Anyone bought a Gryphon Diablo 333?

@62truck , also, to put the scale of improvement into perspective, I had recently upgraded from Audioquest Hurricane to Dragon power cords on 3 of 4 of my source components with the 4th component having a Firebird powering it.  The improvement was worth the cost (to me).  But there is no question that the inexpensive tweaks above made far more difference.  That said, the upgrades to the dragons may have been needed to make these tweaks so effective.  Lots of variables!

@kairosman , agreed the 300 is fantastic. Love mine, which is really why I’m curious about how Gryphon could have improved it.

I see @jays_audio_lab mentioned Gryphon is sending a 333 for him to try; I am looking forward to that. Will be interesting to see if we get some community/owner accounts first. Beyond the one account in the other forum, who said that his was the first shipped to a consumer in Europe.

I agree that I don’t know of any integrated, or separates for that matter, that at an equivalent price would out perform the Diablo 300. That said, I’ve not heard the Vitus, D’Agostino, Dartzeel, and other uber-integrateds so I can’t compare. But, part of why I love the 300 is that slightly dark chocolatey tone (it’s not neutral and for me at least, better for it). It tames recordings I love that sound like trash on more neutral amps I’ve tried, giving me a far broader library of material to play in a musically engaging way. I’ve never accepted the notion that a revealing system will make poor recordings unlistenable, and the Diablo’s tone is PART of the equation that has helped me avoid compromising on this front.

This is why I am so interested in whether the 333 maintains this character.

@kairosman , good question, TBH I’m interested in the 333 but if it’s more than a bit better I will probably go for it - but only if it has that dark tone as I said. But I have to say I’m very happy with the 300 in my current system, especially with Audiovector R6 Arrete’s which apparently were designed and voiced using Gryphon amps. So it would be a nice to have upgrade, as opposed to a need to have to fix something I’m unhappy with.

Funny story that might offend McIntosh owners but I’ll tell it. My dealer once cold-called me asking if I was interested in upgrading my amp with a tradein program and said no I love my Diablo. He replied, “sheesh we really don’t like you set-for-life Gryphon customers. We prefer our McIntosh customers who upgrade every year.” Followed by “Oh I really shouldn’t have bashed the other brands we carry…”

I’m sure he said it just to make me feel good but it was funny.

Prior to the Diablo 300 I read accounts that said it was a pretty big leap over the 250 which I’ve not heard.  So I wonder if they have advanced it by that degree again.

@swede58 if my math and pricing info is right, the Essence Pre/Power would be 75% more expensive than a Diablo 333 (without optional modules). So in theory you are right, not suggesting the price differential is anything meaningful but I’d expect it would be somewhere between a Diablo 300 and the Essence combo.

That said I’d also expect the Essence to sound quite a bit different as well (not just better) given that it is designed to be pure Class A / lower power, and really, just a different amp altogether. In my case, I’m avoiding going to a separate pre not only for cost reasons but I also prefer not to add another component with an expensive interconnect and power cord.

@kgturner, two weeks ago one person in another forum said they had received  theirs (they said they were the first).  They noted it sounded good but was verging towards slightly harsh up top with their KEF Blade 2’s.  But that was fresh out of the box. They have not responded to follow up questions from others or made any comment since then….

Moderator removed my post.  Search and you will find it easily I’m sure.

Yeah as I mentioned, I really can’t wait to see how Gryphon voiced it, as they are a somewhat unique brand that has a couple of different “house sounds”.  I expect it will be great performance wise and better the Diablo 300 which is what I currently have, but if they voice it slightly dark, then the chances one will end up on my rack are quite high….

I’ve just learned that Gryphon no longer has any Diablo 300’s and is not making any more.  Demand for the remaining Diablo 300’s skyrocketed when they announced the 333 earlier in the year. I expect Diablo 300’s will be sold and bought like hotcakes on the second hand market over the coming year.

Due to some recent vibration control and other tweaks in my Diablo 300 and my system is sounding far better than it ever has before….   Really sounds quite stunning now, more natural, flowing and higher resolution.  I’m excited by the potential of the 333 but the thought of messing with this magic that is happening, is a bit worrisome.. 

There is now a 20min dealer recording posted of the Diablo 333 playing with Audisi Estelon XB Diamond speakers.  I think this is the second recording of the 333 to be posted online (first was from a show and with background noise).  For what it’s worth, it’s well recorded - Diana Krall’s Temptation 13min in is probably the best part to listen to, again, for what it’s worth.  I’d post a link but my post would probably be deleted.  Search and you will find it.

