The Myryad Cameo IA I am reviewing is part of a trio formed by an FM tuner and a CD player (reviewed by GN), in addition to this integrated amplifier. The three products together can form an elegant trio sold at a slightly (very slightly, to tell the truth, at least here) discounted price. The modern and captivating design and the compact size make this a very versatile system.
The first impression I had of the Cameo IA was that of a reassuring solidity, in relation with its small (but not tiny) proportions. This is to reassure all those who, by instinct, correlate proportions to performances, as if quality was to be measured by quantity. Preconceptions apart, the Cameo is solid, sturdy and unexpectedly weighty (almost 7 Kg). Opening its top panel by uncomfortably unscrewing some screws we gain access to the internals, where we find a well proportioned toroid transformer and good quality components, of the kind you would expect to find in higher price range products, carefully assembled and well engineered.

The product is an elegant shade of grey (following the latest fashion in hi-fi products; the finish of the top panel is something of an acquired taste). The minimalist fascia sports the power button on the left, whose LED is red in the standby position and blue in the operate position. Centrally sited is a peculiar volume control, black and shaped to help the operating finger. Looking through the left we find: the tape monitor key (with its blue LED), the input indicating LEDs and the input selector.
On the centre, under the volume control, in a depression, we find the remote control sensor window (the remote is stock with this amp) and the headphone output (using a small connector, as the one we find in walkmans).
The rear, contrary to the austere front, is almost completely covered by connectors, keys and whatever else. This is certainly due to the fact that the low profile of the unit forces an horizontal disposition of everything necessary. From the left to the right we find: two RCA pairs to connect a turntable or a line level source, as selected by a dedicated small button. Then the mass connector (it's always nice, in these digital times, to find an amplifier with a stock phono input, congratulations to Myryad). Then the high level inputs connectors follow. On the right, finally, we find the speaker output connectors.
The construction quality is such that I can make no criticism; I congratulate Myryad, instead, for the result; the dim light reflections when the unit is on are elegant and stylish, in a typical British way.

