Cyrus Pre User manual

UserInstructions
CyrusPre

Cyrus Pre
1English

INTRODUCTION Cyrus Pre
English 2
Congratulations on the purchase of your
Cyrus Pre state of the art pre-amplifier. This piece of
equipment is a precision manufactured state-of-art
product, constructed to the highest standards and
specifications. This manual contains installation and
operating instructions to enable the user to connect up and
operate the amplifier correctly, thus ensuring the greatest
satisfaction and long term use. This instruction manual is
divided into eight sections.
Cautions............................................................................. 3
Installation......................................................................... 4
Operation........................................................................... 9
Remote Control............................................................... 12
Additional Information.................................................. 15
Trouble Shooting ............................................................ 19
Specifications................................................................... 21
Guarantee ........................................................................ 22
To enable you to make full use of the comprehensive
facilities of the pre-amplifier we suggest that you read
these sections which will explain the fundamental
operations of the unit.
CAUTION
POLARISED CONNECTOR (115V PRODUCTS ONLY)
To prevent electrical shock, match wide blade of plug to wide
slot and fully insert
Attention: Pour éviter les chocs électriques, introduire la lame la
plus large de la fiche dans la borne correspondante de la prise et
pousser jusqu'au fond.

Cyrus Pre CAUTIONS
3English
Your Cyrus Pre is factory set to operate from a fixed
mains supply voltage, which is marked on a label at the
rear of the unit. Before connecting, check that this voltage
is the same as your mains supply, i.e.
230V Products Voltage Range 220V-240V
115V Products Voltage Range 110V-120V
Always follow the instruction handbook and retain it in a
safe place for future reference.
Before proceeding with installing the Cyrus Pre, ensure
that the following items are included in the accessory box:
•Instruction Manual (Cyrus Pre)
•Instruction Manual (Cyrus System Commander)
•Power Cable
•Cyrus System Commander
•RCA Output Interconnect cable
•Guarantee Card
After removing these items, please retain the packing for
future use.
Install the Cyrus Pre in a well ventilated location where it
will not be exposed to high temperature or humidity.
Avoid installing the Cyrus Pre in a location which is
exposed to direct rays of the sun, or near to hot appliances
or radiators. Placing and using the pre-amplifier for long
periods on heat-generating sources will affect
performance and may damage the cabinet. Installation in a
damp or dusty environment may result in malfunction or
accident.
The Cyrus Pre is supplied ready for use in your location.
Care has been taken to ensure that the power supply
requirements are correctly set. Consult your Mission
distributor to arrange for conversion of your Cyrus Pre
should you move to another area with a different mains
supply voltage.
It is important not to allow any liquid or foreign object fall
into this unit. When routing the power cord avoid running
it over or near sharp objects.
If the amplifier is not to be used for a long period of time,
unplug the unit from the mains power supply.
This unit contains no user serviceable parts, therefore
never remove any panels from the unit or attempt to
service the unit. In the unlikely event of failure, please
refer to qualified service personnel.
UNPACKING
LOCATION
RE-LOCATING
PRECAUTIONS REGARDING INSTALLATION

INSTALLATION Cyrus Pre
English 4
Fig.1 Pre-amplifier (rear view)
1. Power inlet
2. MC-Bus System Connection
3. Output to Power Amplifier (RCA)
4. Tape Record Output
5. Tape Input
6. Spare Input
7. Aux Input
8. RCA/BAL Selector Switch for CD Input
9. CD Input (RCA)
10. Video Input
11. Tuner Input
12. Phono Input
13. Turntable Ground
14. PSX-R Connection
15. CD Input (Balanced, Left)
16. CD Input (Balanced, Right)
17. Output to Power Amplifier (BAL, Left)
18. Output to Power Amplifier (BAL, Right)

