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Review 1 of 1
Price Paid:
$0.00 Summary:
The Talk Cyclone is a very interesting amplifier and features all of the usual features that we have come to expect from a proper British integrated. Toroidal power supply; Darlington outputs; direct circuit switching to minimize internal wiring and subsequent signal loss; and good solid build quality. Indeed it has all of the internal ingredients of a textbook “proper” British integrated as established by the likes of Rega; Cambridge; Arcam, Creek and others; however that is where the similarities end.
Unlike most British amps that strive for a smooth and detailed articulate delivery; the Cyclone almost lives up to it’s name and serves up a storm of sound that bewilders it relatively small sized chassis. The Cyclone can throw out a massive soundstage with some of the most incredible three dimensional imaging I have ever heard from an integrated in this price. You will not believe that an integrated alone can so transform your speakers.
That said; this imaging does come with a price; the depth of the soundstage is such that some of the more intricate detail is simply lost in the delivery. Yet for vocals they are literally in your face in front of you. Your musical preferences will ultimately dictate how well this works in your system. If you enjoy vocals it is hard to find a better presentation or a more musical delivery at this price point. Bass performance is also surprisingly good and it does reasonably well with strings.
The highs with a bright pair of speaker can be overpowering. The Talk Cyclone is definitely a forward and aggressive amplifier and works well with laid back speakers; especially some of the more vintage offerings that typically had larger drivers and more solid cabinets.
It has many inputs and the remote control works very well. Overall the sound is definitely a cut above most of the entry level “mid-fi” you will find and it is certainly not lacking in character. With the right speakers in the right room it can work the kind of magic that you would normally look to spend 2x – 3x the price to achieve. With the wrong speakers and a less forgiving setup I can see some listeners not lasting more than 30 minutes tops.
Either way it is a very interesting integrated and is well worth a listen; if it matches well with your speakers and musical preferences you will be hard pressed to find a better unit for the money.
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4 of 5