@62truck , thank you and glad my sharing of experiences has been informative.  Very happy to hear you have a 333 en route!  Looking forward to your impressions.  What is the rest of your system?

I remain convinced that the that Audioquest Dragon power cords and Nordost Valhalla 2 speaker cables are the best for my Diablo 300 and system, at least for the cables I’ve demoed.  

@62truck , do you have a sense of how the Diablo 300 sounds and performs, to compare with your 333?  If not no worries, still interested in your impressions either way.

@62truck , thanks and looking forward to your impressions, which possibly will be the first on Audiogon for the 333!  Might have started a competition now, lol…

@62truck is your 333 any closer to you yet?  I’m impatient for you lol….

What country are you based in?  Just wondering when the 333’s are actually shipping in volume.  Seems some stores are getting them in finally.

@kairosman that dealer is no longer carrying Gryphon for some reason or other.  Very odd.

@62truck , I think my tweaks fall into the category of, it works for me and may or may not work in your scenario as they are dependent on a variety of variables.  But for what it’s worth, I switched from using Herbie’s Tenderfeet under my components to Herbie’s Giant Fat Dots, inserted under stock component feet.  These made small incremental improvements and I liked the sound better. But what really transformed everything beyond belief is when I installed the dots under my Innuos PhoenixUSB reclocker.  The level of stability, resolution, and overall noise free sound was astounding.  
 

The other thing I changed was plugging my Diablo directly into my second, unused, 20A dedicated circuit.  I had tried this years back and it sounded better plugged into my Torus RM20.  But I have new cabling, components and speakers now, and now my system sounds far better with the Diablo straight to the wall.  More natural mids and overall more free and flowing; easier to listen to.
 

@ricky64 , in your preamp journey, did you ever try the T+A SDV 3100 HV?  It’s the same price as your Accuphase I think, and seems interesting as the embedded DAC in theory should be at the Tambaqui level or even better. And the preamp is analog.  
 

@roccl007 , I think I know what you mean by the slightly syrupy sound, related to the Diablo 300.  Not a negative on its own but I could seem how this could be compounded by other components with a similar effect.

Best of luck with the Diablo 333 and my guess is it will be to your liking.  I base this on a forum post that details the sound quite a bit.  The post is on a forum with the letter p, also s, and it also it has the word audio in it.  Sorry this forum won’t let me say it.  It’s in the thread “your latest upgrade part 2”.

The poster said the midrange is warmer, easier to listen to and cleaner sounding vs the 300, and says the upgrade is well worth it (no surprise!).

@ricky64 another thing, in case you’ve heard the Makua/Tambaqui combo with the Essence and found it to be too lean for your speakers or worse, no need to hold back and be polite - I’m not the sort to think just because I bought something that it’s going to be great!  I’d rather be informed by someone with experience:)

@ricky64 I’ve ALMOST followed your path, just recently. I too have a Tambaqui. And with my new Audiovector R6 Arrete speakers, I actually now feel that the Diablo 300 has a touch too much bass and that touch of darkness - the same qualities that I felt really complemented my last speakers (B&W 803 D2). Compared to the B&W’s my Audiovectors are more warm and relaxed sounding, but detailed with a lot of bass. The upper mids and treble are not accentuated like they were with the B&W’s which had far less bass.

So with this change, I am looking for a touch more neutrality than I have now, and not the Diablo sound anymore (it’s not as extreme as I’m making it sound and in fact it pairs with many modern speakers extremely well). A contact told me the Gryphon distributor told him that the 333 still has that Diablo 300 darkness but is now a bit closer to neutral like the Apex and Essence.

With that info and with my new warmer sounding speakers, I have an Essence stereo amp on the way. And since I like my Tambaqui but wanted the advantage of an analog preamp without adding another box, I have a Makua on the way with a Tambaqui inside it.

It’s a gamble as I now will have three very neutral components across the Essence amp, Makua, and embedded Tambaqui. But I’m hoping this will be a good match for my slightly warm and full-bodied Audiovector speakers (at least in comparison to the B&W’s). I know for sure this combo will not be bright sounding as the Makua and Tambaqui have that hint of liquid smoothness while being neutral and detailed, but I also know this combo would not have worked AT ALL with the B&W’s!