Cyrus Pre INSTALLATION
5English
The Cyrus Pre may be positioned as a free standing unit
or alongside another piece of audio equipment. Never
stand the unit on top of a Power amplifier which may
generate heat. The Cyrus Pre must always sit horizontally
on a flat firm surface.
The Mains Supply
The moulded 'Figure 8' connector of the mains lead
supplied should be plugged in to the power inlet 1on the
rear of the unit.
There is no user replaceable mains fuse. In the event of a
suspected power failure, the Cyrus Pre should be returned
to your dealer.
In the U.K., the Cyrus Pre comes with the mains plug
fitted. In the unlikely event that the plug fuse should need
replacing ensure that it is only replaced with a 3 Amp
Fuse.
Connecting a PSX-R Power Supply (Optional)
If a PSX-R is to be used with the Cyrus Pre, proceed to
connect the umbilical cord of the PSX-R to the 5-pin
Cannon input socket of the Cyrus Pre. When correctly
fitted, the connector will latch into place in the socket.
Note that when a PSX-R is in use, both the PSX-R power
supply and the Cyrus Pre will require mains power.
Note:
For more details on the PSX-R, please refer to the Cyrus
PSX-R Instruction Manual.
POSITIONING THE UNIT
CONNECTING THE UNIT

INSTALLATION Cyrus Pre
English 6
CONNECTING SIGNAL SOURCES
Connecting a Turntable
Connect the phono cable from the turntable to the phono
input - PH 12 . Be sure to follow colour coding of the
plugs to keep left and right channels correctly ordered. If
the turntable has a ground wire fitted, connect this to the
Turntable ground connection 13 of the pre-amplifier.
Pickup cartridge matching- Moving magnet
The phono pre-amplifier fitted to the Cyrus Pre is suitable
as supplied for use with all pick-up cartridges of either
moving magnet (MM) or high output moving coil (MC)
design.
Moving coil cartridges
Vinyl record enthusiasts owning a low output Moving
Coil (MC) cartridge may purchase a replacement phono
stage to match correctly the requirements of an MC
cartridge. Your Cyrus dealer will supply and fit this
conversion if required. The MC phono stage may also be
optimised for pickup cartridge loading. Refer to the
Additional Information section on page 20 for more
detailed information about pickup cartridge matching.
Moving coil cartridges with an external step-up device
Some moving coil cartridges are supplied with an external
step-up transformer or pre-amplifier. In this case the
Cyrus Pre should be set for use with a Moving Magnet
cartridge (as supplied).
Choice of a CD player connection system
Two connection systems are provided on the Cyrus Pre
for use with CD players. Most conventional CD players
will connect to the RCA phono jacks. Some CD players
and D/A converters are also provided with fully balanced
XLR outputs which can be used with the XLR inputs of
the Cyrus Pre. There are certain technical advantages in
using a fully balanced connection system, but for most
installations the sonic performance will depend greatly on
the choice of a quality interconnect rather than the
connection system which is used. For most installations,
using RCA phono connections with a high quality
interconnect will yield the best result.
Connecting a CD player with RCA phono cables
Connect a phono cable interconnect from the CD player
output sockets to the left and right 'RCA' CD inputs of the
Cyrus Pre 9. Set the CD input selector switch 8to
RCA.

