Resurrect Cyrus One

[tino]

It doesn't matter what features an amplifier has, it will always be missing something for someone. Sure, the Cyrus One is missing digital inputs. The Quad Vena has this and Bluetooth, but lacks a phono stage. The Arcam A19 lacks digital inputs and Bluetooth, as does the Rega Brio-R.

The Rotel RA12 has everything these amplifiers have - a phono stage, remote control, digital inputs, Bluetooth, even facilities to drive two pairs of speakers into the bargain - so why does no one ever mention it?!

Because people just like moaning. They're not looking to buy another amplifier anyway, but they'll make it known that the new amplifier from XYZ Audio just isn't good enough because it lacks one thing, it's a travesty, they'll never sell any, the designers missed a trick, etc etc. If a product has everything AND sound quality, it won't be cheap. If it's cheap and has everything, more than likely it won't sound great.

And as usual, it's not even out yet.

I find your comments strange. By not including digital inputs, Cyrus may have alienated a lot of potential purchasers, myself included. I really like the aesthetic and size of the amp, I suspect it will sound very good, but I don't like its connectivity options. Can't connect a computer, nor TV, nor set-top box, nor something like a Chromecast via SPDIF. Why would I want to buy a separate DAC, costing several hundred pounds? Yet another box just to do something that requires a square inch or two of PCB area? The Quad Vena is the most appealing amplifier in its category, but I don't want one as I would rather buy an amp made in the UK. As for the Rotel RA12 .... too trad, too big, made in China as well.

 

[jjbomber]

Presumably a team of designers have sat round a table and said, 'yup our intended demographic will be fine with that',

Presumably the same team of designers who came up with The Lyric.

 

[chris_bates1974]

Of course it could be that the reason lots of us are being critical is because we are members of a forum where we can be critical about hifi. Which we all love, and get in a lather over.

im not really sure what other reaction anyone would be expecting. I would imagine if universal blind praise was required, one should probably look elsewhere.

As for the iOS limitation people have mentioned. Airport Express. Simple, cheap, and works wonders.

For me, I just don't like the look. And having not heard it, the look is all I commented on.

 

[tino]

As for the iOS limitation people have mentioned. Airport Express. Simple, cheap, and works wonders.

But the downside is that you have to use the analogue output of the Airport Express which would be a compromise given the DAC in the AE.

Even with aptX Bluetooth which is a nice touch, this Cyrus is one for the vinyl brigade or nostalgic types that have enough old gear lying around to fully utilise all 4 analogue line inputs

 

[Frank Harvey]

I think that's a fairly negative way of looking at it.

Not really, just experience of spending time on forums and seeing the same thing over and over again. In fact, if you read about new products in the news section of this site, there are forum members who only seem to post there, and nowhere on the forum at all. It happened with another recent announcement.

It is fair enough for someone to say that it wouldn't suit them because it doesn't have a particular feature, but to completely dismiss the relevance of a product based on that is a little strong. It happens time and time again.

Maybe one day someone will release the perfect product...

 

[tino]

Not really, just experience of spending time on forums and seeing the same thing over and over again. IN fact, if you read about new products in the news section of this site, there are forum members who only seem to post there, and nowhere on the forum at all. It happened with another recent announcement.

It is fair enough for someone to say that it wouldn't suit them because it doesn't have a particular feature, but to completely dismiss the relevance of a product based on that is a little strong. It happens time and time again.

Maybe one day someone will release the perfect product...

What's your opinion of this amp? Do you think it hits the mark? Would it have benefitted from digital inputs, or do you think it fit its demographic well? This could be a hit and great all-rounder. But the one particular feature that it is lacking is the one that I think a lot of people might actually want - basic physical digital connectivity. For some people one critical feature is a deal-breaker and enough to dismiss a potential purchase.

This would be on my shopping list this year if it had digital input (or two) and perhaps a USB +5VDC outlet to power an accessory like a Chromecast. A few years ago this type of amplifier might have been OK, but in this day and age it looks like an oversight .... unless Cyrus have a very particular segment in mind.

 

[Al ears]

Not really, just experience of spending time on forums and seeing the same thing over and over again. IN fact, if you read about new products in the news section of this site, there are forum members who only seem to post there, and nowhere on the forum at all. It happened with another recent announcement.

