Hi Alan,
Those RCA jacks are prone to snapping the center conductor off. It is bent at a right angle and soldered to the PCB.
If you remove all those original RCA jacks, you should be able to install after-market ones that have a nut to secure them. Don't go for those large gold things, install the chrome looking units that are smaller and actually fit. That way you will not need to modify anything.
-Chris
Those RCA jacks are prone to snapping the center conductor off. It is bent at a right angle and soldered to the PCB.
If you remove all those original RCA jacks, you should be able to install after-market ones that have a nut to secure them. Don't go for those large gold things, install the chrome looking units that are smaller and actually fit. That way you will not need to modify anything.
-Chris
mission cyrus 2 mods help
Hi, I brought myself a cyrus 2 a few months back to replace my Cambridge Audio 340A. All I can say is wow, there really is no comparison. Best 80 quid I ever spent.
I was wondering if their's any mods I can do to improve the sound? I'm a broke student, so I don't have the money to indulge my hi-fi fixation with new and shiny things.
I have the itch to constantly improve and fiddle with my hi-fi but little budget and I can't afford to blow anything up!
This is my set up so far, any suggestions or tips for improvement welcome
Foobar playing FLAC and WAV's in ASIO
ASUS Xonar Essence Reference sound card
Cheapish interconnect (£20) (swapped for the cambridge audio one i was using as it made the sound really harsh and forward)
Mission cyrus 2
Cheap (£2 a meter) chord speaker wire, single wire
B & W 601 s1's (£80 ebay) on decent stands.
Thanks
Hi, I brought myself a cyrus 2 a few months back to replace my Cambridge Audio 340A. All I can say is wow, there really is no comparison. Best 80 quid I ever spent.
I was wondering if their's any mods I can do to improve the sound? I'm a broke student, so I don't have the money to indulge my hi-fi fixation with new and shiny things.
I have the itch to constantly improve and fiddle with my hi-fi but little budget and I can't afford to blow anything up!
This is my set up so far, any suggestions or tips for improvement welcome
Foobar playing FLAC and WAV's in ASIO
ASUS Xonar Essence Reference sound card
Cheapish interconnect (£20) (swapped for the cambridge audio one i was using as it made the sound really harsh and forward)
Mission cyrus 2
Cheap (£2 a meter) chord speaker wire, single wire
B & W 601 s1's (£80 ebay) on decent stands.
Thanks
Hi richie00boy,
Hi lynch86,
If your selector switches need cleaning, you had better hire a really good technician to do that job. These switches are no longer available, so what you have is all you're likely to ever get. To do this, the switches need to be removed, taken apart and cleaned carefully by hand. If any damage occurs, it would be a real shame. I have done a few and the job takes patience and some skill. They can normally be cleaned to like new condition. The bearings should be lubricated at the same time.
What your amp needs now are new capacitors. Don't go nuts on name brand "super capacitors", just buy good normal brands of capacitors. Do not use bargain specials either, just try to hit a happy middle ground. Take your time and do a good, clean job. If you don't know how to solder yet, entrust this job to a really good technician. Anyone who mostly does "mods" will be a bad choice, they don't have the right frame of mind. A good old audio service technician is your best bet. That person most likely works out of home these days. These people are not the least expensive by the hour, but they will charge you much less when it's all done and over with.
If you surmise that a friend should do the work because they won't charge you, or not much, then stop there. Leave it together and don't do anything to it until you can afford to get the job done right. These units are actually pretty good, and the design is more advanced than many others for the same years. It would be a shame to see it hacked up. I've seen more than my share of badly serviced amplifiers of all makes. Sometimes they can not be made reliable ever again. That seem like a very high price to pay to me.
Don't get caught up in name brand heck either. A pair of 16 ga wire, fine copper stranded is all you need for speaker wires. Anything more is a complete and utter waste of money. If your wire is very flexible, you have the right stuff. It shouldn't be terribly expensive. Do not use expanding banana plugs!! They ruin the jacks and are completely unnecessary. Same goes for RCA plugs, avoid (like the plague) turbine cut, locking or large center pins. Any of these will ruin the RCA jacks. There are some RCA plugs that have a split center pin, and they actually seem to work very well. Oh yeah, gold plated hardware is a complete waste of money as well. For the signal cable, use a double shielded wire with the outer shield only connected at one end. Canare makes extremely good wire, as do many others. If you want a store bought cable, then a "Monster Cable" 300 series (or equivalent) is just about perfect. That is the best type you can get. Note that special treatments, polarized (even with a battery) and braided without a shield do not work as well. I have a dislike for Kimber Kable, no RF protection even if they work at 50 Hz. It's terribly expensive for what it is.
