Best Integrated, period.


Has anyone compared, Gryphon Diablo, Gamut Di150, Vitus SS101, Krell FBI, APL UA-S1 Jeff Rowland Continuum 500? Please add what you found to be best integrated.
perrew

I recently swapped an ARC Phono 6 , LS27 and Ref 150 for a Gryphon Diablo . Part of this was because I was driven by a desire to simplify my system and also because I had been told by others that the Diablo and the Wilson Audio Sashas were a synergistic combo . Although the Diablo doesn't have that ' tube magic ' , it is a very neutral sounding amp , with perhaps a slight lift in the lower bass which gives the Sashas a tad extra warmth in the lower registers .Also , the onboard phono module is fully balanced and very quiet . I am using High Fidelity CT1E interconnects and speaker cables , its a very clean and neautral sounds with more micro detail than the ARC combo , although this could be also due to simultaneously upgrading the speaker cables . Plus I got to sell about $3000 worth of surplus interconnects and power cables , but , but , I miss the magic of owning tubes , one day when I get the money I will probably buy a ref 75 SE and LS17 Se to use in a second system . The Gryphon has some handy functions such as custom naming each input plus the ability to set a maximum usable volume level , I'm actually quite happy with a level of 30 out of a max of 50 . Beware the Gryphon has annoying plastic surrounds on the speaker binding posts that require most spades to be filed down but I opted for bananas , also easier and less fiddly to fit .
I loved the sound of my Krell kav300 il but it broke 4 times in 5 years so I replaced it with an Anthem 225. I found the Krell more musical but the Anthem is still breaking in and the demo I brought home sounded powerful and alive.
In the thread title a request is made for the best integrated amplifier. No consensus will ever be reached on that subject.
The one I have been using for the past year is the Jeff Rowland Continuum S2. It is surely the best built and probably the most ergonomically sensitive with the exception of the inexcusably cheesy plastic remote. The amp itself is a beautifully crafted, solid aluminum chassis which you can order with a terrific phono section, an onboard DAC, or neither.
The look and feel of this unit are both to die for. It is powered by a Pascal amplifier module providing 400 watts per channel and it rivals any separates on the market, even the Rowland flagship gear. The only real problem with it is the price tag which comes in just under $10K. Of course, you have to expect that kind of pricing when you are discussing "the best" of anything.