Interesting your results show a big leaning towards power and the amps that can probably drive lower loads which tend to be the winner when they all use similar quality power supplies and similar circuit designs. Essentially then there is on the whole a positive correlation between power (giving lots of current) and sound quality and why taking out preference so far as tonality/voicing, they always tend to be the better amps, especially using 87db sensitive speakers as in your test. That’s exactly what your 3 team reviewer results show. The current and power helps with dynamic headroom of tracks. Then eek out reviewer sound preferences so far as tonality / voicing is concerned (you aren’t listening to slight changes in voicing when you did the test but dynamic capability) and categorise those and you have the winners. I think this goes to show hifi isn’t rocket science and there are not millions of different opinions, as some would have us believe , but that objective consensus exists in hifi. Not sure of the validity of home public tests though, as correct me if I’m wrong aren’t I playing back your room into my room, but not sure how you are doing that Jaap.
For a long time I thought the Atoll I300 would be an exceptional amp if you are into pace, rhythm and timing, so I was surprised not to hear it at all in this test. I also found it to be a little dull, lacking resolution. Both were not lacking on other YT sound demos of this amp. Now I wonder whether there could be some synergistic problems, eventually with the speakers?! My favourites are the Advance, the Yamaha, undecided about the rest. No ranking, though. Thanks for the huge amount of work, time and money, you guys seem to invest, best HiFi channel on YT!
Good to see Cyrus getting some time in the spotlight. I’ve had a Cyrus 8 for about 5 years and it’s astonishing what comes out of that little black box. Interesting that one person says it’s very boring yet another says it’s definitely not boring.
I still own a Cyrus two, from 1989, and it still works fine, I like a lot the Cyrus performance here, but is too much sophisticated now, talking about circuitry I prefer the Rega or also the Yamaha, more analog style in my opinion.
I bought a Rega Elicit Mk5 a few days ago and I have to say it surpasses my expectations. I liked my previous Rega Elex-R, but the Elicit sounds much more hi-fi. It has a beautiful rich sound, and the dac, the phono stage and headphones out are a great addition and sound a lot better than I expected. It took my sound system to a whole new level.
Greatly enjoyed. Thanks. I didn't watch as you changed amps, and even if I had, I only recognised two of them -- the Arcam and Yamaha as it happened. So effectively, it was blind for me. My three favourites were first, the Arcam, followed by the Cyrus and Rega. Interestingly, all three are British designs -- and I am British, so maybe I picked those that most suit past familiarity and preference. That said, the amp I use at home in my main system is a combo of pre- and power, neither of which are British. I was interested to hear about those amazing powered speakers you mentioned -- didn't quite catch the name. Could you repeat it for me please?
How does cyrus classic compares to keces e40 if your memory serves you, I wonder? Thank you in advance, I have been obsessively listening this video and the old 2500€ video.
For me via Dac, headphones & youtube was the MOON and Rega. Moon had me tapping and involved most in the music. Rega was impressive in the fun factor. Arcam third for it's large presentation...
@@TheAlphaAudio Thx for your response. I'm surprised to hear that, the quality of their equipment is in little doubt but perhaps they feel they have nothing to gain from comparisons.
For me the Rega sounded as though it came from the next price level above on the first track. But I agree those vocal missed something in the last track. Still had it winning, then 2nd would be the Yamaha nice smooth and detailed, then thirdly I liked the Arcam.
What I love about tests like these is that it makes me realize what a great time in audio history we live in. To me , it is a matter of appeal over objective quality. I want them all! But I will say the moon did the most appealing job with voice- richer more natural, at least on the first track.
The Cyrus is the most engaging for me, the Yamaha the most refined - perhaps the easiest to listen too for long periods but I really like the Atoll too, it seems to have a clarity I really enjoy. Such a shame Exposure showed no interest in taking part as I feel perhaps their amp may have married the qualities of those above.
Interesting test! I use an older amp which I bought from an audio reviewer. He used it as one of his references as it has no output transformer so it was dead flat into any speaker load. As mentioned in the test, amps load slightly differently so frequently response differences occur causing amps to sound different.
SS amps DON"T HAVE output transformers, only tube amps do. Independence from variations from speaker load are due to having a very robust and beefy power supply and good damping factor, not because they have no output transformer!
