The arrogance of Hifi

shado

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Aug 22, 2008
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In my honest opinion (I hate mobile phone acronyms), I may have fallen into this trap. We all make mistakes when purchasing something we consider as a good hifi. But to be honest it is up to the recipient as it is their decision and to live with it.

Yes after a year I am now impatient and boy I cannot wait.................

For those of you unfortunate to have read my posts I have been toying with a combination of Wifi and AVI ADM 9.1. Unfortunately I took my wife into Sevenoakes on 29 December to listen to a Hifi setup with Sonos. Something I have always utilised as my benchmark:-

Cyrus 8XPd Amp Cyrus 6CD SE KEF Iq 50 with Sonos plus we took some CDs, Vangelis, Blues Brothers, ZZ Top, Celine Dion, Enya.

No kidding after listening to Vangelis, the dealer said wow blues brothers, I have not listened to this track since 1980's and hence it was selected, with his foot tapping and my wife. We played the rest of the selection and the dealer left by Celine Dion.

The speakers has presence and the Amp is like that orange tango advert where that maniac slaps you around the face but cannot be screened nowadays because some muppet may copy it. The thing is it draws you in, it grabs your attention. I am not after a pipe and slippers sound, some sort of background music that you forget what was played - that is not Cyrus/KEF combi.

Neither do I want a combi that cancels each other out so you sit there and question yourself - well hang on according to the soundtrack there was drums and guitars in that passage, but my soundstage is that neutral I cannot distinguish them. I prefer a sound that draws you in and is exciting as was my Pioneer A400 and Sony AMP 22ES that was uncouth bass and slightly harsh treble, but is now refined bass and still attention grabbing soundstage, dare I say grown up.

At the end of the day it is a sound/presence I have tried to compromise with Arcam mini solo plus other variants but neither have risen to the challenge and it was that time last summer, when listening to Annie Lennox Why, on both Napster/Sonos and 6SE CD Player/XPd Amp that for me posed no difference in quality and I am probably not ready for active speakers yet. The trouble is I sold my hifi 1996 and have missed out on a decent passive system until now. I will most probably kick myself when I do eventually hear the AVI but I am totally happy with my choice for now. I shall also add RIP NAS 1TB more expense and my hifi-wifi will bring it over 5k as I predicted. At the other end of the equation is placement of the speakers with one in front and the other to the side of the room, and the KEFs are slim.

My arrogant statement is that everyone should try a Cyrus at some stage in their system - for me I am just catching up but next week when it all arrives I will be like a kid in a sweet shop. At my sevenoakes I have saved £200 on my Hifi System, £160 on Cables and just under £120 on the VAT rise.
 
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Anonymous

Guest
Any dealer that tried to play me Celine Dion would need head protection and a bullet proof vest!

Good review, glad you liked it. Cyrus stuff generally has an arresting and urgent sonic character that grabs the attention.
 
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Anonymous

Guest
Suprised the dealer didn't demo a more transparent speaker, but whatever I'm still using my iQ5's with Cyrus electronics and enjoy the sound. Cheers
 

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