Cyrus Pre INSTALLATION
7English
Connecting a CD player with Balanced XLR cables
Connect 3 pin XLR cables between the CD player
balanced outputs and the Cyrus Pre XLR CD inputs 15
and 16 . One cable will be necessary for each channel, left
and right. Set the CD input selector switch 8to XLR.
Connecting other Inputs
Connect a phono cable interconnect between each system
component and the rear panel sockets as marked on the
rear panel diagram. At all times observe the colour coding
of the phono cable for left and right channel identification.
The Cyrus Pre provides for connection of the following
line sources, a tuner - TU 11 , a video recorder, video disc
player or Home Theatre system- VI 10 , an auxiliary input
- AU 7and a further spare input - SP 6for special
future applications.
The AU and SP inputs can both be used for connection of
a wide variety of products such as a second CD player,
tuner or VCR, an electronic keyboard or a second tape
deck if only replay is necessary. Always check the
technical specification of these products before connecting
to your Cyrus Pre. Consult your dealer if in doubt.
Connecting a Tape Recorder
Two phono cables are necessary for connection of a tape
recorder when used. Firstly, connect a phono cable from
the Output or Playback sockets of the tape recorder to the
Tape Input - TP IN 5of the Cyrus Pre. Then connect a
second phono cable from the Input or Record sockets of
the tape recorder to the Tape Record Output - TP OUT 4
sockets of the Cyrus Pre.
Connecting the Power Amplifier
The pre-amplifier output must be connected to a power
amplifier in order to drive the system loudspeakers. Both
RCA and fully balanced XLR connections are available.
Choice of a power amplifier connection system
Both RCA phono and Balanced XLR connection systems
are provided and the choice of connection system will
depend on the individual installation. For most systems
where the Cyrus Pre is placed close to the power amplifier
the best results will be achieved by using the RCA phono
connections with a high quality interconnect. For
installations where the power amplifier is located some
distance away from the pre-amplifier, perhaps by the
loudspeakers, the balanced XLR connection system may
give the best performance.

INSTALLATION Cyrus Pre
English 8
Connecting a power amplifier with RCA phono cables
Connect a phono cable interconnect from the Cyrus Pre
Pre-out sockets 3to the left and right inputs of the power
amplifier. When using the Pre-out sockets 3, ensure that
no connection is made to the Balanced XLR sockets 17
and 18 .
Connecting a power amplifier with Balanced XLR
cables
Connect 3 pin XLR cables between the Cyrus Pre
balanced outputs 17 and 18 and the power amplifier XLR
balanced inputs. One cable will be necessary for each
channel, left and right. When using the Balanced XLR
outputs 17 and 18 , ensure that no connection is made to
the Pre-out sockets 3.

Cyrus Pre OPERATION
9English
1. Standby Switch
2. Standby Light
3. Balance
4. Remote Eye
5. Volume Level
6. Tape
7. Spare
8. Auxiliary
9. Video
10. Tuner
11. CD
12. Phono
13. Mute
Fig. 2 Pre-amplifier (front view)

OPERATION Cyrus Pre
English 10

Cyrus Pre OPERATION
11 English
OPERATION
Refer now to figure 2, front panel drawing on page 9.
Power control
When the Cyrus Pre is in regular use and power is
permanently applied, the STANDBY key 1can be used
for power control. The Standby light 2will show red
when the pre-amplifier is off and green when operating.
The Cyrus Pre will also switch on when an input source
7- 12 is selected.
The Cyrus Pre remains permanently powered from the
mains supply when set to Standby to ensure stable
operating conditions and consistent audio performance. If
the Cyrus Pre is to be left unattended for a long period
however, the mains power should be switched off or the
product disconnected from the AC supply.
Selecting an input for listening
The six input keys 7- 12 switch between selected input
sources. These can be a turntable - PH, a CD player - CD,
a tuner - TU, a video recorder or video disc player - VI
and two spare auxiliary inputs - AU and SP. When an
input key is selected, the red indicator above the key will
turn on.
Recording and playback
If the tape recorder connections are made according to the
previous instruction in this manual, then you should be
able to listen to a recording by selecting the Tape Monitor
key - TP 6. The indicator above the TP key will now
light in addition to the selected source. To cancel this,
press the TP key again. Should your tape deck have a
three-head facility, then you can use the TP key to monitor
the recording quality directly from the third head, whilst
recording.
You can record from a source by pressing the relevant
Key 7- 12 and following the recording instructions in
your tape deck manual.
Volume and balance control
The rotary knob 5of the Cyrus Pre has a dual function
of volume and balance control. The light ring display
around the rotary knob performs different functions,
indicating either volume or balance setting depending on
the current mode of operation.

