To my ears, it doesn’t have any glare. I believe that it is highly resolving and very detailed without sounding analytical. But it must be kept in mind that these are subjective perceptions that apply to me, and may not necessarily indicate what your experience will be. When I read through the owners, manual or part of it anyway, it sounds like the way they voice their equipment is to make it as neutral as possible, and then do the final voicing by ear. As you probably already know, their products are sometimes described as sounding just slightly to the warm side of neutral.
Gryphon Audio Kalliope DAC
- Thread starter Matej Isak
- Start date
Well, sadly the seller seems to have vanished. So I’ll just have to wait for another one to appear. Disappointed to say the least. But thanks for your very useful feedback.
That’s odd. Try this: https://www.hifishark.com/search?q=kalliope
Looks like 3 can be found on hifishark.com
Thanks very much for this. It’s the one in Poland I’ve been trying to buy. Two of the ads are for the same unit. We agreed price and then the dealer just stopped comm’s - he told me the money should be paid into a private bank account as he was selling it on behalf of someone and I said I was uncomfortable with that and would prefer to pay into the dealer’s bank account. Then no reply for the last week. I’ve written again but they’ve previously taken days to reply. Feels off to me.
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I agree, that does not sound good. If the unit from the USA is legitimate, then that might be a consideration. I thought I read earlier in the thread that switching voltage is not a simple matter and may require returning the unit to the factory. You would have to decide for yourself, whether making such arrangements, if they are necessary, is worth it for you. That assumes that at least one of the units can be purchased legitimately.
Yes, I think the USA unit is a non-starter from a voltage pov. Gryphon's FAQ's say voltage conversion isn't possible. Even if it was, I think it'd be uneconomical for me. Anyone going after the one in Poland, take care. Meantime, I've been tweaking my modest vinyl rig and it's never sounded better. There's always an upside
Yes there is an upside. Enjoyable listening is the real goal anyway, at least in my opinion.Yes, I think the USA unit is a non-starter from a voltage pov. Gryphon's FAQ's say voltage conversion isn't possible. Even if it was, I think it'd be uneconomical for me. Anyone going after the one in Poland, take care. Meantime, I've been tweaking my modest vinyl rig and it's never sounded better. There's always an upside
Hi I’m new in this forum , thank you for accepting me.
I would like to request your opinion regarding which DAC do you think I should buy and why. I have the opportunity to choose between a Berkeley Alpha DAC reference series 2 and a Gryphon Kalliope DAC , both used but in mint condition and in similar price range , Gryphon a little more expensive but not too much.
Thanks
Mauricio
I would like to request your opinion regarding which DAC do you think I should buy and why. I have the opportunity to choose between a Berkeley Alpha DAC reference series 2 and a Gryphon Kalliope DAC , both used but in mint condition and in similar price range , Gryphon a little more expensive but not too much.
Thanks
Mauricio
I'm demoing a Kalliope in next couple of days. It's 9yrs old. Are there any owners who can attest to their long term reliability? Since Kalliope is still current, I'm hoping any issues could be repaired by Gryphon. I'm sensitive to this having had a superb Resonnesence Mirus Pro die after the makers folded - not that Gryphon are going to do that. But they might eventually stop supporting it?
I have the Kalliope DAC, Pandora pre-amp and Mephisto power amp no longer in warranty. The Pandora power supply failed and then the bias led light. Both repaired by a tech guy well familiar with Gryphon. The Mephisto when new also had a wire shorting out touching the case but easily fixed (but should never happened). No issues with the Kalliope.
The tech guy I used just retired after 40 years. He knew Gryphons inside out. He said the parts are pretty much all still available as Gryphon do not manufacture the electronics.You replace the parts with exact same part number written on the failed component/s. He also said electronic parts fail no matter the brand or price.
So, you don't need Gryphon "support" unless under warranty and provided you have a Gryphon savvy repair person.
My issue with Gryphon is a lack of customer support in general and finding possible upgrades. Kalliope was advertised as future proof but I have been unable to find out whether for example the newer 32-bit/768kHz ES9038PRO Sabre DAC chips can be retrofitted (I believe they use the newer chips in more recent products) or if any other upgrades are available.