Hi Alpha Audio! Thanks. Following your idea of matching a regular buyer’s setup I wonder why the available integrated phono preamplifier of each contender wouldn’t have been a nice choice? How costly is the combination of this record player and the Primare Phono preamplifier? In a nutshell your choices are very « composite ». A more affordable record player or a more available one in the shops would have been great ;-) How nice to listen to these well chosen recordings ! Your language is very exotic to my ears -;) These fast lyrics are very tricky for hi-fi replay. Your loudspeakers are so good as for these listening tests. I have never eared their coloration or intrinsic signature. How to find such a great listening demo in a physical reseller? So grateful of your commitment in sharing this live sessions with us
Thanks to your benchmark I begin to have even shier interest in vinyl. Said differently the record that played Tower of Power or the vintage recording requires such an outstanding playback setup. Do you agree?
Thank you for your comment. We used a separate phono pre amp because not all amplifiers had a phono stage. Also: the device under test needs to be the weak link. Otherwise you dont notice the differences as well. Dutch is indeed a strange language... i agree :-).
@@MatthieuMAZERA some old recordings can be tough because there isnt a lot of low frequency information. The mids and treble need to be reproduced very clean in order to not sound harsh.
Is it about what sound you like or about which one sounds like a lifelike performance? For me the yamaha was the best in making me believe Wende was really singing in front of me...
It would interesting to see a comparisons of A/B integrated amps with VU Meters up in the next price range. For example: Advanced Paris X-I1100, Yamaha A-S3200, Luxman L-505z, Accuphase E-280.
Great test, very interesting results… shows sources make a difference too. Nice to see the vinyl in the mix. Glad Rega was favourable. I have the Aethos with Spendor D7.2 speakers, very happy with it. Am jealous of the TADs though, would love to hear them one day. 🥰
Hi guys! Thank you so much for doing this, this was so informative and fun to watch. Question: What other amps would you say sound similar to the Cyrus?
I downloaded samples from the Database, and I have listened carrefuly , I made my choice, and then revisited top 3 from your guests, and yours and surprise...I like the best two of the favorites based on your votes Arcam(3 votes) and Yamaha(3 votes)... I'm glad that I hear somehow close to yours educated ears :)...so my top 3, starting to the best is : 1.Arcam; 2.Yamaha; 3. Cyrus
@@TheAlphaAudio Too bad that the Arcam design and screen is sooo outdated 🤦🏻♂️... and software is sluggish according to many reviewers... there is no comparison terms from the construction point between Arcam and Yamaha... I would like to hear some audio tests for Rega Aethos... I think many of us had remain with something intriguing about Rega sound
I'm mostly with you on your choices. However, try to compare the Cyrus to the Arcam again. Initially the Arcam seems like the better choice. More clarity, good articulation and tone. But, I find myself a bit bored while listening to it. With the Cyrus I notice a little loss in clarity but I find it more involving. The PRAT and articulation are better. I'm just more involved with the music. Not sure if you agree or not? Just curious. Perhaps I'm missing something? No wrong choice here. The Arcam gives you more power and streaming so it appears to be better value.
I keep coming back to this video and to my surprise the Advance Paris seems to be my favorite. It’s not the best at anything but it’s the more well rounded. Do you happen to know if those tubes are user replaceable or are they soldered to the board?
@@jmtennapel Thanks! I ordered one yesterday after listening to your samples of the test by the 15th time and reading the article. Lets see how it does in my much inferior system.
Don't thnk so, although pairing speakers and amps is very important. But if a speaker isn't all that hard to drive and the response is flat enough, the outcome will be the same.
just discovered the Advanced Paris 12, why isn't the mainstream press not all over this thing? was going to buy the Rega but now thinking again. thanks
The more I listen to all of these amps the more I appreciate the Cyrus. It's not as transparent or detailed as most of the amps here, but there is some quality about it that draws me into the music more than the others do. It connects me on an emotional level.
Thank you very much for this incredibly valuable comparison review, I really learned a lot from it, quite enlightening. You've confirmed my leanings toward the Yamaha AS 1200, but I still have some reservations regarding matching it with my Bowers 705 S2's. Would it be a better match to go with the Arcam SA30, or something else in this or slightly lower price range? Any response would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for your time and effort. I would suggest to play the reference amplifier (pass labs) in this kind of tests in future so the audience can make it's own comparisons with the reference sound.
It doesn't serve the prospective buyers in this price range in their search and selection process. One of the motivations for us is to give people this opportunity to listen for differences and make up their own mind.
