Thank you for once again joining me on my long sonic journey through the world of Hi-Fi and once again I am looking to make a change to my own Hi-Fi system. This time I’ll be looking to change my amplifier…

One of the most wonderful advantages of me working for Audio T is being able to search for that perfect sound in my own system and in-turn help others on there on their respective high-fidelity journey.

Within the Hi-Fi industry we often say that the source is the most important part of the system. As we know, this is where the music starts. But I, like many others, feel equally passionate about the important role the amplification plays. I always refer to the amplifier as the heart of the system. Every different amp brand bringing a different character to the sound coming from the speakers. Amplifier brands can be categorised in three or more ways like sounding forward, laid back or even neutral; some amplifiers out there defy all of these characteristics. You could say it’s searching for the holy grail, the thing we all hope to find in our HI-Fi systems - that tone, that perfect stereo image and the system synergy between source, amplifier and speakers. You may have heard me say this before, but I want a record to sound like a live band in my living room. To sit back and close my eyes and picture where all the band members are on stage putting a smile on my face or bringing a tear to my eye, truly engaging me in the music and the performance.

The Search Begins…

Like we all do, when we start looking for equipment we set ourselves a realistic budget. In this case I have set my sights at £2000, which as we know there are many worthy amplifiers out there that fit the bill at this price point. But, not only should the amplifier sound right to my ears, like many of us out there, we must also think think about how it’s going to affect our pockets and how to achieve near perfection within a price point. I have luckily narrowed the list down to three contenders which I will tell you all about very shortly but before I do, I’ll tell you about what led me to this dramatic change in my system.

My last change to my system was my loudspeakers. I went down the Danish route with Dynaudio and now proudly own a brilliant pair of Evoke 10’s in stunning walnut. My current amp driving these speakers is a Rega Elex-R which is a fantastic bit of kit but there is a slight problem in that the the Evoke 10’s like a fair amount of drive from the amp to hear them at their best. The Evoke 10’s are a 6 Ohm speaker with 84db sensitivity which means turning the Elex-R up to a fairly high volumes. Now, as much as I enjoy my music at higher volumes, I don't feel my neighbour's would be too happy with that.

So, this brings me to the next big change in my system, the amplifier. So, as I was saying a little while back, what I am looking for in a new amp is as perfect a sound as possible, but I want great performance at lower volumes too.

The Contenders

So, after some deliberation, I was able to whittle down the selection to three contenders:

To help me along choosing an amplifier I have pretty much replicated my system at home…

Who will win the race? Let’s dive in ears first and join me on this journey see where I end up!

The Shoot out

Starting with the Audiolab 9000A, this amplifier has been one of the most talked about and well reviewed amplifiers in its class since its release last year. Audiolab as we know has great lineage in Hi-Fi history, going right back to the early 80s with the original 8000 series. Many years down the line it’s now time to replace the 8000 series with the all new 9000 series. The 9000 follows in true Audiolab tradition being class AB design delivering 100 watts into 8 Ohms and 160 watt into 6 Ohms so this amplifier is no slouch. As well as having many analogue inputs it also caters very well in the digital department where I feel the amp really shines with Audiolab’s ESS 9038PRO flagship 32 bit digital to analogue convertor (DAC) chip on board. This makes the Audiolab 9000A amp something rather special, especially the many filter settings on the DAC like Audiolab’s M DAC+ it gives you plenty of scope to set the DAC to your own taste. Whether your source is CD or streaming this amp is certainly capable. Sound-wise the amp had great detail in its sound, well controlled with warmth of tone and full of character. I feel this amp is a bit of a swiss army knife of amps a great do it all machine for sure.

The 9000A feels right at home with the Dynaudio’s with plenty of power to drive them especially listening to tracks like Led Zeppelin's - No quarter off the Houses of the Holy album. With John Paul Jones’s organ part at the start of the track I could hear fantastic definition with the chorus effect he uses leading perfectly into the rest of the track, drawing me in and enhancing my listening experience.

