Tame my Cyrus? Speakers for a bright 8 XPD QX

[jas0_0]

Hi - thanks for everyone's inputs to my previous posts. I'm on an upgrade rollercoaster at the moment and haven't yet got it quite right.

I recently replaced an Arcam A19 and irDAC with the Cyrus, because I wanted one box, more power and better timing... I got all these things, plus great voices, a 3D soundstage, beautiful instruments and an 'in the room' sound.

BUT... the sound through my Mission 773e floorstanders is now quite bright, with lean bass. It can all get a bit wearing and I do love a good bassline (you can take the boy out of the nightclub...)

So what can I do? Are Missions known for being forward? I've been thinking of upgrading for a while. Are there standmounters out there that will tame the treble and give me my bass groove back? Or do I just have to accept that the Cyrus sound isn't quite for me?

Speaker budget is £500 to £1000 (including second hand). Any thoughts really appreciated.

 

[CnoEvil]

I would look at Kef R Series/LS50, Harbeth and Spendor.

 

[plastic penguin]

Have actually heard the Cyrus 8XP (minus the Dac) and the dealer had Monitor Audio GX100s on the end. Sounded pretty good to my ears.

I haven't heard Mission speakers in a decade so I can't remember what they sounded like. However, Cyrus are notoriously speaker dependant. Any hint of harshness can throw its soundstage off kilter.

Ordinarily, I wouldn't recommend MAs with Cyrus but I believe the newer Gold ranges are more forgiving.

The best thing to do is find a MA dealer (and Kef) and see which ones tug you rug.

 

[bigfish786]

You could stick with mission, and go big. There are some Mission SX5 on eBay for £999.

 

[Infiniteloop]

I would look at Kef R Series/LS50, Harbeth and Spendor.

In addition to these I'd add ProAc and maybe second-hand Sonus Fabers....

 

[jas0_0]

Thanks CnoEvil - from reviews I've read of current Harbeth and Spendor standmounters, they are supposed to be a bit bass light. Is this your experience? Also thanks for the KEF recommendation, but (and I know this really shouldn't matter) I just don't like their looks and it would bug me, no matter how good they sounded. Are there any older/less space age KEFs that are worth a look?

 

[jas0_0]

Thanks - I've not come across Sonus Faber. Will have a look. Any particular Proacs? Also are ATC SCM11s less brash than my Missions, or would they be too hard to drive?

 

[jas0_0]

Thanks plastic penguin. Didn't know about those Monitor Audios - will have a look/listen if I can find some

 

[CnoEvil]

Thanks CnoEvil - from reviews I've read of current Harbeth and Spendor standmounters, they are supposed to be a bit bass light.  Is this your experience?  Also thanks for the KEF recommendation, but (and I know this really shouldn't matter) I just don't like their looks and it would bug me, no matter how good they sounded.  Are there any older/less space age KEFs that are worth a look?

I would avoid the previous generation Kefs (IQ/XQ), which can sound bright.

IMO. The magic is in the midrange and that is what Harbeths do well...but they are not known for big bass. That matters to some and not to others. It also depends on the size of room they are in and whether they are on decent stands.

Regarding Kefs...the LS50s are a bit marmite in the way they look, but there's nothing OTT in the design of the R Series (IMO). They are not bright and have substantial scale for their size....and I felt they worked with Cyrus.

I'm afraid that this is something that you will have to experiment with...all we can do is make suggestions

 

[manicm]

Actually try Dynaudios, I've heard them with a Cyrus amp and the pair sounded excellent.

 

[Benedict_Arnold]

I had the same problem with my Cyrus setup a few years back now and Mordaunt Short Mezzo 6 floorstanders.

Swapped those for a pair of Mark 1 Studio 140 floorstanders from ProAc. End of problem, plenty of bass.

The "problem", if you can call it that, with Cyrus kit is that it is EXTREMELY detailed. That makes the mids and highs come through crisp and clear, and if your speakers don't have enough "oomph" the bass can get lost or overwhelmed.

My system was all Cyrus - CD-XT transport, DAC-X, Pre-X, twin X-Powers. I used mid-range Chord interconnects (Can't rememebr which ones off-hand) and Chord Odyssey-4 4-channel speaker cable. The power amps were set up in twin mono mode, with one half of each driving the HF, the other the LF, in bi-amped mode. I used one run of the Odyssey-4 cable, with two strands in each paired up, for each channel and LF and HF seperately, ie.e two complete runs of cable to each speaker.

