Cyrus soundBuds Review – Sporty lightweights from England…
You can confidently do without cables, and more and more manufacturers are also convinced of this when it comes to in-ear headphones. Surprisingly, one of them is now a company that has not been active in this area before, namely the English high-end hi-fi manufacturer Cyrus Audio Ltd. They are putting the Cyrus soundBuds in the race for the customers’ favour.
It is hardly surprising that in recent months one manufacturer after the other has been coming onto the market with in-ear headphones that do without cables either partially or completely. After all, the technology is so far mature that on the one hand, all the electronics including the batteries that are naturally necessary for operation can be designed in such a tiny form that they fit into something as small as an earplug of an in-ear headphone and still achieve a sufficiently long playing time. In addition, customers simply want to be able to do without the element “cable”, which is perceived as particularly annoying, especially in solutions such as headphones for daily use on the move.
So it is quite clear that one manufacturer after the other has come up with such solutions in recent months, first and foremost, of course, proven headphone specialists, but interestingly enough also many a manufacturer who has so far made little or no appearance in the headphone sector, including the English high-end hi-fi manufacturer Cyrus Audio Ltd.
The fact that companies such as Cyrus Audio Ltd. are now also involved in the headphone sector, and in a field that can be assigned to the classic consumer segment, is a very clever move. On the one hand, you can inspire your own, usually very brand-loyal customer base with such solutions, and on the other hand, with clever placement on the market and appropriate marketing measures, the chances are very good that you can address completely new target groups and thus drive the brand forward.
In this respect, it is not surprising that Cyrus Audio Ltd. has decided on an in-ear headphone and a cable-free version, because this is not only very much in vogue, it is clearly a segment with a future.
One only delicate point remains of course: the quality must fit! Especially a manufacturer who claims to have high-end ambitions in his core business must not be naked when it comes to such new product areas. Whether Cyrus Audio Ltd. has succeeded with the Cyrus soundBuds, we wanted to find out in a detailed test.
Especially ambitious…
Cyrus Audio Ltd. says that the new Cyrus soundBuds have been developed with the intention of guaranteeing nothing less than an outstanding performance, both in terms of detail and dynamics, so that the full intensity of the music can be enjoyed to the full on the road. The English even go so far as to speak of a solution that provides audiophile sound, even in sports. Thus the package of the Cyrus soundBuds bears the promise that they are “audiophile sports earbuds”.
Unpacked…
The Cyrus soundBuds come in a small, elegantly designed box, so you want to convey to the customer at first glance that he is holding something really fine in his hands. If you open the box, you can see the really tiny earplugs as well as an equally pleasingly small storage box.
Underneath it is another box containing the accessories for the Cyrus soundBuds, above all a bag containing two ear molds, so that with those that are already on the Cyrus soundBuds at the factory, a total of three of these parts are included. Also a transport case can be found here, which can be tied up with a strap.
Tiny transport box…
Honestly, we have never seen such a tiny transport box like the Cyrus soundBuds before. This is very practical, because you can put it in your trouser pocket and carry it with you without any problems. A lighter has turned out considerably larger…
Nevertheless, this transport box also fulfills an essential task with these Wireless In-ear Headphones, as it serves as a charging station that can be charged via microUSB port using a corresponding power supply unit or directly on a notebook. And since this transport box itself contains a 3.7 V 400 mAh lithium-ion battery, it functions as a mobile power bank that can be used for charging far away from the power outlet.
Of course, the Cyrus soundBuds fit exactly into this box, whereby this is by no means a fiddling about the small dimensions, but simply and easily done, and the flap snaps securely into place with one click.
The right size is important…
Before you actually use the Cyrus soundBuds, you should choose the best fitting variant from the unfortunately only three attachments, the so-called Ear Tips. The Cyrus soundBuds are made of silicone and have a special shape. This does not apply to the part that is pushed directly into the auditory canal, which is quite conventional. Instead, the Ear Tips of the Cyrus soundBuds have a kind of small bow that helps to hold the Cyrus soundBuds particularly securely in the ear, in this case they are “anchored” in the auricle. The manufacturer refers to this as soft hooks. You don’t have to worry that this could be annoying in any way; on the contrary, they offer excellent wearing comfort.
But why is it so important that you actually choose the “right” size? Well, of course this has primarily to do with comfort, that’s for sure, but also with the best possible sound. Only an optimal fit in the ear canal first of all guarantees optimal shielding, so that on the one hand ambient noise is largely unnoticed, and on the other hand this also guarantees that the sound of the Cyrus soundBuds can actually develop properly. This is particularly noticeable in the bass range. If the in-ear headphones are not fitted correctly, the radiation intended by the developers is not achieved directly on the ear, and the energy of the drivers can literally be conducted into the void. So, if you think that your In-ears have too little bass, you should first check the size of the ear tips used, this is only a general recommendation…
Here we go…
In principle the Cyrus soundBuds have a first “charge”, which is probably enough for testing. Nevertheless, you should first charge it completely, which took about three to four hours in our test.
For the initial operation, the left and right plug should be coupled first. For this purpose, essentially the entire front side of the plugs is designed as a button. One press on both plugs, and after the status LEDs flash briefly, a synthetic-looking lady’s voice signals that the coupling is complete. Coupling with the source device is just as unproblematic, which is probably primarily a smartphone. Here, too, the lady’s voice in the ear signals that the coupling has been completed. By the way, the coupling between the two earplugs only has to be carried out once, after which both must be “switched on”, but the pairing is carried out automatically by True Wireless Stereo (TWS).
