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Cyrus Classic PHONO

Phono stage

Relative price

typical

Among the 44 phono stages in the catalogue, this one is typical.

A band places a component against its peers and carries no price. It is deliberately the only price indicator on this page: a second one, measured against a different set, would narrow the two together far enough to give the figure away.

What it is

Direct predecessor to 40 PPA — same flexible 4-input MM/MC architecture, remote-controllable load adjustment, real-time MC level meters, but 4-layer PCB (vs 40 PPA 6-layer) and older casework.

Hi-Fi Choice editor purchased the previous Phono Signature after a positive review and continues to use it; recommends Classic as direct continuation. Cyrus state explicitly: "no real need to change" if you own the Phono Signature.

Competition record

Assessed against 9 rivals across the sixty systems: it takes the slot in none of its 53 head-to-heads.

Where it gives ground

The dimension the engine names as the weakest link, counted across every head-to-head it lost.

  • quietness at rest ×35
  • low-level clarity ×12

Who it comes up against

Naim NVC TT MM/MC

15 lost · Anchored, Artisan, BBC Sound, Cavity-Native, Intimate, PRaT, Reference, Romantic, Twin Arms

Against the Twin Arms brief, the Naim NVC TT MM/MC keeps the slot decisively.

On its own merits the Cyrus Classic PHONO is the stronger phono stage — but it loses here on fit: the way it sits with the rest of this system under the Twin Arms weighting.

It sits well below the share of the budget this brief aims at the phono stage position.

from a background of pretty much total silenceAVForums (Selley), 2024
Classic-series Cyrus phono with PSX-R2 upgrade pathCyrus Classic Phono + AVForums P8 review (used in chain)

Rega Aria Mk3 MM/MC

14 lost · Anchored, Artisan, BBC Sound, Cavity-Native, Intimate, PRaT, Reference, Romantic, Silent Path, Twin Arms

Against the Anchored brief, the Rega Aria Mk3 MM/MC keeps the slot decisively.

With the van den Hul The Frog, the pairing gives up most on quietness at rest.

On its own merits the Cyrus Classic PHONO is the stronger phono stage — but it loses here on fit: the pairing with the van den Hul The Frog gives up quietness at rest under the Anchored weighting.

crypt like silence it possesses at idleAVForums (Selley), 2024

Rega Aura Reference MC

7 lost · BBC Sound, Cavity-Native, Intimate, Reference

Against the Intimate brief, the Rega Aura Reference MC keeps the slot decisively.

With the van den Hul The Crimson, the pairing gives up most on low-level clarity.

With the EAR Yoshino 868L (Line), the pairing gives up most on low-level clarity.

On its own merits the Cyrus Classic PHONO is the stronger phono stage — but it loses here on fit: the pairing with the van den Hul The Crimson gives up low-level clarity under the Intimate weighting.

from a background of pretty much total silenceAVForums (Selley), 2024
from a background of pretty much total silenceAVForums (Selley), 2024

Musical Fidelity M8x Vinyl

6 lost · Anchored, PRaT, Romantic

Against the Anchored brief, the Musical Fidelity M8x Vinyl keeps the slot decisively.

With the van den Hul The Frog, the pairing gives up most on quietness at rest.

On its own merits the Cyrus Classic PHONO is the stronger phono stage — but it loses here on fit: the pairing with the van den Hul The Frog gives up quietness at rest under the Anchored weighting.

It sits well below the share of the budget this brief aims at the phono stage position.

crypt like silence it possesses at idleAVForums (Selley), 2024

EAR Yoshino 88PB MM/MC

4 lost · Artisan, Reference, Twin Arms

Against the Artisan brief, the EAR Yoshino 88PB MM/MC keeps the slot decisively.

With the van den Hul The Colibri, the pairing gives up most on quietness at rest.

On its own merits the Cyrus Classic PHONO is the stronger phono stage — but it loses here on fit: the pairing with the van den Hul The Colibri gives up quietness at rest under the Artisan weighting.

It sits well below the share of the budget this brief aims at the phono stage position.

crypt like silence it possesses at idleAVForums (Selley), 2024

Tom Evans Groove+ SRX MkII

3 lost · Vocals-First

Against the Vocals-First brief, the Tom Evans Groove+ SRX MkII keeps the slot by a whisker.

On its own merits the Cyrus Classic PHONO is the weaker phono stage for that brief.

It sits well below the share of the budget this brief aims at the phono stage position.

Whest Audio 60Se Pro

2 lost · Silent Path

Against the Silent Path brief, the Whest Audio 60Se Pro keeps the slot decisively.

With the Goldring Eroica HX MC, the pairing gives up most on quietness at rest.

On its own merits the Cyrus Classic PHONO is the stronger phono stage — but it loses here on fit: the pairing with the Goldring Eroica HX MC gives up quietness at rest under the Silent Path weighting.

It sits well below the share of the budget this brief aims at the phono stage position.

crypt like silence it possesses at idleAVForums (Selley), 2024

Whest Audio TITAN Pro II

1 lost · Silent Path

Against the Silent Path brief, the Whest Audio TITAN Pro II keeps the slot decisively.

With the Goldring Eroica HX MC, the pairing gives up most on quietness at rest.

On its own merits the Cyrus Classic PHONO is the stronger phono stage — but it loses here on fit: the pairing with the Goldring Eroica HX MC gives up quietness at rest under the Silent Path weighting.

It sits well below the share of the budget this brief aims at the phono stage position.

crypt like silence it possesses at idleAVForums (Selley), 2024

Michell Apollo + Muse PSU

1 lost · Silent Path

Against the Silent Path brief, the Michell Apollo + Muse PSU keeps the slot decisively.

With the Goldring Eroica HX MC, the pairing gives up most on quietness at rest.

On its own merits the Cyrus Classic PHONO is the stronger phono stage — but it loses here on fit: the pairing with the Goldring Eroica HX MC gives up quietness at rest under the Silent Path weighting.

It sits well below the share of the budget this brief aims at the phono stage position.

crypt like silence it possesses at idleAVForums (Selley), 2024

Systems it is part of

What the reviewers said

Classic-series Cyrus phono with PSX-R2 upgrade path Cyrus Classic Phono + AVForums P8 review (used in chain)· Tonal body
crypt like silence it possesses at idle AVForums (Selley), 2024· Electrical noise floor
from a background of pretty much total silence AVForums (Selley), 2024· Low-level noise floor
instruments and the space they are in effortlessly recreated AVForums (Selley), 2024· Spatial resolution
not a warm or cosseting sounding device AVForums (Selley), 2024· Harmonic texture

How it scores

Clarity

  • Electrical noise floor 82 from listening evidence
  • Spatial resolution 76 from listening evidence

Voice

  • Tonal body 73 from listening evidence
  • Harmonic texture 70 from listening evidence

LowerVolume

  • Low-level noise floor 82 from listening evidence

Specifications

mm capableTrue
mc capableTrue
mm gain db40
mc gain db40/50/60/70
mm load resistance kohm47
mm load capacitance pf220
mc load resistance options ohm11/16/33/47/100/150/333/500/1000/47000
mc load capacitance options pf220/1000/2000/3000
rumble filterTrue
output level mv500
output impedance ohm100
balanced outputTrue
dimensions mm215/73/360
weight kg4.1
psu externalFalse
psu optionsCyrus PSX-R2 (companion linear PSU)
notes