Cyrus 8 DAC

Product Overview

With all the features of the 6 DAC model but with a higher power option of 2 x 70 Watts per channel. All 11 inputs can be individually named from a large list in the setup wizard. Also included is a great headphone facility and twin speaker output for bi-wiring. One of the outstanding features of this amplifier is that you can simply plug in a PSX-R power supply that will clearly improve your systems resolution. The new CD T and or Stream X₂ are the perfect systems partners.

Further Information

The 8 DAC is a powerful integrated amplifier with its 2 x 70W power output and extended range of digital inputs. You can connect to five digital sources including music from your computer, TV or satellite box so you can enjoy many audio sources through your Cyrus system. Because the DAC is a high quality Cyrus design all digital source connected will be upgraded to true Cyrus quality. Have you considered listening to TV or DVD through your system? The digital inputs on the versatile Cyrus 8 DAC will dramatically improve both film and music programs and transforms the very limited audio quality built into modern flat screen TV’s into high quality stereo audio.

The amplifier even lets you play one source in the main room and another in a second room. Select from six analogue inputs, five digital inputs and set a zone two output so you can play any source in another part of your home, Bi-wireable speaker terminals, a good quality headphone amplifier, Pre-amplifier output (for bi-amping), large clear high quality LCD screen, a powerful custom menu system you can use to fine tune your setup and system remote control.

The powerful onboard software system allows the customization of many features including individual input sensitivity matching and multiple display modes. A nice feature is that you can rename input one as CD input two as TV and so on. This makes using the amplifier very elegant as you tune your menus to fit exactly how you want your system to work for you.

Options
Later on if you would like more power you can return your Cyrus 8 DAC to the factory and we can upgrade the DAC to our more advanced Qx model, this option maintains the value of your investment as you can, upgrade rather than replace, to improve your systems performance in the future! Your retailer can show you how to add further options like power supplies for even better resolution of a power amplifier to add dynamics and exhilarating zest to your system.

Technical Information

Cyrus 8 DAC

The talented 8 DAC amplifier is part of Cyrus’ upgradeable amplifier platform that has been created so that we can invest comprehensively in the core platform and make several versions from this shared asset. The 8 DAC benefits from all of the original investment that went into the top Cyrus 8 Qx DAC model albeit the 8 DAC is fitted with our 2 x 70 Watt power amplifier, a quality DAC and 5 digital inputs.

The foundation of the new Cyrus amplifier platform is a revised power supply that takes advantage of the latest components that have only recently become available, allowing the 8 DAC to deliver remarkable performance for such an affordable amplifier. The new power supply design provides peak power output (190W peak power into a 1 Ohm load) allowing the resulting performance to compete favourably with amplifiers of double its conservatively rated 40W RMS specifications. The front panel boasts a high quality LCD display that shows volume, the input selected and a set-up menu that allows you to setup your amplifier to work exactly the way that suits you.

The power supply is unusually sophisticated for an integrated amplifier because it boasts two transformers designed to separately feed ‘digital’ and ‘analogue’ sections. The first transformer feeds some digital sections and controls our low powers standby feature that enables the amplifier to consume less than one Watt while in standby mode. The second transformer supplies the sensitive low level signals and power sections. Further sub regulation ensures each part of the amplifier that feeds the speakers is made from very clean supplies that contribute to this amplifiers fine performance. In addition this dual transformer arrangement allows us to offer useful ‘green’ energy savings without compromising the audio circuitry.

Sharing core technology with the higher power models means the Cyrus 8 DAC is sonically voiced to match with the wide range of Cyrus power amps to allow customers to add stereo or Mono amps for higher performance in the future. This modular approach will extend the life of your investment and add many options for system improvement not available in less well conceived product ranges.

In the future, the 8 DAC owner can take advantage of a wide range of upgrade options that allowing them to expand the performance in affordable stages.

Upgrade options include:

Add an even higher quality 24bit/192kHz DAC
The DAC card in the Cyrus 8 DAC is based around a quality Digital to Analogue Converter more usually found in digital devices several times the price of the 8 DAC. However Cyrus make a more advanced DAC option called the Qx card that can further upgrade all connected digital sources. This additional Qx model has advanced features such as re-clocking and up-sampling that will make all your digital sources sound very special indeed.

