Is it me???

[Richard Allen]

Now I know this might seem strange. A manufacturer asking a forum a question but here goes.

A couple of people have tried EB2 with Cyrus kit and said that the sound left them cold so I 'half inched' a Cyrus 8 DAC and they are dead right. Cold is a bit over the top. The sound is articulate and well presented but the bottom end??, Eugh!!. This prompted me to try on other gear. Naim Nait 5i, Audio Note M zero valve pre driving a Roksan Caspian power amp via on of my interface boxes. Same line up driving a 250 a side digital power amp.

All of the results with the exception of the Cyrus were good. Bottom end is great with Naim and Roksan. Even the Digi amp put in a respectable performance which I thought would flop so what is it??. Me??.

I have no axe to grind. Actually prefer the look of Cyrus to all of the rest.

Ideas anyone???.

Regards.

 

[andyjm]

Now I know this might seem strange. A manufacturer asking a forum a question but here goes.

A couple of people have tried EB2 with Cyrus kit and said that the sound left them cold so I 'half inched' a Cyrus 8 DAC and they are dead right. Cold is a bit over the top. The sound is articulate and well presented but the bottom end??, Eugh!!. This prompted me to try on other gear. Naim Nait 5i, Audio Note M zero valve pre driving a Roksan Caspian power amp via on of my interface boxes. Same line up driving a 250 a side digital power amp.

All of the results with the exception of the Cyrus were good. Bottom end is great with Naim and Roksan. Even the Digi amp put in a respectable performance which I thought would flop so what is it??. Me??.

I have no axe to grind. Actually prefer the look of Cyrus to all of the rest.

Ideas anyone???.

Regards.

Richard,
As you are in the business, I would imagine you own some test equipment. If you run a LF response sweep of the speakers with various amps, how different are the results?

 

[Richard Allen]

Hi.

Can't do it with the Cyrus coz my mate's had it back.

I wanted to do it as a customer would which is why I didn't do the power sweeps.

I spose it could be that because EB2 is a closed box design and needs a bit more oomph to perform, it sounded to my ears that the 8DAC didn't have enough of it. Now that I expected from the Digi Amp yet that performed 'reasonably well'. Strange though. I've been told that they work with early Cyrus 6.

Think I'm going to have to advise that it is not compatible with Cyrus 8 and that will be a shame. Ho Hum. :?

 

[plastic penguin]

Now I know this might seem strange. A manufacturer asking a forum a question but here goes.

Ideas anyone???.

Regards.

I find it very strange. You MUST know that certain amps/sources work differently with speakers, allied to room acoustics.

Sales of EB2s on sparse side?

Not being sarcastic, just puzzled.

 

[Richard Allen]

Now I know this might seem strange. A manufacturer asking a forum a question but here goes.

Ideas anyone???.

Regards.

I find it very strange. You MUST know that certain amps/sources work differently with speakers, allied to room acoustics. Sales of EB2s on sparse side? Not being sarcastic, just puzzled.

No. Sales are fine. I just find it puzzling that's all. Yes PP. I know that total system interaction plays its role. Been in this silly game for too many years not to know that one. EB1 doesn't seem fussed what you drive it with but EB2. The more I think about it the more I think it's the closed box scenario.

 

[plastic penguin]

Now I know this might seem strange. A manufacturer asking a forum a question but here goes.

Ideas anyone???.

Regards.

I find it very strange. You MUST know that certain amps/sources work differently with speakers, allied to room acoustics. Sales of EB2s on sparse side? Not being sarcastic, just puzzled.

No. Sales are fine. I just find it puzzling that's all. Yes PP. I know that total system interaction plays its role. Been in this silly game for too many years not to know that one. EB1 doesn't seem fussed what you drive it with but EB2. The more I think about it the more I think it's the closed box scenario.

Hint: EB2s are, according to reviews, massively transparent. Likewise most Cyrus gear is often described as "transparent". Sometimes a little too much of a good thing can show up deficiences. By the same token the Leema amp is massively transparent and so are the RS6s. With certain styles of music this can lend itself to a slightly mechanical sound.

 

[relocated]

I can understand perfectly that you wanted to test out compatibility as a purchaser only could, that seems very sensible.
What I cannot understand is that having confirmed, as a user/customer, that Cyrus and a speaker of your manufacture are deficient in certain areas; you didn't bother to do scientific analysis to try to determine why.
This is somewhat bizarre.

 

[drummerman]

Dunno. Speaker/amplifier matching is crucial and the most unlikely combinations sometimes work whilst the usual suspects often don't.

I have just acquired a Cyrus 8vs2, second time round. I had one some years ago with ProAc speakers, so I'm fairly familiar with this particular cyrus sound and its limitations, which is mainly power related though I have my main amp for that.

I would describe it as 'musical' and far from cold or sterile. It drives music along without adding to much of its own. Detail is good, bass is ample as is though a PSX-R will help to tighten that slightly (Had one with my previous one and probably add one to this one). -

However, unfortunately I have never tried one of your speakers (I'd like to) so the combination may well not work (either that or the newer versions of cyrus amplifiers sound different).

I can't imagine many speakers that wouldn't sound at least acceptable with cyrus on the end unless perhaps they have very limited bass to start with.

regards

 

[Richard Allen]

Rightio.

Had a nice long chat with Chris at Cyrus yesterday and we both came to the conclusion that Cyrus 8 and EB2 don't mix. If the truth is known, Chris is just as flummoxed as I am when EB2 works on Cyrus 6 but not 8.

That said, most amp designers these days design using reflex loudspeakers and when you present a closed box to the equation you a): have to get used to the 'sound' of a closed box and b): sometimes the amp in question can't deliver the really low notes in a closed box. It's not that it isn't there, just needs more oomph in that region.

Just one of those system synergy thingies as PP said in one of his previous replies. Anyway, thanks for all your opinions.