-Chris
Sorry, but I can't agree with that yet. Maybe after other issues are dealt with, but not as step one.
Hi lynch86,
All I can say is that you haven't heard anything yet. Your Cyrus is still not performing up to it's own new standards. You should also be aware that these units have excellent phono sections as well.
If your selector switches need cleaning, you had better hire a really good technician to do that job. These switches are no longer available, so what you have is all you're likely to ever get. To do this, the switches need to be removed, taken apart and cleaned carefully by hand. If any damage occurs, it would be a real shame. I have done a few and the job takes patience and some skill. They can normally be cleaned to like new condition. The bearings should be lubricated at the same time.
What your amp needs now are new capacitors. Don't go nuts on name brand "super capacitors", just buy good normal brands of capacitors. Do not use bargain specials either, just try to hit a happy middle ground. Take your time and do a good, clean job. If you don't know how to solder yet, entrust this job to a really good technician. Anyone who mostly does "mods" will be a bad choice, they don't have the right frame of mind. A good old audio service technician is your best bet. That person most likely works out of home these days. These people are not the least expensive by the hour, but they will charge you much less when it's all done and over with.
If you surmise that a friend should do the work because they won't charge you, or not much, then stop there. Leave it together and don't do anything to it until you can afford to get the job done right. These units are actually pretty good, and the design is more advanced than many others for the same years. It would be a shame to see it hacked up. I've seen more than my share of badly serviced amplifiers of all makes. Sometimes they can not be made reliable ever again. That seem like a very high price to pay to me.
Don't get caught up in name brand heck either. A pair of 16 ga wire, fine copper stranded is all you need for speaker wires. Anything more is a complete and utter waste of money. If your wire is very flexible, you have the right stuff. It shouldn't be terribly expensive. Do not use expanding banana plugs!! They ruin the jacks and are completely unnecessary. Same goes for RCA plugs, avoid (like the plague) turbine cut, locking or large center pins. Any of these will ruin the RCA jacks. There are some RCA plugs that have a split center pin, and they actually seem to work very well. Oh yeah, gold plated hardware is a complete waste of money as well. For the signal cable, use a double shielded wire with the outer shield only connected at one end. Canare makes extremely good wire, as do many others. If you want a store bought cable, then a "Monster Cable" 300 series (or equivalent) is just about perfect. That is the best type you can get. Note that special treatments, polarized (even with a battery) and braided without a shield do not work as well. I have a dislike for Kimber Kable, no RF protection even if they work at 50 Hz. It's terribly expensive for what it is.
-Chris
Hey Chris, thanks for the tip on the RCA jacks being a likely source of failure. And I have to agree with you about the phono stage. The MM stage gives my DB Systems stage a run for the money. I like Elna Silmic II and Panasonic FC electrolytics for good quality, fairly priced, capacitors. Soldering up your own interconnects is the way to go, I think. Decent <$5 RCA plugs and shielded bulk wire makes a cheap and effective single-ended connector.
I like these RCA plugs from part-express. Don't mind the gold. They're just as good as the triple-the-price Neutriks.
--Alan
I like these RCA plugs from part-express. Don't mind the gold.
They're just as good as the triple-the-price Neutriks.--Alan
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Hi ALan,
Those plugs look fine. I only worry about gold plating because it's often very thin. Before you know it, you're down to base metal and poor connections. I really like the fact that these are the proper dimensions to fit an RCA jack. Now, if we could only get them made of solid brass or high copper content! Now, that would probably be an excellent plug.
I try to find Canare wire, or an equivalent. Excellent stuff, and it's very flexible.
-Chris
Those plugs look fine. I only worry about gold plating because it's often very thin. Before you know it, you're down to base metal and poor connections. I really like the fact that these are the proper dimensions to fit an RCA jack. Now, if we could only get them made of solid brass or high copper content! Now, that would probably be an excellent plug.
I try to find Canare wire, or an equivalent. Excellent stuff, and it's very flexible.
-Chris
I just felt compelled to say how much I love how the Cyrus One sounds, so warm and musical, yet the metal shoebox doesn't scrimp on the sonic details. It is a real pleasure to listen to.
I suppose it will be time to upgrade the caps someday, and I might even be tempted to replace the output devices, though that sounds like one of those "don't fix something that isn't broken" scenarios. I wonder if upgrading the phono opamps might be worth my while. Right now I don't use the phono section since I'm using a moving coil cartridge and a phono pre into a line input. But I might be getting a JICO or a Nagaoka MM cartridge in the near future. . . .
