My New Rack

[john dolan]

http://i58.tinypic.com/2r6z4t0.jpg

CDXTSE cd transport
StreamX
FM Tuner
PhonoX
Xpower
Xpower both mono blocked
PSXR
PSXR
To the right
Audiolab M-dac
AS Passion passive preamp
To the left
Michel Gyodec with Orbe platter
WAD 20 watt valve power amp.
Speakers are PMC TB2 + and out of shot a REL sub.

[Marco]

Have you ever considered trying some Cyrus equipment?

Marco.

[john dolan]

Have you ever considered trying some Cyrus equipment?

Marco.

Also have
DacX
Dab8
Pre VS2
and 2 more
PSXR lol

[john dolan]

Also have more kit from other brands for instance I have 12 preamps

AS passion
Audiolab
Musical fidelity
Glasshouse passive with Seiden 43 stepped attenuator
Glasshouse TVC
Michell Argo HR
ECT

4 dacs
5 tuners
4 amps
2 Garrard 401s

[Marco]

Well, you wouldn't want to be accused of being a fanboy, would you! :D

Marco.

[john dolan]

http://i62.tinypic.com/v8396f.jpg

[Lee1976]

Looks like you have spent a lot of time in Nottingham HIFI John. Looks good mate.

[john dolan]

Yes they have had a good few quid off me over the years.

When the CDXTSE first came out I sent my CD8 off for upgrade via Nottingham HIFI and Cyrus took weeks and in the end the shop found out Cyrus had no Black front panels for the new CD transport.

Nottingham HIFI had a New Integrated CD player and offered to send it back to Cyrus so they could fit it to my transport.

Service like that wins my loyalty and my money.

[Lee1976]

Yes they have had a good few quid off me over the years.

When the CDXTSE first came out I sent my CD8 off for upgrade via Nottingham HIFI and Cyrus took weeks and in the end the shop found out Cyrus had no Black front panels for the new CD transport.

Nottingham HIFI had a New Integrated CD player and offered to send it back to Cyrus so they could fit it to my transport.

Service like that wins my loyalty and my money.

Yes they do look after you. I had a full Cyrus sey up back in the day and always got a good deal. Then they fucked me over with some Kef refrance 1's and I never brought anything since from Notts hifi.

[Audio Al]

:eek: Quick , Get that photo off the TT cover :eek:

Nice show of equipment ;)

[RobbieGong]

Hi John, Reminds me of the Limited Edition Cyrus 30th Anniversary at a mere £17K http://www.cyrusaudio.com/news/cyrus-launches-the-30th-anniversary-system - Bet you wouldnt mind one of them ;)


http://i58.tinypic.com/2r6z4t0.jpg

CDXTSE cd transport
StreamX
FM Tuner
PhonoX
Xpower
Xpower both mono blocked
PSXR
PSXR
To the right
Audiolab M-dac
AS Passion passive preamp
To the left
Michel Gyodec with Orbe platter
WAD 20 watt valve power amp.
Speakers are PMC TB2 + and out of shot a REL sub.

[john dolan]

Im not keen on the look of the new Hark rack.

Signature series of Cyrus kit is very nice but too rich for my blood alas.

[john dolan]

Added a few more units

http://i59.tinypic.com/rsu6uu.jpg

From the top
phonoX
dab8
psxr
cdxtse
stream
psxr
vs2 preamp
xpower mono
xpower mono
psxr
psxr

[Roy S]

Is the Teddy Bear XLR or RCA inputs?

[john dolan]

Is the Teddy Bear XLR or RCA inputs?

My daughters bought him for fathers day says star dad on his front.

[john dolan]

DIY Glasshouse TVC

http://i60.tinypic.com/bgu61t.png

Adds a little more weight and punch than the Passion passive.

Have been swapping between the passives all morning and while the TVC adds weight and drive the passion has bigger cleaner open sound stage and it depends on the music being played which one I prefer.

