As we have all come to know over the years February is an exciting time in the Hi-Fi event calendar, we have the Bristol show organised by Audio T where we get to see and more importantly, hear the best, brightest and newest gear from the classic brands we love to new brands on the block. Last year the show made the difficult decision to cancel due to COVID-19 and sadly the same for this year but fear not, Audio T have come up with the solution. Each of our branches will be hosting a mini show over two days of Friday 25th and Saturday 26th of February.

Each of our store’s have chosen some of our favourite brands we carry in our inventory to showcase. You can see what all the other stores are up to Here.

At Audio T Cardiff we have chosen a few of our favourite brands Cyrus audio, REL acoustics and last but not least I’ll give you a clue D7, yes you guessed it one of our favourite loudspeaker brands Spendor.

System T7x subwoofer Spendor A4 Cyrus XR range demonstration prepared

We will have two dedicated demo rooms for you to listen to these fantastic products. But remember that we’re working via appointment, so be sure to Contact Us to book your place! We will also have systems set up on our shop floor where we have seating areas for you to listen to equipment of your choice in comfort. There will be representative’s from Cyrus Audio and REL Acoustics to show you what the equipment can do as well as giving you great set up tips on how to get the best sound possible out of your Hi-Fi or AV system. As we know, REL make fantastic subwoofers which make a great edition to your cinema experience as well as your Hi-Fi. A REL subwoofer can give your music experience more depth and dynamics and not forgetting our range of Spendor loudspeakers , from book shelf to stand mount right up to floorstanders we have a good spread to choose from. Also, the three of us will be on hand to welcome you and help with all of your Hi-Fi and AV needs offering solid advice or if you’d like just pop in for a chat because as you know with Audio T Hi-Fi, music and film is our passion.

So now for a little bit of history into the brands we will be showcasing at our mini show event.

Cyrus Audio

Starting with Cyrus Audio we know they have played a big part in the British Hifi industry. Going back to the start, Cyrus was part of the Mission speaker brand which was founded by Farad Azima. Moving forward through the early 80s came the birth of the first Cyrus one amplifier which took the industry by storm. By 2005 the Mission speaker company and Cyrus parted ways and Cyrus Audio was born. Now nearly a century later we have the amazing XR range which we will have at our event.

REL Acoustics

Now on to REL acoustics. REL was founded in 1990 by Richard Edmund Lord however the company we know today was born in 2005 with John Hunter and Donald Brody heading it up. Since 1990 one of the keys to the evolution of their subwoofer design has been the high level input, which is still seen today in their subwoofers. Moving forward to 2005 onwards, the new ownership came with fresh ideas from Silicon Valley engineering, producing more power and better performance with natural sound filtering, but it doesn’t stop at the electronics level. REL use musical instrument grade bracing on their cabinets giving you that controlled bass and detail we all desire. So, whether you're looking at the HT series or right up to the reference series you’ll have great performance detail and bass. We will have a selection of REL subwoofers on show and on demonstration at our event.

Spendor Loudspeakers

Last but not least of course SPENDOR Audio. So, what do we know about Spendor. Spendor was founded in the late 1960s by Spencer and Dorothy Hughes (Not just a clever anagram in the company name) working in BBC’s engineering department they came up with the iconic BC1 which was a big game changer, not only in the studio but in the Hifi community. Almost 50 years later the BC1 and its successors have been heard with their distinctive sound that truly captivates you. The same can be applied for their modern ranges from the classic series to A series right through to D series they still maintain that amazing sound we love. We will have a great selection of Spendor speakers on demonstration at our show, so you will have the chance to see and hear why we love them.

Join us for our Show Weekend Event…

So on both the Friday the 25th and Saturday 26th February the main demo room will be home to the following system for timed demonstrations by Cyrus Audio and REL. The New Cyrus XR range including the CDT XR, PRE XR and MONO X300 power amplifiers driving Spendor D9.2 all underpinned by 2 REL Carbon Special subwoofers as a stereo pair. This reference level setup will blow your socks off.

In our second smaller demo room we will have all the 7s. A more affordable system on show here that will include Cyrus CDi XR, Cyrus i7 XR teamed with Spendor A7 loudspeakers and a single REL T7X.

As we usually do at the Bristol show there will be show discounts on selected products. We will also be running a prize draw with the chance to win a pair of Cyrus Soundbuds 2 wireless earbuds.

The demo rooms will be on an appointment basis so please contact us at our Cardiff shop for your slot either ring us on 02920 228565 or email us at cardiff@audio-t.co.uk for more details.

We look forward to seeing you all here

Thanks for reading.

Matt, Nick & Kerrin - 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 -

Spendor can be found at the following Audio T stores -

REL can be found at the following Audio T stores -

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

Audio T Blogs

The Bristol Show may be cancelled, but we've got you sorted with Cyrus, Spendor and REL!

Cyrus Audio

REL Acoustics

Spendor Loudspeakers

Join us for our Show Weekend Event…

Spending time with Cyrus XR over the Christmas period

The Setup

Cyrus Audio

Cyrus i7-XR Amplifier

Cyrus CDi-XR

The listening…

From Analogue to Digital…

In Summary…

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