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"A short path to the finer things in life"
Delivering some of the best audio and visual products engineered in Europe, developed using State of the art,
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With the popularity of the Q-TV2 it was only a matter of time before a larger version was made available to suit the increasingly prevalent larger format panels.
Now with 2 models the Q-TV2 and the new Q-TV2X, the range of panels able to have their sound upgraded has been significantly increased. The Q-TV2 has a minimum span of 785mm with the satellites on a 90 degree angle and a maximum span of 1194mm with the satellites on a 45 degree angle, and the new Q-TV2X has a minimum span of 1051mm with the satellites on a 90 degree angle and a maximum span of 1460mm with the satellites on a 45 degree angle.
In the brochure text it suggests that the Q-TV2 will fit panel sizes from 30” to 42” and the Q-TV2X will fit 42” to 50”, but as we have seen with the screen surrounds getting slimmer those sizes are not quite the limit. So measure the overall width of your panel and odds are even if you have a 55” or above screen you will still be able to take advantage of the sound enhancement benefits offered by the Q-TV2X. With all the emphasis of panel manufacturers being put into picture perfection, to get the most enjoment from it the sound must reflect the pictures impact, and by adding a Q-TV2 at $799 or a Q-TV2X at $849 the package is complete,
all that's left to do then is sit back and enjoy!!
Q-TV2 The Revolution in television entertainment and enjoyment!
With the ever popular flat screen TV's becoming a common place in all Australian homes, when making that all important descision primarily it is the picture quality that draws you to the unit you eventually take home. With todays technology these panels are getting better images on bigger screens however, have you ever stopped to think what it is you are compromising when you purchase this ultra slim, ultra sharp image producing device, most likely not as it is this picture that you are buying. So when you invest in a new panel, and you get it home, are you as happy with the sound as you are with the picture? My guess is not really, but what can you do?
This is where this revolutionary new product from Q-Acoustics the Q-TV2 comes into the 'picture', a brand new product to the world is set to change the way you enjoy your television experience. This ultra compact system is an active 2.1 sound solution that will leave you guessing where this massive sound is comming from, powered by an underrated 100 Watts of onboard amplification shared between the ultra slim vibration free subwoofer, and a pair of inconspicuos speakers it really packs a punch. With the further refinement of Q-Acoustics own 'BMR' drivers, they have hidden 8 of these units in this compact package, and to say they have got it right is a very large understatement. No matter where you sit the enjoyment is the same, with these unique loudspeaker drive units not only delivering outstanding sonic performance, they also disperse sound across an exeptionally wide area.
So looking at the picture it all looks too simple, and it is! The Q-TV2 simply bolts onto your television's standard wall mounting points (with a suite of bolts supplied) for the free standing option, and if you wish to wall mount then there is a special bracket designed to simply attach over the top to make wall mounting a breeze. Further to that they have thought of those wishing to have a bit of flexibility in positioning of your TV, with a cantilever bracket offering a massive 1245mm of reach which also offers a tilt to get it in exactly the right position.
Now connection wise it couldn't be simpler, coming with a suite of inputs a 3.5mm to connect to your PC's sound card or TV's Headphone output, a stereo phono / RCA and an Optical / Toslink connection. However you wish to connect it, it is as simple as plugging it in and turning it up. But that is not where the story ends, further to this there are a few extra features worth a mention. When setting up you Q-TV2, there are two minor adjustments that will make your listening experience the complete experience. Clearly to those in the know room acoustics are going to play a part in how the Q-TV2 sounds, and that is why Q-Acoustics have built in 3 seperate 'EQ' settings to compensate for placement, Freestanding mode, wall mounted mode and corner mode. Additionally something we are forced to live with on a regular basis is also able to be overcome with the clever engineering in the Q-TV2, Lipsync, something that until you are aware of being able to correct you tend to not think about too much. But when you get your Q-TV2 home, set it up and turn on the TV, flick the switch located conveniently on the top of the unit, and with the supplied remote adjust up or down until the words comming out of the persons mouth sound so accurate you could swear they were talking directly to you, then flick the switch back to normal mode and let the real enjoyment begin.
Last but not least you probably want to know the price, and this is where you are set to be surprised! The Q-TV2 (including TV mounting gear) is only $799.00, the optional wall bracket is $129.00, and the cantilever bracket (which is supplied with the wall bracket to fit on the Q-TV2) is $449.00, due for release early october these prices relate to the mid sized unit that will fit any panel 30 - 42". Later in the year a larger version for 42 - 50" and early in the new year a model to suit 15 - 30" (prices for larger and smaller units will be advised as soon as we know)
Watch a video about Q-TV2 on YouTube
Read the Gadget Guy Review
What Hi Fi Review
Once again Cyrus has put its best foot forward, to complement its already highly acclaimed servo evolution range of CD players and transport, Cyrus have taken what were superb pre and integrated amps and completely redesigned them to squeeze even more from this understated an meek looking product. The new line up from Cyrus known as the XP series takes Cyrus to an entirely new level in performance, as was previously reported in reviews of the ‘se’ products, Cyrus’ CD platform now offered more than could be realised by much higher levels of control and amplification. So this sparked the plan and gave Cyrus that nudge to bring its line of integrated and pre amplifiers up to meet the calibre of its own revolutionary ‘made for CD’ CD players. This took more than past efforts where the basic concept remained the same, and incremental improvements were incorporated to keep its line up at the top of the pack in its price point. This was a whole new approach, scrap the previous blueprints and start afresh! So what goes into the new ‘XP’ products that make them so special? Well without going into the real nuts and bolts the changes themselves say enough, on the face of it the new XP series has a new front panel accommodating a new display, based on that of the flagship DAC XP this new user interface gave Cyrus the ability to not only give the user more inputs and options, it also enabled them to give you a fully independent 2nd zone.