Worked a treat. Wish I stil had the system, but it was 230 volt, 50 Hz more importantly​ - volts are easy to change, Hertzes not so - and I now live in the land of 110-120 volts and 60 Hz.

 

[jas0_0]

I had the same problem with my Cyrus setup a few years back now and Mordaunt Short Mezzo 6 floorstanders.

Swapped those for a pair of Mark 1 Studio 140 floorstanders from ProAc. End of problem, plenty of bass.

The "problem", if you can call it that, with Cyrus kit is that it is EXTREMELY detailed. That makes the mids and highs come through crisp and clear, and if your speakers don't have enough "oomph" the bass can get lost or overwhelmed.

My system was all Cyrus - CD-XT transport, DAC-X, Pre-X, twin X-Powers. I used mid-range Chord interconnects (Can't rememebr which ones off-hand) and Chord Odyssey-4 4-channel speaker cable. The power amps were set up in twin mono mode, with one half of each driving the HF, the other the LF, in bi-amped mode. I used one run of the Odyssey-4 cable, with two strands in each paired up, for each channel and LF and HF seperately, ie.e two complete runs of cable to each speaker.

Worked a treat. Wish I stil had the system, but it was 230 volt, 50 Hz more importantly​ - volts are easy to change, Hertzes not so - and I now live in the land of 110-120 volts and 60 Hz.

Thanks Benedict_Arnold - seems that's another +1 for Proac. Have you had experience of their standmounters with Cyrus? (that must have been quite a system by the way!)

 

[jas0_0]

Thanks CnoEvil - from reviews I've read of current Harbeth and Spendor standmounters, they are supposed to be a bit bass light. Is this your experience? Also thanks for the KEF recommendation, but (and I know this really shouldn't matter) I just don't like their looks and it would bug me, no matter how good they sounded. Are there any older/less space age KEFs that are worth a look?

I would avoid the previous generation Kefs (IQ/XQ), which can sound bright.

IMO. The magic is in the midrange and that is what Harbeths do well...but they are not known for big bass. That matters to some and not to others. It also depends on the size of room they are in and whether they are on decent stands.

Regarding Kefs...the LS50s are a bit marmite in the way they look, but there's nothing OTT in the design of the R Series (IMO). They are not bright and have substantial scale for their size....and I felt they worked with Cyrus.

I'm afraid that this is something that you will have to experiment with...all we can do is make suggestions

You're right the R series are less offensive! Thanks again for the suggestions. I will see if I can get demos in with some Proacs, R300s, Spendors and Harbeths. I do like the idea of the Spendors/Harbeths with their BBC heritage - and I'm sure they'd really sing with my jazz and classical. It's just I worry how they'd cope when I'm reliving my youth with the odd house and techno track.

 

[Benedict_Arnold]

In a 12 ft x 12 ft living room.

In a flat.

Neighbours must've liked it because they never complained. Or I couldn't hear the doorbell...

No experience with stand mounted - don't see the point - but audition the ProAcs, Spend-spend-spend-ors, and Harbeths.

Quality sources demand quality speakers, right?

 

[plastic penguin]

Thanks CnoEvil - from reviews I've read of current Harbeth and Spendor standmounters, they are supposed to be a bit bass light. Is this your experience? Also thanks for the KEF recommendation, but (and I know this really shouldn't matter) I just don't like their looks and it would bug me, no matter how good they sounded. Are there any older/less space age KEFs that are worth a look?

I would avoid the previous generation Kefs (IQ/XQ), which can sound bright.

IMO. The magic is in the midrange and that is what Harbeths do well...but they are not known for big bass. That matters to some and not to others. It also depends on the size of room they are in and whether they are on decent stands.

Regarding Kefs...the LS50s are a bit marmite in the way they look, but there's nothing OTT in the design of the R Series (IMO). They are not bright and have substantial scale for their size....and I felt they worked with Cyrus.

I'm afraid that this is something that you will have to experiment with...all we can do is make suggestions

You're right the R series are less offensive! Thanks again for the suggestions. I will see if I can get demos in with some Proacs, R300s, Spendors and Harbeths. I do like the idea of the Spendors/Harbeths with their BBC heritage - and I'm sure they'd really sing with my jazz and classical. It's just I worry how they'd cope when I'm reliving my youth with the odd house and techno track.

I don't get this BBC heritage thing. Of course they were groundbreaking in their day - around 40-odd years ago. No doubt Harbeths have a certain sound that some may point towards monitors of yesteryear.

I have a Leema with PMC TB2is and they have more than a whiff of old skool about their presentation, due, I suppose, to their large bass/midrange driver.

