Cyrus Soundkey DAC & Headphone Amplifier - Ruby

Product Information

iFi’s products rarely disappoint on the compatibility front, and this one is no different. The hip-dac will work with up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM and DSD256 files. MQA is also on the menu. In short, there's a great chance that the hip-dac will play whatever you want it to. The Chord Mojo 2 is the long-awaited follow-up to one of our all-time favorite portable DAC/amps. It sports a similar unusual design as the original, but this time, the three large iconic colored marbles are replaced with four smaller spherical buttons. Naturally, it will not resolve every single detail on recordings like other more expensive devices of similar size (much less full-sized components), but there’s enough there to bring out the music and make every listening session a pleasurable one.

The hip-dac is a hugely capable performer with the typical easy-going iFi sound. It’s a balanced presentation that’s refined and free of harsh edges. You can listen to the hip-dac for hours and not feel fatigued. Yet unlike some of the company’s older products, this undemanding nature is still partnered with expressive dynamics and pleasing rhythmic precision. We switch to Mahler’s Symphony No.4 and the iFi responds with a spacious and composed rendition. It’s a little smooth tonally, but that just serves to make it less critical of recording and source quality – an important consideration with a product such as this. New user here so apologies if this has been raised before. I cannot find anything useful after exhaustive searching, especially on Apple forums.However, the Mojo 2 offers an audio upgrade over its older brother, with greater extension and a more spacious presentation. Detail retrieval is also boosted, and the Mojo 2 sounds exceptionally clean and natural. The first Mojo was great, and the Mojo 2 simply brings more to the table. Where to buy If you happen to be driving, ditch the Bluetooth connection and connect the SoundKey to the vehicle entertainment system’s aux input – the difference a simple device like this can make to the sound quality is remarkable. Well, it is pretty portable. It doesn’t get hot during usage, only barely warm. Furthermore, it doesn’t have a lot of battery drain from your smartphone, so you don’t need to worry if you’re running low on bat, the Soundkey isn’t going to kill your day. There’s a good sense of scale and focus to the sound, with the hip-dac able to convey the majesty of the piece well. The ability to organise detail into a cohesive and musical whole is obvious here, as the iFi never sounds out of its depth. Verdict

Fiind un aparat micut si destul de ergonomic, este usor de recomandat, in special pentru ca nu mananca mult curent din telefonul la care este conectat. The overall sound signature is very smooth, focusing on warmth and immersion at the expense of complete clarity and neutrality. One more point, the DUT is powered by USB "5V" rail which actually seldom more than 4.2VDC under 100-300mA of the load, hence, 0dfs THD+N will strongly depend on USB port rail current limiter IC(like TPS2061C) setting. The FiiO Q1 Mark II is a piece of kit that spreads itself a little too thin. While there is definitely a place for its bigger body, tactile buttons and multiple ports versus sleeker, smaller products like the Cyrus soundKey, there’s no getting away from the fact the latter provides better audio performance.

What Makes Us Different?

iFi released two versions of the iFi GO bar, the standard ‘GO’ and the limited-edition ‘Gold’ bar, a premium-priced, limited-edition, gold-plated copper version of the original. Both feature the same internal 32-bit Cirrus Logic DAC and 16-core XMOS controller. While we listened to considerably more songs than those named in this playlist, those are excellent for identifying certain aspects of the sound, like PRaT, Texturization, Detail, Resolution, Dynamics, Impact, and overall tonality. We recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you're searching for new most, most of them being rather catchy.

Compared to other similarly-sized USB DACs, the soundKey is one of the smaller ones. It has an aluminium casing and is available in four colours (the review unit was blue), measures a diminutive 7.8 x 23.6 x 53.4mm and weighs a meagre 19g. The main competitors to the Soundkey at the moment of writing this review are the Audirect Beam, FiiO K3 and Shanling M0. They are not all the same kind of device as the Soundkey, but they all make very good comparison points. It also boasts a dual high-density battery customized power system designed to separate digital and analog power to eliminate digital circuit noise from the source.

Sources: Toshiba notebook with Windows 10 OS with JRiver Media Centre and Spotify apps; iPhone 7 with Spotify, HiBy Music, Golden Ear apps; Poco F3 with Spotify and HiBy Music apps / Amplification: Chord Mojo and EarMen Eagle DAC/amps / Headphones: Drop + HiFiMAN HE4XX, Mitchell and Johnson MJ2, KZ Audio AS10 The most immediate difference between the Hugo 2 and other DACs in this roundup is its sublime soundstage. It has a wider sound profile that delivers better instrument separation. It’s a difference that can’t go unnoticed, no matter what headphones (or speakers) you feed through it: the bass is tight, controlled and refined, the highs aren’t sibilant and the mids are pin-point perfect. On the whole, it’s an incredible DAC and one you should consider if you’ve got the budget.

If combined with Cyrus’s unique MC-BUS communication system, the iR14 becomes the hub of your system, controlling everything with a few button presses. You can easily switch between controlling your hi-fi, TV and Satellite at the press of a button and the responsive remote control even shows you which item you’re currently in control of.At its asking price, the SoundKey represents a significant upgrade for music from a portable device or computer at minimal cost. Yes, there are newer devices with higher resolution capabilities out there, but this remains a solid performer. I can’t help but think of the sporting cliché “form is temporary, class is permanent” here. It admittedly overstates things here, but there’s a ring of truth to it in relation to the Cyrus SoundKey. If you’re looking for a high quality portable DAC, this iFi is well worth a place on the shortlist. The hip-dac’s combination of battery power, fine build and easy-going sound quality makes it one of the front-runners at this level. The immediate impression was how much smoother it sounds, even when compared to a similar USB device like the EarMen Eagle. That had more excitement and verve, but is not as refined or subtle as the SoundKey. The midrange is generally very clean, clear, well textured, and a bit on the analytical side. The soundstage of the Soundkey is wider than it is deep, but it has a really good width for the 150 USD price range. There is a good amount of texture, so instruments that are textury, like trumpets, really shine with it. The upper midrange is not enhanced in a special way, so you don't get a hot or metallic tinge with your music.