Gryphon Diablo 300 - Initial Impressions
 

I have been intrigued by this integrated since it was first released but as many others have stated in the past, the absence of a US importer and US-based warranty service was a non-starter for me. With the announcement of a US distributor made last year, the OCD kicked in. My hobby turned into an obsession a few years ago and the constant search for something a bit better has led me in a few directions – especially over the last two years.

I am very happy with my source components, cables, wires, racks and speakers. I have also spent a fair amount time with room acoustics.
Last month, I decided to give the Gryphon a try based on some recommendations from a selling dealer who is familiar with and sells the gear I had prior to ordering the Gryphon.

The Wait – These units are not sitting on a shelf in Los Angeles so I had to wait for the incoming allotment. The Diablo 300 was supposed to ship the week after I ordered it but the logistics related to the Munch Hi-End audio show somehow impacted the timeline. The good news was that I still could listen to my Ayre AX-5 Twenty (which I would be trading in) until the Gryphon arrived. I received notification and a tracking number a couple of weeks later.

The Arrival – The Gryphon was sent to my office on a pallet. It was shipped in a nifty wooden box with clips that keep sides, bottom and top together. Two of the clips were missing though – apparently scraped off in transit from Denmark to Los Angeles.

Setting Up - Of course, I was too stubborn to wait for some help to unload my new toy. It weighs about 120 pounds in the crate and I didn’t want to take a chance taking it out and bringing it upstairs by hand – I already tore a meniscus last year doing that with my Esoteric K-01X! So, I strap it on the hand truck and lug it up the stairs. Unboxing was so easy with the clip system and I simply slid it out – no heaving awkward lifting out of the box! The white gloves supplied with the amp were a nice touch but I decided to keep them in the plastic bag. The remote is a work of art and the owner’s manual is a very well prepared binder.

Since I had a little concern with the heat generation as well as ease of installation, I chose to put the amp on the top of the rack. I connected the Gryphon to the Esoteric K-01X and KEF Blade 2s. The moment of truth was finally here! There is a small toggle switch under the front panel to energize the unit– it’s hard to find initially but it stays in the “On” position anyway once found. The On/Off touch screen or the remote turns the amp on and the message “Initializing” scrolls across the screen. Default volume level at start up is always 00 however it can be programmed to start at any volume level. You can also assign names to the sources – something I have not yet done.

The Sound – Oh my! The most significant and immediate improvement was the level of authoritative bass. It was clean and thunderous. The soundstage created by the Diablo 300 was much, much wider and deeper than that of my Ayre AX-5 Twenty. It was actually quite shocking to hear what the Gryphon had brought to the table in just the first 5 minutes of listening. I was expecting a slight improvement (having learned painfully about the diminishing returns at this level) but I got way more than what I expected. I continued to listen to the Diablo 300 well into the wee hours of the night. I was amazed with the detail, finesse and thunder that this amp produced. New sounds and detail from my Reference Tracks magically appeared. It seemed as if I was part of the live audience. On certain tracks, my Bengal Cat actually looked around, thinking there were other people in the room – he is always up in my Audio room and it’s always amusing to see how he reacts to my new gear!

100 Hour Mark – The fun thing about the Diablo 300 is that I have been hearing incremental improvements during the first 100 hours. Unlike other components I have owned, there were never any times where it sounded bright, edgy or awkward during the break in. The sonic signature is difficult to describe. It is neither dark nor bright. It has a tremendous amount of detail and reveals the minute aspects of a recording. The soundstage and imaging is the best I have heard with my room configuration and the KEF Blade 2s. I have been told that the amp will continue to mature and improve. I am looking forward to that.

Negatives – I really can’t think of anything negative. I know some people on this forum don’t like the looks of this integrated. It certainly can’t be mistaken for anything else! I have always been partial to silver colored gear but I figured that the aesthetic compromise was worth the sonic improvement. Also, a slight negative – it does put out some heat. I have not measured it yet but after 8 hours, I can keep my hand on the heat sinks for no more than 3 seconds. This will be a positive when I do most of my listening in the cold New Hampshire winters! I think it puts out slightly more heat that my Luxman L590 AX and Accuphase E-600 amps (both Class A) but not much more.

I know that my “journey” has provided great amusement and financial enrichment for some on this forum. Undoubtedly certain forum members will already speculate as to the longevity of this most recent addition to my rig.

Synergy is of course, a major factor in any set up and I can honestly say that all pieces are playing well together. This latest leap has provided me with the most impactful rewards. I may provide an update as the Gryphon Diablo 300 logs some more hours on the clock - only if I can pull myself away from the music to do so!

Greg

Greg... Congrats!

http://www.analogueseduction.net/use...300_front1.jpg

Very glad to hear you are so pleased with your latest acquisition!
Congrats!

Greg.......A most enjoyable review. It is clear from your post that you are quite pleased. I am happy for you.

I have had an interest in the Gryphon Diablo 300 since I first read about it. Every report from new owners seems to parallel your impressions. More than once I have fostered the notion of replacing my McIntosh C2300 and MC452 in the living room system with the Diablo 300. Having been a dyed in the wool McIntosh enthusiast for over 50 years it is difficult to make the move, but I still think about it.

Congrats. Awesome amp - not my cup of tea aesthetically, but they sound great.

Congratulations with the new amplifier.

Glad to hear you are enjoying the Gryphon Greg. Outstanding piece of audio art. :thumbsup:

Greg, congrats!
Gryphon is great gear and designed by a very enthusiastic team.
Enjoy!

