Cyrus. They might not be the most charming looking units on the market, but we’ve long championed them as some of the best sounding and most functional streamers, CD players and other source separates that money can buy. Hey, we know them pretty well.
They have a permanent fixture in our showroom and have done for years, so we always knew they were winners. But it’s always nice when an external body (like What Hi-Fi!) confirm what we already know (that Cyrus are pretty awesome!) with not one, not two, but three wins at the 2015 awards. A complete hat trick, and it’s not the first time Cyrus have pulled off such a feat.
Let’s take a closer look at Cyrus’ most recent in a long line of champions.
CDi CD Player
What Hi-Fi Awards 2015 “Best CD Player Under £1250”
Widely considered the best sounding CD player (ever!) under the Cyrus tree, and that tagline has clearly stuck! It’s a high-end quality player with an extremely reasonable pricetag, and has proven to show tremendous sticking power in the leagues. Cyrus’ focus was on high quality components throughout the entire process, which has delivered a sound that is virtually unparalleled in this price range (and some would say beyond!)
What really sets the Cyrus CDi CD player apart is the sheer level of detail it provides, alongside the exceptional levels of accuracy and rhythm, which is both fast and wired, yet balanced and harmoni
CDT CD Transport
What Hi-Fi Awards 2015 “Best CD transport £500+”
A whole new win for this particular model, but we suspect it won’t be the last! The CDT Transport differs from the CD i (and other such Transport models) in the sense that it is a source in the purest possible sense, which means it will require an external DAC. But if you’re a true separatist, this is a good thing, especially if you have a transport CD player of this particular quality.
Praised for its completely faultless performance, the detail is outstanding, as is the rhythm. This is owed to the high-level components, the very same ones used in the reference models.
Stream Xa Digital Streamer / DAC
What Hi-Fi Awards 2015 “Best streamer £1000-£1500”
The second year in a row for this top notch high resolution streaming separate, and once again, it’s no surprise. This is a versatile streamer (with six digital outputs and analogue too, so you can fit it snugly into a traditional hi-fi system), network capabilities, and even the limitless possibilities of internet radio. But that’s not all that unusual for a streamer worth its salt right?
Yes, it’s more than just functionality that makes the Xa a winner (although it has been repeatedly praised for its organisation!), it is, quite imply the sound. No fuss, no mess, just a clean, expressive and detailed, transparent sound which is practically addictive.
These guys are shoebox sized hi-fi separates, with a very big sound to offer. As I said before, we weren’t at all surprised that they cleaned up at the awards, and we’d be very surprised if they lose their titles in 2016!
If you’d like to try them out for yourself, give us a shout! We have a full section in our showroom that is proudly purely Cyrus.
Click here for more Cyrus goodness, including this year’s award winners!