REMOTE CONTROL UNIT Cyrus Pre
English 12
Volume Control
In normal mode the rotary knob of the Cyrus Pre controls
the volume from its maximum level down to the
minimum. The light ring around the knob is calibrated to
give the correct loudness scale to the changes in the
volume level. When the volume is set to the minimum
level the first L.E.D. indicator on the light ring will be
RED. The currently set volume is preserved when the unit
is put into standby mode. Should the level be set
abnormally high when standby is selected, this will be
automatically adjusted down to a safer level on switch-on.
Balance Control
Your Cyrus Pre is equipped with a Balance control key
3which is used to change the operation mode of the
rotary knob to that of Left - Right Balance. When selected,
the light ring will change function to work in "reverse -
video" format with the unlit section indicating the position
of L-R balance.
When in this mode, you can control the L-R balance by up
to +/-4dB as well as switching one channel off completely
when the control is turned to an extreme. The balance
mode is automatically reset after 5 seconds of inactivity of
the rotary knob. It can also be reset by pressing the
balance key again.
Mute
Pressing the Mute Key 13 will fade out the volume to
minimum level without disturbing the existing setting.
When muted the minimum level indicator light, RED will
light as well as the existing GREEN light to show that the
output is muted. Changing the volume knob or pressing
the Mute key will reset the mute, fading in the original
volume setting.
Channel Balance
Normal
Normal Listening Level
- Mute
Channel Balance
R - CH + 2dB
Channel Balance
L - Ch Only

Cyrus Pre REMOTE CONTROL UNIT
13 English
REMOTE OPERATION OF THE Cyrus Pre
The Cyrus System Commander, supplied to complement
the Cyrus Pre, provides full unified control of a complete
system of Cyrus components. The following section
summarises the control functions which are available
specifically to control the Cyrus Pre.
Activating the System Commander
For convenience, the System Commander is supplied with
batteries fitted ready for use. To prevent premature
discharge of the batteries a small label strip is fitted into
the battery compartment. To activate the System
Commander, pull the label strip gently in the direction of
the arrow. It is not necessary to remove the battery cover
for this.
Setting the System Commander for stereo operation
with the Cyrus Pre
First press the FUNCTION key 29 briefly. The current
SYSTEM SELECT Indicator 8-12 will glow. If the
indicator glows Red, then the System Commander is
already set to send Stereo level control commands and no
further action is necessary. If the indicator glows Green,
press and hold the FUNCTION key 29 . Release the key
when the colour of the SYSTEM SELECT Indicator 8-
12 changes to Red. Stereo level control commands will
now be sent to the Cyrus Pre.
Power control
Your Cyrus Pre may be turned on by selecting any Input
Select Key 13 - 17 on the Cyrus System Commander.
This action will also select the desired program source. To
switch the power off from the remote position, press the
"POWER OFF" RED Key on the handset 2.
Input selection
The input source may be changed by selecting any INPUT
SELECT Key 13 - 17 . This action will also switch on a
Cyrus tuner or CD player as appropriate.
Tape selection
To select tape monitor, press the Tape key TP 18 . A
second press will cancel tape monitor.

REMOTE CONTROL UNIT Cyrus Pre
English 14
1. Sleep/Status Key
2. Power Off
3. Mute
4. Phase
5. Mono Key
6. Balance Key
7. Level Thumbwheel
8-12. System Indicators
13-17. System Selectors
18. Tape Selector
19. Tape Indicator
20. Sub-Woofer select
21 Centre level select
22. Rear level select
23-25. AV Mode Indicators
26. Display Key
27. Memory Store
28. Number Keypad
29. Function Key
30. Quick Search - Reverse
31. Quick Search - Forward
32. Previous
33. Next
34. Pause key
35. Play Key
36. Transmission Lens

