June 25, 2025

Cyrus 40 Series Event Recap – A Night to Remember in Cardiff

June 25, 2025/ Audio T Cardiff/ Cardiff

This month, I’m talking about one of my – and our – favourite Hi-Fi brands: Cyrus. The highlight of the month was our special event at the Cardiff store, where we showcased the all-new 40 Series.

If you’ve popped into our Cardiff store for a chat about Hi-Fi, music, or just to ask what’s currently playing on our demo system, there’s a good chance we’ve talked about Cyrus Audio. For me, it’s one of those brands that’s become part of my own personal Hi-Fi journey — and I know I’m not alone.

So when Cyrus hit their 40th anniversary this year, and launched a brand new range to mark the milestone, I knew we had to do something special. A listening event was the obvious answer — an evening where like-minded enthusiasts could come together, hear the new 40 Series in action, and share in our mutual love of great sound and great music.

And that’s exactly what we did.

Celebrating 40 Years of Cyrus Audio

If you’re not familiar with Cyrus, let me bring you up to speed. This is a British Hi-Fi company that’s been pushing boundaries since 1984 — known for its compact, half-width components, clean design, and emphasis on musical performance above all else.

What’s always stood out for me is how musical their gear sounds. It doesn’t just play the notes – it gives you the feeling behind them. I’ve personally owned two Cyrus amps over the years, and I can say with confidence that few brands offer that same balance of precision, rhythm, and engagement.

When the 40 Series was announced – featuring a brand-new design, upgraded internals, and a sleek new chassis – it felt like a fresh chapter, while still staying true to Cyrus’s core DNA. It deserved a proper launch, and I was more than happy to put something together.

The Event – Setting the Stage

Hosting events like this is one of my favourite parts of the job. It’s not just about showing off shiny new kit (although let’s be honest, that’s part of the fun). It’s about creating a space where music lovers can connect, listen critically, ask questions, and maybe discover something new.

cyrus 40 series event fridat 13th June 2025

A Guest Appearance from Cyrus’s Finest

Jason Saxon, a familiar face to many of you from the Bristol Hi-Fi Show and Cyrus’s own video content, joined us for the evening. Jason is one of those rare people who combines deep technical knowledge with genuine enthusiasm – and his ability to explain the thinking behind each product while keeping things engaging is second to none.

Before the event kicked off, I sat down with Jason to record a short interview. We chatted about the early days of Cyrus (including some of the original designs from 1984), how the brand has evolved over time, and where it’s headed next. Brad from our marketing team cheekily said I was “channelling my inner Michael Parkinson” – which I took as a compliment! The video will be shared very soon, and I hope you’ll give it a watch.

A Little Cyrus System Magic

Our event system was a bit of a showstopper. It kicked off with the Cyrus TTP turntable fitted with a Benz Micro Ace low-output cartridge. For digital sources, we had both the 40 CD and the 40 ST streamer.

Then came a real treat: Jason brought along the all-new Cyrus 40 PPA phono stage and matching 40 PSU. It’s not available just yet, but it absolutely will be the focus of a future blog – I’m already first in line to order one.

At the heart of the system sat the Cyrus 40 Amp, again paired with its dedicated 40 PSU to deliver that extra edge in performance.

Power conditioning was handled by the IsoTek Sigmas, and for loudspeakers we went with something a little different: the Dynaudio Contour Legacy floorstanders. They really impressed me at this year’s Bristol Hi-Fi Show and sounded nothing short of phenomenal in our demo room.

With the system singing and refreshments laid out, we were ready to welcome our guests.

A Brilliant Evening of Music and Conversation

One of the best parts of the evening was the variety of music chosen by our guests. From classic rock to jazz, modern electronica to stripped-back vocals, it was a real demonstration of the system’s versatility.

I couldn’t resist playing Sweet Soul Sister by The Cult (from their 1989 album Sonic Temple) – a personal favourite of mine. I’ve heard that track hundreds of times over the years, but never like this. There was an immediacy and energy that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. That’s the magic of good Hi-Fi – it makes the familiar feel brand new.

The feedback from those who attended was brilliant. Whether they were Cyrus veterans or first-time listeners, everyone left with a smile on their face and a deeper appreciation for what this gear can do.

cyrus 40 series amp, st, cd, psu, ppa with psu, ttp & sigmas

What’s Next?

We’ve got more events in the pipeline – including another one this September with our friends at A Strings, just up the road from us. Across the Audio T family, our stores are always running events, so be sure to keep an eye on our website and social media for details.

As we often say: the Bristol Hi-Fi Show doesn’t have to be the only time of year to hear something special. We’re keeping the show on the road, all year round.

Thanks for reading – and if you’d like to hear the Cyrus 40 Series for yourself, or chat about building your perfect system, come and see us in Cardiff. You’re always welcome.

