Hardware Reviews

Cyrus TTP turntable turns 40 at 33.3rpm

Cyrus TTP turntable review https://the-ear.net

Cyrus TTP turntable and arm

Turntables have been around for, seemingly, forever. And thanks to the resurgence of vinyl almost everyone has one in their portfolio of products today. At least, that’s the common perception. After all, can anything new be done with a turntable. Cyrus is celebrating some 40 years of existence. 40 years of producing rather good-sounding products which grace very many sound systems. Having started modestly with mid-priced offerings they now have a variety of upper-end products, one of which is their new TTP turntable.

Cyrus is no stranger to vinyl replay as its Phono Signature/PSX-R2 attests, having been (and remaining) the reference phono stage for a great many vinyl aficionados. So it was with some surprise that the launch of its TTP heralded a departure from the pure electronics approach hitherto. The other surprise was that in a quite radical departure the nice people at Cyrus decided to push the boat rather a long way out with a seriously high-end product at what must be a bargain price. At over £4k for the whole package it’s not cheap but even at that price its performance stands at a level where an even higher price tag could quite legitimately be justified.

Cyrus TTP turntable review https://the-ear.net

Much of the detail of the TTP’s construction and materials employed can be found on the helpful Cyrus website but in brief its chassis has been machined from solid aluminium. Despite that, do not expect a lightweight unit, it is decidedly heavy. There’s a synchronous motor with a custom-designed digital control circuit and a lightweight arm dubbed TA3 –  easily identifiable as a Rega RB330 – which is happy supporting either MM or MC cartridges. Power is supplied by a plug-in wall wart (though it’s far from being simply a voltage transformer unit) with the option of upgrading by adding a Cyrus PSX-R2, and it’s supported on three adjustable feet which provide a high degree of stability. All-up weight is over 20kgs – as I mentioned, it’s no lightweight.

Inevitably, despite its track record, some might disagree with the choice of arm, but as with so many other things it’s the combination of the parts within the package where the success really lies, rather than simply the quality of each on its own. In this case, the performance of the whole is several levels of magnitude greater than the parts alone. And has Rega has proved with the most affordable high end turntables on the market its tonearms have a lot going for them.

Cyrus TTP turntable review https://the-ear.net

What about the cartridge. The one supplied for the review is the revered Ortofon Quintet Black S whose prowess at detail retrieval from records grooves is legendary, and is a very appropriate partner to the arm and turntable. No cartridge is included in the asking price however, which opens the door for the buyer or his dealer to fit their favourite front end. The arm is totally unfussy regarding cartridge type (MM or MC) so virtually any cartridge which fits within the accepted range of ‘normal’ will work very well. There’s also a clear lid/cover which can also be purchased, should there ever be the need. Those who have suffered cantilever bereavement might find one useful.

That’s an awful lot of basic info about the TTP turntable itself, but lovely though a lot of high quality audio replay equipment is to look at it’s really our ears which should be the judge of its competence. After all, no matter how pretty it looks, if it sounds rubbish we won’t be listening to it for very long.

Sound quality

First to hit the synthetic leather mat on the TTP’s machined aluminium platter (when it’s running the finish is so good that you really have to put something on the top surface to check it’s going round) was Amy Winehouse’s album Frank (Island 9812918). This 2003 early pressing is amazingly quiet compared with some later versions and this was made all the more evident by the inky blackness which the TTP exhibited. Winehouse’s voice was particularly raw but nicely balanced in terms of her relationship with the band. You could clearly hear her, and the emotion in her voice was so deftly complemented by the backing. As a test of being able to hear everything going on in the mix the TTP did a fantastically open and effortless job. It was magnificently transparent and the resulting aural image was hugely 3D giving a marvellous insight into the recording space.

Cyrus TTP turntable review https://the-ear.net

Moving on from there a live performance seemed an appropriate next step so ELP’s Pictures at an Exhibition(Island, HELP1) was given a spin. Recorded live in Newcastle City Hall in 1971, this album has fantastic atmosphere, amazing sonics and aural pyrotechnics which would test some of the very best systems. I needn’t have worried. The Quintet in the Rega arm performed faultlessly. Sadly I wasn’t at the live event, but listening to this record transported me back in time, and if I closed my eyes there was such a feeling of involvement that I really got totally lost in the moment. It’s been a favourite disc for a long time, though played rarely to keep it special. I’m glad I gave it a spin here because I think this was perhaps the best I’ve ever heard it. The TTP is absolutely pitch-stable. Its background is ultra quiet and doesn’t intrude at all on the music being played. The arm is resolute at keeping the stylus tip firmly in the groove – what more could you ask for?

Something rather different was given an airing next. Emma Kirkby accompanied by Anthony Rooley on the lute on her Time Stands Still album from 1986. (Hyperion A66186). Yes, this is a far gentler offering than either of the two previous discs covered, but there’s a reason for this. With small ensemble groups (regardless of genre) absolutely everything is laid bare. Every nuance, every plucked note, every breath taken. All these intimately small details have the ability to recreate a live event with remarkable integrity. Small ensemble volume levels are also more manageable in the home (try squeezing a symphony orchestra or a rock band into your listening room) so recreating a live event in almost every aspect is a more realistic goal.

