Speaker recommendation for Cyrus 8XPd and CDXtSE system

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I am probably going to going down the Cyrus 8XPd and CDXtSE system route,, as this allows for many flavours of upgrade when the budget permits. I am looking for pointers on speakers based on a budget of £1,000 and no more. Any recommendations? The price would have to include stands if stand mounters but not cable. Is anyone using a similar set-up i.e. integrated amp with on-board DAC and a CD Transport instead of a player?
 

Clare Newsome

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I fear you'd be seriously underselling that Cyrus pairing with a £1000 pair of speakers - you simply won't hear everything they're capable of.

As we say in the review of the Cyrus 8XPd:

"Partner this amp with capable and neutral speakers such as the ATC SCM 40s or Spendor A6s along with say, a CD8se CD player and you'll have an astonishingly capable system for the money."

Both of those speaker options cost @£2K new.. but for your £1K budget you could possibly pick up a superb secondhand option?
 
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Anonymous

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Surely something like a pair of PMC DB1i with stands wouldn't do them a dis-justice and would come in at around £1k.
 

Clare Newsome

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Definitely worth a demo with the Cyrus kit, but I wouldn't leave the shop until i'd heard better speakers, too - if only as something to aim for with the next upgrade!
 

Frank Harvey

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Well designed transports work better than CD players as transports, so rest easy there
emotion-1.gif

[EDITED BY MODS - HAPPY FOR YOU TO OFFER ADVICE, BUT NOT USE THREADS AS AN ADVERTISING LINK-FARM]
 
MWC:
I am probably going to going down the Cyrus 8XPd and CDXtSE system route,, as this allows for many flavours of upgrade when the budget permits. I am looking for pointers on speakers based on a budget of £1,000 and no more. Any recommendations? The price would have to include stands if stand mounters but not cable. Is anyone using a similar set-up i.e. integrated amp with on-board DAC and a CD Transport instead of a player?

Hi MWC

For a new pair of speakers up to £1k than consider ATC's superb SCM11 [EDITED BY MODS - REVIEW HERE]. ATC's work well Cyrus and we have happy customers using this combination.




Thanks

Rick @ Musicraft
 
MUSICRAFT:MWC:
I am probably going to going down the Cyrus 8XPd and CDXtSE system route,, as this allows for many flavours of upgrade when the budget permits. I am looking for pointers on speakers based on a budget of £1,000 and no more. Any recommendations? The price would have to include stands if stand mounters but not cable. Is anyone using a similar set-up i.e. integrated amp with on-board DAC and a CD Transport instead of a player?

Hi MWC

For a new pair of speakers up to £1k than consider ATC's superb SCM11 [EDITED BY MODS - REVIEW HERE]. ATC's work well Cyrus and we have happy customers using this combination.




Thanks

Rick @ Musicraft

Hi Mods/WHF

Sorry.
emotion-6.gif
emotion-2.gif


Thanks

Rick @ Musicraft
 

Frank Harvey

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FrankHarveyHiFi:

Well designed transports work better than CD players as transports, so rest easy there
emotion-1.gif

[EDITED BY MODS - HAPPY FOR YOU TO OFFER ADVICE, BUT NOT USE THREADS AS AN ADVERTISING LINK-FARM]
It's ok, it only took me about half an hour in total due to being busy to finally finish my recommendations for the OP. Removing the links would've sufficed. Any way you can put back in my post and I can edit out the links?
 
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Anonymous

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Clare Newsome:
I fear you'd be seriously underselling that Cyrus pairing with a £1000 pair of speakers - you simply won't hear everything they're capable of.

As we say in the review of the Cyrus 8XPd:

"Partner this amp with capable and neutral speakers such as the ATC SCM 40s or Spendor A6s along with say, a CD8se CD player and you'll have an astonishingly capable system for the money."

Both of those speaker options cost @£2K new.. but for your £1K budget you could possibly pick up a superb secondhand option?

Clare> Have you or any of your team actually listened to the 8XPd with ATC SCM40s?
 

Clare Newsome

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Yes - and the Spendors, too, amongst other speakers we tried out.

Not only do we have a stockroom of reference kit we can plunder to try out different system combinations as we test, we reviewed the Cyrus amp in the same (July) issue we were conducting a six-way stereo speaker group test (including the ATCs and Spendors).

