We've put together this high-end streaming and vinyl hi-fi system that sounds "truly magical"

You need only glance at the price of the system in the section below to know that we are looking at serious hi-fi here.

We are at the very least in nose-bleed territory, well up the crags of the hi-fi mountain range, if not quite in need of oxygen; the upper slopes of this hobby, after all, can take you beyond even the peak of a metaphorical Everest. What Hi-Fi? is perhaps more suited to the Alps than the Himalayas; just over 13 grand is heady enough for us.

What that serious price doesn’t mean, however, is that you’re not getting good value for money. Far from it. This system, as with all the others you will read about in What Hi-Fi?, no matter the amount of money you might have to pay for them, is punching well above its not inconsiderable weight.

The path to hi-fi excellence can be a long and complicated one, fraught with compatibility woes and mismatched components. But, sometimes, a line-up of stellar individual performers comes together to create something truly magical – a system where the sum is greater than the parts.

The system

• Turntable: Vertere DG-X – £4150
• Music streamer: Cyrus 40 ST – £2645
• Integrated amplifier: Cyrus 40 AMP – £3399
• Stereo speakers: PMC Prophecy 1 – £2875
• Total system price: £13,069

Turntable: Vertere DG-X

Vertere Acoustics’ high-end turntables have dazzled us in the past, with their outstanding rhythmic and dynamic expression and innovative engineering.

What impresses us even more is how this brand dares to think differently when it comes to its ‘entry-level’ Dynamic Groove (DG) model. Instead of simply scaling down the higher-end MG-1 or SG-1 models and using cheaper materials, Vertere takes a completely fresh approach with the DG model in a bid to hit the (relatively) lower price point.

The DG-X is the third generation of the DG, and it has been completely redesigned from the ground up.

Along with the aim of improving the performance, Vertere was adamant about maintaining this price point. So the brand took a fresh look at the design and, with lessons learned over the production of the previous models, found ways to improve the turntable's assembly process – ultimately making it more efficient to manufacture, and thereby saving costs.

The turntable is an incredibly stable performer and is very definite about every single note it relays. Piano notes, in Nick Cave’s Into My Arms, are conveyed with rich detail and layered harmonies surrounding each note, but there is a strong sense of solidity as each note is hit, too – it feels more physical and immediate.

Instruments and voices interlink with each other in a way that makes cohesive musical sense, and it is always locked into the beat of the song.

“That greater sense of space and control,” we say in the full review, “is all the more obvious when it comes to complex orchestral pieces such as Holst’s The Planets, where the majestic, portentous build-up in Saturn, The Bringer Of Old Age is masterfully handled and the orchestra swells to a cosmic crescendo – filling up our large listening room with ease, while also communicating the chaos of the piece.”

We conclude the review by saying: “we are thrilled by just how powerful and meaty this turntable can sound.”

Music streamer: Cyrus 40 ST

Half-width hi-fi products may not give the impression of “powerful and meaty”, but you shouldn’t let the Cyrus 40 pairing in this top-tier system fool you. If our experience with the Cyrus 40 ST music streamer is anything to go by, this new range could well be good enough to kick-start the brand’s resurgence.

As we work our way through our music collection, it becomes clear that the Cyrus 40 ST is an impressively capable performer. It offers a level of clarity and precision that we haven’t heard bettered anywhere near this price.

It sounds big and brawny when required, but still has a lightness of touch when the music demands it. Despite the slight forwardness in its presentation, we have no issue with the tonal balance.

Past Cyrus products could sound a little bright and lightweight, but the 40 ST is essentially neutral and, for all its crisp precision, delivers music in a natural and convincing way.

Its stereo imaging is wonderfully crisp. Its soundstage is focused and beautifully arranged. There is a welcome sense of composure here too, with the 40 ST staying organised and in control even when the music becomes demanding.

Importantly, though, this Cyrus also knows how to have fun – and, of course, how to get along really very nicely with its sibling amplifier.

Integrated amplifier: Cyrus 40 AMP

The Cyrus 40 AMP is a composed and stable performer that feels firmly in control regardless of the music being played. And it shares the 40 ST streamer’s sonic character.

As we say in our full review: “Beyond the 40 AMP’s enviable composure, we notice that it sounds unusually clear and articulate. It is a responsive and agile performer that never veers towards sounding lightweight in the way that some products from Cyrus have done in the past.

These traits translate into a wonderfully musical experience as we work our way through our music collection.

“Tonally, this amplifier is a little forward in nature but doesn’t go so far as to skew tonality or sound aggressive. It is essentially neutral and refined, balancing analysis and enjoyment better than pretty much any alternative we have heard at this level.”

Importantly, for its relationship with the Vertere turntable in this system, the built-in phono stage is equally admirable in its abilities. “It is fair to say that the Cyrus 40 AMP is a terrific product,” we conclude in our review verdict.

Stereo speakers: PMC Prophecy 1

The final piece of this premium puzzle is, of course, the loudspeakers. And PMC’s Prophecy 1 are astonishingly talented small standmounters that deliver class-leading performance.

These PMCs generate a wonderfully expansive soundstage that lacks nothing in terms of focus, layering and image depth. The sound is projected well clear of their cabinets, which speaks well of the enclosure’s well-controlled and low-resonance structure.

Instruments and vocalists are locked into position, and that placement doesn’t waver even when the recording becomes demanding or volume levels rise.

“The choice of whether to enjoy the recording or analyse it is left to the individual,” we say in the review. “These standmounters are fully capable of taking the source material apart, allowing the listener to dig deep into the mix. Yet, they are equally happy if you just want to sit back and enjoy the full glory of Holst’s Planets suite.”

This, then, is a system of rare synergy. Each component is a What Hi-Fi? Award-winner in its own right, and together they form a cohesive, compelling package. It’s a system built for pure, unadulterated musical enjoyment.

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