Cyrus One Cast

Amplifier - Cyrus has made its One amplifier smarter, but does it sound better?

KEY FEATURES

Power output 2x 100W

Weight 5.6kg

Dimensions (hwd) 8.5 x 22 x 39cm

Whether due to reasons of convenience, cost or space, there is a untapped market of music lovers who currently favour smart speakers and headphones over a more traditional chain of dedicated components. With the One Cast, Cyrus is playing a Pied Piper role, luring potential customers to its range of integrated amplifiers with the promise of all those smart features they have come to expect.

Add an appropriate smart device and the One Cast can be used with Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri voice controls, as well as Chromecast, but retains its serious audio aspirations with the aim of showing just what is achievable in stereo without sacrificing modern technology.

Note that there’s no microphone on board, so you will need a smart device to work in tandem with the One Cast to unlock its hands-free features. Thanks to Apple AirPlay 2 and built-in Bluetooth, you can play pretty much anything from compatible devices without a cable. You can also plug outboard components in – the One Cast has both optical and coaxial SPDIF inputs for digital playback, as well as analogue RCA fittings, one of which leads to the on-board moving-magnet phono stage based on Cyrus’s Signature model.