Speaker recommendations for Cyrus 8 XP based system

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Hello,

I'm looking for advice & recommendations for speakers to partner my Cyrus 8XP / CD8SE system. I currently use B&W 685's which I bought when my Cyrus system was a 6 series, but having upgraded the source and amp, I'm now looking to do the same with the speakers.

I listen to a wide range of music, from contemporary-indie rock, to folk-country, to jazz of all eras, to classical. The room where my system lives measures 6m x 4m, ceilings are 2.5m high, so not a huge space but not tiny. I live in a flat, so generally listen at lower volumes unless I know my neighbours aren't around.

In terms of budget,[class="Apple-style-span"] I was initially thinking in the region of [/class]£1000 and was drawn to[class="Apple-style-span"] ATC SCM11's due to their consistently positive reviews - does anyone have any experience of these with the Cyrus 8 XP? [/class]

However, as I'm hoping to buy something for the long term, I'm also curious to hear how a pair of £1500 or £2000 speakers would compare just to get an idea if the extra investment would really be worth it. I have difficulty imagining how much better the sound could be. I've heard good things about Cyrus and Spendor, so was thinking about testing the A5's & A6's. Would it be worth also trying the ATC SCM19's & SCM40's? I appreciate there's probably too much choice in such a broad price-range but would appreciate any feedback.

Thanks
 

Jason36

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I've heard both the Spendor A5 and A6 with the CD8SE and 8XP, Personally I felt the A5 were excellent speakers with the Cyrus gear, although I felt the 8XP struggled a bit to drive the A6's (I also demoed the A6 with the Cyrus 8 pre / power combination and they sounded much better).

A bit of a curve ball and probably very contraversial on here but the new MA RX6 (I think that;s the model) sounded amazing with the Cyrus 8's. I'm not sure why because the old 6 speakers were not known for partnering with cyrus because of their forward nature. However I can assure you the new MA 6's sound amazing.
 
Sparkster:
Hello,

I'm looking for advice & recommendations for speakers to partner my Cyrus 8XP / CD8SE system. I currently use B&W 685's which I bought when my Cyrus system was a 6 series, but having upgraded the source and amp, I'm now looking to do the same with the speakers.

I listen to a wide range of music, from contemporary-indie rock, to folk-country, to jazz of all eras, to classical. The room where my system lives measures 6m x 4m, ceilings are 2.5m high, so not a huge space but not tiny. I live in a flat, so generally listen at lower volumes unless I know my neighbours aren't around.

In terms of budget, I was initially thinking in the region of £1000 and was drawn to ATC SCM11's due to their consistently positive reviews - does anyone have any experience of these with the Cyrus 8 XP?

However, as I'm hoping to buy something for the long term, I'm also curious to hear how a pair of £1500 or £2000 speakers would compare just to get an idea if the extra investment would really be worth it. I have difficulty imagining how much better the sound could be. I've heard good things about Cyrus and Spendor, so was thinking about testing the A5's & A6's. Would it be worth also trying the ATC SCM19's & SCM40's? I appreciate there's probably too much choice in such a broad price-range but would appreciate any feedback.

Thanks

Hi Sparkster

I'll highly recommend ATC monitors for use with your Cyrus electronics. The amp has got more then enough power which importantly is also sufficiently potent so when coupled with ATC's monitors low distortion levels and excellent dynamics low/moderate listening will be just fine.

ATC give an exceedingly good taste of their products with SCM7's and SCM11's however they really begin to flex their muscles with the SCM19's. SCM19's incorporate the massively engineered ultra low distortion mid/bass unit which features their SLMT (Super Linear Magnet Technology). The SLMT mid/bass is also used in SCM20ASL Professional monitors also weighs more then a complete SCM11! The SCM19's improve upon the SCM11's in practically every area below the HF. SCM40's feature the original state of the art studio Soft Dome mid range unit which is also used in SCM25A Professional monitors. This Studio Soft Dome unit helps give the SCM40's have an even greater performance advantage over the SCM19's then the one which exists between the SCM19's and SCM11's!

Either of the ATC monitors with their neutral, uncoloured natural presentation will work well with Cyrus electronics. The ATC's will also easily show up any differences with any component changes you may wish to make later on. Fwiw, i feel SCM19's are probably the finest VFM standmount designs currently available on the market regardless of price. I also feel SCM40's are overall probably the finest VFM speakers currently available on the market irrespective of price and are a bargain
emotion-1.gif


Btw, if you want a sound with a bit of character then Dynaudio's speakers such as Excite X12, Excite X32's and also speakers from Vienna Acoustics are worth a look.