The passion using its direct input which bypasses the selector switch is as transparent as a transparent thing I just wish it had the extra weight of the TVC lol cant win.

[john dolan]

Internal pic of the Passion

http://i58.tinypic.com/w8n8ud.png

[john dolan]

Now my Cyrus dacX is fixed running full Cyrus system apart from the Passion passive.

http://i57.tinypic.com/2coh9h5.jpg

From top down
Passion passive
psxr
dacX
streamX
phonoX
cdxtse
psxr
Xpower
Xpower
psxr
psxr

to the right of the Hark rack
dab8 ontop of fm.7.5

[john dolan]

Added a Young dac

http://i57.tinypic.com/erluh3.jpg

The M-dac moved over for headphone use with the pc.

[john dolan]

Young dac with Palmer psu

http://i61.tinypic.com/2pt9bti.jpg

[Audio Al]

I see you now have a duster under the photo frame , Better ;)

[john dolan]

Managed to buy a new set of gold knobs for my Passion passive

http://i62.tinypic.com/28usac4.jpg

[Macca]

Did you find the Young DAC to make a big difference, John?

[john dolan]

Did you find the Young DAC to make a big difference, John?

Do you mean the Palmer battery psu if so its a small step up from the mcru psu but it costs a lot more so if you have good ears and revealing kit yes it makes a difference but not a big one.

First day I got it I was reading forums while it played behind me and I heard the sound change from very good to just good and when I turned around to look the battery had started to charge so the young dac was running on mains power so I heard that blind.

The mcru psu gives a nice upgrade over the stock psu more so with the Young dac than the one did on my M-dac so anyone looking for a upgrade to the Young mcru is very good and the Palmer is a little better than that when running from battery.

[john dolan]

The Full Monty

http://i61.tinypic.com/107w4nd.jpg

[john dolan]

Sold all the Cyrus kit

http://i62.tinypic.com/20hvjtg.jpg

michell gyrodec with orbe platter - michell iso phono stage - sbt fed from synology nas or pc into
young dac with palmer psu - passion passive preamp into wad valve amp

[jandl100]

Sold all the Cyrus kit


Coo - big change there.

I've only tried a couple of Cyrus components in recent years - a CD8X cdp and a XPD pre-amp.
The cdp was excellent in a slightly lightweight way, full of life and tonal colour with wonderful imaging - the pre was pants tbh; low rez, dynamically bland, completely 2D staging, easily spoilt an otherwise good system.

What is the WAD amp?

What are your thoughts on the change?

[john dolan]

Agree about the Cyrus preamps ive always used different ones with my kit mostly passives but some actives also.

The WAD has always sounded better than the Cyrus amps to my ears ive owned it for many years.

I do like Cyrus kit but I wanted to reduce my box count and thinking of buying some active speakers next but not sure yet what I fancy tbh.

[jandl100]

... I wanted to reduce my box count

You've certainly done that already :lol: - that Cyrus tower was awesome!

[john dolan]

lots of boxes tho just to play a cd I had Xpower - Xpower - VS2 preamp - dacX - cdxtse - 5 psxr so 10 boxes just to play a cd lol.

[dantheman91]

Sad News Guys....................I know a about links to other sites but i make an exception in this case..:(

http://www.hifiwigwam.com/showthread.php?109727-Sad-News-John-Dolan

Not that i knew him but R.I.P fella.

[jandl100]

:( RIP John.

[Macca]

That is awful news and he will be badly missed here. Thanks for letting us know Dan.

[istari_knight]

Very sorry to hear, a great loss indeed :(

Godspeed John.

[Marco]

John's passing is indeed a great shock to us all. It came out of the blue and was completely unexpected, especially at the young age of 55 :(

Our thoughts and condolences go to all his friends and family. Rest in peace, my friend.

Marco.

[Clive197]

RIP JPD

Clive

[bigmarty]

Very sad at hearing this news, my thoughts are with his brother, family and friends.

Marty