The main competitors to the Soundkey at the moment of writing this review are the Audirect Beam, FiiO K3 and Shanling M0. They are not all the same kind of device as the Soundkey, but they all make very good comparison points. But let’s get the hard truths out the way first. This small device is not meant to drive large headphones. It will do the job somewhat, but you’ll have to turn the volume up to the brink of its amplification capabilities and the results are not always pleasing. The higher capacity battery offsets the power-hungry THX amplifier, and battery life ranges from about 6-9 hours (about the same as the BTR5), depending on volume and output choice. LED settings can now be adjusted over MCBUS when using a Cyrus XR series integrated or pre amplifier

This little device is sleek, light and simple; there is nothing much to remark on other than the micro-B USB input and the 3.5mm output. The device is the size of a small cigarette lighter and is available in various colours. Included are two cables (one for micro USB-B and another for USB-A connections); these appear to be decent enough, but are each composed of differing materials. The micro USB-B cable is a fabric covered affair, whilst the USB-A cable is white and plastic coated. Given that this is to be used by Apple users in connection with the often required camera kit, it kind of makes sense.

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The midrange is generally very clean, clear, well textured, and a bit on the analytical side. The soundstage of the Soundkey is wider than it is deep, but it has a really good width for the 150 USD price range. There is a good amount of texture, so instruments that are textury, like trumpets, really shine with it. The upper midrange is not enhanced in a special way, so you don’t get a hot or metallic tinge with your music. Once the chorus comes in, the soundKey gives you a vast, open space for the vocal (and the rest of the midrange) to fill. By comparison, the Q1 Mark II is foggier and smaller-scale. From high sensitivity/low impedance fussy IEMs, all the way to low sensitivity/high impedance beasts, the M15 can handle everything with ease. The build is solid, there’s sufficient power on tap, and it does not get noticeably warm with usage. Cyrus Soundkey vs Audirect Beam–I noted in my review that the Beam is a bit on the smoothly textured yet bright in signature. Since both are DAC/AMPs, the only thing I want to mention about the differences in build quality between the Cyris soundkey and the Beam is that the Beam gets MUCH hotter during actual usage, and that the Beam is smaller physically, and has a volume / song change knob, which may be good, or bad, depending on whether you assume you’ll be using that. In terms of sound, the soundkey feels like an upgrade from the beam, with more textures, more resolution, more details and clarity, and with more impact. The Soundkey is also almost 50% more expensive though. While we listened to considerably more songs than those named in this playlist, those are excellent for identifying certain aspects of the sound, like PRaT, Texturization, Detail, Resolution, Dynamics, Impact, and overall tonality. We recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you're searching for new most, most of them being rather catchy.

Shifting gears more than somewhat with a 16-bit/44.1kHz stream of Melt-Banana’s Candy Gun via Tidal reveals the soundKey to be reasonably, thought not decisively, dynamic – it has all the fevered abandon the tune requires, but doesn’t quite describe the peaks and troughs as explicitly as some rivals. In my opinion, if a speaker/headphone amplifier under test it is a good idea to measure its SINAD at -3db(1/2 max power, where max power is the power where THD+N reached 1%), it's common practice if not a standard. The GO blu is a do-it-all device, from wired DAC to Bluetooth receiver, it can even turn your wired headphones into a wireless headset. The latest Bluetooth codecs are supported, including SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive, aptX HD, LDAC, and LHDC. Look, If that test will consider max power as the power where THD+N = 1% and SINAD will be measured at half of max power the soundkey will not look so shameful: THD+N@-3dbfs .006%, Power 80mW. I'm sure that approach is much more informative, and gives more clues to readers regarding the DUT.

Sound

Frankly, the only missing things are a replaceable cable and a Lightning-to-USB adapter for iOS devices. Of course, if you aren’t an Apple user, this will not impact you. Inexpensive; sweet-sounding audio signature, great for instrumental or vocal-based music; three types of connection cables included. The overall sound signature is very smooth, focusing on warmth and immersion at the expense of complete clarity and neutrality.

We listened to more songs than those named in this playlist, but those are excellent for identifying a sonic signature. I recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you’re searching for new music! The playlists are different for Spotify, Tidal and Youtube, and based on the songs I enjoy and are available on each!Cea mai buna parte din a utiliza acest Soundkey este faptul ca are si suficienta putere pentru a duce majoritatea castilor mici (In-Ear), dar totusi face fata cu brio si la cateva casti mai mari cum sunt cele Ultrasone, sau majoritatea celor On-Ear. Overall, the driving power is also pretty good, and so are the dynamics, making the Soundkey a very impressive DAC/AMP in terms of sonics. If you own a pair of Sennheiser HD 800, HD 800S or HD 820 and were looking for their perfect match, the HDV 820 is what you need. Granted, it’s expensive, but it’ll provide a wide soundstage reproduction, excellent tonality and incredible driving capabilities.

There’s plenty of power on hand for most headphones (160mW SE, 320mW balanced), and the FiiO Control application allows for even more output power using the “Boost BAL” mode. Cyrus has won multiple awards over their thirty year career for products primarily attributed to skills in amplifier and DAC design. Understanding that amplifiers do not actually amplify, instead making larger copies of the original source signal, Cyrus have ensured that the quality of power used to make that copy is up to the highest possible quality. Using high-quality components in its construction, the Soundkey delivers music with a wider sense of space, individualising each instrument, vocal performance and melody and delivering them all in more realistic and pristine detail. This greater detail highlights subtle nuances in vocal intonation and making them much more apparent. A better grip on lower frequencies allow any bass notes to sound more tuneful without being too heavy or loud.

Cons:

At its asking price, the SoundKey represents a significant upgrade for music from a portable device or computer at minimal cost. Yes, there are newer devices with higher resolution capabilities out there, but this remains a solid performer. I can’t help but think of the sporting cliché “form is temporary, class is permanent” here. It admittedly overstates things here, but there’s a ring of truth to it in relation to the Cyrus SoundKey.