January 18, 2022

Spending time with Cyrus XR over the Christmas period

January 18, 2022/ Audio T Cardiff/ Cardiff

As a member of the Audio T family, we are often encouraged to take equipment home to get some real world, hands-on experience. I saw this as my chance to get up close and personal with the Cyrus XR range. So, over the Christmas period I was lucky enough to be able to take home, what I consider to be my ideal Hi-Fi setup from the many systems we stock here at Audio T Cardiff.

The Setup

The system consisted of -

Rega planar 6 turntable with Ania pro cartridge

Trichord Dino phono stage

Cyrus CDI XR cd player

Cyrus i7 integrated amplifier

PMC Twenty5 21 stand mount speakers

Chord cable shawline rca interconnects

Chord cable shawline X speaker cable with Ohmic banana plugs

All this makes for one amazing system, and in my eyes, a perfect setup. But, after listening to them in the shop and demonstrating them to customers, my main focus was on Cyrus. It’s nice to be able to put my ears to use and listen in the comfort of my own home. As we know, every room sounds different.

It’s probably worth noting that most of the photos you see here are in our demo room at our Cardiff shop, just in case you thought I had a weird living room…

Cyrus Audio

So, casting our minds back in to the history of Cyrus, the brand was founded in the early 80s in Cambridgeshire. Originally formed as part of the Mission Speaker Company, then called Mission Cyrus, their debut amplifiers took the industry by storm. Parting ways with Mission Speakers in 2005, Cyrus came back on to the scene as the Cyrus Audio we know today. Fast forward nearly two decades, and they’re still innovating, releasing new products whilst retaining their classic, sleek look, and always featuring their great sound which Cyrus are known for. Now, with the latest in Cyrus technology, here we have the XR range.

i7-XR rear panel including Chord co. Shawline Analogue

Cyrus i7-XR Amplifier

So, first onto the amplifier. The Cyrus i7-XR. I thought I’d start with this unit even though it has a more powerful sibling, the Cyrus i9-XR. So let’s get into it!

Pre and power amplification all in one box. Power aside, the i7-XR responds from DC to beyond 100KHZ ensuring ruler flat frequency response, keeping those unwanted phase shifts out of earshot. It also has a very generous, over-specified, power supply delivering 52w. On the preamp side the i7-XR has a true analogue preamp at its soul, featuring a high performance gain stage that makes this preamplifier extremely transparent. Connectivity wise, you have plenty of analogue and digital connections on the back to choose from, as well as a built in moving magnet phono stage. Also, not forgetting the amazing award winning QXR DAC on board, which has seven digital alignment options to suit the listeners taste.

Cyrus CDi-XR

Now onto the CD player. The CDi-XR is designed as Cyrus’ reference CD player, forged from evolution of its predecessors and years of research. Cyrus has developed their own servos for this new model, which are designed to read as much information on the disc first time around without re-reading the disc. This type of technology results in a better conversion of digital information for a pristine audio experience.

With all the precision engineering and research that has gone into building this amazing CD player, I would say the CDi-XR is almost perfect in every way. From the way they’ve shielded the components inside the chassis, right down to how they contain the noise in the circuitry. Much like the 7i-XR, the CDi-XR again features Cyrus’ award winning QXR DAC on board.

Cyrus CDi XR rear panel including Chord co. Shawline Digital

The listening…

Now to the important bit… How does this fantastic equipment sound?

Starting with vinyl running through the Rega Planar 6, via the Trichord Dino phono stage, into the i7-XR and then on to the fantastic PMC Twenty5 21.

Rega Planar 6 with ANIA PRO cartridge & Trichord Dino phonostage

First up, Bruce Springsteen’s live album from the 1979 concert, “No nukes” The track “Badlands” sounded big and warm with a lot of detail, especially when the amp warmed up to its potential, giving you that feel of a true live performance.

Second album to spin on the Rega Planar 6 was Black Label Society’s, “Doom Crew inc”. Special attention was paid to a favourite track of mine, “End of days” which I found to be tight with a lot of punch, which is a tone we’ve come to expect from American guitar God, Zakk Wylde, who a lot of you would know as Ozzy Osbourne’s guitarist over the years.

Finally, an undisputed classic… Pink Floyd’s “Dark side of the moon”. “Breathe”, sounded mesmerising, really big and warm but with a lot of clarity. Everything right down to the iconic “Uni-Vibe” guitar FX pedal that Dave Gilmour used in his rig when this album was recorded in 1973.

From Analogue to Digital…

Now onto the awesome CDi-XR. I was eager to find out how it sounded connected via the coax and using the onboard XR DAC of the Cyrus i7-XR amplifier.

PMC Twenty5 21i rear panel including Chord co. Shawline X speaker cable and Ohmic plugs

Albums and tracks I listened to that stuck out for me included the following:

First up we have “The Devil put Dinosaurs Here” by 90s grunge band, Alice in chains. The track, “Low Ceiling”, had an amazing amount of detail and presence, most certainly aided by the way it had been beautifully recorded. I found a great trick up the sleeve of the i7-XR. A selection of different filters that can be used, depending on how the album was recorded and mastered, to bring out the best of the tonal attributes.