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft
 
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Anonymous

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Hi, I did somethign similar just before Christmas. Listened to all manner of things, including the A5, A6, Proac D18s, B&W CM9, etc, but specifically wanted floor stands (the ATC are great stand mount speakers) and ended up buying the Kef q700, I flet that after about 3 hours of audtioning different combos etc, there was very little to be gained by spending twice as much money. You very quickly get into diminishing returns and for the money (and quite a bit more) the Kefs were untouchable.
 

Frank Harvey

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I don't think the 8xp isn't going to get the best out of a £2,000 pair of loudspeakers, so although you may try them out, don't expect to be fully convinced they're worth the extra.

With Cyrus, my first port of call would be the new ProAc Studio 115's, which are an excellent standmounter, very much in the same tonal presentation of the Studio 140.2 floorstander, which are also worth an audition. Although the Response D18's area better speaker, you'll not get the full benefit of them unless you're thinking of adding a power amp later.

The KEF Q700's are quite a lively performer, an being a sealed cabinet won't need masses of space to work well. With your budget, it's well worth considering the Q900, which is a little bigger, but the 8" drivers and larger than average 1.5" tweeter certainly give much more than their money's worth.

The baby Monitor Audio GX standmount might be worth a try too as the MA's usually pound out a little more than expected. Ribbon tweeters at this price point? Certainly could work to their advantage. You could also try the larger standmounts too.

The SCM11's should certainly be on your shortlist too, but will take a little more driving than many others in it's price range. The larger SCM19's are no more efficient, but bring numerous improvements due to the far higher quality SL mid/bass driver which is used in their more expensive SCM20's.
 
Sparkster:

Hello,

I'm looking for advice & recommendations for speakers to partner my Cyrus 8XP / CD8SE system. I currently use B&W 685's which I bought when my Cyrus system was a 6 series, but having upgraded the source and amp, I'm now looking to do the same with the speakers.

I listen to a wide range of music, from contemporary-indie rock, to folk-country, to jazz of all eras, to classical. The room where my system lives measures 6m x 4m, ceilings are 2.5m high, so not a huge space but not tiny. I live in a flat, so generally listen at lower volumes unless I know my neighbours aren't around.

In terms of budget, I was initially thinking in the region of £1000 and was drawn to ATC SCM11's due to their consistently positive reviews - does anyone have any experience of these with the Cyrus 8 XP?

However, as I'm hoping to buy something for the long term, I'm also curious to hear how a pair of £1500 or £2000 speakers would compare just to get an idea if the extra investment would really be worth it. I have difficulty imagining how much better the sound could be. I've heard good things about Cyrus and Spendor, so was thinking about testing the A5's & A6's. Would it be worth also trying the ATC SCM19's & SCM40's? I appreciate there's probably too much choice in such a broad price-range but would appreciate any feedback.

Thanks

Don't audition any speaker without hearing Dynaudio. Traditionally, they are a superb match with Cyrus. Then I'd look at Spendor and ATC, as many on here and WHFI (the latter appears in recent mags - Cyrus and ATC) recommend these two.
 

Helmut80

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FrankHarveyHiFi:I don't think the 8xp isn't going to get the best out of a £2,000 pair of loudspeakers, so although you may try them out, don't expect to be fully convinced they're worth the extra.With Cyrus, my first port of call would be the new ProAc Studio 115's, which are an excellent standmounter, very much in the same tonal presentation of the Studio 140.2 floorstander, which are also worth an audition. Although the Response D18's area better speaker, you'll not get the full benefit of them unless you're thinking of adding a power amp later.The KEF Q700's are quite a lively performer, an being a sealed cabinet won't need masses of space to work well. With your budget, it's well worth considering the Q900, which is a little bigger, but the 8" drivers and larger than average 1.5" tweeter certainly give much more than their money's worth.The baby Monitor Audio GX standmount might be worth a try too as the MA's usually pound out a little more than expected. Ribbon tweeters at this price point? Certainly could work to their advantage. You could also try the larger standmounts too.The SCM11's should certainly be on your shortlist too, but will take a little more driving than many others in it's price range. The larger SCM19's are no more efficient, but bring numerous improvements due to the far higher quality SL mid/bass driver which is used in their more expensive SCM20's.

would speakers in the 2k price range generally struggle with an integrated as opposed to pre/power combo?
 