Start of the stream: 14:18 - 15:24
Introduction of the test: 15:24 - 24:53
Amplifier 1 (Advance Paris A12): 24:53 - 42:08
Amplifier 2 (Arcam SA30): 42:08 - 59:11
Amplifier 3 (Atoll IN300): 59:11 - 1:15:16
Amplifier 4 (Yamaha A-S1200): 1:15:16 - 1:31:19
Amplifier 5 (Moon i250): 1:31:19 - 1:53:15
Short discussion on the reference gear: 1:53:15 - 1:56:00
Lunchbreak: 1:56:00 - 2:30:18
After lunch summary: 2:30:18 - 2:36:08
The Advance Paris refresher : 2:36:08 - 2:42:44
Amplifier 6 (Cyrus Classic Amp): 2:42:44 - 2:59:00
Amplifier 7 (Rega Elicit MK5): 2:59:00 - 3:11:32
Revealing the amps: 3:11:32 - 3:18:15
Conclusion: 3:18:15 - 3:38:35
Interesting your results show a big leaning towards power and the amps that can probably drive lower loads which tend to be the winner when they all use similar quality power supplies and similar circuit designs. Essentially then there is on the whole a positive correlation between power (giving lots of current) and sound quality and why taking out preference so far as tonality/voicing, they always tend to be the better amps, especially using 87db sensitive speakers as in your test. That’s exactly what your 3 team reviewer results show. The current and power helps with dynamic headroom of tracks. Then eek out reviewer sound preferences so far as tonality / voicing is concerned (you aren’t listening to slight changes in voicing when you did the test but dynamic capability) and categorise those and you have the winners. I think this goes to show hifi isn’t rocket science and there are not millions of different opinions, as some would have us believe , but that objective consensus exists in hifi. Not sure of the validity of home public tests though, as correct me if I’m wrong aren’t I playing back your room into my room, but not sure how you are doing that Jaap.
For a long time I thought the Atoll I300 would be an exceptional amp if you are into pace, rhythm and timing, so I was surprised not to hear it at all in this test. I also found it to be a little dull, lacking resolution. Both were not lacking on other YT sound demos of this amp. Now I wonder whether there could be some synergistic problems, eventually with the speakers?! My favourites are the Advance, the Yamaha, undecided about the rest. No ranking, though. Thanks for the huge amount of work, time and money, you guys seem to invest, best HiFi channel on YT!
terrible music srsly
1 - Moon pour le suivi mélodique et la délicatesse des voix.
2 - Atoll pour l’énergie et la résolution.
Good to see Cyrus getting some time in the spotlight. I’ve had a Cyrus 8 for about 5 years and it’s astonishing what comes out of that little black box. Interesting that one person says it’s very boring yet another says it’s definitely not boring.
I still own a Cyrus two, from 1989, and it still works fine, I like a lot the Cyrus performance here, but is too much sophisticated now, talking about circuitry I prefer the Rega or also the Yamaha, more analog style in my opinion.
Yamaha all day. Stil happy with mine AS3000 😊
Great job guys, my top 3 here is Cyrus, Yamaha and Rega. Thanks a lot! :)
I bought a Rega Elicit Mk5 a few days ago and I have to say it surpasses my expectations. I liked my previous Rega Elex-R, but the Elicit sounds much more hi-fi. It has a beautiful rich sound, and the dac, the phono stage and headphones out are a great addition and sound a lot better than I expected. It took my sound system to a whole new level.
It is a very nice amp indeed.
Greatly enjoyed. Thanks.
I didn't watch as you changed amps, and even if I had, I only recognised two of them -- the Arcam and Yamaha as it happened. So effectively, it was blind for me. My three favourites were first, the Arcam, followed by the Cyrus and Rega. Interestingly, all three are British designs -- and I am British, so maybe I picked those that most suit past familiarity and preference. That said, the amp I use at home in my main system is a combo of pre- and power, neither of which are British.
I was interested to hear about those amazing powered speakers you mentioned -- didn't quite catch the name. Could you repeat it for me please?
Thanks for watching! The speakers are System audio... Great stuff!
The best for me: 1. Arcam 2. Rega 3. Cyrus.
Same by me.
Many better options in this price range.
How does cyrus classic compares to keces e40 if your memory serves you, I wonder? Thank you in advance, I have been obsessively listening this video and the old 2500€ video.