All part of the unique pleasure of having dedicated test rooms and test team!
 

Frank Harvey

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MWC:
I am probably going to going down the Cyrus 8XPd and CDXtSE system route,, as this allows for many flavours of upgrade when the budget permits. I am looking for pointers on speakers based on a budget of £1,000 and no more. Any recommendations? The price would have to include stands if stand mounters but not cable. Is anyone using a similar set-up i.e. integrated amp with on-board DAC and a CD Transport instead of a player?

If you like a fast paced, nicely balanced sound, try the KEF XQ10's. They're front ported, so very few problems with boundary placement. Nice clean midband, tight bass, and, against the beliefs of many, a pretty smooth treble. They tend to perform particularly well with compressed music, bringing out more detail, making you aware of the layers that are actually there, rather than the usual flat wall of sound produced by MP3. The Monitor Audio GS10's are only recommended if you use the rear port bungs, as their bass is pretty heavy for a standmounter, and their treble is a little on the zingy side. Might be a little bright for some. Would be good for lower level listening though. The Proac Studio 110's are another front ported speaker that is pretty neutral, so placement shouldn't be too much of a problem, but won't be as boundary friendly as the KEF's.

ATC's are very good speaker for boundary placement due to being a sealed cabinet, and produce a very well balanced speaker that is probably the better all rounder of this bunch. The only problem is their sensitivity (86dB, same as the SCM19's and SCM40's.). This won't affect those who use their system for easy listening or as background music, but those that like to let loose every now and again will find their lower than average sensitivity will push the amplifier more. Earlier today I'd been running the SCM11's with the 8XPD at around -20dB, and after about 30/40 minutes (can't remember exactly, time flies!), the 8XPD was extremely hot to the touch. I'd have been a little reluctant to run the amp much longer than I did, or any harder. When I use an amp/speaker combination, I want the piece of mind that there's something in reserve ready for when I want to call upon it. With this combination, I didn't. obviously the size of room would affect this, and our dem room is about the same internal volume as the average through lounge/double living room. In an average single living room, this problem will be less apparent.

Personally I'd stay clear of the PMC's, which produce a fair amount of bass for their size - again, better for low level listening, but once you turn them up you're likely to lose any control they have if the bass becomes overpowering. For this reason I'd stay away from Dynaudio, as they're quite bass heavy, and their 4ohm load does make the Cyrus amps work a little too hard at higher volumes.

I apologise to the OP for a less detailed version this time, but I'm not one for being able to remember word for word what I post, as I tend to write a post, shuffle it about, add things, cut things etc etc.
 
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Anonymous

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FrankHarveyHiFi:MWC:
I am probably going to going down the Cyrus 8XPd and CDXtSE system route,, as this allows for many flavours of upgrade when the budget permits. I am looking for pointers on speakers based on a budget of £1,000 and no more. Any recommendations? The price would have to include stands if stand mounters but not cable. Is anyone using a similar set-up i.e. integrated amp with on-board DAC and a CD Transport instead of a player?

If you like a fast paced, nicely balanced sound, try the KEF XQ10's. They're front ported, so very few problems with boundary placement. Nice clean midband, tight bass, and, against the beliefs of many, a pretty smooth treble. They tend to perform particularly well with compressed music, bringing out more detail, making you aware of the layers that are actually there, rather than the usual flat wall of sound produced by MP3. The Monitor Audio GS10's are only recommended if you use the rear port bungs, as their bass is pretty heavy for a standmounter, and their treble is a little on the zingy side. Might be a little bright for some. Would be good for lower level listening though. The Proac Studio 110's are another front ported speaker that is pretty neutral, so placement shouldn't be too much of a problem, but won't be as boundary friendly as the KEF's.

ATC's are very good speaker for boundary placement due to being a sealed cabinet, and produce a very well balanced speaker that is probably the better all rounder of this bunch. The only problem is their sensitivity (86dB, same as the SCM19's and SCM40's.). This won't affect those who use their system for easy listening or as background music, but those that like to let loose every now and again will find their lower than average sensitivity will push the amplifier more. Earlier today I'd been running the SCM11's with the 8XPD at around -20dB, and after about 30/40 minutes (can't remember exactly, time flies!), the 8XPD was extremely hot to the touch. I'd have been a little reluctant to run the amp much longer than I did, or any harder. When I use an amp/speaker combination, I want the piece of mind that there's something in reserve ready for when I want to call upon it. With this combination, I didn't. obviously the size of room would affect this, and our dem room is about the same internal volume as the average through lounge/double living room. In an average single living room, this problem will be less apparent.