Matt Aaron - Audio T Cardiff

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Cyrus can be found at the following Audio T stores

Dynaudio can be found at the following Audio T stores

July 30, 2024

Advancing The Sounds Of The Compact Disc With Advance Paris

July 30, 2024/ Audio T Cardiff/ Cardiff

Matt from our Cardiff store takes a deep dive into one of our newest and most exciting brands, Advance Paris and of their components particularly the X-D500 CD transport. So let’s test drive this phenomenal piece of kit and see where we end up…

I find myself once again on the wonderful wild ride through the world of Hi-Fi. As previously mentioned, for this month’s blog I am focusing on the compact disc side of things. The CD source in question this month is a wonderful CD transport made by the amazing French company, Advance Paris.

Advance Paris first came onto my radar in February of this year at the Bristol Hi-Fi show, where I was invited to visit their room and have a listen to the exciting new range of products they had to offer. It was a great opportunity to get to know the brand and I was (and still am) very impressed not just with their look & build of their product range, but also their sonic performance.

advnace paris embossed logo top panel xd500

Advance Paris History

As you will no doubt have read from blogs from our colleagues in our sibling stores - Advance Paris was born in 1995 by French Hi-Fi enthusiasts, pushing the boundaries of high-fidelity audio and music reproduction at its finest. Bringing audiophile quality equipment such as amplification, CD players and speakers to our ears at reasonable prices.

Moving forward to 2004 Advance Paris developed their first integrated amplifier which laid the foundations for the innovations we see in their range today, such as the beautiful yet functional features including preamp valves and VU meters. These features were later joined by streaming with products such as the WTX Stream Tubes network player and amplifiers like the Playstream A5. These products are just the tip of the iceberg in Advance Paris’s fantastic arsenal, and there is truly something for everyone. Whether you’re just starting out or you’re expanding your sonic horizons Advance has it.

The Tech Bit

The XD 500 has a linear power supply with 2 toroidal transformers for perfect separation of the different power supplies, for the operation of this product such as mechanical management, and processing of the signal from the laser etc.

This CD transport also has an over sampling function (up scaling) from (16bit/44.1kHz) to a signal bit rate of (24bit/96KHZ or 24bit/192kHz).

The XD-500 also benefits from a chassis with significant rigidity thanks to its mechanical design. Each circuit is separated from the others by compartmentalised construction, ensuring effective shielding. Equipped with Coaxial (RCA), Optical (Toslink) and AES / EBU (XLR) digital outputs.

Advance paris xd500 cdtransport rear panel

Let The Listening Commence

I have said many times before one of the great things about working for Audio T is the ability to bring the latest and greatest kit home to get to know how each piece of equipment performs. As we say to our customers, there’s nothing quite like listening in the comfort of your own room. As I write this, I am in my music room with the wonderful Advance Paris CD transport plugged into my system, sat on my sofa with a cup of coffee listening to a selection of CDs as the evening rolls on.

Thos of you that have got to know me from my previous blogs or have met me in store will know that vinyl & turntables are my first love. The CD format does come a very close second and I have collected rather a lot of CDs over the years, possibly in the high hundreds in all honesty, I’ve lost count. It is safe to say that the CD player, or in this case the CD transport, is just as important in delivering quality sound as the turntable. You may be thinking why bring the Advance Paris XD 500 home and plug it into a Cyrus amp. My reasoning for this was that the XD 500 sounds phenomenal through Advance Paris’s own amplification using the internal DAC and I feel it is just as important to test the flexibility of a CD transport as many of us out there mix and match brands in our Hi-Fi systems.

How Does It Sound?

First impressions, as with all the Advance Paris equipment I’ve had the pleasure to come across, is that the build quality is superb and the aesthetic styling is clean and modern. With looks that would grace anyone’s home system.

(Although, I must say that it looks especially impressive if you pair it with the A10 integrated amplifier as they really complement each other.)

Aside from looks, let talk about performance...

With my amplifier all warmed-up from the get-go the XD 500 CD transport really adds something a little different to what I am used to.

This CD transport seems to add a certain warmth you’d expect from an analogue source whilst maintaining a sense of digital magic. It works perfectly with instruments such as the iconic Fender Telecaster tone of Bruce Springsteen, especially on Racing in the Streets, where it sounds more alive than ever before. Stephen Perkins’ drums on the Jane’s Addiction track, The Great Escape, seemed to be cleaner whilst retaining the solid groove he plays throughout the track.

I feel that the XD 500 really captures what we want from the music, and more. The fact that it performs as well as it does at this price bracket is a testament to one of Advance Paris’ main goals “…the aim is to deliver uncompromising sound quality at affordable prices”.

