CYRUS 'SE' CD PLAYERS - A REVELATION

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SNV
Stammgast

#1 erstellt: 22. Aug 2008, 11:18

Dear All,

Finally the review of the new Cyrus cd6se is out. Trust me there is nothing, absolutely nothing to outperform this cd player even at double the price.

Some of the excerpts -

"The Cyrus CD 6 SE is a revelation"

"Quite simply this player is astonishing. Not astonishing for the price, you understand, but astonishing: full stop."

"This player is comparable with the very best machines around, regardless of price. We should repeat that: regardless of price."

"The CD 6 SE is a landmark product that redefines the performance level at its price point."

"If we could award more than five stars, we would."

Cyrus CD 6 SE

The Cyrus CD 6 SE resets the sonic bar for sub-thousand pound players
For
Dynamics, timing and punch are as good as they get; slot-loader is far nicer to use than the old drawer; upgradeable
Against
Partner with care if you want the best performance

Rarely has a range had such a rocky start. Last year Cyrus announced replacements for its range of Award-winning CD players. Nothing odd in that, you might think; except the launch was postponed. A month, six months, and then a year went past without any sign of the new players.

Delivery dates for review samples were given and missed repeatedly. Then, finally, out of the blue, the CD 6 SE turns up.

Cyrus's entry-level player now costs £800: more than the last model and significantly more expensive than rivals such as Roksan's Kandy. The main change between this player and the last version is the transport. The DAC, power supply and audio circuits remain much the same as before.

The new transport uses a slot-loading mechanism – a more elegant solution than the drawer of before – and it is controlled by Cyrus's own software. That software governs everything from the loader to the laser sled and motors, and it's what the SE (Servo Evolution) in the product's name refers to. A bit of software code may not sound like much, but it is a big deal.

Cyrus claims 20 per cent fewer data errors from its new CD engine than from the Philips-based kit it used in its older machines. A vast improvement – and a figure we would have taken with a ton of salt had we not heard the CD 6 SE.

The Cyrus CD 6 SE is a revelation
Quite simply this player is astonishing. Not astonishing for the price, you understand, but astonishing: full stop. In its areas of strength – timing, dynamics and punch – this player is comparable with the very best machines around, regardless of price. We should repeat that: regardless of price.

Our reference Naim CDS3/555PS (circa £10,000) delivers more of the harmonic detail of acoustic instruments and has more authority and scale. The Cyrus counters with better organisation and improved agility, and delivers the leading edge of notes with greater precision.

Which you prefer comes down to taste. Consider the price difference and you'll see just how great Cyrus's achievement is.

If the CD 6 SE compares favourably to one of the best high-end machines around, you can imagine what it does to similarly priced opposition. The likes of Rega's Apollo are flattened – and we suspect the same would be true of most players below the £1000 mark.

We played everything from Stravinsky to Grinderman and this fabulous all-rounder never failed to impress. Normally we'd recommend a good sub-£1000 integrated amp with similarly priced speakers for a CD player at this price point. That would work just fine, and we have no doubt the CD 6 SE would deliver a great sound.

It more than justifies pricier partners
However, this player easily justifies more expenditure on the rest of the set-up. We partnered it with £15,000 worth of electronics and speakers and it wasn't the weakest link. Really.

Flaws? Sonically, no. But avoid bright or thin-sounding systems, or the vivid dynamics and energetic delivery could well be too much of a good thing. Choose kit that's refined, but still has transparency, dynamics and timing to burn and you won't go wrong. Also, the new slot-loader isn't the quickest thinker around. Be patient and everything will be fine.

The CD 6 SE is a landmark product that redefines the performance level at its price point. If we could award more than five stars, we would.

www.cyrusaudio.com

Regards
SNV

reignofchaos
Stammgast

#2 erstellt: 23. Aug 2008, 18:17

Bold statement though I'd definitely like to hear how it sounds. Is it there on demo anywhere in bangalore?

SNV
Stammgast

#3 erstellt: 24. Aug 2008, 10:50

Dear ROC,

The above is the review of the Cyrus cd6se in Whathifi.
Cyrus has just started shipping the new cd players.
The new SE cd players will be available next month for demo.

Regards
SNV

Manek
Inventar

#4 erstellt: 28. Sep 2008, 18:01

Have they arrived sir ?

