. Positioning of the speakers finally was set at 5ft into the room from any wall, 7ft apart and 10ft from the listening position.
The System produced a superb bass, mid and treble balance. There is an extraordinary level of detail and harmonic poise. It is the first time I have ever closed my eyes and felt that the music is not coming from a Hi Fi system but is actually live in the room. This is particularly noticeable for orchestral music where one can physically identify the position of each section of the orchestra, front to back and left to right. Even for modern music there is no trace of a suggestion that Adele, Annie Lennox, Pink Floyd or other is electronically being reproduced, they are genuinely there standing in front of you.
One reads many theories on whether the DAC component should be in the CD next to the ‘clock’ or if it should be in the pre-amp. The CDXT SE2 (with PSX-R) is cabled to the preamp with the Chord Indigo Plus digital interconnect. Through the Vienna Acoustic speakers the sound is sonically pure, crisp and the clarity/detail is astounding.
The Music Hall vinyl player with Tube Box S performs well and with a good clean up of my old vinyl records I happily revisited past times.
Do not imagine that the Mono Bloc X 300 power amplifiers are used only for power. They are truly the icing on the cake when it comes to detail and balance through the Chord Anthem 2 XLR’s.
Speakers
I have other speakers but the Vienna Acoustics are the only speakers where the music becomes live, rich and detailed. The bass is clear, the mid range is balanced and the treble is pure. They perform well at quiet levels for relaxation and become exceptional when the decibels are pushed up a notch or two. They do not have bi-wiring terminals but the Chord Epic cables work well. The speakers, in rosewood finish are extremely attractive, solid, and impressive.
Do not hesitate to go for the Vienna Acoustics if you have the budget.
So one can go for the mix and match approach and get a lot of fun along the road. For once I followed a brand and recommendations from Cyrus and the retailers Sevenoaks Sound and Vision. For me the result is a beautifully balanced system delivering a sonically pure sound with great satisfaction.
The System
- CDXT SE2
- PreAmp DAC XP+
- Two Mono Bloc X 300’s
- PSX-R to CDXT
- Vienna Acoustic Beethoven Baby Grand Speakers
- Music Hall MMF -5.1SE
- Tube Box S Phono PreAmp
Cables
- Chord Indigo Plus Digital
- Chord Anthem 2 XLR’s
- Nordost White Lightning
- Chord Epic to Speakers
Mixing and matching high-end audio equipment to achieve the ultimate sound one wants is often the way music lovers prefer. I had always done this until Sevenoaks Sound and Vision, Southampton, UK, introduced me to Cyrus.
Service
Cyrus staff have been extremely helpful and responsive to a multitude of questions thrown at them to convince me that building this system was going to deliver what was required, top quality balanced sonic sound from bass to treble with unrivalled detail.
Sevenoaks Sound and Vision retail outlet in Southampton also provided good service and advice. They were the first to introduce me to Cyrus with an impromptu purchase of the Cyrus 8 QX Dac integrated amplifier, for another system.
Cosmetics
One can read mixed reviews about Cyrus’s magnesium alloy die-cast casing but personally I find them aesthetically pleasing, attractive and compact not requiring a whole wall of furniture equipment to get a satisfactory layout configuration. In each boxed component comes both UK and European plugs (smart move!), the remote control, information on CD and where applicable the special speaker cable connectors and equipment interconnectors. The LCD displays have a green background clear and simple and once mastered can be labeled to each input source. The BUS system works well, one click with the remote and the whole system comes to life. Overall a class package from looks, size and equipment supplied.
The Experience
The complete System components had at least two weeks of ‘running in’ time as the equipment including cables improves over time.
A selection of CD’s including Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto, Pink Floyd, Mike Oldfield, Adele, Annie Lennox, Pavarotti, Wagner, Train and Snow Patrol were used for the tests.
My room is 22ft in length x 18ft wide x11ft to the ceiling. Positioning of the speakers finally was set at 5ft into the room from any wall, 7ft apart and 10ft from the listening position.
The System produced a superb bass, mid and treble balance. There is an extraordinary level of detail and harmonic poise. It is the first time I have ever closed my eyes and felt that the music is not coming from a Hi Fi system but is actually live in the room. This is particularly noticeable for orchestral music where one can physically identify the position of each section of the orchestra, front to back and left to right. Even for modern music there is no trace of a suggestion that Adele, Annie Lennox, Pink Floyd or other is electronically being reproduced, they are genuinely there standing in front of you.
One reads many theories on whether the DAC component should be in the CD next to the ‘clock’ or if it should be in the pre-amp. The CDXT SE2 (with PSX-R) is cabled to the preamp with the Chord Indigo Plus digital interconnect. Through the Vienna Acoustic speakers the sound is sonically pure, crisp and the clarity/detail is astounding.
The Music Hall vinyl player with Tube Box S performs well and with a good clean up of my old vinyl records I happily revisited past times.
Do not imagine that the Mono Bloc X 300 power amplifiers are used only for power. They are truly the icing on the cake when it comes to detail and balance through the Chord Anthem 2 XLR’s.
Speakers
I have other speakers but the Vienna Acoustics are the only speakers where the music becomes live, rich and detailed. The bass is clear, the mid range is balanced and the treble is pure. They perform well at quiet levels for relaxation and become exceptional when the decibels are pushed up a notch or two. They do not have bi-wiring terminals but the Chord Epic cables work well. The speakers, in rosewood finish are extremely attractive, solid, and impressive.
Do not hesitate to go for the Vienna Acoustics if you have the budget.
So one can go for the mix and match approach and get a lot of fun along the road. For once I followed a brand and recommendations from Cyrus and the retailers Sevenoaks Sound and Vision. For me the result is a beautifully balanced system delivering a sonically pure sound with great satisfaction.
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