To me, the Rega Elicit MK5 is like putting on my favourite pair of Vans trainers. Being a proud owner of a Rega amplifier I feel this is very familiar amplifier and the Elicit certainly has that Rega amplification sound. It’s a true class AB monster of an amp borrowing it’s FET based preamplifier circuit from its big brother the Aethos. The Elicit MK5 also has a very capable DAC on board the tried and tested Wolfson 24 bit DAC giving fantastic warmth and easy going analogue feeling tones on the digital side. I do feel the Elicit MK5 party trick is analogue reproduction, when a turntable is connected this amplifier really comes alive. As I said, this amp has a very familiar sound which I am very comfortable with but certainly does have its surprises, such as its ability to drive some of the most demanding speakers out there including my Dynaudios. The Elicit MK5 will deliver 127 watts into 6 ohms which is plenty of power. This amp sounds great at low volumes as well as cranked up but it made me want to turn it up! It just gets better and becomes more alive and one with the music, especially when I put the new Extreme album “Six” on the track being their big single “Rise”. Nuno Bettencourt’s guitar tone was just soaring as well as every detail in the band. In short this amp seems to have it all, so far so good. I feel the Elicit is a superb analogue amp, that’s warm with a hint of vintage Hi-Fi tones as well as forward sounding, near perfect to my ears.

The Cyrus Classic AMP is up next and thinking back two years ago when I first started working here at Audio T Cardiff the XR range from Cyrus was first released. I vividly remember being blown away by the sound of Cyrus. Shortly after Christmas that year I took home the Cyrus i7 XR and CDi XR and wrote a blog about them which you can read here. It’s safe to say that they certainly left an impression on me.

When we think about Cyrus as a company and how far they go back in the world of Hi-Fi, right back to 1984, they are a true heritage brand. Always striving to perfect the sound in our Hi-Fi systems, as well as delivering great value for money. Moving forward to late last year I had the opportunity to listen to the new Cyrus Classic AMP, and let’s just say, in my very humble opinion, Cyrus has definitely unleashed a game changing amplifier here. They’ve taken some of the tried and tested technology from the XR range and brought it to the newly revamped classic integrated amplifier. The Classic is a great example of an AB amplifier, packed with great simple features with more than enough power to drive the thirstiest speakers out there with 91 watts into 6 Ohms. This amplifier has tricks up its sleeve, such as DB level adjustment so you can match the input levels.

pink floyd - “division bell” lp playing on the REGa planar 6

This amplifier has a vastly improved lower noise floor, especially when using analogue inputs such as the turntable I'm using today. Other great features on the digital side of things are helped along by Cyrus’s 1st generation Q-XR DAC. Listening to this amplifier is an absolute joy, with a new level of detail in music I haven't heard before; drawing me even further in to the soundstage with the amplifier reproducing a warm yet clean and precise sound. This amplifier gives exactly what I've been looking for when I sit down and listen to a band and close my eyes. I can hear near perfect placement of musicians on the stage, perfect separation and timing, what we all hope for out of a Hi-Fi system. For instance, listening to Pink Floyd’s album “Division Bell” the track I used off the album was “Marooned”. The Delay effect David Gilmour uses on this track is a Tc Electronic 2290 rackmount delay. The detail from that effect is more noticeable on this Cyrus Classic amp and the decay from each note really lasts from Gilmour’s Fender Stratocaster. I know I must sound like a massive nerd listening out for such things in music, but this is one of the things about music I am so passionate about, discovering new things in songs I thought I knew inside out.

The Winner

You may have guessed it, the winner for me is the Cyrus Classic AMP as this amp seems to have everything I need from an integrated amp, simple yet with all the right features and I am now a proud owner of a Cyrus!

Even though I chose the Cyrus Classic AMP, the other two amplifiers brought fantastic things to the mix. For instance, the Audiolab 9000A is absolutely packed with great and useful features, not to mention it has one of the best looking front panels in the world of Hi-Fi. The Rega Elicit MK5 for me is still very much a great analogue monster of an amplifier. In short between all three have something for everyone in the £2000 amplifier range. It goes to show between all three brands they have certainly got bang for their buck!

I guess the big question for you all out there is, which amplifier would you choose? Let me know or why not pop in and see us and give them a listen and tell me which one would be the winner for you. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog.

Matt, Nick and Kerrin - Audio T Cardiff

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