Cyrus new 40 series - Amp, CD Player, Streamer and PSU
REFERENCE AUDIO – WITHAM ESSEX
BOB’s Review Series - No 86 – CYRUS 40 SERIES - 40CD, 40ST, 40AMP AND 40PSU
INTRODUCTION
Cyrus have been a well-regarded part of the audio scene since their birth in 1984 and most audiophiles would instantly recognise their half width cases which don’t seem to have changed since, well, forever. But now Cyrus have replaced those Classic and XR models with the new system 40 components in a restyled but still half width box and I must say it’s good to see them coming out with something new after all this time. Cyrus are one of the few remaining British manufactures of audio components and are and still based in Huntingdon, Cambridge.
Not content with launching just a new 40 series, Cyrus is now also launching their new 80 series components which stylistically mirror the 40 series cabinets, but wait for it, they are full width units. Yes, Cyrus is launching full width units for the first time and doing so enables them to be more creative with their internal design and layout of components and of course a less congested back panel. I will be reviewing the 80 series in due course. But first let’s get back to the new 40 series which currently comprises the 40CD player, 40ST Streamer, 40 Amp integrated amp and the 40PSU power supply, all of which are a part of this review. All the new 40 series components except for the PSU feature a large front panel display with white text on a black background and a bright white illuminated ring around the volume control on the amp and the selector on the Streamer (see more below). Each component also has a white illuminated Cyrus logo in the top left-hand corner of the face plate.
THE NEW 40 SERIES
40AMP – £3,995 - This is a 100W amplifier (into 6 Ohms) and it has several settings available via a menu on the front panel using the remote that allows the setting of brightness for the 5” full colour TFT display and the LED ring around the volume control, you can also turn on and off each input if desired. The 40AMP has a built in DAC using the latest ES9039 Q2M chip. It has 4 analogue inputs on RCA and a MM phono input, and the DAC module has inputs for two Coax RCAs, one optical, one USB as well as one eARC input for connection to your TV. Like all other components in the 40 series, it has an ethernet and USB input for servicing and for firmware updates. The DAC supports up to 32bit and 768kHz inputs as well as DSD 1024. Just like the 40ST and 40CD the 40AMP can accept the new 40PSU power supply upgrade and this was connected for this review.
40PSU – £2,495 - is designed to provide clean and stable power to other series 40 components. It can be added later as funds allow and all the other 40 series components can of course run off their own internal power supplies. If used to power the 40AMP both units still need a mains connection because the 40PSU powers the amplifier but not the internal DAC which continues to be supplied from the original internal power supply.
40ST – £2,995 - Is a Roon ready streamer and uses BluOS if preferred as its methods of connecting to the outside world, I used it with Roon. On first use via the BluOS app the 40ST downloaded a firmware update which took a while to install, about 15-20 minutes, probably because it went through several iterations before reaching the latest update. I then switched to Roon which does of course mean that you need a Roon subscription (currently around £10 per month) and a Roon Core somewhere on the same network for it to play whereas BluOS is free and only needs to see the streamer and smartphone on the same network for it to work via a smart phone or tablet. The 40ST has an onboard DAC that supports date up to 24 Bit and 192kHz which is surprisingly less than that quoted for the DAC in the 40AMP. The 40ST also supports Airplay 2 and allows MQA decoding. I used it during this review with the optical output connected to the 40AMP optical input and also from its analogue output into the 40AMP, it sound better using the DAC in the 40AMP rather than using its own onboard DAC. The front panel has the usual 40 series screen showing text in white but also has a full colour small display screen that shows album artwork.
40CD – £2,995 - is a slot loading player and I used it as a player connecting one of its RCA outputs to input one on the 40AMP. It has the same onboard DAC as the 40ST and 40AMP, the ES9039 Q2M so there is some duplication if you purchase the whole stack. I used it as a player via one of its two analogue outputs into the 40AMP. It also has one optical and one Coax RCA digital output. Like the other 40 series components is has a RJ45 ethernet input and a USB-A input for firmware updates.
All Units - the new 40 series components all measure the same 220mm wide, 365mm deep and just 88mm high, slightly larger than the outgoing XR series.
CONNECTIONS
I listened to all four series 40 components together in one of our listening rooms and connected the 40PSU to the 40Amp and I listened via the new Monitor Audio Gold 300 6G speakers which retail for £3,999 so are a perfect cost match to the Cyrus gear.
LISTENING
These four new 40 series components are a big improvement over the previous Classic and XR series, especially in terms of dynamic control. The 40AMP has loads of power and drove the Monitor Audio Gold 300 6g speakers to high levels. The CD player seems more robust in terms of build quality than previous iterations and performed faultlessly during this review. The new 40ST streamer is so much more enjoyable to use than earlier versions and the full colour display of artwork and text is a joy to use. For some reason I couldn’t get the USB output to output any sound although it was clearly streaming music. I didn’t get to the bottom of this during the review, but it worked just fine via its optical and analogue outputs using Roon. They look great seated side by side (see picture attached) and apart from the issues I had with the USB output they performed faultlessly throughout. The sound is a little brighter than I am used to but for many customers this will be just what they are looking for. Don’t confuse brightness of sound with detail because this streamer offers a lush and detailed sound, just a little on the brighter side than I am used to hearing.
Adding the 40PSU is a subtle but worthwhile upgrade and if you can afford it and can accommodate the extra boxes then it is a valid upgrade bringing with it a quieter, slightly more dynamic and more relaxed sound. Cyrus have always been renowned for their add on power supplies and it’s good to see that trend carrying on in the 40 series.
If you already own a Cyrus system, such as the Classic or XR series should you upgrade to the new 40 series? Many times with other manufacturers who release series upgrades they offer subtle improvements and sometimes are not good value for money if considering an upgrade path. The 40 series from Cyrus is not one of those and yes if you are wondering whether to upgrade your XR or Classic series, I would say yes, they are better in every aspect, visually and acoustically and you can be confident in the effectiveness of the upgrade.
CONCLUSION
Visually this new 40 series is a massive improvement over previous series from Cyrus, and I can only hope that it carries forward to the new 80 series that was launched at the Munich high end show last month. However the brightness of the ring LEDs on the streamer and amp continues to be a distraction to me, they are just too bright, even in their lowest of five brightness settings. Interestingly the brightness on the 40ST and 40 AMP were not the same with the 40ST set on level one it was acceptably dim but the AMP when also set on setting 1 was far brighter and couldn’t be dimmed further. Notwithstanding my issues over brightness the sound of this four-box system is a major improvement over previous Cyrus series, but at almost £12,500 it should be. Adding two more 40PSUs would take the system to around £17,500 which puts it in stiff competition with many other brands and it will be interesting to see how that works out for Cyrus. They are clearly a brand on the move, and I must congratulate them for taking the plunge after 40 years to change their style and they have done a great job, both visually and sonically.
This whole system comes in at a not inconsiderable £16,500 including speakers and just one 40PSU, adding two more 40PSUs takes the system total to around £21,500 and only you can say whether its worth the money. It is however a well-balanced system that will last for years taking pride of place at home and as such should be considered as a worthwhile investment that also doesn’t take up acres of shelf space.
Do I have any complaints, yes, a couple; the display brightness of course and especially the difference between the LEDs on the 40ST and 40AMP but also the new finned top and side plates whilst visually attractive are cut quite sharp along their edges so be careful how you handle them. Those fins are also a major dust trap so regular dusting is essential. Other than that, what else can I say, listen and buy, you won’t be disappointed.
June 2025
Bob – Team Reference Audio