Cyrus soundBuds2 True Wireless Stereo Bluetooth In-Ear Hi-Fi Earbuds IPX5 Water Resistant, 4.1g Per Ear, 10m Range, Built-in Mic, Media Control

Product Information

Three pairs of tips are included in the box, and a couple of sets of silicone hooks, which stabilise the Cyrus soundBuds 2 in your ears. They’re optional in theory, but the earpieces look like they’re missing a piece without them attached.

Their sound field, while wide enough as already mentioned, is also unusually diffuse. The central channel is poorly defined, at times sounding as if there’s no real centre at all, but ‘left’ and ‘right’ information stretched and taped together. The Melomania 1s, meanwhile, are the current What Hi-Fi? Award-winners. Pricier than the TWS50s, they present a significant step up again, particularly for detail and timing. Verdict 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. Yes, standard stereo sound may only have two channels, but earphones with better definition than these can make sound imaging seem a lot more intricate than that. Thetone of the soundBuds2comes across as very well balanced with a neutral sound that isn’t too bass-heavy or harsh in the upper frequencies. The dynamic drivers are relatively small, but the sound isn’t weak. It makes a nice change to hear a pair of earbuds that haven’t been tuned up to create as sound that’s too bold and exciting, but makes the listener’s ears tired in just a few minutes. The dynamic range of the soundBuds 2 is good and Cyrus has opted to prioritize the audio quality instead of relying on excessive ‘signal processing’.

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.

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. However, as was the case with the original soundBuds, there’s little evidence of the sort of sonic flair you might expect from a company such as Cyrus. 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. However, for just a little extra outlay you could own the Award-winning Cambridge Audio Melomania 1s– and their claim to the throne has yet to be seriously challenged.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. Battery reporting is terrible, though. On some phones you’ll see a little battery icon in your notification bar, in others you won’t. I used BlueBatt to monitor the level, and the Cyrus show 60% charge just minutes before the battery dies. The Cyrus soundBuds 2 include 6mm drivers. I find such drivers often provide the best balance of power and precision in earphones, despite their small size. However, this isn’t really the case here. 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. While not as even-handed as RHA's TrueConnect 2, these true wireless buds delivered a wonderfully rich performance of Laura Nyro's Stoned Soul Picnic. The guitar's leading-edge sounded bright and sharp, while the horns were punchy and gloriously crisp. This mix really played to the soundBuds 2's talented midband. They also proved themselves to have a decent amount of grip and a fine sense of timing, although their presentation was not as richly dynamic as the Grado set. THE VERDICT

SoundMagic has released a pair of true wireless in-ears that offer decent sound-per-pound value. If this is the extent of your budget, you’ll get a competitive battery life, one of the lightest and most comfortable earbuds we’ve tested to date and an expansive listen that betters the cheaper Cyrus soundBuds. The soundBuds come from a true enthusiast hi-fi brand. As a result, expectations for their sound quality are set pretty high, even if they cost about 10% of the price of the average Cyrus product. Cyrus SoundBuds 2 Bluetooth Earphones are 2nd-gen TWS earbuds that has an improved sound quality and accuracy. They’re extremely easy to use with the new cap-touch controls and have up to 20 hours of playing time. Why the SoundBuds 2 Information from Cyrus regarding how long the battery lasts varies. The box I was sent suggests a dismal two hours; some listings say three hours. As neither of these is any good, I put the soundBuds through a proper 100-to-flat test to determine how they perform in reality. Focused largely on their pristine, balanced sound quality and long-lasting comfort, the soundBuds2 are the ideal work-from-home headphones. They feature an impressive Bluetooth range of 10 metres and have a crystal-clear built-in microphone. You can easily move around the house (hands-free, of course) while you seamlessly switch between answering phone calls and listening to your favourite music.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.