No reply from Gryphon when emailed and silence on the thread here see https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/gryphon-kalliope-any-updates.30810/post-1003722
Thanks for the input. Yes, the Kalliope I'm looking at is pushing 10yrs and I guess it's a case of not if but when. I am pinning my hopes on Gryphon repairing or a good and Gryphon-savvy independent - very hard to find. I've found Rune at Gryphon to be a top guy when it comes to advice but have little experience of tech support beyond this. Sorry to hear of your struggles. Have you tried going through a dealer? I think they prefer this. On the 9038 and any other h/ware components - they won't update these in Kalliope. Seems to me Ethos has taken over and Kalliope will most likely be discontinued/replaced before too long. The design is also looking dated when you look at their recent offerings. On s/ware - that is frustrating. Perhaps a mail to Poohatek will get a response as to how he updated to 1.5? If mine has older f/ware I'll also want to upgrade and will post here if I find out how. I did find this in early launch material - I'd ask your dealer and/or email Gryphon again..
GRYPHON KALLIOPE
The new Kalliope DAC from Gryphon employs amodular layout for easy access to future upgrades. Firmware updates
will be available via USB. Offering playback of PCM up to 32bit/384kHz and DSD up to 6.1 44MHz, the unit also
removes dependence on USB bus power.That is, 5V fed to the
USB receiver from the source computer via the USB cable's power
line then ' bleeds' noise and Interference into the two data lines
with significant audible impact.The 12.5 Farad SuperCap dedicated
power supply of the Kalliope USB module acts as avirtual battery,
delivering regulated power.
Other features include an ESS SABRE ES9018 32bit D/A
converter for each channel and each ES9018 incorporates eight
individual D/A converters in Dual Differential coupling. Included
BNC and XLR inputs are compatible with PCM: 22.05, 24, 32,
44.1, 48, 64, 88.2, 96, 176.4 and I92kHz, up to 24bits.The unit also
includes user- selectable PCM and DSD digital roll- off filters plus
temperature- compensated, crystal oscillators. Price is € 19,800
Click on www.gryphon-audio.com for more information.
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Yeah, Gryphon is apparently notorious for not answering emails.
I rang the dealer and contrary to some reports, and unlike *driver* upgrades, Firmware is upgraded via a Key Fob obtained from Gryphon via the dealer. You take the DAC into the dealer and they need to pop the lid and insert the FOB. Only takes a minute or so.
The dealer was of the view that there will be no hardware upgrades available and new DAC will be forthcoming in a year or so (?). Not great news for Kalliope owners' "future proofing"
I and a few others had lunch once with Flemming Rassmussen many years ago but he is no longer at the helm.
Anyways, I will get the new firmware update .
Good luck with your purchase
Not sure what you thought I was expecting?
Kalliope does do user selectable digital upsampling and has selectable digital filters for both PCM and DSD
IIRC the original marketing suggested "future proof" upgradability with modular digital bays. Some reviews emphasized its advertised upgrade path such as "anyone within the DAC game knows that today's digital chipset might not be better than that of those released four years from now. Thus, the company chose to make the Kalliope future-proof by employing modular digital audio sections that allow for updating."
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You can only choose between different filters / upsampling algorithms that are already present on the ESS DAC chipset package used.
You can't "update" the ESS chip via a firmware update.
I read review where the reviewer updated the firmware enabling DSD X 8 (from DSDX4). My point however was not so much to start a technical discussion on firmware updates, rather to access whatever upgrades possible whether software or hardware. The quote, "anyone within the DAC game knows that today's digital chipset might not be better than that of those released four years from now. Thus, the company chose to make the Kalliope future-proof by employing modular digital audio sections that allow for updating". There is a 9038 newer chip set for example. Many manufacturers update their products as "Mark II" or "31.5" (formerly 31). Even Vivid loudspeakers can be upgraded (as mine were).
The Kalliope that arrived was a dud. It had had a serious impact underneath that left a dent such that the foot didn't sit flat on the shelf and many of the screws were half out. How can people do that and think you won't notice? I returned it immediately. Bereft. But, then found a rare-as-hen's-teeth dealer's 2023 ex dem' which I collect next week. It's 30% more expensive but still a major saving over new and in my albeit limited experience, there isn't a new DAC to touch it anywhere near the price I'm paying. I'm very happy the first one was kaput and beyond excited to get what will be my forever DAC, in my system.
Sorry to hear of your misadventures but congrats on finding a good one.
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