Cyrus TTP turntable review https://the-ear.net

Kirkby is renowned for the purity of her voice, her poise, her inner involvement in the music she sings. Rooley is a renowned lute player with intimate knowledge of how ancient music was played. The two combined is a real treat. Aside from Far From Triumphing Court none of the tracks on this album is very long, most being under three minutes. However, the sheer diversity of musical and emotional content is amazing, and the pair take the listener on a real journey through some gloriously beautiful ancient music. Kirkby was always renowned for getting inside the music’, and here it was very evident. The emotional content was clearly conveyed and Rooley’s playing was the perfect foil.

Here the TTP’s ability not to get in the way was really quite amazing. At no time did I feel there was a turntable being used; close my eyes, and with the volume set at an appropriate level, both musicians could have easily been in my listening room, performing for me. The TTP is hum-free, there’s a marked reduction in groove roar between tracks, and as I’ve mentioned before, the background is inky black. Not in any macabre sense, but purely that there’s nothing to distract from what the Quintet is retrieving from the grooves.

Cyrus TTP turntable review https://the-ear.net

A change of mood saw me reach for London Grammar’s Truth is a Beautiful Thing (MADART2LP) from a few years ago. Again, a really nice pressing and one which has endured repeated plays. Hannah Reid’s vocals are always a good test of a system, both in its ability to present the strident nature of some of her singing, but also the quieter breathy elements which so support the more intimate moments. The TTP again did an amazingly unfussy job, and for a fit and forget design, the TTP will really find favour with those who prefer not to tweak, instead enjoying a high quality musical performance time after time.

At the bottom end the uber-bass elements were deft, weighty, articulate and not wanting in any respect. Assuming you have a system with sufficiently competent low-end performance the TTP will fulfil its role in this department with ease. In terms of transients, the percussion was super-clear, not over-detailed but just right, fitting in with the rest of the mix. Sometimes with a very fine stylus there’s an emphasis on some percussion elements, but the RB330/Quintet combo on the TTP was so very relaxed about getting the small stuff right that there was never any unexpected nasties. Louder passages were also handled well, with never a hint of any instability either in the groove/stylus interface, nor with the turntable having any obvious resonances.

Cyrus TTP turntable review https://the-ear.net

The last LP I’m going to mention is the ancient Journey Into Stereo Sound (SKL4001). This was released in 1958 as perhaps the first stereo sampler for the new-fangled technology. Despite the newness of stereo at that time the recordings are really rather splendid. The sequence of the train pulling into the station and carriage doors being slammed was disquietingly realistic. The castanets in Espana were all too clear, and Ernest Ansermet’s rehearsal sequence highly insightful (in terms of some of the challenges faced by an orchestra!).

My copy is now quite well used and the pressing isn’t as quiet as it used to be. However, the TTP combination did a creditable job of making the whole lot very listenable and engaging without highlighting too much of the groove wear which that poor LP must have suffered by now (after many repeated playings over the years).

Cyrus TTP verdict

The Cyrus TTP is a turntable package at a price point which belies its performance. As with the Kirkby recordings it has the ability to present the emotional content of recordings with a high degree of engagement and involvement for the listener. With complex material it remains steadfastly unflappable, retrieving all the smaller details while all around is kicking off. It never lost its poise and remained resolutely musical. Its remarkably quiet background meant that fine details were never lost, and as a result transients and loud passages were very easily presented to the listener.

Cyrus TTP turntable review https://the-ear.net

Some may feel the arm has a limiting factor in the lack of a VTA adjustment (though aftermarket VTA adjusters are available). I suspect that as the TA3 arm coped so very well with the Quintet that anyone choosing to fit an MM at the sharp end would not be aware of any performance loss at all.

It’s not cheap, and if you add on the PSX-R2 as well, then the price tag is perhaps on the hefty side. However, when looking around at other turntables at a similar level the TTP is more than a competent competitor, and my suspicion is that you’d be very hard-pressed to beat it. As always, the LPs mentioned above are only a small number taken from a much longer list used to evaluate the turntable. It’s obviously not possible to cover every listener’s musical tastes but I cannot see any occasion when the TTP in its current format would be found wanting.

Specifications:

Type: solid plinth DC-drive turntable and arm
Speeds: 33 1/3 RPM, 45 RPM.
Supplied tonearm: TA3
Drive mechanism: belt drive from DC synchronous motor
Speed control: electronic
Platter Type: aluminium with synthetic leather mat
Platter weight: not specified
Bearing type: high precision
Plinth construction: machined aluminium
Dimensions (HxWxD): 120 x 430 x 376mm
Weight: 24kg
Warranty: 3 years parts and labour

Price when tested:
£4,295
Manufacturer Details:

Cyrus Audio
http://www.cyrusaudio.com

Type:

turntable and arm

Author:

Chris Beeching

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