It is fair enough for someone to say that it wouldn't suit them because it doesn't have a particular feature, but to completely dismiss the relevance of a product based on that is a little strong. It happens time and time again.

Maybe one day someone will release the perfect product...

What's your opinion of this amp? Do you think it hits the mark? Would it have benefitted from digital inputs, or do you think it fit its demographic well? This could be a hit and great all-rounder. But the one particular feature that it is lacking is the one that I think a lot of people might actually want - basic physical digital connectivity.

This would be on my shopping list this year if it had digital input (or two) and perhaps a USB +5VDC outlet to power an accessory like a Chromecast. A few years ago this type of amplifier might have been OK, but in this day and age it looks like an oversight .... unless Cyrus have a very particular segment in mind.

I think that must be the case. It appears to be designed with the new band of vinyl fanatics in mind. Personally, if it has a dac inside then it would seem sensible to add some connectivity to it.

I am sure it is a very good product, was even considering it for my second system at one point, but the lack of connections mean my search is still on going.

 

[Frank Harvey]

I find your comments strange. By not including digital inputs, Cyrus may have alienated a lot of potential purchasers, myself included.

But adding digital inputs will have bumped up the price - I appreciate there's a DAC already in there, but more inputs means more cost, and then it would be pushing up and up, out of the reach of more people, and encroaching on a price point that might possibly be reserved for a Cyrus Two, as some people have been hinting at here

As it was, they couldn't use the current aluminium chassis/case because it was too expensive to use.

 

[Al ears]

I find your comments strange. By not including digital inputs, Cyrus may have alienated a lot of potential purchasers, myself included.

But adding digital inputs will have bumped up the price - I appreciate there's a DAC already in there, but more inputs means more cost, and then it would be pushing up and up, out of the reach of more people, and encroaching on a price point that might possibly be reserved for a Cyrus Two, as some people have been hinting at here

As it was, they couldn't use the current aluminium chassis/case because it was too expensive to use.

I'd dispute the comment about the case with the cost of design, development etc taken into account over and above the fact you could use something that's already in production.

The case design is surely there so that it echoes the original Cyrus 1 , and the big rotary knobs wouldn't have fitted the more expensive shoebox design of case.

 

[tino]

I find your comments strange. By not including digital inputs, Cyrus may have alienated a lot of potential purchasers, myself included.

But adding digital inputs will have bumped up the price - I appreciate there's a DAC already in there, but more inputs means more cost, and then it would be pushing up and up, out of the reach of more people ...

I would have stumped up the extra £25 it would have cost to include, and shaved a few pence by dropping two line inputs. Perhaps Cyrus want us to buy a matching £699 DAC instead ;-)

 

[MajorFubar]

But adding digital inputs will have bumped up the price - I appreciate there's a DAC already in there, but more inputs means more cost, and then it would be pushing up and up, out of the reach of more people, and encroaching on a price point that might possibly be reserved for a Cyrus Two, as some people have been hinting at here

As it was, they couldn't use the current aluminium chassis/case because it was too expensive to use.

You're making it sound like it costs £100 and they were scrimping and scraping for pennies. You can buy a USB sound card with an optical input for about a tenner, and complete systems with a whole slew of inputs (including Airplay) for less than the price of this amp. Whatever their reason not include digital inputs, it won't be because of the thrupence ha'penny it would have added to the cost.

 

[Al ears]

But adding digital inputs will have bumped up the price - I appreciate there's a DAC already in there, but more inputs means more cost, and then it would be pushing up and up, out of the reach of more people, and encroaching on a price point that might possibly be reserved for a Cyrus Two, as some people have been hinting at here

As it was, they couldn't use the current aluminium chassis/case because it was too expensive to use.

You're making it sound like it costs £100 and they were scrimping and scraping for pennies. You can buy a USB sound card with an optical input for about a tenner, and complete systems with a whole slew of inputs (including Airplay) for less than the price of this amp. Whatever their reason not include digital inputs, it won't be because of the thrupence ha'penny it would have added to the cost.

I concur, but lo what's that looming on the horizon? Looks to me very much like a Cyrus Two.

