That should be a very good thing. Heat and Class A and longevity are always the key issues...so if they are dissipating heat more efficiently and better, enabling the unit to remain cooler, that is a good thing long term for sure.
Gryphon Apex Stereo or Mephisto Solos
- Thread starter PT6
- Start date
When my MBL Extremes arrive I'll have two Apex Amps. But I am scratching my head wondering if I even need to go there. It's an option either way.
Don't audition MBL Extremes.
Don't audition MBL Extremes.
W-o-w…. Tell us more! What else did you audition and why did you decide on the mighty Extremes?
I was invited to a room where MBL Extremes had arrived in many, many crates. It was assembly day. I got to help erect them. As soon as they were built I should have left. But no, I stayed two more days. Do not behave in this manner.
What a great story! Some experiences are just surprises. I happened to walk in when a Zanden DAC happened to arrive many years ago…a one off piece. The rest is history.
someone had brand new Wilsons in storage for 17 years after moving country…I happened to be in store the week he called to inquire with the dealer about selling them. I was the first and only call. I agreed to trade in my SF Strad speakers for them in 5 minutes.
Thanks a lot for the input. I used the green bias cable for quite a long while. This gave me a decibel correlation and understanding of Class A usage. Rarely did it come out of medium bias. Typically too much wine has a direct relationship with that. I have since removed the green bias cable. I manually set it now. My Joseph Audio Pearl 20/20s are 86db and in Medium not hot. Enjoy the new gear...
Hi Aangen,
Congrats!!! Do you eventually plan to switch to MBL 9011s, or stay with Gryphon?
And, since you are on a spending spree
, do you plan to bi-amp? 4 amps will always be better than 2, as MBLs are so power hungry. And you will get even more out of your speakers - separation, dynamics, ease, and of course - most importantly - even more intense feelings of emotion. Also, how big is your room for the Extremes?
Hello aangen, many thanks for taking the time to provide very helpful feedback. Great to know Apex runs cooler than AE. Enjoy your wonderful new amps.
I am a Gryphon Fanboy, that won't change. I may try to audition Gryphon speakers. I have heard some of their newer models. MMMMM. And Estelon has my full attention as well. If I had to guess, I would guess someone is going to move up in line when my Extremes become available. The Extremes would also require me to find a new home as my room isn't ideal.
Absolutely agree. I am most familiar with their digital by far, then the amplification and no experience with their legendary phono stage. But the consistency, quality and incredibly unique ability to deliver music vs great sound is something very special.
Congrats on 101X. My dealer told me that the waiting time for new 101X is now 2 years as they have supply chain problems. What is your waiting time?
30 months beginning in March 2022. And and an $81K price increase since I ordered. They make one pair a month, just one. They have such a distinct sound though. Irresistible. I have never heard them in the wild, not at shows or in a private dwelling. My audio dealer is one of three in the US to have a pair on display. They are setup quite well and I can spend hours on end listening to them if I wish. But then I go to a friends house and listen to their system and happily things sound nice there as well. I think it would cost me over $600k to put them in my home and serve them properly with gear and cables. I don't know I don't know I don't know. But I have twenty more months to ponder it.
My Zanden experience has been all their most excellent Phono Preamps. I use the Gryphon Legato Legacy in my system. But a Zanden would be welcome. They offer so many interesting and useful options. Various RIAA settings not the least of the features. Nice stuff!
I have Artesania Racks, separate shelves for each component. No way would I stack.
I wish I could put the Power Supply and Commander side by side.
NO!!! DO NOT STACK. Both Pandora Or Commander. As @aangen also said. This comes from Gryphon Rune Skov (good guy). I always kept them separate. My PS on the Pandora is Approx. 1.5 meter away from the pre. I poured a custom slab same concept as making countertops. 80" X 28" X 2" thick. 400lbs it sits on Custom brackets, benefits of living in a log home!! No studs! 6" think log walls. This way Pandora and hopefully TODAY the Horizon (DHL are idiots) all sit side by side with ample space. The Mephisto/Extreme have separate 4" thick concrete isolation platforms with 1/2" cork underneath that sit on the floor. I would do the same with the Commander...John
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Well, I went back and looked at the picture and it seems to me that @PT6 has stacked the components of the Commander.
I could perhaps get four inches between the components of the Pandora, maybe 8”, on different shelves, but I can’t separate them by feet. Will it matter?
John T, you have 1.5m of cable to separate the components by that much?
I could perhaps get four inches between the components of the Pandora, maybe 8”, on different shelves, but I can’t separate them by feet. Will it matter?
John T, you have 1.5m of cable to separate the components by that much?
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2 meter DC cables Larry as well as 2 meter Clear Beyond XLR. For photographs (even Gryphon does it with Pandora) they stack even though they adamantly do not recommend doing it. With the weight of the Commander I wouldn't even do it for a photograph. I separate and isolate. The Extremely heavy shelf and platforms along with isolation. Dead quiet...John PS I think 4-8" is fine Larry, as long as they are not physically on top of each other. After working my ass off on that shelf (form and pour) aesthetically it looks better with a little more space between the gear. Sonically no difference 4" or 24"...
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I use a Zanden 1200 Mk3 phono in my Gryphon Mephisto monobloc rig. I think the key decision you have to make in deciding whether to go with a Zanden or Gryphon phono is whether you like the benefits a hybrid system may offer vs a complete SS system. It always comes down to choosing "vanilla, chocolate or strawberry". What's your preferred flavor?
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Just to offer another perspective, I have the Focal Maestro Utopia Evo model as Jay had for awhile. These followed the Focal Scala Utopia Evo, which followed the Sopra 2. I think they sound phenomenal, and I run them biamped.
Many find the Focal beryllium tweeter to be electrostatic like, clear, and highly pleasing. I share this view, and am extremely satisfied with the sound. Particularly, the inverted dome geometry has significant benefits, such as wide dispersion, which results in excellent imaging.
Note from the recent Absolute Sound review of the Focal Stella Utopia: "There was an uncanny amount of transparency, reminiscent of my time with some electrostatic loudspeakers. Unlike most ESLs, the Stella has frequency extremes to balance the sound and bring things into a more holistically complete perspective. Like an ESL, there is that feeling you are hearing more of what is on the recording in the critical midrange. With the Stella, one tends to hear things going on in the background during the performance more clearly."
My personal experience, over five years, is very much the same across the line as this reviewer. I think he nailed it.
Perhas 20 years ago the tweeter may have been perceived as bright, I don't know since I have only heard and lived with the three speakers above, but the view that it is screechy I believe is outmoded, a long past view that no longer applies.
Offered with all respect to your opinion.
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