Cyrus Pre REMOTE CONTROL UNIT
15 English
Volume control
The level thumbwheel may be used to adjust both the
volume and balance setting of the Cyrus Pre.
To activate the System Commander for volume
adjustment, press briefly the SLEEP/STATUS key
18 .which will illuminate the SYSTEM SELECT
Indicators 8- 12 . The LEVEL CONTROL thumbwheel
7can now be used to change the volume level setting of
the Cyrus Pre. Rotate the thumbwheel gently clockwise to
increase the volume level, anti-clockwise to reduce the
level.
Balance control
To change the Left/Right balance setting, press the
BALANCE select key 6(the level display of the Cyrus
Pre will change to read balance offset). The balance
setting may then be adjusted using the LEVEL
CONTROL thumbwheel 7.
Mute
The mute function of the Cyrus Pre can be selected by
pressing the MUTE key of the System Commander 3.
Remote operation of other Cyrus components
If the remote control is to be used with other Cyrus
components, refer to the System Commander handbook
which is packed separately in the accessory carton and
describes in detail the full functionality of the System
Commander.
Battery replacement
The battery compartment is located underneath the System
Commander. First place the Commander face down on a
soft cloth or similar surface.
Now remove the lid from the battery compartment by
inserting a small coin or the tip of a screwdriver into the
slot at the top of the lid to release the catch. The lid will
then lift away from the body of the System Commander.
The battery holder can now be removed, giving access to
the four battery positions, located on both sides of the
holder. Taking care not to stress the wires, fit a battery in
each position. Ensure that the polarity of the batteries is
correct and matches the diagrams marked inside the
holder. Batteries which are fitted incorrectly may damage
the sensitive circuitry of the System Commander.
Refit the battery holder and replace the battery
compartment lid by engaging the two small clips at the
bottom of the lid and pressing the top of the lid home.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Cyrus Pre
English 16
KNOW YOUR Cyrus Pre
Power control
•When first powered up, the Cyrus Pre will run a self-
test, checking the internal functions and all the front
panel indicators in sequence. After completion of this
cycle the amplifier will revert to Standby mode.
When first switched on from standby the CD input is
automatically selected and the volume is set to
minimum.
•When set to Standby the front panel settings for input
selection and Volume/Balance will be retained until
next used. If the unit is put in standby mode while set
to abnormally high volume levels, the Cyrus Pre will
power on at the safe level of -15dB when next
switched on.
Bi-amping / Tri-amping with the Cyrus Power
•Depending on the system complexity, two or more
Cyrus Power amplifiers may be daisy-chained to
provide fully separated quality power to the
individual units of the loudspeakers.
External Regulated Power Supply - PSX-R
•Addition of a PSX-R which is a highly regulated DC
power supply will upgrade the sonic performance of
your Cyrus Pre. No adjustments are necessary when
connecting the Cyrus PSX-R to the Cyrus Pre- full
connection instructions can be found on page 5.
Home Theatre- The Cyrus AV-master
•
••
•The Cyrus Pre can easily link to a Cyrus AV-master
surround sound processor to extend Cyrus sound
quality into a full Pro-Logic Home Theatre set-up
whilst retaining the Cyrus Pre as the core of the
stereo system.
Volume and Balance control
•The volume control system of your Cyrus Pre is a
unique twin attenuator design. This format enables
full implementation of short-path passive techniques
for the sensitive input signals, ensuring the highest
level of musical transparency.
•The dual attenuators of each Cyrus Pre are
individually calibrated. This data is stored internally
in a calibration memory and is applied through dual
D/A converters and an analogue servo system to
obtain precision level setting and channel balance.