From a technical standpoint…
The Cyrus soundBuds present themselves with a housing made of plastic, in the black version alone, a further color variant is not available so far. The plastic does not make a particularly high-quality impression, that has to be clearly stated, but it does serve the purpose of keeping the weight very low.
The Cyrus soundBuds 5.8 mm drivers provide for good sound, which is quite remarkable considering the very, very compact dimensions. In these drivers, the developers rely on a diaphragm in a so-called double-layer structure made of unspecified polymer, driven by powerful nedoymium magnets. If you now add the electronics plus 3.7 V 55 mAh lithium-ion batteries, it is remarkable that the earplugs weigh only 4.5 g.
The developers at Cyrus Audio Ltd. have used Bluetooth 4.2 for the Cyrus soundBuds, which allows signal transmission via HFP v1.7, HSP v1.2, A2DP V1.3 ACRCP V1.6.
Of course the Cyrus soundBuds are equipped with an integrated microphone, so that a hands-free function is available. Calls are answered or ended by means of the already mentioned buttons on the front sides of the Cyrus soundBuds, which also serve to allow playback control (Play, Pause, Next Track, Previus Track).
Sporty, sporty…
We have already mentioned it, especially the Cyrus soundBuds stand out that they are from a renowned HiFI company, whose sound signature is supposed to have, but they are also designed for sports. The Cyrus soundBuds are IPX5 certified and are therefore not only resistant to splash water but also to sweat. Even cleaning from time to time with a damp cloth will not harm these headphones.
From the field…
Well, we have already mentioned the comfort and secure hold of the Cyrus soundBuds, but we would like to emphasize that these inears did not cause us any problems even when used for hours. They really sit bomb-proof in the ear without even pressing at the beginning, so that the discreetly expressed criticism that only three different ear tips are included here can be put into perspective. We can only confirm that the Cyrus soundBuds are also very suitable for sports.
Whereby, something has to be taken with caution over hours, because the very small dimensions of the Cyrus soundBuds naturally lead to the fact that you have to make do with a comparatively short battery life. Only about 2.5 hours of continuous music enjoyment is guaranteed here; as a pure hands-free device it would last about three hours. That’s not really a lot, even if in combination with the transport box as a mobile charging station for charging three times away from the power outlet, a total of eight hours of playing time results. In standby, it’s enough for up to 80 hours, so that you can largely do without a power adapter, at least for short trips.
Let’s now get to the probably most important point of our test, namely the sound of the Cyrus soundBuds. As already mentioned in the introduction, especially in view of the history and the rest of the product range of Cyrus Audio Ltd. as a proven high-end hi-fi forge, it is on the one hand an opportunity to expand the product range with solutions like the Cyrus soundBuds, but it also naturally carries a certain risk. After all, consumers associate the brand with certain characteristics and therefore expect corresponding quality.
In this respect, Cyrus Audio Ltd. does not compromise with the Cyrus soundBuds, because the sound quality of the in-ear headphones is really convincing. However, one must not make the mistake of comparing Cyrus soundBuds with solutions in the same price range that are certainly trying to make a certain amount of showmanship, for example by showing off a bit too much bass or by emphasizing an exaggeration in the lower frequency range as being intentional, as is the case with many products designed for sporting activities.
The Cyrus soundBuds deliberately deliver a sound characteristic that is deliberately tuned towards neutral with a coherent sound image. This allows a relaxed listening to music, regardless of which music style one prefers. So bass fetishists will not get their money’s worth here, this must be clearly stated. Our assumption, however, is that Cyrus Audio Ltd. does not want to address them anyway, rather the Cyrus soundBuds are supposed to be a kind of figurehead for the brand, which therefore has to correspond completely to its own philosophy. The fact that the Cyrus soundBuds are nevertheless positioned as very affordable true wireless inear headphones is to be welcomed. This also puts some of the criticism into perspective, such as the simple plastic case and the somewhat limited number of earpieces included in the scope of delivery.
Getting to the Point
Cyrus Audio Ltd. remains true to itself with the Cyrus soundBuds, pursuing essentially the same (sound) philosophy here as with classic hi-fi solutions. The Cyrus soundBuds are tuned to be as neutral as possible and deliver a balanced, detailed and dynamic sound image that guarantees relaxed music enjoyment. A comfortable, secure fit even during sports, easy operation and the small dimensions of the handsets themselves, but also of the accessories such as the charging station, also speak for the Cyrus soundBuds. We are a bit disappointed by the short playing time, but this is of course due to the tiny dimensions.
Cyrus Audio Ltd. says that the new Cyrus soundBuds have been developed with the intention of guaranteeing nothing less than an outstanding performance, both in terms of detail and dynamics, so that the full intensity of the music can be enjoyed to the full on the road. The English even go so far as to speak of a solution that provides audiophile sound, even in sports. Thus the package of Cyrus soundBuds bears the promise of being “audiophile sports earbuds”.
Manufacturer: | Cyrus Audio Ltd. |
Distribution: | Bellevue Audio GmbH |
Price: | € 125,- |
The Good | – extremely lightweight – midget – virtually tiny charging station – comfortable and secure hold – well-balanced sound – competitive price |
The Bad | – short battery life due to the tiny dimensions – only three earmold pieces included |