Preamp output / bi-amping
Use the preamp section with one of the wide range of Cyrus power amps. They range from the popular 8 Power through to the breathtaking Mono X300 amps. Because they are designed with the same sonic tuning your Cyrus 8 DAC will match perfectly with an additional power amp. Adding a more powerful power amp such as the X Power will add dynamics and solidity to the sound of your system. If your speakers support dual or bi-wiring inputs, adding another power amp will sound better because you can drive the base and treble speakers separately. (With an 8 DAC the new amp would drive the treble speakers). Your retailer can demonstrate this but in effect you are allowing each section of the speaker to work with its own ‘engine’ and this helps things sound much clearer. Please check your speakers support this option.

Upgrade further by adding a PSX-R power supply.
The successes of Cyrus models over the last quarter of a century could be said to be our attention to detail and willingness to devote time to the audio tuning. Also our huge investment in R&D clearly is a major reason, as are our people, but arguably it is our understanding of power supplies and how to bend them to work to our advantage with both digital and analogue circuits that could be the most important.

The PSX-R is a massive add-on power supply in its own matching case. Because it brings many improvements wherever it is used in a system it is our best selling model and many customers buy more than one to feed the sensitive electronics they have invested in. For the Cyrus 8 DAC model this is the ultimate upgrade. Enhancing the already excellent performance by adding more power, stronger bass, refinement to resolution and increased dynamics the PSX-R is an upgrade many users are surprised by. Ask you retailer to demonstrate the amplifier both with and without effects of the power supply and you will realise why this is Cyrus biggest selling model and has been for over 15 years!

Construction
Enclosure - Cyrus Inverted die-cast chassis

Electrical
Line inputs
6 analogue
8 DAC - Digital inputs - 2 electrical SPDIF (24bit/192kHz) files + 2 optical SPDIF (24bit/192kHz) + 1 USB Computer slave input (16bit/48kHz)

Outputs
Zone 2 or tape
Bi-wire Loudspeakers
Tape-out
Preamp-out
Headphone

Internal power Supplies -
1 x 350 VA Toroidal transformer with 5 regulated rails, plus separate toroidal transformer for control systems

External - Highly regulated PSX-R upgradeable

Communications MC-BUS™ System BUS
Remote Control Supplied with Cyrus system remote control
Standby power consumption less than 1W

Specifications 8 DAC
Continuous Power - 115 W/CH (into 4 Ohms) 70 W/CH (into 8 Ohms)
Burst Power - 320 W (IHF, one channel driven into 1 Ohm)
Distortion - 0.002%, 1 kHz (into 8 Ohms) 0.005%, 1 kHz (into 4 Ohms)
Frequency Response - -3 dB, 0.1Hz and 100kHz
Damping Factor (1kHz) - 150
Input sensitivity (70W) - Line: 237mV
Input impedance - 40kOhm (RCA).
Output voltage - 237mV (Tape out), 480mV (Pre out)
S/N Ratio - 105dBA (ref. 40W)
Channel Balance - ±0.2dB (0dB to -63dB)
Volume control accuracy - ±0.1dB (0dB to -63dB)
Dimensions (H x W x D) -73 x 215 x 360 (mm)
Weight - 5.9 kg
Finish - Quartz silver or Brushed Black

Digital audio performance, 8 DAC model Pre-out
Input voltage - 500mV pk-pk
Input Impedance - 75 Ohms
Sample rate range - 32k – 96k
Audio formats - PCM stereo only
S/N ratio (Pre out, 0db FS) - Better than 100dba
THD+N (pre-out, 0db FS) - Less than 0.004%

QX DAC module
Input voltage - 500mV pk-pk
Input Impedance - 75 Ohms
Sample rate range - 32k – 192k
Audio formats - PCM stereo only
S/N ratio (Pre out, 0db FS) - Better than 100dba
THD+N (pre-out, 0db FS) - Less than 0.002%
Three additional high performance regulated power supplies,
Up-samples to 192kHz,
Factory trimmed quartz master clock for accurate re-clocking