Upgrading my amp - Cyrus or Arcam?

[admin_exported]

Hi folks,

First time on this forum,so.... Yesterday I was given a demo of a Cyrus PRE VS2 with a Link power amp hooked up to a pair of B&W 684s. I also heard the Arcam A18 through the same speakers.

Both systems were obviously a huge improvement on my present system, but does anyone have an opinion of the relative merits of those 2 amps. The Cyrus is on sale for the combined price of £699 ( sale price ), and to my ears sounded better than the Arcam at £600.

As the Cyrus is a sale price, I need to decide relatively quickly, whereas the speakers I will be buying at a later date, so would consider alternatives.

Any advice/opinions appreciated,

Trev

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[Anonymous]

It'd be handy to know what music you generally listen to and also the type of room and furnishings your system will be in

IMO the Arcam A18 isnt a good amp and wouldnt drive the B&W 684's to their best at all.

For me the likes of the Leema Pulse, Creek Evo II and NAD C356BEE integrated amps should be demo'd as well; possibly the Audiolab 8200 as well

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the reply.

I mainly listen to rock and jazz music. My misic is all in digital format ( flac ) and is played using Logitech's Squeezebox classic ( soon to be upgraded to a Touch which can play higher res files )

My main listening area is my conservatory= quite a large room - about 20 by 30 ft which only has a couple of sofas, some house plants and a pool table in it!

I think I agree with you about the Arcam 18. The Cyrus did ( to these ears ) sound more accomplished. I am more than happy to consider alternatives ( up to £1000 ) but if the Cyrus amp/pre amp combo is considered to be a good deal, then I need to move fairly quickly.

For amps, my local hifi dealer deals in Marantz, Cyrus, Arcam and Naim, so one of those would be the most convenient to demo.

Trev

 

[plastic penguin]

Thanks for the reply.

I mainly listen to rock and jazz music. My misic is all in digital format ( flac ) and is played using Logitech's Squeezebox classic ( soon to be upgraded to a Touch which can play higher res files )

My main listening area is my conservatory= quite a large room - about 20 by 30 ft which only has a couple of sofas, some house plants and a pool table in it!

I think I agree with you about the Arcam 18. The Cyrus did ( to these ears ) sound more accomplished. I am more than happy to consider alternatives ( up to £1000 ) but if the Cyrus amp/pre amp combo is considered to be a good deal, then I need to move fairly quickly.

For amps, my local hifi dealer deals in Marantz, Cyrus, Arcam and Naim, so one of those would be the most convenient to demo.

Trev

That's wrong to say the A18 isn't a good amp. The problem with Arcam amps is if you're looking at an instant impact amp, others will do it far better. Arcam grow on you - or slow burning amps - which makes them ideal for long listening sessions. Also, Arcam need speakers that are easy to drive and that's why a fair few people, including myself, suggest if you have a speaker that's below 87dbs, generally speaking, it's wise to add a power amp.

Of course Arcam aren't for everyone, but with the right source and speakers little betters them at their respective price.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi,

If you do go down the cyrus route, the pre vs2 is good as I used to have it. There is one on ebay now for about £300 and you would be able to get a smart power amp for about £275 approx. The link power is a very low down cyrus power amp which can definately be beaten for less money than the shop is asking for!

I am not selling any of the items outlined above so have a look on the bay of E and buy what you like from there....

 

[MUSICRAFT]

Hi trev

Is £1k your absolute limit?

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[Anonymous]

No £1k isn't my absolute limit - I'd rather be happy with the sound. However, over that price will mean saving up! What are you suggesting?

 

[Anonymous]

No £1k isn't my absolute limit - I'd rather be happy with the sound. However, over that price will mean saving up! What are you suggesting?