Cyrus Classic Phono

The Classic Phono is a dedicated phono preamplifier. That is its sole purpose, and Cyrus have applied the same engineering rigour to it that they bring to their amplifiers and source components. At £1,099, it is a serious piece of analogue electronics — not a convenience feature built into an amplifier, but a standalone component designed from the ground up to do one thing properly.

The headline figure is four turntable inputs. That is unusual at any price, and it reflects a considered view of how serious vinyl listeners actually use their equipment.

Four Turntable Connections

The Classic Phono allows up to four turntables to be permanently connected. Each input accepts either MM or MC cartridges, and each can be independently configured for gain, resistance, and capacitance. Settings are saved to memory, so switching between turntables restores the correct configuration for each without any manual adjustment.

This is a practical solution to a real problem. Many vinyl enthusiasts run more than one turntable — different arms for different cartridges, different decks for different records, or simply a collection that has accumulated over time. Switching between them on most phono stages means unplugging and reconfiguring. The Classic Phono removes that friction entirely.

MC Cartridge Matching

MC cartridge matching is where the Classic Phono earns its place in a serious system. Moving coil cartridges are far more sensitive to the electrical load presented by the phono stage than their moving magnet counterparts. Get the loading wrong — resistance and capacitance mismatched to the cartridge's requirements — and you are not hearing what the cartridge can do. The Classic Phono's per-input adjustability for gain, load, and capacitance means each MC cartridge can be matched exactly to its specification.

For those running a Cyrus TTP Turntable with an MC cartridge, this is the correct phono stage to partner it with.

Stereo Output Level Meters

The Classic Phono includes stereo output level meters with peak hold, operating in real time. These serve a specific and practical function: they allow accurate gain adjustment to optimise the headroom available from your system for each MC cartridge. MC cartridges vary considerably in output level — a low-output MC might produce 0.2mV, a high-output MC several millivolts. Without a visual reference, gain adjustment is guesswork. The level meters make it precise.

Advanced Circuit Design

The power supply is a high-capacity, very low noise DC design. A low-noise power supply is not a necessity in a phono stage — it is a necessity. The signal coming off a cartridge is extremely small, and the phono stage must amplify it by a large factor before it reaches a useful level. Any noise in the power supply is amplified along with the signal. Cyrus's approach — a high-capacity supply with careful attention to circuit layout and component placement — keeps the noise floor low and the dynamic range wide.

The passive RIAA filtering uses high-performance metallised polyester capacitors. RIAA equalisation is the standard curve applied to all vinyl playback, compensating for the pre-emphasis applied during cutting. The accuracy of that equalisation directly affects the tonal balance of every record you play. Metallised polyester capacitors in the RIAA network provide the accuracy and stability that the circuit demands.

A switchable warp filter is also provided. Warped records produce subsonic bass signals that can drive amplifier output stages into unnecessary excursion, reducing headroom and potentially stressing loudspeakers. The warp filter addresses this at source.

A ground lift switch is included to help eliminate ground hum — a common practical issue when connecting multiple turntables from different sources.

PSX-R2 Upgrade Port

The Classic Phono includes a port for the Cyrus PSX-R2 external power supply. Power from the PSX-R2 is routed internally to provide a more stable, low-noise power supply to the analogue stages. For a phono stage — where noise floor is the critical performance parameter — this is a meaningful upgrade. The PSX-R2 connection requires no modification; the units configure themselves automatically.

Outputs

The Classic Phono provides both XLR balanced and RCA unbalanced outputs. Balanced outputs are useful when running long cable runs to a preamplifier or integrated amplifier, as they reject common-mode noise picked up along the cable. For connection to the Cyrus Classic AMP, RCA is the standard connection; for those running into a balanced preamplifier or integrated amplifier, the XLR output is available without any adaptor.

Technical Specifications

Who Is It For?

The Classic Phono is for the vinyl listener who takes cartridge matching seriously, runs more than one turntable, or wants a phono stage that will not be the limiting factor in an otherwise well-engineered system. It pairs naturally with the Cyrus Classic AMP and the Cyrus TTP Turntable, but it will work equally well feeding any preamplifier or integrated amplifier with a line-level input.

It is not the right choice for those who need only a basic MM stage — the Classic AMP's built-in phono input covers that requirement without an additional box. The Classic Phono is for those for whom cartridge matching and multi-turntable flexibility are genuine requirements rather than hypothetical ones.

Buying from Martins Hi-Fi

Martins Hi-Fi has been in Norwich since 1968. Elizabeth Gould runs the business today, and we stock only brands we have heard properly and stand behind.

The Classic Phono is available to hear in our Norwich showroom, set up with a range of cartridges and turntables so you can judge its cartridge matching capability for yourself.

When you get in touch, you'll be speaking with Dave, Chris and Tim — experienced specialists who can advise on this product and your whole system.

Contact us at info@martinshifi.co.uk, call 01603 627010, or WhatsApp on 07554 687137. You can read more about how we work on our Why Martins Hi-Fi page. We are at 85–91 Ber Street, Norwich, NR1 3EY.