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Consonance
Cyber 880i
Direct Price: $4,980
TheCyber880i is designed, based on our very popular power amplifier, the Cyber880. The Cyber880i is an extremely potent amplifier with power, superb definition, and great control. Using eight beam power output tubes and a low-mu octal driver, this amplifier possesses an uncanny ability to reveal every nuance in a recording, while preserving the emotion and feel necessary for a truly musical performance. In addition to finesse, it has great power, impact, control, and a low electrical noise floor. This remarkable overall character makes it suitable for use with speakers ranging from high efficiency to the most difficult and demanding.
The aluminum front panel and top cover are finished in hand rubbed silver metalic lacquer, with bias meter and tube adjustors that make it easy to maintain and optimize. Output matching taps are provided for 4, and 8 ohm speakers.
The amplifier comes as standard with KT88 valves. I started ordering them with KT120 as the sound was even better. But after trying the KT150 valves, these were definitely superior again. unfortunately, these valves are more expensive and at my low margins, I cannot afford to include them, so the increase in price is what they cost me. it is well worth it and all the amplifiers i order are with kT150, but I keep a set of kT120 in case anybody opts for them.
Greg Osborn Comments.
For some years, I sold the fantastic little M100 40 w/ch integrated using EL34s. I sold nearly 100 of them because people could not believe the power, refinement and musicality from something this cheap. Then Consonance released the Cyber 100 15th Anniversary model to show what they had learned over their 15 years. It was an obvious improvement and everyone started buying that. It was so good that I always used it to demonstrate speakers right up to the Grand Monument References. No amplifier put against it from other makers went close. The only slight drawback was that although its ability to drive speakers was astonishing for a 30 watt amplifier, but there were some speakers and some applications, where it was not really enough. Now Consonance has released the Cyber 880i. The method of operation is the same, but with more than 3 times the power at 100 w/ch. It is all I could have hoped for, with even better musicality and definition and refinement, but with a new sense of weight and scale and almost unlimited power. Now everyone should be happy.
Specifications:
CONTROL FUNCTIONS: Power On/Off
POWER OUTPUT: 100 watt x 2, RMS 1kHz ( Ultra-linear )
TOTAL HARMONIC DISTORTION: less than 1%( 25watt, 1kHz )
FREQUENCY RESPONSE: ( -3dB points at 10 watt ) 6Hz-60kHz
INPUT SENSITIVITY: 350mV
INPUT IMPEDANCE: 100k ohms
OUTPUT IMPEDANCE: 4, 8 ohms. ( User selectable )
SIGNAL/NOISE: 90dB
CONSUMPTION: 300watt x 2
LINE OUTPUT INTERFACES: 1 group ( RCA )
INPUT INTERFACES: 5 group ( RCA )
OVERALL NEGATIVE FEEDBACK: Little
VACUUM TUBE: KT150 x 8, 8,12BH7 x 2,ECC82 x 2,ECC83 x 1
DIMENSIONS: 450 (L) x430 (W) x190(H)mm
WEIGHT: 28kg
New Review from Germany below
Röhrenverstärker
How about a little more?
Tube amplifiers are usually delicate little things, blessed with moderate power outputs, so speaker selection should be carefully considered. As I said "Generally" How about a little more?