Helmut80:

FrankHarveyHiFi:I don't think the 8xp isn't going to get the best out of a £2,000 pair of loudspeakers, so although you may try them out, don't expect to be fully convinced they're worth the extra.With Cyrus, my first port of call would be the new ProAc Studio 115's, which are an excellent standmounter, very much in the same tonal presentation of the Studio 140.2 floorstander, which are also worth an audition. Although the Response D18's area better speaker, you'll not get the full benefit of them unless you're thinking of adding a power amp later.The KEF Q700's are quite a lively performer, an being a sealed cabinet won't need masses of space to work well. With your budget, it's well worth considering the Q900, which is a little bigger, but the 8" drivers and larger than average 1.5" tweeter certainly give much more than their money's worth.The baby Monitor Audio GX standmount might be worth a try too as the MA's usually pound out a little more than expected. Ribbon tweeters at this price point? Certainly could work to their advantage. You could also try the larger standmounts too.The SCM11's should certainly be on your shortlist too, but will take a little more driving than many others in it's price range. The larger SCM19's are no more efficient, but bring numerous improvements due to the far higher quality SL mid/bass driver which is used in their more expensive SCM20's.

would speakers in the 2k price range generally struggle with an integrated as opposed to pre/power combo?

No. It's the quality of current and wattage that'll determine whether it will drive a 2K speaker. The Cyrus is a very capable machine but I think it's only rated at 70 watts, whereas, for example the Naim XS is roughly the same and can drive the same price speaker a little easier due to it's greater control... If I'm reading David's post correctly.

That said, I've heard that a sub-£1,000 amp can drive a 7k speaker and sound amazing, although this example wouldn't apply with an ATC speaker of similar price.
 
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Anonymous

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Thanks everyone for your opinions and suggestions. There are some interesting recommendations for me to consider, I guess all I can do now is give them a listen and let my ears decide. But the consensus would seem to be that with the 8XP, it's probably not worth going to the very top end of my budget.

Rick @ Musicraft, your comments about the SCM11's pretty much answer my question and are the reason why I opened this can of worms! Would you so strongly endorse the SCM19's and 40's to be used in partnership with the 8XP?

Thanks again guys
 

sweety7272

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If you're feeling impulsive, I think there are some SCM 19s on a certain auction site right now....!

As an aside, I can vouch for the SCM11s working well with Cyrus, I've got them with an X-power, and they sound excellent, especially good in a confined space due to the lack of rear port so you can put them pretty much anywhere and they don't make nasty boomy noises.
 
Sparkster:
Thanks everyone for your opinions and suggestions. There are some interesting recommendations for me to consider, I guess all I can do now is give them a listen and let my ears decide. But the consensus would seem to be that with the 8XP, it's probably not worth going to the very top end of my budget.

Rick @ Musicraft, your comments about the SCM11's pretty much answer my question and are the reason why I opened this can of worms! Would you so strongly endorse the SCM19's and 40's to be used in partnership with the 8XP?

Thanks again guys

Hi Sparkster

Your welcome.

I am going to be tied up for a while so i'll try and respond to you asap. I am sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft
 
MUSICRAFT:Sparkster:
Thanks everyone for your opinions and suggestions. There are some interesting recommendations for me to consider, I guess all I can do now is give them a listen and let my ears decide. But the consensus would seem to be that with the 8XP, it's probably not worth going to the very top end of my budget.

Rick @ Musicraft, your comments about the SCM11's pretty much answer my question and are the reason why I opened this can of worms! Would you so strongly endorse the SCM19's and 40's to be used in partnership with the 8XP?

Thanks again guys

Hi Sparkster

Your welcome.

I am going to be tied up for a while so i'll try and respond to you asap. I am sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

Hi Sparkster

I am truly sorry for my late reply as i've been extremely busy over the last few days.

Yes, i would highly recommend SCM19's and even more so the SCM40's as these feature the legendary and original studio Soft Dome mid range unit. The performance potential of the studio Soft Dome is vast and the results this drive unit can acheive is IME nothing short of breathtaking.

Should you wish to add power supplies, power amps etc. to your existing components then both the SCM19's and SCM40's will easily reveal differences.

Ime ATC monitors reproduce the stability and the power of the sound
emotion-1.gif


All the best

Rick @ Musicraft
 

Frank Harvey

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Helmut80:would speakers in the 2k price range generally struggle with an integrated as opposed to pre/power combo?
You'll find most speakers in this price bracket are generally have a 4ohm impedance, and are about average sensitivity. They tend to need a fair amount of bass control, otherwise you end up paying £2k for a speaker only for it to sound like £1k's worth, or even less. The speaker can only sound as good as the amplifier will allow, and if the amp's not doing the job properly, there's nochance the speaker is going to be doing what it's supposed to be doing. This is easily demonstrated.

Generally speaking, pre/powers do tend to drive a speaker properly, but there are a lot of variables at work.

The Cyrus integrated amplifiers aren't the msot powerful at their price points (especially the 6xp), so a fairly efficient speaker would be recommended to make the most of what they have.
 

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