As I write this, I am listening to multiple Belle & Sebastian LPs on heavy vinyl, and the music sounds better than a tricked out ST-70 tube I had until recently--livelier, yet just as "warm." I suppose the claim is heretical, but for my experience (ears, gear, music, setting, expectations, history, etc.), it's the stone truth.
I'm chagrined to admit that the Cyrus sounds better than a Quad 33 into a Sure Tripath amp, which I was confident would have stomped the integrated. Nope. The usual caveats apply.
It's funny you mention Canare wire, Chris. A buddy of mine uses the stuff, and recommends it highly.
Ciao for now, Alan
I suppose it will be time to upgrade the caps someday, and I might even be tempted to replace the output devices, though that sounds like one of those "don't fix something that isn't broken" scenarios. I wonder if upgrading the phono opamps might be worth my while. Right now I don't use the phono section since I'm using a moving coil cartridge and a phono pre into a line input. But I might be getting a JICO or a Nagaoka MM cartridge in the near future. . . .
As I write this, I am listening to multiple Belle & Sebastian LPs on heavy vinyl, and the music sounds better than a tricked out ST-70 tube I had until recently--livelier, yet just as "warm." I suppose the claim is heretical, but for my experience (ears, gear, music, setting, expectations, history, etc.), it's the stone truth.
I'm chagrined to admit that the Cyrus sounds better than a Quad 33 into a Sure Tripath amp, which I was confident would have stomped the integrated. Nope.
The usual caveats apply.It's funny you mention Canare wire, Chris. A buddy of mine uses the stuff, and recommends it highly.
Ciao for now, Alan
OK, I have just found this thread because yesterday I purchased a very dilapidated Cyrus 2/PSX combination. Non functioning of course but the price was right
I have read right through and have pretty much determined what I intend to do but a couple of questions about drivers and output devices.
It's an ISS.07 so only has the two PT77 output devices per channel. There have been several references to alternatives and I just happen to have a few sitting around so am considering trying the following:
Any thoughts? Is there any reason why the uprated components might not be suitable?
Other than that it'll be a straight recap with some of the components mentioned previously and probably some nice soft recover diodes on the supplies.
I have the cases all stripped down and intend to bead blast and have them re-powder coated too.
I have read right through and have pretty much determined what I intend to do but a couple of questions about drivers and output devices.
It's an ISS.07 so only has the two PT77 output devices per channel. There have been several references to alternatives and I just happen to have a few sitting around so am considering trying the following:
- Output Devices: OnSemi MJL3281A
- Drivers: MJE150030/150031
Any thoughts? Is there any reason why the uprated components might not be suitable?
Other than that it'll be a straight recap with some of the components mentioned previously and probably some nice soft recover diodes on the supplies.
I have the cases all stripped down and intend to bead blast and have them re-powder coated too.
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Glad I mentioned it now...maybe just some hammerite spray paint then...cheaper too...
Having pretty much rebuilt the mother board this afternoon I have a couple of questions:
Many thanks in advance.
- Does the phono section get hot in normal use? I ask because there is a LOT of scorching around the base of all the bipolars and Q1/Q2.
- What are Q1/Q2? I can't see any mention of them ion the service manual. And are there suitable replacements?
Many thanks in advance.
I have the Cyrus 1 service manual and schematics - so I have managed to sus out what's what in the Cyrus 2...but Q1 & Q2 are six legged affairs at the inputs - they seem to be some sort of dual transistor...
..because almost everything on the phono stages shows signs of charring I have renewed the LM317/337 regulators and all the caps regardless and checked the value of all the resistors which seem OK.
..because almost everything on the phono stages shows signs of charring I have renewed the LM317/337 regulators and all the caps regardless and checked the value of all the resistors which seem OK.
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Maplin stores dont sell many electronics components so dont get much practice with capacitors. Even if the yknew they opnly tend to carry one or two in stock if any.
Its better to use Maplin online for buying stuff as they carry much better stock.
If you are going online try Rapid | Distributors of electronic components, electrical products and educational supplies
PSX to Internal PS changes...
Just to check before I blow myself up. The Cyrus2 is now full repaired and ready for reassembly. I thought I'd try it out solo before I recap the PSX. So I just want to check the steps to reverse:
Many thanks,
Just to check before I blow myself up. The Cyrus2 is now full repaired and ready for reassembly. I thought I'd try it out solo before I recap the PSX. So I just want to check the steps to reverse:
- Insert correct 4A fuses internally
- Reconnect chassis ground
Many thanks,
- Status
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