For me via Dac, headphones & youtube was the MOON and Rega. Moon had me tapping and involved most in the music. Rega was impressive in the fun factor. Arcam third for it's large presentation...
My 3 top, not in order of preference. Advance Paris, Moon and Yamaha. The Rega looks like was tuned towards the mids, not my taste
Thank you for your time and work ! Very profesional test as we expect ! Can you please tell me when sample will be available for download in Database?
I guess on Monday.
I would like to hear the favourites of this test up against the competition from Exposure, Primare and Hegel.
We invited all three. Primare launches a new model soon. Hegel and Exposure didn't reply.
@@TheAlphaAudio Thx for your response. I'm surprised to hear that, the quality of their equipment is in little doubt but perhaps they feel they have nothing to gain from comparisons.
@@LA_Coaster who knows...
Hi Alpha Audio! Thanks. Doesn’t Naim Nait XS 3 fall into this category as well?
@@MatthieuMAZERA yes.
For me the Rega sounded as though it came from the next price level above on the first track. But I agree those vocal missed something in the last track. Still had it winning, then 2nd would be the Yamaha nice smooth and detailed, then thirdly I liked the Arcam.
What I love about tests like these is that it makes me realize what a great time in audio history we live in. To me , it is a matter of appeal over objective quality. I want them all! But I will say the moon did the most appealing job with voice- richer more natural, at least on the first track.
Can you please tell me which 3 Songs you played.
Thanks.
Wende - Het is genoeg, Vega Trails - Train to Kyoto, Tower of Power - Fanfare/You know it
How do these amps compare to the diy class d amps purify, hypex modules
The Cyrus is the most engaging for me, the Yamaha the most refined - perhaps the easiest to listen too for long periods but I really like the Atoll too, it seems to have a clarity I really enjoy. Such a shame Exposure showed no interest in taking part as I feel perhaps their amp may have married the qualities of those above.
Interesting test!
I use an older amp which I bought from an audio reviewer. He used it as one of his references as it has no output transformer so it was dead flat into any speaker load.
As mentioned in the test, amps load slightly differently so frequently response differences occur causing amps to sound different.
SS amps DON"T HAVE output transformers, only tube amps do. Independence from variations from speaker load are due to having a very robust and beefy power supply and good damping factor, not because they have no output transformer!
Sorry, I meant to say it has no output inductor.
The more I listen the more I think that the Rega put em all to shame I’m afraid.
Also taste. But the Rega is a very nice amp indeed.
Hi Alpha Audio! Thanks. Following your idea of matching a regular buyer’s setup I wonder why the available integrated phono preamplifier of each contender wouldn’t have been a nice choice? How costly is the combination of this record player and the Primare Phono preamplifier? In a nutshell your choices are very « composite ». A more affordable record player or a more available one in the shops would have been great ;-) How nice to listen to these well chosen recordings ! Your language is very exotic to my ears -;) These fast lyrics are very tricky for hi-fi replay. Your loudspeakers are so good as for these listening tests. I have never eared their coloration or intrinsic signature. How to find such a great listening demo in a physical reseller? So grateful of your commitment in sharing this live sessions with us
Thanks to your benchmark I begin to have even shier interest in vinyl. Said differently the record that played Tower of Power or the vintage recording requires such an outstanding playback setup. Do you agree?
Thank you for your comment. We used a separate phono pre amp because not all amplifiers had a phono stage. Also: the device under test needs to be the weak link. Otherwise you dont notice the differences as well.
Dutch is indeed a strange language... i agree :-).
@@MatthieuMAZERA some old recordings can be tough because there isnt a lot of low frequency information. The mids and treble need to be reproduced very clean in order to not sound harsh.
Is it about what sound you like or about which one sounds like a lifelike performance?
For me the yamaha was the best in making me believe Wende was really singing in front of me...
I liked the Rega, moon and Yamaha
It would interesting to see a comparisons of A/B integrated amps with VU Meters up in the next price range. For example: Advanced Paris X-I1100, Yamaha A-S3200, Luxman L-505z, Accuphase E-280.
Not gonna lie. Dankegoud genoug goud genoug 😂
Great test, very interesting results… shows sources make a difference too. Nice to see the vinyl in the mix. Glad Rega was favourable. I have the Aethos with Spendor D7.2 speakers, very happy with it. Am jealous of the TADs though, would love to hear them one day. 🥰
Thanks. Glad you like the stream!
