Product Comparison: AudioQuest Beetle vs Cyrus soundKey

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Best Pick

AudioQuest Beetle Bluetooth/Optical/USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier

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Cyrus soundKey Portable Inline Amp & Dac

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General Specifications

Brand

AudioQuest

Cyrus

Model

Beetle

soundKey

Origin

USA

China

About the Product

By accepting not only USB audio, but also Toslink cable and Bluetooth wireless, Beetle improves the sound of every way you enjoy music, movies and video. Using Beetle instead of the low-quality built in DACs supplied with powered speakers, TVs, computers, phones, multi-room devices, etc.

The soundKey is an award-winning revolution in mobile music. Hi-Fi streaming services like TIDAL mean fantastic quality is available to subscribers, but phones lack the necessary hardware to get the best from this data.

Key Specs

Built-in DAC

ESS 9010

PCM5102

Type

Desktop

Portable

Sample Resolution/Rate

24-bit / 96kHz

Signal/Noise Ratio

90 dB

Type
Sample Resolution/Rate

What customers say about "Key Specs"

AudioQuest Beetle Bluetooth/Optical/USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier

DAC give a great sound quality. Highly recommend for good sound.
I save hundreds to thousands of dollars with this versus buying a separate dedicated music server/streamer/DAC.
ESS 9010 DAC working well with bluetooth. Others would digitally control the volume either at the source or before it hits the I2S of a canned Bluetooth module.
The beating heart of Beetle is the ESS 9010 DAC chip with its minimum phase filter employed.
Beetle doesn’t sound quite as transparent or as finessed as the identically-priced DragonFly Red.

Cyrus soundKey Portable Inline Amp & Dac

Sound is more clear now from headphones and from our hi-fi system.
I could definitely hear the improvement of the sound quality with better dynamism and a wider soundstage.
I was really pleasantly surprised at the improvement in quality of the audio whilst using it.
It's a bargain at its current price and well worth it if you want a decent sound quality boost without breaking the bank.
Not happy with the transformation of sound quality from my phone - very bad quality.

Size & Weight

Color

Black

Graphite

Height

0.7 in.

0.31 in.

Width

2.3 in.

2.12 in.

Depth

2.3 in.

0.9 in.

Weight

0.96 oz.

0.63 oz.

AudioQuest Beetle

Cyrus soundKey

AudioQuest Beetle

Cyrus soundKey

AudioQuest Beetle

Cyrus soundKey

AudioQuest Beetle

Cyrus soundKey

What customers say about "Size & Weight"

AudioQuest Beetle Bluetooth/Optical/USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier

This small, plastic box, just bigger than a box of matches, features amazing sound.
Beetle is plastic shell means it feels very light in the hand.
Small but very economical and surprisingly powerful device.
In my system, the light and little Beetle sounded much better than its price, which is good for everyone.
In my system, the light and little Beetle sounded much better than its price, which is good for everyone.

Cyrus soundKey Portable Inline Amp & Dac

The Soundkey is also incredibly compact. I recommend.
Good sound in a small package at a good price. A little clunky to use with IOS but still very portable.
Wow it is lively with dynamics. Good small size and weight.
My phone now sounds incredible. Very power and portable.
It's a product designed for mobile use it should be compatible with a wide range of popular devices but no. Big size for DAC.

Features

Enclosure Material

Plastic

Aluminium

Max. Frequency Response

20 kHz

45 kHz

Min. Frequency Response

20 Hz

12 Hz

OS Compatibility

Apple OS, Microsoft Windows, Linux, Apple iOS, Android

Wireless Connection

Bluetooth

Interfaces

Optical Input, Line Out

AUX, Micro USB Input

Extras

Asynchronous USB for maximum audio performance, Superior analog-linear power supply, Free desktop application, Minimum-Phase Digital Filter for Natural Sound

Works with all major OS, File compatibility, High resolution capability, Robust aluminium casing

Min. Frequency Response
Max. Frequency Response

AudioQuest Beetle

Cyrus soundKey

AudioQuest Beetle

Cyrus soundKey

What customers say about "Features"

AudioQuest Beetle Bluetooth/Optical/USB DAC and Headphone Amplifier

I use this in my car with my iPhone 7. It connects immediately, every time and sound is fantastic.
Good sound quality using Bluetooth from an Android device.
Allows Bluetooth audio capability between my phone and PC. It works very well .
Beetle’s internal code is updateable via a desktop app (Windows or Mac).
This device does not have a Bluetooth SIG approved listing either which qualification tests would have caught this issue.

Cyrus soundKey Portable Inline Amp & Dac

The volume is the most noticeable boost here, but there's a massive clarity difference when using it also.
I'm on Android, so the setup was easy as the soundkey came with both a steel-braided USB-C and micro USB cable.
Simple to use and even comes with three different adaptors (desktops and laptops,smartphones and tablets and micro usb for older devices).
Amplification is impressive on a Pioneer XDP300 personal player. Takes you by surprise and so you need to reduce volume significantly prior to launch.
Also, disappointingly, no cable for an apple device. To use the Soundkey I have an ugly array of cable hanging out of the phone.

Warranty / Certifications

Manufacturer Warranty

1 year(s)

Certifications

CE, FCC