Gryphon Essence

_Alchemist_

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May 19, 2020
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Ah, right. Yes Magico seems to have biggest presence in USA. Quite rare in UK too. What about Audiovector SR3? A bit smaller but still the AMT tweeter. European so maybe more distributors in France. Regardless, enjoy!
Other speakers I looked at were joseph audio perspective graphene 2
I've never listened to the audiovector's. After taww review I looked at them and also looked at the SR3 but they dont have the same level of finishing as the sr6....ahhhh there's always something right? otherwise it wouldn't be fun...
 
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eagle3333

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Sep 22, 2018
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Other speakers I looked at were joseph audio perspective graphene 2
I've never listened to the audiovector's. After taww review I looked at them and also looked at the SR3 but they dont have the same level of finishing as the sr6....ahhhh there's always something right? otherwise it wouldn't be fun...
Yes it was Taww’s reviews that sent me looking. My dealer now has Audiovector and Gryphon so I can compare. I’d have Pantheon in a heartbeat if they weren’t quite so dominating in my room which is also sitting room.
 

_Alchemist_

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May 19, 2020
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Yes it was Taww’s reviews that sent me looking. My dealer now has Audiovector and Gryphon so I can compare. I’d have Pantheon in a heartbeat if they weren’t quite so dominating in my room which is also sitting room.
This hobby is like nothing else. I've actually seriously considered moving to accommodate bigger speakers!
 

eagle3333

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Sep 22, 2018
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We've all been there; some still are! Pursuit of happiness or manic obsession?!
 
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eagle3333

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..that's a sage view..
 

Ron Resnick

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. . . I've actually seriously considered moving to accommodate bigger speakers!

What is wrong with that? That seems like a perfectly rational reason for an audiophile to move.

Golfers sometimes move to live in a golfing community.

Couples sometimes move when they get a kid.

People sometimes move to a place which they think has better weather.

Doesn't it just depend upon your interests and preferences?
 
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eagle3333

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Sep 22, 2018
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I agree, Ron. But I also think it's possible to become unhealthily obsessed (and led) by something to the exclusion of other things which, with a more balanced mind (!) would be a greater priority. I'm not singling out hifi or any other 'thing'; just postulating a general principle.
 

_Alchemist_

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May 19, 2020
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What is wrong with that? That seems like a perfectly rational reason for an audiophile to move.

Golfers sometimes move to live in a golfing community.

Couples sometimes move when they get a kid.

People sometimes move to a place which they think has better weather.

Doesn't it just depend upon your interests and preferences?

Ahah, there's nothing wrong with it but we have a saying in french: La sauce devient plus chère que le gigot - meaning the sauce is more expensive than the meat!
That being said, I'm considering it and I think I will do it in medium - short term but in the meantime I want a new system asap working with my place. I already have the sea, golf, nice weather where I live...just not the place for big speakers!!!
 

bonzo75

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I agree, Ron. But I also think it's possible to become unhealthily obsessed (and led) by something to the exclusion of other things which, with a more balanced mind (!) would be a greater priority. I'm not singling out hifi or any other 'thing'; just postulating a general principle.

I do think it's a wasteful interest. Eating, sports or any form of exercise, is much more productive, or going to concerts instead of setting up your own system. Focusing on buying a place for that is the worst. So much is real estate money that can be used elsewhere. And when you can't make a bid on better value places because the room is the wrong ratio. This is where if the audiophile likes a speaker like tannoy, it becomes so easy. Buy a decent sized room of any shape and plonk it in
 
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eagle3333

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Sep 22, 2018
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I do think it's a wasteful interest. Eating, sports or any form of exercise, is much more productive, or going to concerts instead of setting up your own system. Focusing on buying a place for that is the worst. So much is real estate money that can be used elsewhere. And when you can't make a bid on better value places because the room is the wrong ratio. This is where if the audiophile likes a speaker like tannoy, it becomes so easy. Buy a decent sized room of any shape and plonk it in
The last few years, when I'm home in UK, I've been obsessed with getting just the sound I want. It's taken a higher percentage of my net income than I should have allowed it to. When I'm on extended (several months) stays working in Cape Town, I never miss the hifi. I spend so much time outside doing stuff and with other people that I'm happy to listen to iTunes on my laptop of an evening! I drive a tiny hire car which I don't think twice about, am mostly barefoot and stay in a little 1-bed apartment which I think of as a palace. My priorities turn on their head and I know I'm much healthier mentally and physically for it. Environment makes quite an impact on priorities..
 
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bonzo75

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The last few years, when I'm home in UK, I've been obsessed with getting just the sound I want. It's taken a higher percentage of my net income than I should have allowed it to. When I'm on extended (several months) stays working in Cape Town, I never miss the hifi. I spend so much time outside doing stuff and with other people that I'm happy to listen to iTunes on my laptop of an evening! I drive a tiny hire car which I don't think twice about, am mostly barefoot and stay in a little 1-bed apartment which I think of as a palace. My priorities turn on their head and I know I'm much healthier mentally and physically for it. Environment makes quite an impact on priorities..