Cyrus Pre ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
17 English
Programmable input sensitivity
•In all audio systems, the audible volume from the
speakers will change slightly in level when switching
from one music source to another. This is due to the
differing output sensitivities of each source
component. To compensate for this, the unique
calibration memory of the Cyrus Pre can be
programmed to memorise a volume offset for all
inputs with reference to the CD input. To program an
offset follow the 5 steps below-
1. Select CD input and set the volume control to a
comfortable listening level.
2. Select the input to be programmed (tuner, video
etc.) holding the input key depressed until the
volume display switches to show input offset
(refer to the diagrams).
3. Adjust the level control to give the same audible
volume as the CD player. The display will read
the offset applied.
4. Store the offset by selecting the input again.
5. Repeat from step 2 for each input as required.
When this procedure is completed, you should find
that the desired volume level is maintained when
switching between different inputs..
This view shows the offset volume display
indication when the selected input has the
same sensitivity as the CD input. (This is
the factory setting for the Cyrus Pre).
This display shows that the selected input
(e.g. tuner) has been programmed to be 2dB
more sensitive than the CD input. This will
increase the sensitivity of the tuner input to
give equal volume levels from CD and
tuner.
This display shows that the selected input
(e.g. video) has been programmed to be 4dB
more sensitive than the CD input. When
video is selected, the sensitivity of the input
will be further increased to give equal
volume levels when switching between the CD player and
the video recorder.
To restore the factory settings, follow steps 2 to 4 for each
input, setting the front panel offset display to 'zero offset'
level- see the top diagram.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Cyrus Pre
English 18
MC-BUS System Connection
•This is an optional connection via the MC-Bus
sockets 2(see rear panel drawing on page 4), which
can provide unified power control of a complete
Cyrus system from your Cyrus Pre. The MC-Bus
connections should be wired as a 'loop' using single
RCA phono interconnects. The diagram on the right
shows a typical Cyrus system of Cyrus dAD7, Cyrus
FM7, Cyrus Pre and Cyrus Power with such an MC-
Bus loop connected. Referring to this diagram,
connect the first cable between the MC-Bus output of
the Cyrus Pre and the MC-Bus input of the next
Cyrus component. Continue to wire each product
MC-Bus output to the next input, finally returning to
the Cyrus Pre input to complete the loop.
Operating a system with MC-Bus connected
•When the above connections have been made it will
now be possible to control the power function of the
entire system from the Cyrus Pre, either from the
front panel or by remote control. Selecting 'CD' from
the Cyrus Pre front panel will then switch on the
Cyrus Pre, the Cyrus Power and the Cyrus dAD7 CD
player. When the Cyrus Pre is set to Standby, all
system components will also switch off.
•Another important function of the MC-Bus system is
to enable Micro-processor controlled testing and
calibration to be applied during the production phase
of the Cyrus range of products. Using the MC-Bus all
possible tests relating to the correct operation of the
system are performed in a relatively short period of
time. Such rigorous tests are only possible with the
aid of this proprietary communication bus system
which ensures consistency and quality levels hitherto
impossible to achieve in an audio product of this
price range.

Cyrus Pre ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
19 English
Phono input
•The moving magnet (MM) phono input supplied with
the Cyrus Pre is designed to match correctly the gain
and loading requirements of most currently available
MM cartridges. For vinyl enthusiasts who own a
moving coil (MC) cartridge, a replacement MC stage
may be obtained through your dealer to provide the
correct gain for low output MC cartridges. The
replacement module can then be further optimised by
the dealer at installation to provide a choice of 8
values for load capacitance ranging from 100pF and
10nF and to select either traditional or IEC
equalisation characteristics as preferred.
Phono input bypass
•For Cyrus Pre owners who do not require the use of
an equalised phono input, your dealer can arrange to
bypass the phono input pre-amplifier internally, thus
providing an extra line input which is available when
phono is selected.
AMPLIFIER MAINTENANCE
There are no user serviceable parts in the Cyrus Pre so
there is no reason to remove any of the panels. After
disconnecting the mains power supply, the cabinet may be
cleaned using a chamois leather, slightly moistened with
water. DO NOT use cleaning agents containing alcohol,
spirits, ammonia or abrasives.
•Loudspeakers
•Loudspeaker Stands
•Loudspeaker Cables
•Compact Disc Players
•D-to-A Converters
•Integrated Amplifiers
•Pre & Power Amplifiers
•Tuners
•Home theatre decoders
•Multi-room control units
•Regulated Audio Power Supplies
•Isoplat (Vibration Isolation Platform)
THE MISSION/CYRUS GROUP MANUFACTURE