Demonstration Tracks

1: Bruce Springsteen - The Promise

Track: Racing in the streets

2: Jane’s Addiction - The Great Escape

Track: Irresistible force met the immovable object

3: Artist: Incubus - Morning view

Track: Just A Phase

Conclusion

In short, Advance Paris really has set out to impress with their innovative designs, whilst tipping the proverbial hat to vintage technology such as valves and VU meters. But above all else, the sonic performance of the entire range conducts itself well above its price point.

So why not give us a call and book yourself in for a demonstration and tell us what you think.

Thank you for taking the time to read our blog!

Matt - Audio T Cardiff

If you have any questions about any of the equipment featured in this article, or any other Hi-Fi or home cinema enquiries, be sure to Contact Us.

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Advance Paris can be found at the following Audio T stores

April 04, 2022

We take a CD and travel to Saturn... The Rega Saturn MK3 CD Player/DAC that is!

April 04, 2022/ Audio T Manchester/ Manchester

Our Journey begins.

Rega have quite a history in making well regarded CD players, the Planet CD player from 1997, then the Jupiter 2000 from the year, well, 2000. The Saturn R CD player came along in April 2004 and was equally well received. Since then we have had the Apollo half width case Cd player and the beautifully constructed Isis Cd player from Rega’s Reference range.

It’s a brand new ship.

Just like the rings of Saturn, good things usually come around again, only this time wearing a different suit. Enter the new Rega Saturn MK3, all new but not quite. Let me explain.

Rega have been changing their casework recently, the new Aria, the power supplies for the P10 and P8 and the very cute Rega Fono MM and MC, all look better for it. The casework is very slick.

The Saturn MK3 however, is the first of the full size cases to adorn the new architecture, the new casework and button layout is probably a clue as to what the new range of amps coming from Rega will look like.

Lets take it to the bridge.

You may have noticed the very cool looking CD mech that Rega use for all their CD players. The disc is housed in a fixed position that clicks into spring loaded mechanism. Not having any plastic cogs and gears for a drawer that opens and closes just reduces the possibility of things going wrong inside the CD player. The cover for the CD is reminiscent of the Starship Enterprise, which when closed just glides beautifully into place using a quiet damping method.

The communications hub and engine room.

The Saturn MK3 has plenty of connectivity options around the back, up to and including 24bit-192kHz audio.

There are two optical and two Coaxial inputs, a fully asynchronous USB as well. So that’s five digital inputs for items situated close by such as a TV or network streamer or even a digital tuner and more.

Interestingly the USB input on the back has three LED’s surrounding it to indicate status, so after you have downloaded the correct drivers you can get on with listening to your lush 24/192 files from your computer.

The lights, which indicate, comms, power and data at least let you know if you’re doing it right when they all light up, if somethings wrong one of the lights (or all of them) won’t come on. A great little touch from Rega to help you get connected easily and to confirm that the correct type of data is getting through.

Two Wolfson WM8742 digital-to-analogue converter chips are at the centre of this machine, these take care of dishing out the digital signals to two outputs and of course also do the job of converting to analogue as well. And at this they truly excel.

Communicator check one two one two.

To the sound quality, well, firstly it’s important to remember that this Saturn MK3 is the same on the inside as the Saturn R MK2 from May 2013. Only the case work has changed. However, Rega have refined the build process and introduced stricter production tests and checks, to improve reliability even further. As a result our opinion of the Saturn hasn’t really changed. We have always liked the sound signature from Rega’s Saturn MK2, which is to say that it’s an open sounding CD player with lots of forward sounding pop.

It grabs your attention and keeps you focused on the music, in fact, on our last demonstration our customer was quick to point out these very same traits, and of course he purchased the unit.

Live long and prosper?

It’s also only fair to say that in this time of dwindling CD player sales the bulk of our focus is on the streaming side of things when it comes to digital music, the Saturn MK3 CD Player/DAC and other CD players tend to fade into the background until a customer comes along and asks for a demo. That’s when our interest is usually peaked and when we realise what an impressive bunch of nuts and bolts the Saturn actually is - Which often starts the debate about whether CD is actually dead. Interestingly, according to data from RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America), CD sales have rose for the first time in 17 years. Yep, you heard that right, CD sales have gone up! How long will this trend last? Well, does it matter? Not really, as most of our dedicated customers have significant sized libraries of CDs to peruse from anyway, it’s just matter of dusting off the collection and letting the Saturn MK3 works it’s magic.

The new Rega Saturn MK3 CD Player/DAC is on demonstration at our Manchester store.

Come along and take some of your CD’s for a spin.

Dave, Munir, Mike , James and Haden will be on hand to help.

Thanks for reading.

Munir - Audio T Manchester

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Rega can be found at the following Audio T stores

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