At the end of this first mutual knowledge session I reassembled the unit, then I connected the amp to the rest of the system and I left the system warming up.
The listening test took place in a small listening room, slightly dead but with some acoustical troubles (this is a problem shared by all those audiophiles who live in city centres, and are forced to place their beloved and carefully assembled systems in compromised listening environments), partially solved by treating the room with carpets, polyeuretan panels and Tube-trap like devices.
The system is constituted by a Project 2.9 with Project 9 tonearm and Sumiko Blue Pearl cartridge as analogue source, a Myryad Cameo CD and a Marantz CD67 tweaked with bitumen panels and blue tak as digital sources, a Galactron MK2060 amplifier and Sonus faber Concertino Home speakers, on their own stands; everything connected by Cablerie d'Eupen power cables, Van den Hul and Monitor PC interconnects, and Apature Signature speaker cables. To conclude, spikes, tables and blue-tak to create ideal couplings with the Solidsteel support..
As soon as the system is fully warmed up, ready to offer its best, I re-enter into the listening room; a slight repositioning of the loudspeakers, checking the distance from the walls an the toe-in, and I am ready to start. Before sitting down on the listening chair I drop the CD of John Scofield's Works for Me (on Verve) on the Cameo CD's drawer, a precious record both for relax moments and stressful listening tests.
The Galactron seems to be very much at ease with such a transparent and austere partner; the message, with its smallest details, comes out of the Concertinos with impressive fluidity. If I turn up the volume, the stage is enlightened, but the placement of the instruments in the stage perplexes me. I swap the amp. I try Head to Toe with the Cameo IA, too, and the instruments are now side by side on the space between the speakers (and maybe even further). It's easy to see that the two Myryad units are made for each other. Their personality seems to be one and the same: above all there's a striking sense of tone balance. Higgins' ride lets me appreciate a wonderful high and mid-to-high range reproduction ability, in particular the air between instruments and an ample and well proportioned soundstage make me think of a better high frequency extension than my reference. In the lower range the sensations of extension and balance are striking. In comparison with the Galactron, the Myryad's personality seems to be less extroverted, and it seems to realise Myryad's philosophy where balance, composure and lack of coloration are considered a warranty to quality. The Cameo, in fact, seems to respect the source component's character, be it the Marantz CD 67, the Cameo CD or the Project 2.9 Wood.
I have always preferred products with a definite personality, as the Galactron is. But the Cameo sports undisputable qualities and is cut from the noble British tradition. As I conclude and note down these considerations, I get back to the listening test, changing the musical fare. After the melodious and burnished Scofield record, I don't feel like going to something rough and energetic yet, so I decide to postpone the "hard" listening test, and I reach for the live "Listener supported" record set by the Dave Matthews Band. Disc 1, track 4: "Rhyme & reason". A few notes into the track, the listening crowd explodes in approval, as I do. The soundstage is deep, large and well focused, the dynamic, captivating Beauford's drum kit reveals aggressiveness and ease of drive, even at high listening levels. The amp doesn't lose control, even in the loudest passages; it seems, instead, to offer that little bit more oomph which is required when the volume is pumped up.
The great capabilities and the sublime inspiration our DMB are provided of are portrayed with impressive ease (sorry if I repeat myself, but in this price range, other qualities, easier and cheaper to implement, are often preferred), and the Cameo IA seems to be inflexible in showing, other than a slight nasality, some slight mike placement trouble inherent in this recording.
In the recreation of "Warehouse", qualities and drawbacks of the Cameo are evidenced. First of all, the stage, big and airy both in the horizontal plane and in depth, is superior to the energetic and materic one proposed by the Galactron. Percussion instruments are better defined and less related with the speakers' position with the Cameo. The acoustic guitar is more easily placed at the centre of the stage, even if it is a little bit less dynamic sounding. The impressions with voices and drum kit are similar: very precise with the Cameo, very live with the Galactron. It's time to change musical fare again: Metallica, a live recording again, this time with something more behind the band… a true symphony orchestra, conducted by Michael Kamen, about seventy performers strong!
Commercial gimmick or masterpiece? The final word is yours. With this record, though, I have been able to verify the dynamic envelope and the control of the many voices populating the soundstage (the orchestra, as you can imagine, was sitting behind the band).
"From whom the bell tolls" is a track requiring excellent dynamic capabilities to be played in a decent way; in this context the Cameo is more at ease than the Galactron amp; this latter is a little bit troubled by the request to reproduce such a big and dense stage. In particular, the difference in power rating is evident here. The Cameo is more precise in the discrimination of the small places reserved to each player: the band is always at the front, but the orchestra isn't hidden behind.

The Cameo's qualities make a perfect marriage to the softer musical genres such as classical, jazz or fusion (where space and timbre reconstruction are often high in quality), while I would advice those who love tight rhythmic sections and improbable guitar distortions to verify system synergy with a careful home demonstration. Musical choices apart, I think that, given the Cameo's low range control, big speakers are to be preferred as partners. One last note I can't forget is about two options (!) which are present in this product's features. I am talking about the phono stage and the headphone out. If products provided with a phono stage are not easy to find, even fewer are those equipped with a headphone output. The phono stage, in particular, amazed me for its build and sound quality. I can easily state that this amp's phono stage will be a nice surprise for its owners (my advice is to consider the cost of a good separate phono stage while comparing this amp to its competitors). Myryad didn't include these features as an aftethought, don't dispense them…

Shutting the products down, I wonder: if I were in the listening room of a hi-fi shop, listening to its sound, would I consider buying the Cameo IA? For sure, but I would never separate it from its stablemate, the Cameo CD.

As I wrap up the listening test, I get back to reading Miles Davis' autobiography, a strongly recommended read.

You can contact me at marco.caponera@tin.it..