Thanks for the follow up. My experience with the Essence is that the 3D soundstage/depth was very impressive. So, I don't think the amp itself is the limiting factor here. Component interactions are complex and fascinating!
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To add a little substance to this forum here are some comments and reflections about GRYPHON DIABLO 333. I finally had the opportunity to meet the beast on Friday, March 22, 2024 at the Montreal audio show. The room was huge and the whole system look and sounded quite intimidating. The first thing i obviously noticed were the large speakers (AUDIONEC, made in France). The sound with the Nagra turntable was so so
With a lack of output Dynamics the amp being at a level close to 40 on the meter.
I shook hands with the owner of Bliss Audio Dragan Reljic a chic guy. I think the presentation was largely sponsored by the manufacturer Nagra. Playback design being the digital source and Nagra the
turntable. The sound is described quite precisely by Robert Schryer (Stereophile). I touched the beast and i was surprised it gave off less heat than my Gryphon 300.
I asked to put an organ record but the piece seemed a little too serious for the amateurs on the spot but I remember the sound of the Organ which was in three dimensions almost holographic reverberate
Really a full scale sound like in a church (emotional for me). After reading on Gryphon 333 and watching videos I discovered that the belly of the beast has a fan just behind the toroidal transformer in order to
evacuate heat released by even more class A. Also the manufacturer has well designed the heat sinks around the device (guarantee of durability). Here I think that in this integrated amp the manufacturer have put a
5 liter motor of Mustang in a Ford Pinto like a muscle car. Nowhere is this fan mentioned… If it's like in cars, you have to be wary of the first generation introduced. When they introduce the Gryphonn 333 they
where talking about bi-polars SANKEN transistors.
Strangely, when they talk about the presentation of the new Gryphon Apex amp, mentioned that they are not Sanken bipolar transistors (those are no longer available) and in the new Apex i read
they put Toshiba transistors. What made me a little more perplexed was the notice on page 30 of the Gryphon 333 instruction manual which mentions a possible overheating of one of the two
Channels:- "When excessive heat is detected in one or both channels, the Diablo will mute and the amplifier will go in stand-by mode. Normal temperature can resume when the temperature is within safe operating
limits. If a DC/HF is error is detected in one or both channels, the Diablo 333 will mute, and the amplifier will go into stand-by mode ». Notice worthy of a good old muscle car from the 70s whose radiator can
Overheat on occasion. So let's hope that Gryphon's latest born will be as reliable as the entire work. In the new Gryphon 333 there are several elements borrowed from the upper game (APEX). For my part, I would
hesitate to compromise myself on the new 333 and wait with patience for our audio essayists to finally commit to make some credible reviews on this new born.
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@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! |
@nyev I am glad to hear your new Essence and Makua are treating you so well! I enjoyed reading your write-up thus far and look forward to hearing more as they continue to burn-in and as your re-terminated Dragon gets put back into your system. |
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