Cyrus, what springs to mind when you hear that name? Well if you are serious about your Hifi then I imagine excellent sound, styling and British. All attributes which make this company one of the UK’s and worlds premier audio manufacturers. This year marks thirty years in the business and being a landmark year Cyrus wanted to mark this with a standout product, the strictly limited edition 30th Anniversary system:
Comprising of seven components based upon the Cyrus X range, the Anniversary system goes above and beyond the traditional X series offering improvements in dynamics, clarity and soundstaging. Through careful design in a dedicated studio the 30th was over engineered and finely tuned by the man himself, Cyrus’s Technical director Peter Bartlett.
It is important to mention that this system is strictly limited to thirty (yes, just 30!) complete units worldwide, this exclusive package is never to be repeated and offers the last word in Cyrus’s engineering ability. Sound quality is key here but the feeling of owing a piece of Cyrus history and the fact the afore mentioned Peter Bartlett has one of these at home (albeit far less attractively finished) make this offering a notable one. Of all the high end limited editions we’ve stocked, this Cyrus system has created the greatest excitement among audiophiles who want the ultimate in Cyrus in a collectors piece.
What’s included?
As afore mentioned the 30th comprises of seven boxes – lets have a look at each in turn:
CD XT SE2 CD transport
Cyrus’s flagship CD transport. In contrast to an off the shelf CD player, this is a CD transport only – it is designed to read the CD as accurately as possible and provide a well timed digital signal for the DAC. In contrast to the standard model, this 30th anniversary model has been tweaked in several areas to get even more from your CDs for an even more pleasurable listening experience.
Stream X2
Streaming from shared music is at the forefront of the HiFi world, offering easy access to your music collection is an optimal feature. The Cyrus award winning Stream X2 offers all the quality and user ability you need and the choice of either the N-remote or a device running an App iPad for example.
This 30th anniversary model takes a standard (already stunning) Stream X2 and fine-tunes it to a level in which its arguably one of the finest streamers on the planet! The sound quality possible from a variety of streamed sources is truly incredible, making this the perfect partner for your voyage in streamed music.
DAC XP+
The DAC XP+ features a DAC and preamp in one box and offers the ability to control the power amplifiers and decode the digital stream from Stream X2 and transport. Twin DACS mean no detail from you music collection is lost and the dual mono Preamp circuit guarantees absolute clarity and poise. Quality of components makes a huge difference, and like the other models in this system, this 30th anniversary DAC XP+ spares no expense in being tweaked and upgraded to deliver an even better sound. In improving the standard model, it sounds so much more natural and organic, such that this is one of the finest DACs we’ve ever heard.
2 x Mono X300
Providing effortless power to your loudspeakers the X300 mono’s are Cyrus’s flagship power amplifiers. With zero feedback technology clarity, musicality and sheer power are a given – instruments just hang in the air organically, never forced and control is superb. The upgrades Cyrus have made to these for the 30th anniversary have resulted in big improvements and on comparison with our standard X300’s, this may as well be a new model (X400 anyone?) Its quite clear that these are the finest monoblok power amps Cyrus have ever made and will drive all but the most huge speakers in abundance.
2 x PSX-R power
Ensuring high quality electricity gets to your equipment is key in HiFi – electricity can be seen as the lifeblood. Use one of these on your DAC XP+ and then choose if you use the other on the CD transport or Stream XP2 – we had great results on both but with a NAS drive attached to the network it made more sense powering XP2.
It is important to mention again at this point that all the units in the 30th range are redesigned and have been tweaked over the standard versions to deliver an even better performance. Cyrus have effectively taken their thirty years of experience and knowledge into the 30th anniversary making every unit extra special. This shows both in the sound quality, the limited edition nature of this release (only 30 worldwide) and the beautiful black gloss finish. We understand from Cyrus that this finish will not be repeated and the photos really don’t do it justice. It looks stunning.
Also included in the system is Cyrus’s stylish Hark stand – offering excellent isolation properties and fantastic looks, finished in the high gloss bronze/black finish matching the other kit, it will add a touch of class to your listening room!
Listening tests
So how does this combination sound? Well after setting it all up, (allow a couples of hours for this!) it does need an adequate run in but what equipment at this level doesn’t? So after a couple of night playing – luckily no neighbours! I was ready to sit down and listen. From the first bars Thin Lizzy’s Dancing In the Moonlight I was hooked, the bass guitar shone through offering excellent insight and imaging, the vocal hanged perfectly between the speakers with a feeling of being at a reference point. Recreating electric guitars without being overly harsh and still retaining definition can be difficult – the 30th seems to have no issue in doing so, in part this may have something to do with the speakers used to demo this system ProAc D40R, utilising a ribbon tweeter for HF they are defined but not hard edged seemingly matching and complimenting the Cyrus nicely. We all have our acid test records, mine is Eva Cassidy’s Stormy Monday from the Live At Blues Alley Album – I quite often judge all systems by the recreation of the kick drum on this record, on the Cyrus it was correct, deep and refined – further integrating you into the musical image you are recreating. Not only was the subwoofer perfect the weight behind this system allows live performances to come to life, frankly it sounds correct and if you are looking for a no questions asked, no compromise system then the Cyrus is for you. If you like the Cyrus sound (who doesn’t!) then this is the ultimate expression and should defiantly be on your hit list. Even if you haven’t heard much from Cyrus but are thinking about a high end system then I recommend you place is near the top of your list, it can set up especially for you in store just drop us a call asking for Richard.
Conclusion
Exceptional in all areas, what more needs to be said: but honestly, from the finish to sound quality from the included reference cables to the sublime hark stand – disappoint it does not. With a price tag at 17k it defiantly falls into the reference money territory, this said what you actually get for you money (at this level): CD Transport, DAC + Preamp, Streamer Mono Blocks and two power supplies is very good value. In a society where one amplifier can cost that amount the Cyrus really does reflect how good things can get if you are serious about HiFi! Don’t forget also that we offer 0% finance*, and with finance options starting at only £378 a month after a 20% deposit of £3400 (or a 10% £1700 deposit on some finance options), the 30th anniversary system may be more affordable than you think. With finance options and the limited edition nature of this system giving you the chance to own a piece of hi-fi history, can you really afford not to order a Cyrus 30th Anniversary system for all the pleasure it’ll give you?
We reserved 4 of the worldwide systems and at time of writing we only have 2 left.
To discuss this system further, call Richard on 0121 224 7401 or e-mail richard@audioaffair.co.uk with your contact details and we will be happy to advise further.
*Finance is available subject to status. Read more here