Cyrus Soundkey DAC & Headphone Amplifier - Ruby

Product Information

The Chord Hugo 2 is designed for both mobile and home use, either with headphones or in a conventional audio system with a line-level output and full-function remote control. One more point, the DUT is powered by USB "5V" rail which actually seldom more than 4.2VDC under 100-300mA of the load, hence, 0dfs THD+N will strongly depend on USB port rail current limiter IC(like TPS2061C) setting.

If you own a pair of Sennheiser HD 800, HD 800S or HD 820 and were looking for their perfect match, the HDV 820 is what you need. Granted, it’s expensive, but it’ll provide a wide soundstage reproduction, excellent tonality and incredible driving capabilities. It has been really fun reviewing the Cyrus Soundkey, and considering its price point, of 150 USD, it makes a good entry on the market. There are DAC/AMPs that are cheaper and similar in shape and design, but the Soundkey surely delivers something new in terms of sound, so it holds its place on the market. This is an interesting part in this review, because I wasn’t expecting the SoundKey to be anything special, but actually, it is a really good portable DAC/AMP. Overall, the driving power is also pretty good, and so are the dynamics, making the Soundkey a very impressive DAC/AMP in terms of sonics.While we listened to considerably more songs than those named in this playlist, those are excellent for identifying certain aspects of the sound, like PRaT, Texturization, Detail, Resolution, Dynamics, Impact, and overall tonality. We recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you're searching for new most, most of them being rather catchy. It provides a boost to volume, so ensure your volume level is low on your handset when initially plugging in your earphones. The Soundkey is designed for portable headphones between 16 and 64 ohms which is a great majority of portable headphone/earphone models. Sound

LED settings can now be adjusted over MCBUS when using a Cyrus XR series integrated or pre amplifier As the long-anticipated replacement to the incredibly popular Chord Mojo, the Chord Mojo 2 is another leap forward for compact DACs. The chief change from the original release is what Chord claims is the world’s first lossless digital signal processor and we were suitably impressed with the second-generation Mojo’s mastery of detailed sound. Sources: Toshiba notebook with Windows 10 OS with JRiver Media Centre and Spotify apps; iPhone 7 with Spotify, HiBy Music, Golden Ear apps; Poco F3 with Spotify and HiBy Music apps / Amplification: Chord Mojo and EarMen Eagle DAC/amps / Headphones: Drop + HiFiMAN HE4XX, Mitchell and Johnson MJ2, KZ Audio AS10 The UI and firmware are also basic, but work. Every smartphone I tried the Soundkey with have detected it without any fuss, and my Desktop PC was able to use it without any issues as well. In fact, it is so hassle-free that I would be able to give it a thumbs up as an overall product simply because it works so easily. The main body of the DAC is 59 x 18 x 11mm (WDH) and connects to the USB-C plug housing via 50mm of braided, flexible cable. This is a clever configuration because it means the HC3 has a male USB-C connection and doesn’t need an additional cable to connect to the output of your source player. And the digital signal travels through a length of noise-shielded cable before it’s processed.The iFi GO bar has a clean, crisp sound signature and, by default, does not emphasize the lower frequencies. This gives it a lively and resolving presentation that listeners can tune to their liking using the XBass and XSpace controls. Where to buy The physical design is clean and simple, with buttons on the side and a crisp OLED display on the front. An included case offers protection from scratches and fingerprints, as the shiny, larger body is prone to both. The FiiO Q1 Mark II is a piece of kit that spreads itself a little too thin. While there is definitely a place for its bigger body, tactile buttons and multiple ports versus sleeker, smaller products like the Cyrus soundKey, there’s no getting away from the fact the latter provides better audio performance. Frankly, the only missing things are a replaceable cable and a Lightning-to-USB adapter for iOS devices. Of course, if you aren’t an Apple user, this will not impact you.

There’s a good sense of scale and focus to the sound, with the hip-dac able to convey the majesty of the piece well. The ability to organise detail into a cohesive and musical whole is obvious here, as the iFi never sounds out of its depth. Verdict

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Some Cyrus products such as the 6DAC and 82DAC use BFA connectors as speaker terminals. These terminations are easy to add to a length of cable. Simply remove the hard plastic shielding and use the small screw to grip your stripped length of cable before replacing the shielding. These connectors will work with any amplifier with either BFA or 4mm banana connectors. When you look at it, you know it is going to be a good portable DAC/AMP, but let's be honest, how portable is it?