Manek

SNV
Stammgast

#5 erstellt: 29. Sep 2008, 11:07

Manek schrieb:

Have they arrived sir ?

Manek

The new Cyrus SE cd players will be here by the 15th of October sir.

You will be able to hear the same at Lakozy and Boomarang.

May I suggest you request for a home demo, but only after 100 hours of burn in, from any of the above dealers.

Regards
SNV

Manek
Inventar

#6 erstellt: 29. Sep 2008, 16:14

Hi snv

Lakozy will be an option but I just might come over to your room for an initial listen if that's ok, the next time I am in pune after 15th oct

Hope that's ok.

Manek

SNV
Stammgast

#7 erstellt: 29. Sep 2008, 16:31

Dear Manek,

You are most welcome.

Regards
SNV

SNV
Stammgast

#8 erstellt: 02. Okt 2008, 08:59

Dear All,

Cyrus has added yet another feather in its cap. After receiving five stars for the Cyrus Cd6se, here is another 5 star raving review of the Cd8se.

Here are some of the quotes :

"This kind of direct emotional connection is very rare indeed, even at far higher price points than the cd8se"

"The CD 8 SE adds increased resolution, greater subtlety and authority into the mix"

"The CD 8 SE is a supremely musical machine"

"We have no doubt the CD 8 SE will thrill and engross better than any other machine at this price level"

"If we had this kind of budget the CD 8 SE is where our money would go"

Cyrus CD 8 SE

This is another terrific sounding player from Cyrus. The CD 8 SE is as capable a player as we’ve heard at this price level.

For
A brilliant sonic performer; ease of use; upgradeability
Against
Transport software is a little slow-witted;’ fussy about disc quality

If you’re a regular reader you can’t fail to have noticed we’ve been mightily impressed by Cyrus’s new SE range of CD players.

The entry-level rs 80,00 CD 6 SE is good enough to batter anything we’ve heard below a lac, and the upmarket transport and DAC will worry all but the very best of the high-end.

So, where does the CD 8 SE come in?This player could quite easily have fallen between two stools, but it doesn’t. Cyrus has judged the performance (and price) perfectly.

Given a couple of days to run-in the CD 8 SE delivers everything its little brother does and then some. When it comes to organisation, timing, and punch we ‘d find the two hard to separate.

Adds increased resolution
No surprise really, considering the standards they set in these areas are just about as good as CD players get. The CD 8 SE then adds increased resolution, greater subtlety and authority into the mix, so pulling ahead of its cheaper sibling.

It makes the rs 30,00 price premium easy to justify, particularly when you consider the 8 can be upgraded by connecting Cyrus’s rs 50,000 PSX-R outboard power supply and the 6 can’t.

The junior player has to be upgraded to 8 status first, which can be done by the factory for little more than the difference in price between the machines. That’s the great thing about Cyrus components: they’re rarely dead-end products and usually have some sort of upgradeability built-in.

With or without the power supply the CD 8 SE is a supremely musical machine. It’s as happy delivering the thunder of Holst’s Mars as it is rocking out to Nirvana.

Direct emotional connection
Judged in purely hi-fi terms it’s astonishingly hard to criticise and musically that translates to a machine that gets straight to the emotional heart of the music. You’re never left in any doubt as to what the singer or composer want you to feel. That kind of direct emotional connection is very rare indeed, even at far higher price points than this.

Provided the rest of your system is good enough we have no doubt the CD 8 SE will thrill and engross better than any other machine at this price level.

As with all top class equipment a bit of pampering doesn’t go amiss. A good dedicated equipment rack is essential, as are decent interconnects – Cyrus’s own work well. This player also responds well to specialist mains cables, and in our system Clearer Audio’s Copper-line (£95) worked a treat, improving refinement and dynamics notably.

The sonic advance of Cyrus’s SE range over the company’s last generation of players is down to the new transport including the slot loader mechanism and control software. The rest of the machine, DACs, power supply and casework remain pretty much unchanged.

This new transport system is fussier about disc quality than most rivals. Occasionally certain discs, usually CD-Rs, may not load first time, though in most cases reloading the disc does the trick. Be a little patient and all will be fine.