Personally I'd stay clear of the PMC's, which produce a fair amount of bass for their size - again, better for low level listening, but once you turn them up you're likely to lose any control they have if the bass becomes overpowering. For this reason I'd stay away from Dynaudio, as they're quite bass heavy, and their 4ohm load does make the Cyrus amps work a little too hard at higher volumes.

I apologise to the OP for a less detailed version this time, but I'm not one for being able to remember word for word what I post, as I tend to write a post, shuffle it about, add things, cut things etc etc.
iv got the atc11's and a primare i30 and that gets very hot after about 40/50 minutes with the volume turned to 40 out of 78, is there a chance of me damaging the amp the louder i play it and the hotter it gets?
 

unison

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This discussion has made me regret the cash I just commited. Like the original post I thought the XTse and 8xd combination was a good idea, uprating my 6s CD player to xtse costing £550. But now people aree saying my Dali Ikon 6 speakers are not good enough. I really can't stretch to £2k speakers. What speaker alternatives are there that don't cost £2k?

And what digital cable should I be using between transport and amp, do I have to break the bank on that as well?

Part of the attraction of the 8xd is the DAC,the possibilites of upgrading the sound from other sources is very appealing with the increasing number of digital sources like radio on freesat
 

SHAXOS

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I cant sleep so i thought i might add my two pennies...
I hope this is not bad suggestion even if it is probibly too late to consider, however, i think you should (if possible) reconsider your budget and reduce the quality of cd player to make way for better speakers. Imo speakers are THE single most important aspect (all other things being decent, which, with the cyrus equipment they will be) of a hi fi system. To spend so much of the relative budget on the cd player is not what i personally would do. I have been on here before and debated the difference of two decent cd players. Anyway, if you cant change then i would suggest going down the ex dem or second hand route to avoid speakers that are incapable of doing justice to the rest of your system.

My speaker recomendations would be to try the neat motive range. I had the motives 2 hooked up to a cyrus system and although a bit forward (possibly due to 6 power amp which was not up to it), they are fantastic little speakers definatly worth a listen. I would steer clear of MA speakers with cyrus and also KEF especially the XQ series which i personally did not like (way too harsh with a very thin sound). I would also recomend spendors - i heard the S5eS with cyrus gear and they were excellent. The newer models will be even better.
Good luck with it all and i look forward to see you get on

Regards
 
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Anonymous

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Fowler

No I dont think you are in danger of damaging the amp - make sure
you have enough space around the amplifier, as recommended in the
manual.

Also feel free to call Primare up and ask them for their opinion.

My
Musical Fidelity KW750 gets extremely hot after an hour but never
misses a beat. Some amps just get hot and its not a cause for concern.
Just
make sure that you are listening to clear music and your
amplifier/speakers are not distorting too much and you will be fine -
distortion generally kicks in when an amplifier is pushed passed 60% of
its volume - a very general rule.
 
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Anonymous

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FrankHarveyHiFi:The Monitor Audio GS10's are only recommended if you use the rear port bungs, as their bass is pretty heavy for a standmounter, and their treble is a little on the zingy side. Might be a little bright for some. Would be good for lower level listening though.

I am interested that you say that. I am using the gs10's without the bungs with Marantz PM7001KI and CD6002 and don't find the bass to heavy. I do listen at low levels though. Perhaps I should try it out with the port bungs?
 

Frank Harvey

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fowler:iv got the atc11's and a primare i30 and that gets very hot after about 40/50 minutes with the volume turned to 40 out of 78, is there a chance of me damaging the amp the louder i play it and the hotter it gets?As long as it's within it's normal operating temperature it'll be fine, but if it's excessively hot, then you do run the risk of damage. I'm not sure where the Primare's max volume is set - with dial amps it's 12 o'clock, whether the Primare is around the 40 mark or whether it's higher, I can't say. Put simply, if your amp is running excessively hot, it's possibility doing more than it can comfortably cope with.

