Cyrus 40 PPA – A New Era for British Analog. SoundRebels Summarize Their Tests.
For decades, the British brand Cyrus has been associated with compact “shoe-box” amplifiers, excellent value for money, and a distinctive British sound. However, the latest Cyrus 40 PPA phono preamplifier, tested by the SoundRebels editorial team, shows that the brand has entered a whole new phase - in terms of design, functionality, and sound quality.
Two reviewers from the website - Jacek Pazio and Marcin Olszewski - received the device from the Polish distributor Stratos International and both agree that the 40 PPA is the most advanced and refined phono stage in the company’s history.
New design, new possibilities – Cyrus enters the 21st century
Both authors note that the 40 PPA represents an aesthetic revolution compared to the brand’s earlier models. The front of the unit consists almost entirely of a large, easy-to-read LCD display, and the classic buttons have been replaced by touch sensors. What’s more, Cyrus is including a remote control with the phono stage for the first time, allowing for full configuration from the comfort of your couch.
The design remains compact, but the features are nothing short of impressive:
four RCA inputs, each configurable as MM or MC,
separate ground terminals for each input,
RCA and XLR outputs,
gain, load, and capacitance adjustment,
subsonic filter,
USB and Ethernet ports for firmware updates,
Compatibility with the Cyrus 40 PSU external power supply.
As Olszewski notes, such extensive features are usually found in much more expensive devices, such as the Violectric PPA V790 or the Gold Note PH-1000.
Sound: musicality, dynamics, and absolute background silence
Jacek Pazio: fluidity, smoothness, and complete freedom in music
The first reviewer highlights, above all, the clarity and refinement of the high frequencies, which are smooth yet rich in detail. The 40 PPA creates a highly tangible soundstage, free of compression and without any “clogged-up” sound in the midrange and bass.
Examples from the listening sessions:
RGG “Endorfina” – excellent clarity of percussion, resonance, a sense of space in the presentation, and natural-sounding double bass and piano.
Iron Maiden’s “Live After Death” – fast, tight playing, full of energy, but without any harshness or exhausting aggression.
Pazio emphasizes that the Cyrus 40 PPA handles any genre, from jazz to metal, and that its musicality doesn’t detract from its dynamic range or edginess.
Marcin Olszewski: a black background, powerful dynamics, and complete control
The second reviewer begins by noting that the 40 PPA offers “absolute silence and a background as black as Vantablack” - which is crucial in a phono stage of this caliber. The dynamics are impressive, but they stem not from a harsh bass response, but from the natural energy of the recordings.
Listening impressions:
Mariusz Duda “AFR AI D” – a powerful, majestic bass, yet perfectly controlled.
Black Sabbath’s “Never Say Die!” – Cyrus doesn’t try to hide the weaker production, but plays it “humanely,” without any harshness or tinny sound.
Metallica and Behemoth – fast, heavy music without losing clarity, without oversimplification, and without “flying razor blades.”
Holst, Miles Davis, Anna Maria Jopek – sophistication, complexity, the ability to analyze the details or contemplate the whole.
Olszewski emphasizes that 40 PPAs can revitalize sluggish systems and even extract a surprising amount of information from budget data.
The conclusions of both reviewers are unequivocal
The Cyrus 40 PPA is a complete system:
well-equipped,
modernly designed,
highly configurable,
extremely quiet,
dynamic and musical,
versatile in terms of repertoire,
fairly priced.
Both authors emphasize that the value for money (10,990 PLN) is exceptionally good, and the 40 PPA could serve as the go-to phono stage even in very high-end systems.
SoundRebels: The Cyrus 40 PPA is a must-listen for any vinyl enthusiast
Pazio recommends it “without exception to anyone looking for a good phono preamp,” and Olszewski adds that he didn’t expect such potential from such a compact unit.
The bottom line? The Cyrus 40 PPA is one of the most intriguing analog devices in its price range and one of the brand’s most successful designs ever.
Read the full review on SoundRebels