Bigpond from Australia is using audio Research 40th anniversary preamp with his mephisto solo driving his Alexandria
Gryphon Mephisto (and Alexandrias)
- Thread starter LL21
- Start date
Thanks! I also added the 47 ohm resistor to my cj350 and all hum disappeared. But although it became completely silent with the ACT2.2 it did not solve the noise problem with the cj ART 2 or the ARC REF3.
Yes, Bigpond runs his Mephisto monos with ARC Ref Anniversary. I run my Colosseum with CJ GAT (SE) but 100ohm output impedance and gain of 24db...so quite significant given 31db of Colosseum...vs 18db of the Gryphon preamps like Pandora or Mirage. So not as nuanced on volume control....but i am fortunate that at deafening volumes with no signal, the system is dead silent unless i stick my ear (with trepidation!) next to tweeter...in which case i can hear a touch of hiss at about 6 inches due to CJ tubes but tiny.
As for Andromeda's comment, yes, i totally agree...i do not have issues with power given my speakers impedance load and efficiency. That said, i suspect if i put the Mephisto in my system i think i know what would happen, and since my wallet is not that deep...i wont do it til it is!
hah!!!!
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I know of no one who has compared the stereo to the solos...the closest is the Antileon mono v stereo and the monos were well regarded as far superior...far closer to the Colosseum than the excellent though dark Antileon SE stereo. In fact, many said the improved linearity of the monos (typical with mono versions vs stereo)...really allowed greater illumination in the treble. But in the end, i cannot say about Mephisto and there is no point in extrapolating. (After all, i prefer the Momentum stereo to the mono!) YMMV!!!!!
regular...i decided to skip over the SE edition and go straight to Colosseum. That said, i did love my Antileon and i know a distributor who still talks about his old DM100 from many years ago...
Lloyd,
You must really grab the opportunity to listen to the Mephisto. Its performance is so superb that I'm at a loss for words to describe it. Top to bottom, it is so perfect that it's mind boggling. I didn't know what the Extremas are capable of until I drove them with this Gryphon unit.
Yes, I know.
I will...but at the moment, i have a few tweaks to take care of first...minor ones, but meaningful...and then i really need to find myself a 2nd hand Zanden Transport at a price i can afford.What's mind boggling is the price you pay for 175 watts. I would hope that if you shelled out anywhere close to $100K for this amp you do find it mind boggling. The Mephisto (why does that name sound like someone who speaks Spanish trying to describe to someone who speaks English about the big meal he just ate?) is stated to be a Class A amplifier. Has anyone determined how many of the 175 watts are actually Class A watts? I read one Australian review and the reviewer said that the Mephisto doesn't run that hot which is surprising if it operates in Class A at any significant power levels. I do think this amp looks pretty cool and I would love to hear it, but not carry it.
MEP, i hear you...all i can say is this...if you can, do try them. would luv to hear your thoughts given your experience. The 175 watts will keep doubling thru 0.5 ohm load and double again into peak...i have not heard its equal in terms of pure outright limitless dynamics except the Boulder 2060. It really is about implementation...i am no techie...so i can regurgitate specs like 500,000 microfarads of capacitance, etc...but frankly, i think its meaningless to many incl me.
As for Class A...check the website out (FWIW!)...i think they are Class A all the way at 100% Class A...(you have the option to bias lower).
I have heard MBL Ref monos, Boulder 2060 (closest competitor) and a bunch of Krells, ARCs, Momentums, Tidals, etc...not all scientifically. Nothing has seemed so limitless to me other than the big Boulder stereo as the Colosseum...to say nothing of the Mephisto or the Mephisto monos.
Just try them if you ever get a chance.
$100k is for mono and I think the stereo unit (at $50k) is enough for most speakers if not all. Even though it's rated at 175 watts, it is the most powerful amp I've ever heard. Power with finesse. Yes, $50k is still a lot of money for an amp but I guess that's the price one has to pay (for the best) in this crazy hobby. You probably can get most of the Mephisto's positive attributes at much saner prices but to get all of them would be difficult. The downside on this amp is the weight, size and heat.
As for the class A operation, it has 3 bias settings. There are settings at low, medium and high class A operations. Whether the high setting is at 100% class A or not, I'm not sure. What is more important is the sound quality. Take a listen and see what you think about this amp and whether it's worth 50 big ones. It is the best I've heard so far.
I thought the review I read was for the stereo version and it was $100K. I was surprised they said it didn't run that hot given that it's supposed to be a Class A amp. I assumed the reviewer would have run the amp on the highest bias setting-what would be the point otherwise? Pure Class A amps should run very hot as it's the nature of the beast. My Krell KSA-250 runs damn hot and JA said it was only around 35 pure watts of Class A power. When you walk near my amp, you can feel the chimney effect from the heat.
And Lloyd, I read the specs on their site and they didn't publish any figures for the power continuing to double down to .5 ohm. If they did, I missed that. The KSA 250 actually does that trick-4000 watts at .5 ohms.
And Lloyd, I read the specs on their site and they didn't publish any figures for the power continuing to double down to .5 ohm. If they did, I missed that. The KSA 250 actually does that trick-4000 watts at .5 ohms.
Although these specifications are important only when you are using your amplifier to power your welding station the Mephisto is rated at 9000W peak at 1/4 ohm load. The class A power must be given for a defined impedance - Gryphon specifies it at 8 ohm. A figure for class A power without impedance specification has no meaning at all. And just to finish, heat and temperature are different things. The Mephisto has better designed heatsinks than the KSA250, it will have a lower temperature for a similar idle power.
Did I win a Gryphon Mephisto?
Did I win a Gryphon Mephisto?
I think Class A ad infinitum is impossible...someone once explained it to me. As far i know, Gryphon is 175 watts full Class A into 8ohms, whereas most amps are not fully Class all the way thru the 8ohm power spec. The Colosseum does run hot...but the heat sinks are huge so it dissapates fairly efficiently. In fact, it dissapates more efficiently than my old Antileon did which was a bloody furnace.
Although these specifications are important only when you are using your amplifier to power your welding station the Mephisto is rated at 9000W peak at 1/4 ohm load. The class A power must be given for a defined impedance - Gryphon specifies it at 8 ohm. A figure for class A power without impedance specification has no meaning at all. And just to finish, heat and temperature are different things. The Mephisto has better designed heatsinks than the KSA250, it will have a lower temperature for a similar idle power.
Did I win a Gryphon Mephisto?
What does peak power really mean micro? Available for a millisecond? I never took any "peak power" spec seriously before.
Although these specifications are important only when you are using your amplifier to power your welding station the Mephisto is rated at 9000W peak at 1/4 ohm load. The class A power must be given for a defined impedance - Gryphon specifies it at 8 ohm. A figure for class A power without impedance specification has no meaning at all. And just to finish, heat and temperature are different things. The Mephisto has better designed heatsinks than the KSA250, it will have a lower temperature for a similar idle power.
Did I win a Gryphon Mephisto?
No , but i'm impressed with it's .5 ohm operation .....
The Gryphy Idles at 700 watts , so i have no doubt of its 200 watt class- rating , which is more than a KSA 250 ...
200 @8
100 @4
50 @2
So Lloyd will have 100 watt class-a max on his WA speaker ....
At high bias 100% class A as per specification , it hot enough to fry anybody eggs. It's hot enough u can't put your figures on it for a few second & it weight a mere 108kg
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