Despite the high cost, I am okay if it doesn’t work out - I would likely sell and “fall back” to a Diablo 333. But I’m hopeful everything will work out!

Interesting comment about Gryphon Pre’s. Any reference on this comments or is this more a word of mouth thing? I hadn’t heard this before.

Also @ricky64 , which speakers and preamp do you have?

@ricky64 , thank you, and congrats on finding the right components to make your system click!  I’ve heard others also say how the Essence amp can be that chameleon that takes on the character of other components.  You saying that just now makes me realize that if the Makua doesn’t work out, another path aside from the Diablo 333 is a different preamp.  I’d say my speakers with current speakers in the current system have a bit too much image density actually, with them being a touch too full bodied. Not sure if this is what you meant by image density but  thanks again!

By the way I’ve tried the MU1, but currently have the Innuos Zenith Mk3 and PhoenixUSB reclocker.

@ricky64 , this may be a flawed approach but currently I’m doing all I can to keep the DAC inside the analog preamp. This is because I have all Audioquest Dragon power cords and one very pricey Dragon interconnect. At this point, I am all Dragoned out and really want to avoid more massive cost that unfortunately has been worth it, at least to me.

My Audiovectors are quite easy to drive at 91.5dB and they have three bass drivers (one 6.5” driver on the front baffle, one 6.5” downward facing driver and a second 8” downward facing driver).

So I’m really hoping that the Makua will do the trick with adequate body and heft, but we’ll see.

Unfortunately I’ll only have a stock cable with the Essence amp for about a month while my Audioquest Dragon cord is being converted to a 20A C19 connector at Audioquest.

One advantage that the Diablo 333 (and my current Diablo 300 for that matter) has over the Essence is that I’ve read that the warmup time for the Essence in Class A mode is rather long.  Many hours.  However Gryphon has said that it takes only 30min to warm up after it’s already been warmed up (presumably for hours) in AB mode.  I’m okay with this.

@ricky64 , what has your experience been with respect to warmup time with your Essence in a class A mode?

@62truck , there are two buttons under the front of the Essence amp, one that controls the bias level and one that controls the lights. On some photos of the Essence you can see two blue lights shining below the amp. These lights signal where the buttons are. If you have the Gryphon pre, I believe you can change the bias on the remote, but I won’t have that option, unless I program a third party remote I guess. The other thing only available with the Gryphon pre is the “green bias” mode, but from the description I don’t think I’d ever use that (basically low bias up to a programmable volume level and high bias after if i understand it correctly).

Still three weeks or so before delivery for me I think.

Glad you are enjoying your 333!!!  

Oh, one thing, I definitely notice quite a significant improvement after warming it up in high bias mode for quite a while.  Not quite sure of the actual time yet but it’s over an hour for sure, at least by my ears.  In the first hour and for some time after, even after switching from being warmed up in low bias, the image isn’t quite settled and I don’t get the full resolution in the high frequencies.  But after it gets there, wow.  I knew this going in so not a surprise.  The Diablo 300 definitely warms up faster but it’s not the quoted 45min.  But as stated above, it’s not like it doesn’t sound good when first powered up.  It just gets quite a bit better.

@62truck, @ricky64, I received the Essence in Tuesday and have been running it in continuously (despite Gryphon’s manual indicating it is fully run in in the factory).

As absolutely fantastic as the Diablo 300 is, I do think the Essence is a step up in all respects, as it should be. Aside from watts of course. This is even with my Tambaqui feeding the Essence directly.

Unexpectedly given what others have written about the Essence having less bass than the Diablo, while this is true to a much smaller degree than I anticipated, the bass from the Essence has a tone to it that seems more alive or something. Not sure how to describe, but it’s very satisfying. And the midrange and higher frequencies are a touch more laid back and a touch bigger. Very nice, and easy to listen to - not that the Diablo isn’t. In Class A mode the sound is more resolute, fuller and more present, yet with transparency and separation maintained. Timing is very, very good with very satisfying snappy impact too.

The only flaw I perceive that I expect will be resolved with the Makua is that I am getting far less soundstage depth as compared with the Diablo 300. Due to using my Tambaqui’s digital volume control I suspect. But part of this is attributable to the fact that I’m using the generic power cord on the Essence. My Audioquest Dragon cord is on its way back to me from AQ after being converted to the 20A C19 connector that the Essence requires.

