Cyrus 40 PPA

A phono preamp that shows the future of technology applied to vinyl listening.

Does the world need another phono preamp? There are countless options, from a few euros to the price of a city apartment, but where is the middle ground? That hypothetical balance where we find convenience, good design, excellent sound, and an accessible price. Cyrus has stepped up and put a proposal on the table that, from my point of view, is exceptional.

Construction

The Cyrus 40 series represents an innovative move within its extensive legacy. They have maintained the "half width" format of the equipment but have included white OLED displays and a renewed chassis with top tier mechanical machining. It is, to put it plainly, a product that not only sounds first rate but also looks like a High End product.

Naturally, the most striking part is the front screen. Featuring touch sensitive controls and a respectable size, it clearly shows us at all times the information we need to know about our phono preamp: which input is active (as the preamp allows for up to 4 connections) and the configuration applied to each. This is a huge help if you have multiple cartridges or different tonearms on your turntable.

Returning to the front, when turning the unit on via the touch screen or the remote control, the white text provides excellent contrast and zero eye fatigue, though it is also possible to modify the brightness or even turn the display off completely.

The signal output also features both Single Ended (RCA) and Balanced (XLR) provisions, broadening the options for using preamps or amplifiers and for equipment placement, since XLR cables allow for greater distances between units.

How It Sounds

Before starting, a mandatory review of the equipment used:

• Preamp: McIntosh C504

• Amplifier: McIntosh MC502

• Turntable: Pro project Xpression 1 carbon, acrylic platter, 8.6 inch carbon Evo arm.

• Cartridge: Audio Technica AT OC9 MC III / Sumiko No.3 Blue Low.

• Interconnects: Stager Silver Solids

• Power Treatment: Lampizator Silk

• Power Cables: Bazco Audio L1 (custom)

• Speakers: Axxess L1

• Speaker Cables: Viablue SC 4

• Rack: Artesanía Audio Prestige 4 / Artesanía Audio Glass Turntable Rack.

• Accessories: Artesanía Audio Damper / Gutwire Ultimate Ground Cable.

The ritual begins: a quick cleaning of the chosen vinyl, placing it on the turntable, another dusting with air and brush, everything on, turntable spinning, carefully dropping the needle. Music and rhythm flood the room. The Cyrus display lights up with the levels of both stereo channels and shows us that we are listening to an MC cartridge, along with the parameters we previously configured.

We start by listening to the new Speakers Corner production: This is Clarence Carter. It is clear to us that the PPA is a top tier product. Zero background noise, zero. The transitions between songs are of a deep, dense silence on the Pallas test pressing. The veteran Audio Technica traces the vinyl valleys with laser precision and provides a sound full of color, presence, and excellent dynamic range. The PPA does its part, providing exceptional amplification of the faint signal. It is not necessary to over rely on the gain control; the McIntosh duo, with more years behind them than the rest of the components combined, performs brilliantly (largely thanks to the power treatment and accompanying cables), making it hard to distinguish between the vinyl listening and the digital front, with one small exception. The streaming file of this album is of abysmal quality, so it pales in comparison to the warm and dynamic sound of our record. In this sense, the PPA is competing with a DAC that costs several times its price and yet, depending on the source, does not allow for a fair comparison.

The soul sound presents defined and deep bass, and a voice with impressive texture and clarity. The rhythm is transmitted sharp and complete, even warming our blood a bit; on these cold winter mornings, a little movement does us good.

We attempt to balance the scales by moving to another production we recently reviewed, Brandee Younger’s Gadabout Season. Once again, the Cyrus showed exemplary behavior with a clarity, detail, and presence that demanded real consideration. The projection of the harp transients was presented with exceptional detail. A spectacular treat on this excellent pressing and master.

As I mentioned in the album review:

From a sonic standpoint, Gadabout Season is a recording of great technical refinement. The dynamic range is wide and carefully managed: the music breathes, there is air between instruments, and a clear separation that allows one to appreciate the overall subtlety of the work.

To a large extent, I must give credit to the Cyrus, as the rest of the analog front is quite basic at this point in my re encounter with it. That said, the vinyls keep playing at a breakneck pace; it had been some time since I dedicated hours to vinyl listening, and I must say the Cyrus is largely responsible for the relapse. The ease of use, the excellent sound, the adaptability of the unit, the whole package.

Changing the cartridge took only a few seconds to reconfigure and return to the desired performance of the Sumiko Blue, whose swap was only complicated by the physical installation itself.

Now, I must address the topic of the optional power supply for the 40 PPA. In my case, I did not request it for the review for a few reasons. First, I like to evaluate equipment individually when possible; second, my power treatment system is quite good, so I did not anticipate problems. However, I am aware that the performance can and should improve by applying a power supply with better specifications. I leave this to the customer's taste and budget.

Regardless, it is positive to know that an upgrade path exists if one wishes to give the 40 PPA an extra push, not that it strictly needs it. The only thing left pending was taking advantage of the possibility of connecting more than one tonearm, which my simple Pro project does not allow, although I did switch the connectors between inputs and noted no difference between them, which is exactly as it should be.

Conclusions

At this point in my life, I have tested and listened to several phono preamps, and in my estimation, the Cyrus scores very high among those based on digital circuits or discrete components (those that do not operate with tubes).

In terms of clarity and fidelity, I have no doubt about the Cyrus 40 PPA’s capability; in systems with good definition and clean vinyl in good condition, it is an excellent option for enjoying our favorite records.

I can only imagine the improvement the pairing with the official power supply would offer; fortunately, as I found no noise or hum of any kind in my system, for the moment it seems we can do without it.

I also highlight the functionality of the display, as the depth and ease of configuration, along with the signal meters, make setup easy and precise. These are elements I would like to see in more equipment.

Gallery.