Second album by Massive Attack, “Protection”, features the track “Karmacoma”, which was recorded in the late 90s. For anybody who knows the track, the bass is a key feature that some might say is a little overbearing. The performance through the CDi-XR had an overall clarity and balance that made the track truly enjoyable to listen to. Playing with the filters really came in handy in bringing out the best of Massive Attack’s iconic sound.

Finally on to “Beyond the veil”, a track from the album “Cautionary Tale” by Dylan Leblanc, which sounded absolutely perfect straight from the moment of hitting play. A really well recorded track that I thought brought out the best in the CD player, with really good production and plenty of detail.

On a side note: Dylan Leblanc is an amazing newcomer to the country scene hailing from Shreveport, Louisiana. With four albums under his belt and another one on the way, He’s definitely worth checking out.

In Summary…

As I said at the start of the blog, I feel that Cyrus XR series truly shows off the decades of research and design that brings this range to life, and more importantly to our ears. My listening experience went from strength to strength not just the clarity, warmth and presence from the Cyrus system, the ease of use and how everything complemented in the signal chain.

But why take my word for it? Why not have a listen for yourself.

Thanks for reading.

Matt, Nick & Kerrin - Audio T Cardiff

If you are curious about how the new Cyrus XR range we have teamed up with Cyrus Audio to bring you the Cyrus Experience Tour on Saturday 22nd January 2022 at Audio T Cardiff.

Keep up to date with everything going on at Audio T Cardiff by following us on Facebook and Instagram

Cyrus can be found at the following Audio T stores

Rega can be found at the following Audio T stores

July 23, 2020

Entering the ring, Rega Planar 1 vs Rega Planar 2 - Battle of Britain‘s Most Affordable Home Grown Turntables

July 23, 2020/ Brighton

If you’re just starting in the world of turntables, you might have done some research online or in-store and you’ll most likely come across the UK made Rega Planar 1 or Planar 2 turntables. These are both excellent entry-level turntables, but what are the real differences between these two models? We recently put them through their paces in-store with one of our customers and here’s what we found out.

For someone who is new to the world of Hi-Fi equipment, it may seem like a daunting mountain to start to climb. Rega, even at their entry-level, is a great starting point that easily sounds as though it should be double the price tag.

Rega as a company have always had great vision, and that is something they stick to across their entire range. From the humble Planar 1 at £249 all the way to the Planar 10 that goes beyond the £6k mark! As a result, Rega products have a unique signature sound and characteristic. Any time you upgrade to the next model up, you will hear that familiar sound, but noticeably improved - But who knows, maybe you prefer the sound of something like the Planar 2 over a Planar 3, and that’s definitely allowed.

The Rega Planar 1 (P1), pictured on THE DEDICATED Rega wall bracket.

Above you’ll see the Planar 1, a very respectable turntable. It adopts the timeless Rega design, dating back decades . While this is indeed a great sounding deck, especially for the modest price point, there is certainly a noticeable difference when you step up to the Planar 2.

The Planar 2 (P2), WE CHOSE THE WHITE VERSION FOR OUR DISPLAY MODEL, but IT is also available in BLACK AND RED.

Next, we have the Planar 2. Although our display model (pictured above) is the white version, it clearly has the same Rega design. You may spot one very obvious and crucial difference just from looking though… the platter! The P2 has a 10mm thick ‘Float Glass’ platter whereas the P1’s platter uses a ‘phenolic resin’ design. Whilst they have both been designed to minimise any vibrations that could interfere with the playback of a record, one does it better than the other… and how great does that glass platter look?! You always want to get the best possible sound from whatever record you’re spinning, and details like this certainly help in that department.

For the purpose of our test, the customer brought his own records. We always recommend that everyone does this because the music you know and love is going to really allow you to analyse any differences between whatever you’re comparing. Although it is still a good idea to listen to a wide variety of music whilst testing a system; if the sound of your favourite album captivates you through a new set-up, then you know you’re on to a winner!

We tried the P1 first, and it doesn’t disappoint at all. That classic Rega sound is very apparent, and the vinyl character shines straight through. We have the IO driving a pair of Rega RX1 speakers on floor stands; a great and affordable combination!

We Tried BOTH THE turntables through Rega’s newest power amp, the io. This is also an amazing sounding unit, THE MOST AFFORDABLE UK MADE AMPLIFIER ON THE MARKET, and we love it!

Rega rx1’s in cherry were used for the demonstration

When we move up to the P2, using the same amp and speakers, the difference is instantly noticeable! The sound is much more open and defined, the soundstage is bigger, individual instruments have more separation and are more defined in their ‘space’ within the recording. The frequency range is noticeably extended at both ends and overall there is more detail available from within the record compared with the P1.

As someone new to Hi-Fi like our customer, they didn’t immediately notice a difference. Their ears may not necessarily be tuned to what to listen out for. Often, the differences are much more apparent when you go back down to the lower model. Your ear quickly gets used to the extra detail you can hear and when those details are missing on the lower model, you’ll notice it straight away. We did this and almost instantly the customer noticed the quality of the sound was lower. It is important to jump between models whilst your ears are fresh and not fatigued, as the differences really stand out.

