New Cyrus ‘cost-no-object’ XR range
Cyrus has unveiled an all-new range of premium hi-fi components, designed from the ground up in a money-noobject exercise for its design engineers. They are priced here between $3999 and $7499.
The British audio brand’s six-strong Cyrus XR series includes two digital-friendly integrated amplifiers, the curiously specific “52W-per-channel” i7-XR at $4499, and the 91W-per-channel i9-XR. Both amps offer four analogue and five digital inputs (two optical, two coax, one USB-B for computer), and usefully include both pre and fixed level outputs, as well as dual speaker outputs. Vinyl fans can enjoy the built-in moving magnet phono stage. Internally the amps are built with relay input switching and Schottky diodes, Cyrus saying the improvements over previous models “grant a far greater burst power capacity, enhancing the amplifier’s ability to accurately track the music signal and leading to much lower levels of distortion”.
There’s also a $7499 Pre-XR preamplifier (though not yet with a stereo or mono power amp for the XR series), which distributor Indi Imports calls “a vast improvement over Cyrus’s existing high-end preamp, the DAC XP signature”. The new preamp uses an all-new power supply design with high-value reservoir capacitors, and a new custom transformer. The increased dynamic range and bandwidth suits its handling of PCM digital files up to 32-bit/768k, as well as DSD files.
The final two products are CD players— $4499 CDt-XR CD transport and $3999 CDi-XR CD player, both featuring twin microprocessors, a new power supply design and bespoke transformers designed specifically for the new CD players. The transport mech is also quieter than in previous Cyrus players.
Also available is the the PSU-XR outboard power supply. The XR range throughout sports a new Phantom Black painted finish, LCD screens and new touch buttons.
More info: www.indimports.com/cyrus
The HARMAN ExPLORE event on the back of the virtual CES in January revealed a couple more retro releases from JBL, partly in celebration of its 75th anniversary this year.
There’s a limited-edition ‘L100 Classic 75’ (below right), an anniversary version of the L100 Classic speakers, upgraded with an improved woofer suspension design and a revised network to include bi-wire capabilities, with dual sets of gold-plated binding posts, and visually sporting a teak wood veneer on all sides of the cabinet, paired with a black Quadrex foam grille that now carries a gold and black JBL logo. Special edition badges are found on the front and rear, too, including a commemorative plaque that includes the signature of the principal system engineer, Chris Hagen, and the individual pair number of the production run — and before you get too excited, know that only 75 pairs of these retro beauties will be produced, so if you’re interested, get in quick! Even the wooden crate that the L100 Classic 75 and matching JS-120 floor stands are supplied in is decorated with limitededition artwork. The price here is $8999.
And what better to partner those than the all-new JBL SA750 integrated amplifier, inspired by (and a fitting homage to) the company’s SA600 and SA660 models from the 1960s and ’70s, but thoroughly modern inside with 120W per channel of Class G amplification (this may be the first time we’ve seen another Harman company use Arcam’s Class G circuitry) along with streaming smarts including Google Chromecast, Apple Airplay 2, UPnP and MQA support, and Dirac Live room calibration, while teak-wood veneer side panels match the anniversary edition speakers.
More info: www.convoy.com.au