Cypher Labs has designed what I consider to be one of the most revolutionary (as if that statement hasn’t already been mentioned enough) products ever to be announced to the HiFi community. We’ve all seen desktop DAC’s, but what about a DAC that is suited for the mobile music lover, a DAC that’s made for the iPad, iPhone, & iPod and sounds just as good as some of the other desktop DAC’s known on the market? Today we are going to take a look at the Cypher Labs AlgoRythm Solo, a portable DAC made specifically for iDevices that sounds so good, you’ll hardly ever believe your even using an iPod.
How It Works
So, how does the Cypher Labs AlgoRythm Solo work? Just like an external headphone amplifier bypasses the internal amp of the iPod, the AlgoRythm Solo bypasses the DAC (Digital to Analogue Converter) inside the iPod. The AlgoRythm Solo can then feed the digital signal to an external DAC for processing. However, if you were to pair the iPod with both a AlgoRythm Solo and an external headphone amplifier, those two devices would be doing almost all of the work, with the iPod only having to store and encode the digital music files, and that’s what we are here to talk about today, the DAC section of the AlgoRythm Solo.
The Design
Simple and sleek would be the best two words to describe the Cypher Labs AlgoRythm Solo, as it’s not overly pretty nor is it overly bland, it’s just right in terms of looks. When it was first released, the fine folks over at ALO Audio released the ALO Rx Mk2 which had the exact same design as the AlgoRythm Solo, but served a different purpose as a headphone amplifier. Going back to the AlgoRythm Solos simple design you will find a power switch on the front, a 3.5mm audio out for an external amplifier, and an audio out for an external DAC. On the back, a charging hole and a USB in for setup with an iPod.
Sonic Impressions
Let’s get a few things out of the way before we continue. You need to have a decent set of headphones or IEM’s to hear any significant difference with the AlgoRythm Solo attached. Sorry folks, but those white Apple iBuds won’t do the $520 justice. Luckily, I was able to test the AlgoRythm Solo at ALO’s own laboratory with the HD800 & the LCD-2, as well as having the freedom of taking it home and testing it extensively with my own HD650 and TTVJ Slim.
The AlgoRythm Solo is one of those products were you become absolutely blown away on the first listen. Sure, both the HD800 and the LCD-2 aren’t going to sound their best out of a portable setup like the Continental and the AlgoRythm Solo, but trust me, the $1000 you just spent on that rig won’t go down the drain. In fact, the AlgoRythm Solo will improve on any amps sound signature, even like something as dark as the SoundMagic A10. The AlgoRythm Solo increases the speed, dynamics, and overall resolution of whatever you're listening to. It extends both deep and high in each end of the frequency spectrum and while it isn’t necessarily focused on any part of the spectrum it delivers a whole new level of refinement. Oh, and the soundstage, the soundstage is phenomenal. Think of it like this with an HD650:
Setup 1: iPod - HD650: Very boring. Congested soundstage, and giving off a very dark tone. A slightly smooth midrange but could be a lot sweeter and a a lot more resolved. Nothing special to see here, folks.
Setup 2: iPod - ALO Continental - HD650: Now here comes the Continental to the rescue! bigger soundstage, still a tad bit dark, a lot sweeter mids, sparklier treble, and better bass with deeper extension overall.
Setup 3: iPod - CLAS - ALO Continental - HD650: Huge soundstage, very wide with a slight bit of airiness. The same great bass with more speed and a slight bit of punch. Higher top end extension and the same sweet midrange stolen from the Continental. Now the HD650 is starting to show it’s magic and can be considered a top class headphone.
Final Thoughts
I’m extremely impressed with what Cypher Labs has been able to pull off with the AlgoRythm Solo. You get an amazing DAC coupled with a portable solution that works perfectly for the iPod and can actually be considered a HiFi product. While I do think people who want great a great portable solution will definitely go for the AlgoRythm Solo, I can see a lot of people actually using something like the ALO Continental and the AlgoRythm Solo as a home rig just because of the pure sonic quality. The AlgoRythm Solo is a lot cheaper than desktop DAC’s at $520, and it has the sonics to compete with some of the midrange desktop DAC’s.
Cypher Labs AlgoRythm Solo Website
Cypher Labs AlgoRythm Solo @ALO Audio
Edited by Austin Morrow - 12/22/11 at 7:51pm
