Earlier this year I decided to purchase a new integrated amplifier, and it was high time I began my journey with Cyrus. Read on as I get stuck in with the Cyrus ONE…

Disclaimer:
This review is not sponsored or paid for by Cyrus.
I purchased this brand new Cyrus ONE myself.
The views in this review are my own unbiased and honest opinion.
The Cyrus ONE retails at £799 and can be bought from Cyrus at the following link:
https://www.cyrusaudio.com/shop/cyrus-one/

Review equipment and software:
Cyrus ONE.
Pro-Ject Debut Carbon EVO. ( Ortofon 2M Red )
Bowers & Wilkins DM601/S3.
Klipsch RP-500M.
Sennheiser HD600.
Grado SR125e.
Apple MacBook Air running Qobuz Studio Premier.
Apple iPhone XS Max running the Cyrus ONE app.
Apple TV 4K running Apple Music.
& a few live concerts I have in my movies library.

AF Audio & Custom Cans cables throughout the entire system.
Audiowalle TP1000 mains conditioners.

Music:
Various new and old albums on vinyl.
Qobuz streamed over Bluetooth.
Live concerts via Apple TV 4K over Bluetooth/Airplay.

What’s in the box:
Cyrus ONE integrated amplifier.
Remote Control.
Mains Cable.
Documentation.

Spec:
Power consumption: Maximum 750W.
Safety Compliance: CE.
EMC (230V): CE.
EMC (115V): FCC.
Dimensions: (WxHxD) 220 x 86.5 x 390 mm.
Weight: 5.72kg.
Material: Non-ferrous chassis.
Input Sensitivity: (50W/8Ω) 200mV.
Input Impedance: 10kΩ.
Frequency Response: (-3dB) 6Hz > 50kHz.
Signal to Noise Ratio: (A-WTD) 85dBA.
Power Output: (2 channels driven) .6Ω 110W.
THD+N: (Pre-Amp) 1kHz <0.006%.
THD+N: (1kHz, 25W) 6Ω <0.012% (both channels driven).
Bluetooth specification:
Bluetooth version: V4.1.
aptXTM: supported for compatible sources.

Build and finish:
This is my first product from Cyrus so I’ve not experienced their gear up close and personal until now.
If I were to sum the Cyrus ONE up in no more than 5 words, I would go with Classic, Flexible, Powerful, Smart and Precise.
The ONE is a piece of art. It’s subtle styling and layout is something that will look great in any room, in any system. It’s built very well and is pretty robust. It has a really cool classic aesthetic to it and wouldn’t look out of place with an older system from the 80’s.
My one complaint: the plastic bezel, as fabulous as it looks has a flaw…
There is a lip that fits over the metal housing of the amp. That lip has the slightest gap between it and the metal. I believe in shipping some pressure has been put on top of the unit resulting in a hairline crack in the centre of the top of the bezel, from front to rear.
Luckily it’s not noticeable as it’s so thin. I don’t know if this is a problem others have had but it’s an annoyance, if a small one.
Otherwise it’s a thing of beauty.
It’s packed with features and offers a good amount of flexibility in regards to how you can use it. Class D Integrated amplifier, pre amp, Power amplifier ( using the AV input ) or dedicated class A/B headphone amplifier. Cyrus have you covered on all fronts.
And if that wasn’t enough, they’ve included a bluetooth channel along with an accompanying control app.
The ONE, packs a wallop. I’ve so far used it with the Klipsch RP-500M my Bowers & Wilkins DM601/S3’s and my old Acoustic Energy AE100i’s.
In each pairing, the ONE powered these speakers flawlessly and without breaking a sweat!
A “smart” feature is SID or system impedance detection . When you power the Cyrus ONE up, it runs through a calibration of the amplifier first. It detects the impedance of the speakers you have connected and optimises the output impedance accordingly.
I’ll get to precision a little later in the sound section.

• 

• 

Setup and ease of use:
The Cyrus ONE is very straight forward to set up and use.
But it’s also very versatile.
Use it as an integrated amplifier, pre amplifier, power amplifier, or headphone amplifier.
And the Cyrus ONE performs perfectly in each configuration.
Remote control is a breeze either with the included physical remote or via the Cyrus ONE app, available either on iOS or Android.
The remote and the app are both simple and easy to understand and use.
One feature I love is the ability to dim the LED’s on the front panel. I really wish more brands would consider this, as some install LED bulbs that are way too bright and work against the aesthetics of an over all system.
Your choice of inputs is from Bluetooth, through 3 line level inputs to an onboard MM phono stage. So you have plenty of options for hook up.
There is also a pre-out, allowing you to use the ONE as a pre amplifier.
My only gripe is the missing line level output. I would have really appreciated the ability to run a line out to my STAX system instead of using the ONE as a pre amp in that regard.
Bluetooth pairing is really easy and the connection is strong and stable once paired.

Sound:
Over speakers:
Powering my Bowers & Wilkins DM601/S3’s the Cyrus ONE doesn’t break a sweat, it performs with authority. With bottom end clout, midrange smoothness and clean crisp highs it packs a wallop in all the right places.
Of the amplifiers I have so far tried with these speakers, this is by far the best pairing.
On a side note, I also reviewed a pair of Klipsch RP-500M recently, using this amplifier as the power source and it did not disappoint!
I was dabbling with the idea of running a subwoofer with my speakers, however since buying and using the Cyrus ONE that idea has melted into the background.
With my B&W’s positioned correctly the Cyrus ONE provides enough power and low end grunt to the point where bass presentation is a joy. Mids and highs are airy and fill the room with clarity, speed and sparkle.

Over headphones:
To keep things realistic and within the price range of this amplifier I decided to use two of my go-to headphones that are under the retail price of the Cyrus ONE.
Both open backed headphones, the Sennheiser HD600’s and Grado SR125e’s are a staple part of my headphone inventory and see a lot of use.
The Cyrus ONE drives both pairs easily, with power and precision.
I found the amplifier to be pretty neutral and didn’t “colour” the sound of either pair of headphones.
I have read good things about the headphone amp section of the ONE but wasn’t expecting it to be on par with, if not better in some cases, than some of my dedicated headphone amplifiers!

Phono stage:
The built in phono stage is a good one. Clean, quiet output which is balanced well with the rest of the Cyrus ONE’s input stage.
I tend not to use onboard phono stages, however this one is good enough that I use it regularly with my Pro-ject Debut Carbon EVO, freeing my KECES Audio ePhono up for an extra tonearm or turntable.

Final thoughts:
This is the first time I’ve spent over £300 on an integrated amplifier, so at first I was a touch nervous at shedding £799 on the Cyrus ONE.
However, since spending time with this integrated amplifier I have been more than impressed with it. It’s been a worthwhile investment and as a reviewer it offers me a lot of flexibility in regards to how I can use it.
For £799 I have a phenomenal Integrated amp in it’s own right. But it’s also a fabulous power amplifier, pre amplifier and headphone amplifier.
The bluetooth connectivity is the icing on the cake for me.
If you’re in the market for a versatile, powerful amplifier that ticks a lot of boxes for under £1000, I can’t recommend the Cyrus ONE highly enough!
If you want to put more your budget up a few notches, You also have the option of the Cyrus ONE HD, and their latest offering, the Cyrus ONE CAST. Each have built in DACs and the CAST also has more flexibility again being compatible with Alexa etc.

Thank you for reading this review and as always, please like, subscribe and share 🙂

Many thanks, Paul.

Partner:
The Audiophile Cafe is partnered with Qobuz.