News

Sorting through the rooms of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), we'll often discover interesting companies only to find that they are not yet represented in the US. Such has been the case with Cyrus Electronics, which has always intrigued us with its compact products and modern design sensibility in the tradition of a Linn or Meridian.

US consumers will finally get to see Cyrus' products in person as they debut in the US for the first time at The Home Entertainment Show at the Hilton in New York this week. Newly appointed Dallas-based distributor The Sound Organisation will use the show to kick off "The Cyrus Electronics At Last Tour" to introduce the brand to US markets.

The Sound Organisation says it will distribute the company's audio and A/V products under the Cyrus brand, along with Hard Disk audio and multiroom systems under the Cyruslink brand. TSO explains that "these sibling brands have been developed to integrate together, offering a high-performance audio/video system with wireless distribution and control that can be streamed all around a home."

"We are very excited to be launching Cyrus in America this year," says Cyrus' Peter Bartlett. "With so many of the world's major consumer electronics players talking about convergence, this is certainly the year to invest in integrated system engineering. While our philosophy is based on pushing the envelope of audio performance, it has always been our ambition to produce systems that can excite a wider audience. Our chic British design and advanced technology is truly of the moment."

TSO's Steve Daniels adds, "Cyrus enjoys an excellent reputation for high quality dealerships, supported through extensive training. This model will also form the foundation of our distribution in the USA. The Cyrus model allows the customer to build a system with increasing power and sophistication while protecting the original investment. With over 20 years experience, Cyrus has the expertise to truly deliver performance and style to today's sophisticated A/V buyers."

Cyrus will be displaying its hard disk servers (the Linkserver at the heart of the system can store over 450 uncompressed CDs), touch screen complete-system remote control software, and other products in Concourse G at the Hilton. Cyrus CEO Peter Bartlett, along with Stuart McGregor, director of technology, and Steve Daniels, CEO of The Sound Organisation, will all be in attendance.

Chord Electronics is another of those companies whose components look as good as they sound. Never satisfied with the standard black metal box, the company designs products that are artful studies in metal sculpting that must be seen and heard in person to be appreciated.

Visitors to Room 702 at the HE 2004 show will get an opportunity to do just that, as well as meet John Franks, chief designer and managing director of Chord. On hand will be the company's latest example of audio art, the Blu CD transport, which sports selectable upsampling from 44.1 to 176kHz and a dedicated word clock input.

The New York show also marks the debut of a new partnership for Chord. Canadian exhibitor Bluebird Music has recently announced that it has been appointed exclusive US distributor for Chord, which was previously distributed in the US by The Sound Organisation.

According to Franks, "Initially, we wished to retain direct control over US distribution to ensure the market was developed properly. However, over the past three years, Bluebird Music has demonstrated the substantial benefits a full-time, value-added distributor can contribute to market development."

"Chord has been a very successful line for us and our retail partners in Canada," comments Bluebird's Jay Rein. "We see enormous opportunity for Chord in the US and we intend to do all the right things to make Chord a long-term success. We are confident that, in the near future, Chord will be as widely recognized in the US as it now is in many places around the world."