Even with the temporary loss in soundstage depth I’d easily pick this current setup over the Diablo - as great as the Diablo is. I plan to do some back and forth comparisons between the two tomorrow. Tonight I’m just chilling out listening with the Essence currently listening to Kind of Blue, which I thought of playing after seeing another recent thread with the title of this classic. So good. And a full, rich, warm and laid back but also detailed and lively sound - not what I was expecting with the Tambaqui going direct into the amp.

@roccl007 thank you for relaying your account of the Diablo 333 and I suspect the reviews won’t come until Gryphon sends units to reviewers and they have had at least a few weeks or preferably longer to evaluate. I’ve heard a few reviewers say they currently have 333’s on the way to them (Terry at Pursuit of Perfect System is one) so I expect reviews to come within the next couple of months.  

IMO I wouldn’t be too alarmed about Gryphon’s mention of shutdown during overheating, this is likely simply standard safety and self-protection management that is good to see in a well designed product.
 

@ricky64 , my Makua arrived, and yes the holographic presentation is truly great. All issues addressed and there are major improvements on every performance dimension I can think of over the Tambaqui feeding the Essence directly. I really wasn’t expecting this degree of improvement. And this was right from the first cold power-up of the Makua on Saturday night. It’s early days but I really don’t feel the need to look at other preamps now. Yes, it’s very transparent but as I mentioned before my speakers are warmer and more relaxed, so the sound is very, very easy to listen to for extended periods. The sound is much more dynamic and incisive, but is also very full-bodied, and the images within the soundstage are specifically placed yet fully fleshed out into a natural presentation. And the bass is fantastic too - very energetic, defined and palpable.

I expect the sound and my perceptions to change over the next 4 weeks or so, but right now I feel like I’m getting way more performance than I anticipated. And that performance is in service to the music and not for the sake of performance which is fantastic. I’m not typically one to convince myself that I like something simply because I bought it. More times than not I am more like “ah crap, this wasn’t right….”, even to a fault. But not this time, at least at this point. The gamble seems to have paid off.  In musical enjoyment that is; most certainly not financially!

@62truck , I received the reterminated Dragon back and installed it last night, and my system performance went down - there was a loss in clarity and dynamics vs the stock cable.  I replaced the stock cable to be sure, and noticed that the bass was a touch cleaner on the Dragon but the top end was clearer, more present and dynamic with the stock cord!

It must be that that both ends which are new need to be burned in, or simply that the cable needs to resettle after being moved around and likely having the DBS system disrupted.  I’ve noticed that all of my new AQ power cords have not sounded good for the first 20 or so days of on-time, so maybe it’ll take some time again.  Not good that the stock cable sounds better (aside from the bass) at this time but hey at least it’s proof that power cords make a difference, lol.

@ricky64 , not sure if you’ve read the same, but I’ve read quite a few articles stating why DAC’s with digital volume controls going direct to amplifiers will lack dynamics, depth, and body, while being “edgy”.  Christiaan from HiFi Advice has an article on this topic (a reviewer I respect quite a bit), as do others.  Apparently has to do with software manipulation of the source signal prior to converting to analog, when a digital volume control is used.
 

@kennyc yes the Mola Mola gear all looks to be top notch.  I was only willing to take a gamble on the preamp based on my experiences having owned the standalone Tambaqui which has been fantastic, feeding my Diablo 300 as a standalone DAC and without it using its digital volume control.  The reviews led me to believe the sound signature (or lack thereof) to be the same with the preamp.

The Mola class D amplifiers look very interesting but have not had the opportunity to hear.  These don’t seem to be anywhere as popular as the Tambaqui, likely due to people’s preconceived notions around Class D, however, from the reviews which I have no reason to doubt (as they all have similar comments), it seems Mola’s amps may be quite special.

The build quality and software is also truly unique in terms of how well done it is, and the quality of life type of convenience and flexibility features the software offers is just fantastic.  Given how bare bones the front face of the unit is (which I love), it’s unexpected to see how fully fleshed out the configurability options are from the app.  You can tell they really cared about this in the design and that their products are the result of a labour of love.

Same with the Gryphon, but IMO I think Mola has a slight lead on build and physical design (I have never been a fan of Gryphon’s use of acrylic on their front faces), and also with how truly flexible their products are through the very slick app.