Atoll IN300 is absolute the winner!
Hi guys! Thank you so much for doing this, this was so informative and fun to watch. Question: What other amps would you say sound similar to the Cyrus?
A Cyrus... ;-)... Seriously. It is a signature sound they create.
@@TheAlphaAudio it's so cool. Thanks for the response
I downloaded samples from the Database, and I have listened carrefuly , I made my choice, and then revisited top 3 from your guests, and yours and surprise...I like the best two of the favorites based on your votes Arcam(3 votes) and Yamaha(3 votes)... I'm glad that I hear somehow close to yours educated ears :)...so my top 3, starting to the best is : 1.Arcam; 2.Yamaha; 3. Cyrus
Thanks for the feedback!
@@TheAlphaAudio Too bad that the Arcam design and screen is sooo outdated 🤦🏻♂️... and software is sluggish according to many reviewers... there is no comparison terms from the construction point between Arcam and Yamaha... I would like to hear some audio tests for Rega Aethos... I think many of us had remain with something intriguing about Rega sound
I'm mostly with you on your choices. However, try to compare the Cyrus to the Arcam again. Initially the Arcam seems like the better choice. More clarity, good articulation and tone. But, I find myself a bit bored while listening to it. With the Cyrus I notice a little loss in clarity but I find it more involving. The PRAT and articulation are better. I'm just more involved with the music. Not sure if you agree or not? Just curious. Perhaps I'm missing something? No wrong choice here. The Arcam gives you more power and streaming so it appears to be better value.
curious which amp is better at low volume. I like the AS30 and maybe the Yamaha
It depends on the speaker.
Arcam - stays in class A below 12 watts and sounds amazing .
I keep coming back to this video and to my surprise the Advance Paris seems to be my favorite. It’s not the best at anything but it’s the more well rounded. Do you happen to know if those tubes are user replaceable or are they soldered to the board?
The tubes are not user replaceable.
@@jmtennapel Thanks! I ordered one yesterday after listening to your samples of the test by the 15th time and reading the article. Lets see how it does in my much inferior system.
@@renatomorais8136 Enjoy! It is a very nice amplifier.
I came in late, but for what I seen, this was nice
Thanks. We had a lot of fun and we learned a lot.
I am very curious if you all would do this blindtest again a year later, but with a different speaker. Would the outcome be totally different?
Don't thnk so, although pairing speakers and amps is very important. But if a speaker isn't all that hard to drive and the response is flat enough, the outcome will be the same.
Moon, Atoll, Rega above the rest.
3 on that couch looks uncomfortable 😳
Yeah. We need a bigger one.
It was very cosy ;)
just discovered the Advanced Paris 12, why isn't the mainstream press not all over this thing? was going to buy the Rega but now thinking again. thanks
Well... We really like Advance Paris... Don't know why the other channels don't discuss it...
My favs 1, 4, 6, 7.
The more I listen to all of these amps the more I appreciate the Cyrus. It's not as transparent or detailed as most of the amps here, but there is some quality about it that draws me into the music more than the others do. It connects me on an emotional level.
Can you please put time stamps for each amp so we can listen to the music on each amp without having to spend 3 1/2 hours?
It is up in one of the comments now, and will be added to the description. It will take TH-cam some time to process though.
Thank you very much for this incredibly valuable comparison review, I really learned a lot from it, quite enlightening. You've confirmed my leanings toward the Yamaha AS 1200, but I still have some reservations regarding matching it with my Bowers 705 S2's. Would it be a better match to go with the Arcam SA30, or something else in this or slightly lower price range? Any response would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for your time and effort. I would suggest to play the reference amplifier (pass labs) in this kind of tests in future so the audience can make it's own comparisons with the reference sound.
It doesn't serve the prospective buyers in this price range in their search and selection process. One of the motivations for us is to give people this opportunity to listen for differences and make up their own mind.
Good Job. Very interesting.
Thanks!
doesn't look like there the McIntosh MA 8950 in the mix, too bad, deserves to be tested here.
That amp is 11.500 Eur...
They sounded the same to me because all i hear is the compreesed audio via my TV speakers.
use headphones
What is the first track?
You find the tracks in the description.
@@TheAlphaAudio would I have asked if I could.. :) You have only two tracks in the description
I’ve yet to hear decent music on any ‘audiophile’ test…