That being said, this graphical layout gives it minimalist chic, something Cyrus does well. They’re very difficult to see under normal domestic lighting conditions, meaning you either commit the sequence of inputs to memory or be prepared to shine your smartphone’s torch on them every time you want to change input. Three of those inputs (Chromecast, turntable, and the analogue line-level input marked ‘AV’) are in white, and the other five (Bluetooth, HDMI, USB, optical and coaxial) are in that traditional Cyrus tricky-to-read dark red. Meanwhile, the lights that indicate the volume level and input selected are a nice enough touch, but for some inexplicable reason Cyrus has chosen very small, unilluminated icons to indicate input. For example, the lacquered plastic that forms the fascia resonates if tapped with a fingernail, while the two big control dials that govern input selection and volume feel no more luxurious. While we’ll soon come to just how great the Cyrus sounds, it doesn’t make much of a case for itself where looks, ergonomics, finish or (to a far lesser extent) build quality are concerned.
The ‘look’ and ‘feel’ undermine the One Cast a little. If all else fails, though, the Cyrus is supplied with a basic remote control that feels as inexpensive as it looks. The One Cast has a pair of Wi-Fi aerials, can operate at 2.4 or 5GHz and proved rock-solid in its connectivity during this test–but still, we’re all serious people aren’t we? Is the lifestyle market really so cavalier about signal stability?Ĭontrol of wireless devices is via the app of the relevant streaming service, and the basics can also be controlled using voice commands–the One Cast can be prompted if there’s an Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant mic-equipped device on the network or can be Siri’d via an Apple HomePod. What ‘everything’ doesn’t include is an Ethernet socket. All incoming digital signals are dealt with by a 32bit/192kHz (and heavily breathed-on) ESS Sabre DAC. Connected to a laptop, it can handle incoming digital files of up to 32bit/192kHz or DSD128 standard–both the optical and coaxial inputs are restricted to PCM stereo only. The USB is a Type-B socket you’re probably more used to seeing on the back of a printer. It also means aptX Bluetooth, Apple AirPlay 2 and wi-fi connectivity for use with any Chromecast-compatible apps and services. There are a pair of stereo RCA analogue outputs for connection to a power amp, and chunky speaker binding posts for just a single pair. It means a fair number of physical inputs: digital optical, digital coaxial, HDMI ARC, stereo RCA line-level and stereo RCA moving magnet phono stage. ‘Everything’, in this instance, means 100 watts per channel of Class D amplification with a heady 78 amps of instantaneous current available. It’s the usual half-width box comprising amplification and extensive connectivity, including streaming–on paper, at least, it has everything it needs to compete in this brave new lifestyle world. To keep up with Naim et al, and to convince lifestylers of its credentials, Cyrus has served up the One Cast. The Cyrus One amplifier set the Cyrus ‘half-width/shoe-box’ design template, and the company has enjoyed this particular USP ever since.ģ6 years is a fair while, though, even in two-channel hi-fi. Mind you, Cyrus – to choose a brand not entirely at random – has, perhaps inadvertently, been pandering to the lifestyle-obsessed ever since its very first product launched in 1984. Its ‘Uniti’ range of streaming amplifiers has done wonders, both for the company’s profile and its balance sheet, and at the same time has made a few nominal rivals look rather like Luddites. Probably the most resonant recent example of a previously rather hairshirted company seeing the ‘lifestyle’ light and amending their products accordingly is that of Naim. Because if they’re not, then they’re hardly enhancing their owners’ lifestyle. Products have to be simple to set up and operate, wide-ranging in their functionality, and impeccable in their performance. Consumers’ lifestyles don’t allow for it. If concessions are going to be made, they’ll be made by the lucky owners of these manufacturers’ products rather than the other way around.īut more sensible – or pragmatic – audio companies accept there’s no longer any virtue in complexity for its own sake. Simple functionality is no longer enough when you’re enjoying a ‘lifestyle’.įor some of the more dogmatic brands involved in the hi-fi industry, the ideal of ‘lifestyle’ is anathema. Aspire to a ‘lifestyle’ and suddenly everything you own has to complement it and enhance it. After all, if you just live a ‘life’, then your belongings are simply part of it. Having a ‘lifestyle’, rather than a plain old-fashioned ‘life’, can make significant demands on your possessions.
0 kommentar(er)