Based on that notion, and from I've read, then the Kef R series would no doubt fall into that bracket, as would some of the bigger Dynaudio, such as the Dyn Contour range. Big Dyns are fabulous but need a lot of breathing space to work at their best.

If you like detailed, old skool sound then perhaps ATC could be an additional consideration.

 

[Benedict_Arnold]

Pop music hasn't really changed that much since the 70s really, and classical is, well, classical.
ProAc, Spendor and Harbeths all put great store by their quality, i.e. consistency not fancy cabinets or stupid shapes, and that's probably what appeals to the Beeb's sound engineers as much as anything else.

 

[ifor]

with my Spendor A5s and very soon realised that I would be able to live with the Cyrus. It was fairly painful to listen to with no chance of relaxation.

 

[jas0_0]

I don't get this BBC heritage thing. Of course they were groundbreaking in their day - around 40-odd years ago. No doubt Harbeths have a certain sound that some may point towards monitors of yesteryear.

I have a Leema with PMC TB2is and they have more than a whiff of old skool about their presentation, due, I suppose, to their large bass/midrange driver.

Based on that notion, and from I've read, then the Kef R series would no doubt fall into that bracket, as would some of the bigger Dynaudio, such as the Dyn Contour range. Big Dyns are fabulous but need a lot of breathing space to work at their best.

If you like detailed, old skool sound then perhaps ATC could be an additional consideration.

That's another consideration for me - lack of space. These speakers will have to go close up to a rear wall, so a closed box from Harbeth, Spendor or ATC will probably work better?

 

[CnoEvil]

These speakers will have to go close up to a rear wall, so a closed box from Harbeth, Spendor or ATC will probably work better?

 

Yes.

 

[Pedro2]

As an owner of the ATCs SCM 11s, I can vouch for their detailed, uncoloured presentation. They are also not harsh on the ear (depending on source)and function well near to rear walls. I have driven them with a Roksan Caspian as well as Linn Majik amp but they thrive on power and sound superb with a beefier amp. I would therefore recommend an audition with your own amp if you are tempted.

 

[CnoEvil]

As an owner of the ATCs SCM 11s, I can vouch for their detailed, uncoloured presentation. They are also not harsh on the ear (depending on source)and function well near to rear walls. I have driven them with a Roksan Caspian as well as Linn Majik amp but they thrive on power and sound superb with a beefier amp. I would therefore recommend an audition with your own amp if you are tempted.

The only problem with the ATCs might be their neutrality...which will do little to mitigate the character of the Cyrus. This is not a criticism of ATC....Linn and Roksan are tonally quite different to Cyrus.

 

[Pedro2]

As an owner of the ATCs SCM 11s, I can vouch for their detailed, uncoloured presentation. They are also not harsh on the ear (depending on source)and function well near to rear walls. I have driven them with a Roksan Caspian as well as Linn Majik amp but they thrive on power and sound superb with a beefier amp. I would therefore recommend an audition with your own amp if you are tempted.

The only problem with the ATCs might be their neutrality...which will do little to mitigate the character of the Cyrus. This is not a criticism of ATC....Linn and Roksan are tonally quite different to Cyrus.

Quite right. 'Warmth' is not what springs to mind with these speakers!

 

[Infiniteloop]

In a 12 ft x 12 ft living room.

In a flat.

Neighbours must've liked it because they never complained. Or I couldn't hear the doorbell...

No experience with stand mounted - don't see the point - but audition the ProAcs, Spend-spend-spend-ors, and Harbeths.

Quality sources demand quality speakers, right?

Personally I prefer standmounters, as, to my ear, they sound more focused. Choose the right ones and they can give as much bass as a floorstander, although won't go quite as deep when that's occasionally required. - It's a trade-off, but one I'm happy to accept for the extra focus and intimacy of sound.

 

[Benedict_Arnold]

Each to his own.

I've just never seen the point.

Stand mounted plus stands take up just as much floor space as floorstanders, you have to factor in the additional costs of the stands. Then you've got to get them past the Memsahib and there's always the probability (at least around here for another three or four years) that some "yoof" is going to knock the boxes off the stands.

Oh, and someone asked about stand mounters and rugrats. We don't have any of those around here, but we do have a 110lb Chesapeake Bay Retriever....

 

[adamrobertshaw]

Speaker budget is £500 to £1000 (including second hand). Any thoughts really appreciated.

I run an 8XPd QX with Monitor Audio GX50 ... albeit no longer using any part of the QX DAC card.