Vinny7 - Musical Fidelity does naturally run warm, as it's mostly biased into Class A, so they are an exception to the heat issue
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Frank Harvey

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unison:This discussion has made me regret the cash I just commited. Like the original post I thought the XTse and 8xd combination was a good idea, uprating my 6s CD player to xtse costing £550. But now people aree saying my Dali Ikon 6 speakers are not good enough. I really can't stretch to £2k speakers. What speaker alternatives are there that don't cost £2k?Don't regret what you've spent based on a couple of people's opinions. A £1,000 pair of speakers will sound just fine on what you have. Many people use much cheaper speakers than their system can actually cope with. You'll get better results spending more on the electronics in a system than the speakers. If someone has £5k to spend and buys £1k speakers, chances are they're going to hear those "cheap" speakers sing beautifully. The better a speaker is driven, and the better the quality of electronics, the better they're going to sound. Expensive speakers do sound better, but only when driven properly. If someone bought £4k speakers and spent £1k on electronics, they're going to be hugely disappointed..
 
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Anonymous

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David

Thanks for this. I thought based on the Editor's reply, things had changed since I first bought a hifi back in '81 (Thorens TD160/SME/Ortofon + NAD3020 and Mission 700s). You have confirmed what I first thought, invest in source then amplification then speakers.

My intention is still to focus on the transport and an amp with a very good DAC and keep to the c.£1K budget on the speakers.

Thanks again Mark
 

Clare Newsome

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FrankHarveyHiFi: Expensive speakers do sound better, but only when driven properly. If someone bought £4k speakers and spent £1k on electronics, they're going to be hugely disappointed..

OK, but £2000 speakers driven by an exceptional £1500 amp isn't that sort of mismatch, is it? Just trying to make sure that any auditioning takes into account what the Cyrus combo (in our opinion and experience) is capable of!
 
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Anonymous

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Clare Newsome:
Yes - and the Spendors, too, amongst other speakers we tried out.

Not only do we have a stockroom of reference kit we can plunder to try out different system combinations as we test, we reviewed the Cyrus amp in the same (July) issue we were conducting a six-way stereo speaker group test (including the ATCs and Spendors).

All part of the unique pleasure of having dedicated test rooms and test team!

Thanks you Claire. Words can't describe how absolutely overjoyed I am at your lucky situation.

And pray tell us how the Cyrus sounds with the ATC SCM40? Furthermore your comments on David's views on the Cyrus amp running hot with ATC would be most enlightening.

Thanking you most graciously in advance, and anticipating your response with baited and excited breath...
 
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Anonymous

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We were auditioning the Cyrus 8XPd and 8CDSE [but connected digitally to emulate the XtSE which we are planning to buy.]

We also compared against a Naim X5/CD5 as a sanity check.

As to speakers we had some surprises ...
  • Rega R5 - we loved these speakers. These worked really well with the Cyrus kit and apart from one rock track we chose were faultless.
  • Dynaudio - Focus 110 on Partington SuperDs - sadly a huge disappointment compared with the Rega. We just didn't get on with the Dynaudios.
  • Totem - Arro: we auditioned these as well as the Staffs after we heard our first choice. The Arros were very disappointing and the clarity could have been so much better in the middle. There was something about the Staffs we just didn't like.
We had the CD & Amp connected with Chord Digital Signature and drove the speakers initially with Chord Epic Super Twin and then swapped to Townsend Isolda - wow! Budget now looking scary. Things got very interesting as we then tried out the 8XPd with the Qx DAC. Again wow! Budget blown!

Perhaps the most surprising part was the speaker choice - Totem Rainmakers on the Partington SuperDs. This seemed not only to be able to control what we fired at it but filled the room beautifully even when not cranked. Some much for the initial budget I wrote about recently. We also ordered a 50" Kuro and are trying to decide on a stand.

Audio T were brilliant and if I have any complaints, it wouldn't be about the staff, nor the negotiations, nor the price [although could have been better] ... .. ... it was the coffee, man am I fussy

A great afternoon, if you can have such things in Reading.

Thanks for all of the advice and recommendations.
 
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Anonymous

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Hi,

This is a very interesting topic. I am currently trying to decide what speakers to partner with a Cyrus 8 XPd Qx and Squeezebox Network transport. How well to you think the B&W CM7 or Splendor A5 would work with this?

Thanks in advance for your advice!
 

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