When I was single, I did everything from the point of view of making myself attractive for dating. I always ate well, exercised, focused on money to buy a place in a good area. Now I only think of wasting money and weekends on audio and buying a place in a silly area that does not have good commute or restaurants or enough going on just so that I can have a massive room for behemoth horns
 

eagle3333

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Sep 22, 2018
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When I was single, I did everything from the point of view of making myself attractive for dating. I always ate well, exercised, focused on money to buy a place in a good area. Now I only think of wasting money and weekends on audio and buying a place in a silly area that does not have good commute or restaurants or enough going on just so that I can have a massive room for behemoth horns
When I was single I bought an enormous motorbike in the hope it would attract the chicks. It didn't and I kept falling off it every time I stopped at the lights. I guess we are constantly evolving :) I definitely do need a room with another 8 feet of width!
 

bonzo75

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When I was single I bought an enormous motorbike in the hope it would attract the chicks. It didn't and I kept falling off it every time I stopped at the lights. I guess we are constantly evolving :) I definitely do need a room with another 8 feet of width!

Pickup of a motorbike or car is not what you think
 
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spiritofmusic

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When I was single, I did everything from the point of view of making myself attractive for dating. I always ate well, exercised, focused on money to buy a place in a good area. Now I only think of wasting money and weekends on audio and buying a place in a silly area that does not have good commute or restaurants or enough going on just so that I can have a massive room for behemoth horns
I wondered which audiophile would become The Dude...well, I have my answer.
 

Lagonda

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taww

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Hello all - I haven't read through the latest flurry of posts in detail, but @_Alchemist_ I have some experience with many of the questions you raised so I'll throw in my $.02. :)

Totally agree with @eagle3333 that Essence is an altogether different level of transparency over Diablo 300, but this will probably make the Essence more sensitive to the rest of the reproduction chain, recording quality, your room and tastes, etc. Also I will caution that it is so neutral that if you are expecting the trademark Gryphon "dark chocolate" richness, you may be slightly disappointed. By my best assessment it is really very close to DEAD neutral, and as such is less tonally warm than the Diablo 300 (though simultaneously sweeter and less harsh/more effortless at volume). And while @eagle3333 has gotten the best bass ever from his Mojo speakers, on my Audiovectors I think the Diablo 300 has a more powerful bottom end. The Essence bass is extraordinary in quality but not as gut-punching, and on the SR 6 it is a bit light vs. the Pass XA30.5 or a Class D amp I am currently auditioning (ICEdge 1200AS2). Listening to something like Billie Eilish, again with the caveat that this is in my room and system, the Class D amp does better the Essence in sheer visceral punch. Pretty much everything else goes to the Essence as expected, including dynamics despite it being a "50 watt" amp vs. the Class D's 600W+ rating. (It helps that the Audiovectors are 92dB efficient.)

Given above and the big price jump, I would definitely try to do some further research before pulling the trigger on the Essence over the Diablo for a speaker like the Magico A3 which is on the lean and precise side already. I actually know someone who has the A3 and just got the Diablo after trying many different separates (last one was a Krell amp with ARC pre) as well as Audiovector, Focal and other speakers. If you like I can ask him how he's liking the Diablo.

With those caveats noted, I can definitely confirm that the Essence amp is an exquisite piece that will likely get you as close to the music as anything you can buy anywhere near the price. It has that immediate, tactile quality that some of the best megabuck systems I've heard sometimes achieve. The last time I heard resolution like this was in a decked-out MSB Reference + Magico M3 system - yes, the DAC was vastly superior to mine but I think the Essence part of the chain was on par in resolution. Ears I trust tell me the Essence reveals some details that no other Gryphon can, even Mephisto. And it does this without ever sounding the least bit clinical. (Make sure you give it a good power cord though!)

Re: the Zena DAC module, I'm a bit torn as it's obviously "very nice kit" as the Brits like to say and you can clearly hear the quality of the Gryphon implementation - battery-buffered USB supply, Class A analog stages, etc. - but there's just something about most Sabre DACs that doesn't quite click for me. It's a very good match to the preamp and a good choice if you want to set it and forget it, but I do still prefer my PS Audio DirectStream DAC by a hair for most recordings, just to give you a sense of the performance level (obviously there are even better DACs than the DirectStream). Sure, I would take the Zena over things like Benchmark, Mytek, Aurender around the $2-4k price point. I think the RME ADI-2 DAC FS comes pretty close for a lot less money, and I would definitely take, say, a Merging (yes I know it's Sabre but I love it) or MSB or Chord DAVE over it. (I have no experience with the NOS DACs like Lampizator, Holo that are all the rage.) So I think it just depends on how crazy a level of refinement you're looking for.

I have a review of all this coming soon on the blog, much overdue due to life stuff and general COVID malaise (sorry Philip!). I will let y'all know when it's posted. Hope this helps in the meantime!

(@eagle3333 hope you and your partner have been well!)
 

LL21

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