There are exceptions. Just as American Companies demonstrate all the time, with truly giant tube amplifiers. Unfortunately these are usually accompanied with price tags that quickly spoil the fun. However now there is a 28Kg alternative; the Opera Consonance Cyber 880i for the price of 3,150 Euro. We are talking here about a really serious machine. One that easily delivers 100 to 110 watts per channel into real life loads and, and significantly, does so without any rattles, roars or any other kinks. The Country of Origin of this monster? Obviously China. Now let's not lump all Chinese products into the same stereotype. Opera Consonance is one of the few manufacturers in this sector that clearly seeks the life and emotion in the music, and is not just the usual faceless Contract Manufacturer.His name is Eric Shi Hui Liu. He has a solid engineering education and an intense passion for European Opera. This is why Opera Consonance was founded in 1994, and why their name becomes obvious. On top of their agenda is natural, detailed sound reproduction, using the simplest possible means, because their goal is what it should be. To use the best technology available to achieve the best possible sound reproduction. This does not mean steal a design and put your name on it. It is a matter of learning from the best, and doing it your way.There are two beam power tetrodes in a push pull arrangement. This is a classic design, but in terms of control, there seems to me to be a certain level of creativity in the game.There are five small input tubes set daintily between the hulking power tubes.For each channel, a low-reinforcing, but potent power from the dual triode type 12BH7 serves as a driver for the Force Meier, one ECC82 provides the "phase-splitting", thus providing the push-pull signal for the two amplifier branches. Then there's a single ECC83. Each a system for amplifying the input voltage per channel. The tubes all come from reputable source, Electro Harmonix from Russia. A Company well known for its quality tubes. Now this is not really a minimalist approach, but a very reasonable one. This is a technically clean Power Amplifier with no compromises to impede its performance.
To observe the construction quality, turn it over and remove the bottom plate to revel the workings. There is a total of nine small circuit boards, all connected with quality wiring. Only the Power Tubes and the Transformers are bolted directly to the chassis, which in view of the weight and heat generated makes good sense. The quality of the components is absolutely fine. The capacitors are quality "Auricaps" and the volume is controlled by a motor driven Alps pot. There is selection for 5 inputs, and pre amp out is provided.
There are extra points for the very stably bolted RCA terminals, and there is a very pretty, small metal remote control. There are also separate 4 and 8 ohm speaker output terminals. These are all truly luxuriously made. The enclosure panels are either clean anodized or painted and all fit together just fine, especially the slightly curved covers of the power transformer and two output transformers. This all flatters the eye. The volume pot is easy to use and the selector switch clicks through the selections in a quality way, that is miles away from cheap..
After removing the cage over the tubes, which is located by 4 banana plugs, there is a small round gauge and a rotary switch with nine positions. This is used to set the bias of each tube. It is a simple matter of selecting each tube and observing the meter. The manufacturer recommends 50 ma, which is adjusted using a small screwdriver on an adjustment screw near each tube. This is simple and works well. The amplifier radiates a conspicuous amount of heat, so one does not want to dally longer than necessary near the tubes.
The Cyber 880i idles at 300 w, so is an excellent heater for winter. This amplifier is a right for life. Extremely efficient horn type speakers are not required, but with speakers with an efficiency in the eighties, the Opera will be in top form, but it is not the tube like "warmth" that tries to seduce us, it is the power, energy and "emotion".
Using the certainly not easy to drive German Physics Avantera, with their 4 woofers, unleashes the power while consuming ZZ Top's "La Futura" a Storms. The amp drives them to a level which I am not prepared to endure, with no signs of taxing anything.
The sound is excellent and has very good separation across the breadth and depth of the soundstage, with far more discipline that one would expect.
The 880i reproduces voices in a clear and expressive way with no artificial euphony
- This is simply an excellent, universal amplifier.
Holger Barske
Bottom line ...
"Power, sharpness, and an amazing Degree of honesty determine the sound of this powerful amplifier. On top of this, there's great workmanship and Compatibility with any form of "Normal" speakers.
Measurement Comment
Flattery: the frequency characteristic can extend cleanly down to below 20 hertz , and the top extends up to about 40 kilohertz
- The output transformer in the Opera are class. The unit is 100 watts at eight and 110 watts at four ohms - impressive. The Signal to noise ratio of at five watts eight ohms whopping 90.7 dB (A) Channel separation 71.4 decibels. For the same power distortion is less than 0.1 percent, which is rather little. The current consumption: 296 watts at idle, 307 watts for five watts at the output, 540 at full load.