With many configuration options for now I’ll reference the top spec'd integrated amp, the Cyrus 8XPdQX (pictured above) so keeping on the face of it, what does this new user interface offer you? The biggest gain would have to be the increase in available inputs with the new digital version offering 11 inputs which are comprised of 6 analogue, 2 coaxial digital, 2 optical digital and a single slaved USB. Yes I’ve jumped to the back but it’s what the new interface allows you do with these inputs which is rather special, where each input now has the facility to be customised by a library of inbuilt names, aswell as that they can all be fine tuned in offset levels so all your sources come out at the same volume level regardless of their output. Unfortunately this doesn’t mean you can name one phono and wind up the gain to that degree, but enabling you to switch between sources without having to play with the volume each time. Additionally with one of the inputs named AV Bypass this offer you a mode where this unit can be attached to any AV reciever with all the bells and whistles, and when selected the AV Bypass input is exactly that, it bypasses the Cyrus' volume control and makes it a pure power amplifier for you AV systems front speakers. Then when you go back to your 2 channel sources on your Cyrus it takes control again and delivers its astonishing stereo performance.
Another little perk as mentioned above is the introduction of a second zone, this utilizes the fixed level tape output on the back of the unit, which if you still use a tape deck also offers benefits in that you can listen to one source and tape another. This second zone is independent of the main zone, with the slight limitation that only one digital source can be referenced at a time but that still leaves you the other 6 analogue inputs to use if the main zone is using a digital source, and of course if you want to listen to the same source in both zones then that isn’t a problem.
Under the bonnet so to speak, the engine of this generation is quite a different picture, the main circuit board has grown to use every available bit of space in this compact casting. There has been another toroidal transformer squeezed in to power the non audio parts, but the key to the success here is the new approach to the audio paths. A pre amplifier based around the one used in the reference DAC XP, and to get the signals to it Cyrus have taken another step in channel separation by dividing left and right channels with separate input selection devices.
Power wise on the face of it there doesn’t seem to be any real difference, but this is where all the new input and volume control circuitry shines through. With a huge jump in detail and definition, the perception of power would have you think Cyrus have atleast doubled each units capability if not more, being able to drive more demanding loads with more information to boot. Here is where the above unit gives that little bit more, not only does it now offer a suite of digital inputs, but those inputs can also be further improved with addition of a dual mono ‘QX’ DAC either ordered factory pre fitted or retro fitted here in Sydney. This DAC takes the digital sources, and with the aid of a few extra levels of power filtering and regulation driving well isolated DAC componentry gives them a push to a level well beyond what would be thought capable of a unit of this size and understated appearance. To go one step further, put into the mix one of Cyrus’ highly regulated intelligent PSX-R power supplies and it opens another layer in this unit you would never have thought even possible.
Configuration options again in keeping with the Cyrus upgrade philosophy have been broadened significantly, at present the ‘off the shelf’ options we in Australia can offer are 6XP, 8XPd, 8XPdQX, PREXPd & PREXPdQX, although Crestmore service department can offer upgrades to take the 6XP right through the different levels up to PREXPdQX for effectively the difference in initial unit cost.
So that’s a lot of words, but they are mine! To see, or more importantly hear what all this is about, talk to your nearest dealer and audition some of the fantastic new products Cyrus has put forward to tempt your ears.
Read more about what makes Cyrus a great choice.. More on Cyrus
With the world in a spin, now is the time to look at how we spend our hard earned cash. This is why we as a company are so impressed with what Cyrus have to offer, not only is their goal to provide you with the opportunity to get deeper into you favourite artists recordings, but to do this in a way that minimises impact on both you and our environment.
Cyrus have recently taken the reproduction of music to the next level in an affordable CD platform, the ‘SE’ or servo evolution players with their heart tuned for CD playback.
Cyrus chose not to conform to a mass marketed brand drive with a fancy DAC as is the case with a majority of gear, with their highly trained team Cyrus has hand built the new drive which sets the scene for what is a very impressive player at a very impressive price.