 

[MajorFubar]

Yeah I picked up on that. Which will have an optical input(s), and they need to maintain functional differences between the One and the Two, otherwise there'd be less incentive to buy a Two.

 

[drummerman]

Agree that digital connections would probably have made more sense for many, even if they had dropped Bluetooth and a couple of analogues. Nobody can ever accuse cyrus not to do it their own way!

However, I also agree with david that this is in essence still a cheap amplifier, only above entry level.

There are limits to what can be done at the price without compromising sound quality.

For anyone else there are always Marantz's CR 611, NAD's 3020/7050, Quad Vena etc etc.

 

[tino]

For anyone else there are always Marantz's CR 611, NAD's 3020/7050, Quad Vena etc etc.

None of those for me, even if they are functionally what I would be looking for. It's more about the Cyrus ethos ... Designed, Manufactured and Supported in England.[/b]

 

[Leeps]

Yeah I picked up on that. Which will have an optical input(s), and they need to maintain functional differences between the One and the Two, otherwise there'd be less incentive to buy a Two.

If there is a Cyrus One DAC in the pipeline, along with the other features the One has that I already like, it could make a jolly good all-rounder at a price point that comes in well under Naim entry-level territory. If there was a Cyrus One DAC at around £900, there would be very few competitors around at this price point that offer as much power (Marantz Amp1, Audiolab's new amp for example).

There are surprisingly few decent quality amps out there at present with home cinema bypass (along with sufficient welly to power the front two channels of an AV set-up), a quality headphone amp and few digital inputs. The only one I found in the past was the Wyred4Sound mINT, but it's about double the price of the Cyrus One and I'm very ambivalent about the W4S's looks.

Although I've not seen the Cyrus in the flesh, I think it looks pretty reasonable. I like the clean and simple lines: it looks better IMO than the rather busy small-buttoned look of the traditional Cyrus half-width casing, and is, of course a generous improvement on the Lyric.

 

[alchemist 1]

Any updates on this amp. ?

 

[Frank Harvey]

I believe it to be around the end of August before we see it appear...

 

[alchemist 1]

I believe it to be around the end of August before we see it appear...

Is it just a ONE off amp, or will there be a additional CD player , amps etc,?

 

[tino]

I believe it to be around the end of August before we see it appear...

Is it just a ONE off amp, or will there be a additional CD player , amps etc,?

A one box solution comprising a version with digital inputs (as well as Bluetooth) would be of interest.

 

[alchemist 1]

Any sightings on the horizon ?

 

[Frank Harvey]

Any sightings on the horizon ?

Just had a listen to it this afternoon...

 

[steve_1979]

Just had a listen to it this afternoon...

...and?

 

[Frank Harvey]

Below is a copy and paste of what I out up on AVF earlier today (sorry, copy and paste seems to ignore paragraphs!)

Initial impressions are very good! I'll fully comment when we get a full production model in our demo rooms.
They made LS50s sound the way I like them - tight, controlled, punchy, effortless, detailed. Many amplifiers have a habit of making them sound a bit too bassy, warm and a little soft. Not this amp. There's no need to struggle to hear detail with this amp, as its all there for you to take in at your leisure, and there's a lot of it! It's almost as if the Cyrus One resets the plane between the speakers several feet forward. Whilst the LS50s are the sort of speaker that stretches the capabilities of amps in this price range, I thought I'd try something a little more expensive - the PMC TwentyFive.23s. The Cyrus One allowed the 23s to show how much better they are than the LS50s. This combination seemed an even better match than the LS50s! More of the same, only displaying a bit more natural depth to the soundstage, and with some of the more delicate detail treated a little more, well, delicately. I had expected the 23s to show the shortcomings of the Cyrus One, but it seemed to be having none of it. It'll be interesting to try some other speakers when we get our demo one, and try and find its shortcomings - it must have some! Tracks used via a Naim HD5XS streamer as a source:Bomb Track - Rage Against The Machine,1969 - Boards Of Canada,Aerodynamic - Daft Punk,The Last Remaining Light - Audioslave,Genesis - Justice,Angel - Massive Attack.

 

[nopiano]

That's impressive! Let's hope the production models hit the same heights and it'll surely be a winner.