That said, we can’t over-emphasise just how good this player sounds. If we had this kind of budget the CD 8 SE is where our money would go. You can’t get a higher recommendation than that.

www.cyrusaudio.com

Regards
SNV

SNV
Stammgast

#9 erstellt: 11. Okt 2008, 12:26

Hello Again,

Here we have another stunning 5 star review from Whathifi for the Cyrus CDXTSE/DAC X combo.

Some of the quotes :

"Cyrus has raised the bar for CD player performance by an unprecedented margin"

"The CDxtse/DAC X combination is profoundly impressive"

"The Cyrus pair create an expansive, explicit soundstage – individual musical strands are simple to follow yet integrate smoothly"

"Timing, a traditional Cyrus strong suit, is immaculate here – each strum, pluck or hit starts and stops with great precision and easy fluidity"

"The CDxtse/DAC X offer punch and substance to go along with the sort of pace and texture that lifts the player away from its nominal competitors"

Cyrus CDxtse/Dac X

You have to hear this CD player!

For
Detailed, pacy, articulate and effortlessly well-rounded sound
Against
A player with this kind of punch, drive and dynamism isn't always the most relaxing listen

Many companies claim to have 'gone back to the drawing board' when they launch a new product but for once, where Cyrus and its new range of CD players is concerned, that boast is actually true.

Well, half-true in this instance – the DAC X tested here is broadly unchanged since What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision last tested it back in 2005 (when, incidentally, it cost £1000). In the case of the CDxtse, though, Cyrus really did start from scratch.

By creating its own transport mechanism and writing dedicated software (no small feat for any company and doubly impressive for a firm as relatively small as this one), Cyrus has raised the bar for CD player performance by an unprecedented margin.

Not that you'd know it to look at the CDxtse. The only visual clues to the huge changes this product embodies compared to the CDxt it replaces are the all-but invisible 'CDxtse' at the bottom of the casework and the new slot-loading disc drawer. This change alone is to be warmly welcomed, as previous Cyrus CD players had a vicious, cheap-feeling disc tray.

Profoundly impressive from the off
The CDxtse/DAC X combination is profoundly impressive right from the off. Playing Jeff Buckley's Lover, You Should Have Come Over, the Cyrus pair create an expansive, explicit soundstage – individual musical strands are simple to follow yet integrate smoothly.

Timing, a traditional Cyrus strong suit, is immaculate here – each strum, pluck or hit starts and stops with great precision and easy fluidity, making light work of testing tempos or sudden changes of emphasis.

There's an eye for detail the most nightmarish Sergeant-Major would be proud of, and the ability to lay the minutiae of a performance bare without ever losing sight of the performance as a whole.

Bass gets plenty more punch
Just as fast and plenty more dynamic than Award-winning Cyruses of the past, this duo judges high-frequency attack scrupulously and give vocalists whole fistfuls of expression and character.

And down in the low frequencies, where previous Cyrus efforts have often sounded how a whippet looks, the CDxtse/DAC X offer punch and substance to go along with the sort of pace and texture that lifts the player away from its nominal competitors.

We listened to a stack of music, spanning decades of recordings and a heap of genres, and this pair left us smiling every time. Now that this review is finished, we're going to listen to some more.

What makes it special?
(1) Separating the CD player's transport mechanism from its digital-to-analogue conversion is always a good idea, but it means accommodating two boxes instead of one. Luckily, these two Cyrus units take up no more room than most one-box players.

(2) Why stop at just two boxes? Cyrus' dedicated off-board power supply, the PSX-R, is yours for rs 50,000/- and brings significant improvements to bear on what is already a strong performance when driving the transport or DAC. In fact, buy two for optimum quality – and try explaining to friends that your CD player consists of four boxes.

(3) Old Cyrus CD players had a disc drawer as noisy and dangerous as Arkwright's till. The new 'se' range features a swanky new slot-loading mechanism - it's an improvement, no doubt, but it's certainly not in a hurry. A little patience is required - and will be amply rewarded.

(4) The DAC X features balanced XLR outputs as well as unbalanced RCA sockets. If your amplifier is equipped with corresponding inputs, use the XLRs – your CDs will sound even more expressive and exciting.

www.cyrusaudio.com

Regards
SNV

SNV
Stammgast

#10 erstellt: 21. Okt 2008, 10:20

Manek schrieb:

Have they arrived sir ?

Manek

Dear Manek,

The new SE cd players are now in stock with me.

Regards
SNV

bhagwan69
Inventar