Understanding that it is generally not the case that we can jump in a buy the best that Cyrus has to offer off the cuff, Cyrus with their superbly thought out upgrade paths make that high end system an option to anyone buying into Cyrus at any level down the track. With the amazing flexibility of being able to take models of up to around 4 years of age and give them a new lease on life, Cyrus has put together upgrade packages that enable these components to be upgraded to full current model specifications. This along with their carefully structured system component upgrade paths, where each component is tailored to give the best in its original form aswell as harnessing each upgrage to assist the next. As an example a Cyrus 8, 8vs or 8vs2 have power routed so that when a PSX-R is added to upgrade its performance the Pre amplifier section gains the benefits, which are also passed on if you decide to add additional amplification to bi amp. So when you look at your CD player that you have had for few years and hear all the great press on what is now available, if it’s a Cyrus player you have then you have the option to upgrade for a fraction of the cost of a new player. This is true for many Cyrus components however there is a point in any components life where technology has got so far ahead that it necessitates the replacement of everything but the cast magnesium alloy chassis and at this stage although not quite as environmentally friendly trade ins are always a welcomed second option so have a chat with your local dealer and see what Cyrus can do for you today.
The 'Servo Evolution' revolution in CD players is finally here!!
Yes I do dare.....Finally the long journey is over and to be a little bold these players will amaze even the owners of machines several times the cost of these 'singing shoeboxes'. With the law of diminishing returns kicking in at a few thousand dollars, I would think that Cyrus now has the competition worried as the new benchmark puts a big divide between what Cyrus have developed and a competitors unit with even a slim chance of giving it a run, not to mention the hit this challenge would give you in the hip pocket.
Cyrus has spent a long time on developing this new technology, delivering more of what Cyrus is renowned for and a fair bit more at that! The story of painting with music has somewhat hippie connotations but in reality is what we should be striving to achieve, as most artists put a whole lot of passion into what they record and now it's time to really hear what they worked so hard to get across.
The new “servo evolution” transport developed specifically for music endeavors to draw every last bit of the recording from your favorite discs. This is predominately achieved by reducing the problems associated with the current configuration of transports used in today’s CD players, these problems such as reading errors require complex circuitry to attempt to rectify them. Although there have been many advances in this process, it is still only masking the problem along with a requirement for more components with their own sonic signature that impacts directly on what you hear. The outcome of what Cyrus has achieved is the realisation of more information, which relates directly to more of what makes music truly amazing, Emotion!
With compact discs having around a quarter of a century in history, the vast and eclectic collections stashed around the homes of every music lover would be very grateful to get a spin in one of these new machines. The joy for me of being involved in such an evolutionary brand has been a mystical journey through my ever growing collection, with some of those albums previously relegated to the dust collection section getting another chance whether it be my age, appreciation for recordings or a culmination of those, I know for sure the superb players I have had the privilege to audition have every step of the way shown a little more of what makes those recordings music!
So be sure to audition the new “se” players, and join me in revisiting those collections and enjoy that rollercoaster ride they have to offer!
Albums such as Jeff Waynes “War of the Worlds” and Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” a couple of my favorite movies to watch with my eyes closed……
Read more about what makes Cyrus a great choice.. More on Cyrus
The QAV System
An amazing new solution to the dissapearing home theatre concept
As you can see by the above room design, Q Acoustics have yet again come up trumps in their latest goal to provide a simple and minimally intrusive home theatre system, while maintaining a high quilty sound performance with out the big boxes.
The technology behind these revolutionary new speakers is based on the NXT design with some subtle yet significant improvements to make what is today known as the "BMR" or Balanced Mode Radiator. This drive unit offers a broad and very well detailed frequency capability, aswell as its key benefit of a wider and more even sound distibution patern.
The Centre, Left and Right speakers are clevery mounted into a adjustable bracket which is able to be tailored to suit the width of a flat panel from a 37" to 50" set. It comes complete with 2 elastisized grill cloths which stretch over the trombone like adjustable grill surround and attach securely with velcro. The integrated bracket also allows the depth of the speaker to be adjusted to perfectly match your LCD or Plasma's distance from the wall, making it seem like a part of your TV that was always meant to be there.
The rears while also great performers as fronts in a stereo application, also have a neat mounting solution with an integrated wall bracket and desk stand. Designed to be mounted anywhere you can think of, with their generous sound distribution the need for the optimum listening posistion is not a consideration. So if you want to mount them up at cornice level you know you can without comprimise!
The Subwoofer, well that's something that shocked me! A narrow wall mountable 8" sub with a 120W amplifier, not something that makes you think massive sub? But plug it in and turn it on and you, like I was, will be very surprised! With the reciever set flat and the sub amp set to 1/3 volume & 100Hz the depth and control was more than you could expect from something more than twice it's size in every regard.
They also have also taken the next step in hidden home theatre, with a infra red pass through module which allows you to hide all your gear in a cupboard or the room under the stairs. This unit is as simple to set up as running some wire, as it only needs transfer the signal from your theatre room using existing remote controls to the location of your gear. The key benefit of this outside of getting rid of all the boxes, is not having to worry about confusing progamming or learning a new remote.
There are also brakets and cable management, but if you have read this far you are obviously a bit more than curious, so you should probably now go to the web site and take a good look at the system in detail...
QAV in detail
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