Soulution 331 vs Gryphon Diablo 333

@russellrcncom 

I checked on the MSRP of the Soulution, and it's $33K without the DAC and phono. Dealers are not explaining this on their websites. I have heard the Diablo 300 and was impressed; the Soulution will be more difficult to demo, though!

@inna 

I'm using a pair of KEF Reference 1 Metas. This is not my endgame speaker, though. Hearing the Diablo 300, I know how powerful they are, especially in the bass. The new Soulution 331 is supposed to be a unique-sounding component. 

@at0310t 

Please post your impressions of the 331; you would be one of the first since even professional reviews are scarce!

Thanks!

Sooo...... I was able to demo the Soulution 331. All I can say is "wow'. It was paired with Magico A5s. The quality of the bass was most impressive; it was very clean and tight. The midrange and highs were magical, more so holographic. The placement of instruments and vocals was crazy (yes, the Magico's help).

From what I recall, the Gryphon Diablo 300's bass output was far greater than the Soulution's, but it was not as refined. However, the Diablo did not come close to the Soulution's midrange and highs performance. I have auditioned many amps over the years, but I think this Soulution 331 is the best I have ever heard. 

I'm still trying to audition the Gryphon 333, but I can't unhear what the Soulution did to me! I will try not to be biased because I really love Gryphon. 

@at0310t 

Thank you for the update! You mentioned pairing the 312 with the 760 DAC. I am considering pairing the 312 with the new 360 DAC. I only use digital as an input. I question the difference in sound quality by powering the 312 with the DACs volume control vs. sending the DACs signal through the 331 integrated. It's something I need to explore. 

@bubba12 

KEF Reference 1 Metas. It's not my endgame speaker, though.

@nitewulf 

I directly compared the two. T+A was warmer (which I like), but it did not have the magic of Soulution. Also, the T+A was fully broken in; the Soulution only had about 25 hours on it. I'm still astounded as to what I heard with the Soulution.

@nitewulf 

Both components were in the same rack and swapped out. I do not want anyone to tell me what to buy; my ears will decide! I could easily live with either in the long term. However, the T+A did not provide the jaw-dropping moments that the Soulution did. I will do another audition of both, especially when the Soulution is fully broken in.