So what did the customer go for?

In this instance, the customer decided to purchase the Planar 2, even though prior to listening, they were pretty set on the Planar 1. They were also impressed with the IO amp and RX1 speakers and how everything worked together, so much so that they had to write down the models. We think they’ll be back for those soon as they were a significant improvement on their current system!

This has us thinking - If we’re hearing such a difference between the Planar 1 and a Planar 2, what would we start to hear if we compared to P3s, P6s, and beyond? Maybe that will be a blog for another day…

Don’t forget you can pop into any Audio T store to hear the comparisons for yourself.

Chris, Paul, and John - Audio T Brighton

Be sure to keep an eye on what’s happening in the Brighton store by following us on Instagram and Facebook!!

Rega products are available in all Audio T Stores.

November 01, 2019

System Synergy! Creating A Great Sounding Home Hi-Fi System Using Naim, Rega & Acoustic Energy

November 01, 2019/ Reading

According to Wikipedia, Synergy, is the creation of a whole that is greater than the simple sum of its parts. At Audio T we have a wealth of knowledge and experience gained from working over many years, with a multitude of different Hi-Fi manufacturers and their products. This collective knowledge means we can suggest and created great value, balanced and musically satisfying home audio systems. We also know that partnering a series of 5 star award winning products doesn’t always make for a great sounding Hi-Fi system!

So, with that in mind, we thought it would put together a complete mid-level Hi-Fi system for small to medium sized rooms, that would cope equally well with reproducing vinyl, but also introduce the option of entering the world of high quality music streaming. We wanted to put together something that would straight away get to the heart of the music and the artists performance, in a thoroughly enjoyable way.

To meet our brief, we have put together some new outstanding products with an old but good favourite. So what have we lined up?

· Naim Nait XS3 amplifier

· Naim ND5XS2 streamer

· Rega Planar 6 with Exact moving magnet cartridge

· Acoustic Energy AE500 bookshelf speakers

The talented individuals - but do they excel as a team?

Naim Nait XS3

The new Naim Nait XS3 amplifier makes a simple, elegant and powerful music playing solution. The amplifier is all analogue, with a wide and flexible range of inputs; the moving magnet phono stage is a new introduction for this model to reflect the resurgence of vinyl. It makes a great low-box pairing with the matching ND5 XS 2 streamer

Naim ND5XS2

The ND5XS2 uses the latest innovative new streaming platform from Naim with an expanded feature set. This is a versatile player giving access to a full range of streaming options including Tidal, Spotify, Internet radio etc. Naturally you can additionally install a server should you wish to stream local files; ripped CDs, Hi-Res downloads etc. It’s also Blutooth and Chromecast enabled. The Naim software can be operated from a mobile phone or tablet. The ND5XS2 can form part of a multi-room setup with other Naim streaming products too. The quality and versatility of the Naim streaming app is very good indeed.

Rega Planar 6 and Exact MM

The Planar 6 benefits from the trickle-down technology derived from ongoing research at Rega. It follows the Rega design ethic of a low mass but rigid structure, to minimise unnecessary distortion. It comes with an advanced anti-vibration motor circuit powered by a separate NEO power supply, tuned to each individual deck. Regas’ attention to rigidity is further enhanced by a double brace between the tonearm and the hub pillars to further accuracy in playback. It is clear that a lot of thought and engineering detail had gone into this simple but elegant package.

Acoustic Energy AE 500

The AE500 is a new compact stand-mount loudspeaker from the flagship AE 500 Series. It features a newly developed carbon fibre tweeter and mid/bass drivers, to enhance musical power and accuracy, but with improved self-damping for a smoother, more transparent sound. It is an attractive speaker, well put together and surprisingly heavy, given its size!

Well, the important bit is how does the system sound?

It sounds very balanced and dynamic, able to easily convey the depth, richness and dynamics available from vinyl. The voicing and phono stage of the XS3 amplifier and the Rega combine to provide a very convincing and immersive sound.

The ND5 XS2 benefits from classic Naim engineering and fastidious attention to detail ensuring that it delivers natural, engaging sound quality from all streamed digital sources. Its musical and technical performance is highly satisfying and informative.

Throughout all this the XS3 provides a solid, powerful and musically coherent, tonally accurate foundation, to allow the system to really breathe and unleash the music.

The AE 500’s more than hold up their end of the bargain being rich, dynamic, insightful and faithful to the intensity of the performance. Given their size they cannot defy the laws of physics and produce prodigious bass, but they nonetheless give a very solid foundation to the music.

Together, it is a great system that makes you forget what kit you are listening to and instead become immersed in the musical performance. Everything works well together to produce an exceptional result. That is true Synergy.

If you are looking for a system built around compact speakers, you need to have a listen to this!

All items are available for demonstration at Audio T Reading.

Rob - Sales Consultant.

Naim Hi-Fi products are available from all branches of Audio T.

Rega Hi-Fi products are available from all branches of Audio T.

Acoustic Energy HI-Fi products are available from the following branches of Audio T: Bristol, Cheltenham, Enfield, Online, Portsmouth, Preston, Reading, Swindon

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