Gryphon Diablo 300. 950w into 2 ohms! :thumbsup:

https://youtu.be/oeQXNimsvqk

Gryphon also makes speakers. The Mojo S and Diablo 300 making music together.

https://youtu.be/SZ-AEODtADk

The Diablo 300 is a wonderful piece. I've had mine for about eight months now, replacing my Mark Levinson #331. Greg's description of the sound is pretty much spot on to what I've been hearing, using with Magico S3 Mk2s and an Esoteric K-03X.

Love the feedback- great write up!

Thanks everyone for the kind words. It has been an interesting journey!

Greg

I am not surprised of your findings. But equally happy for the result. Hopefully this will inspire more people to give it a listening.

Greg, what is your room size?

David

Greg, PM sending

Congratulations! And thanks for your impressions. Be sure to post feedback on any cable and PC swapping....because you know its coming! :fishing:

Thanks! Not sure if I want to go up the cable and PC swapping food chain. Just bought Audioquest WEL interconnect and Hurricane PC. Enough already:D:scratch2::no:

How much of the quality of the new sound do you attribute to the change to Audioquest cables (especially the Hurricane PC)?

The Hurricane PC had a very significant impact on my K-01X, both with my previous integrated and my Diablo 300.

Room size is 18x19

I too just placed my order for a Diablo 300 and OAHN is set to ship it this week. I opted for the installed phono board to start and expect to add the DAC unit at a later date. A Stealth Audio Dream V16 power cable and Dream V16 Standard speaker cables will be used to connect the amp to YG Acoustic’s Hailey 1.2 loudspeakers. I am super excited to get the unit and start the break-in process.

Congrats Hobblecreek, I'd expect it to be a great match driving the YG Haileys!

That is my hope. While the sound with my existing Ayre equipment has been good for the past 3 years, I am hoping this change takes things to a new level. Much like the Magico sound, YG’s are very resolving loudspeakers and can frankly use a touch of class A-like warmth. I am hoping the Diablo 300 will do this (even though it’s not class A per se) and I’ll soon know if this is that kind of match. Thanks for the positive reply!

Thanks for sharing Greg. I have a friend in FL who showed me both of their new integrated as well as their speakers. We listened to his full on MSB system with harbeth anniversary's 40's instead, but I wish I had auditioned the Gryphon's. I own the AX5/20 and was told by many in Europe to listen to teh Diablo. I have it on my short list for sure. No dealers here in CT to audition though, lol. Does anyone in NH have it? My daughter goes to UNH and my wife owns an insurance agency in Nashua, so I can hitch a ride on occasions. Thanks.

BTW, I think it's a nice looking piece of gear. I have these and teh soon to be released Vandersteen mono blocks on my short list (I own Vandersteen Quatro's so it makes sense to audition those too, but I was hoping to stay with an integrated amp if possible for logistics). Thanks

Oh, I also noticed that you use the Hurricane PC and WEL interconnect. I am using the Horizon (it's the WEL< but they switched the name after a threatened law suit) and ordered the Dragon for my server/streamer/ DAC (will get delivery in August) Teh Memory Player as well as for my AQ Niagara 1000 (got the high current one), so your cabling is close. Very interesting, lol.

No dealers in NH. Goodwins in MA just picked up the line. I am not sure if they stock anything though. You are welcome to come over to my place to audition the Diablo any time.

Greg

Greg, not sure where in NH you are, but daughter has a semester left at UNH and wife opened a new insurance agency in Nashua, so I can often times hitch a ride up there, lol. Not sure where you are located. Always good to meet semi close audiophiles thanks

Hi all
I demoed one of these amps in store I did like it but for two things
The major thing was when you turn up the volume you get guide a loud click though the speakers.
Second was touch screen volume control its minor but hard to work quickly.
The clicking was a major turn of for me for 24k I don’t want to hear clicking through speakers as I am pressing volume up and down.
Any body else have this?

In my set up the faint click sound is heard from the Diablo itself. But not in my speakers.
As I understand it the "clicking" is a result of how they have constructed the volume control. The goal is to have one that have as little effect on the SQ as possible.
Here is what Gryphon say on their web site:
"Unlike the vast majority of solid state volume controls that typically introduce dozens of resistors in the signal path, the Diablo 300 employs no more than two for any given level setting."

No click through speakers. Individual signal paths for each step on volume. Very similar to Ayre.

Paul,
I've had my Diablo 300 for about 10 months (and love it). If I adjust the volume by touching the panel, I hear a low click that appears to emanate from the amp's panel. Nothing through my speakers. If I adjust the volume through the remote, which is my practice 100% of the time (except for responding to your post), no audible click from the panel or speakers.
A loud click through the speakers would be a big turn off for me too. I wonder what Gryphon would say to this if queried via their website. Sounds to me like the store's demo unit might need service.

I thought so too didn’t make sense but store said it was normal which I still can’t believe
But then we also tried the Diablo 120 and that did it too.
Really like the 300 but could not buy it.

great amp no doubt...

With the arrival of cooler weather here, I am back into audio mode. This integrated amp continues to provide me with tremendous listening pleasure. It simply does everything so well.

Diablo 300 is a killer integrated amplifier.

Need to get down to Sarasota to visit Mike's to give it proper audition. Right now this segment of the market is hot. So many great integrated to chose from. It is all so system dependent adn each has it's strengths and weaknesses. I nearly pulled the trigger on a Constellation Heucules series 2, but realized that the cabinets don't fit my TV stand (can't have a dedicated room, lol). My new Memory Player server and Laufter Technique DAC takes up a lot of real estate (well worth it though), so I need to get mono blocks to put beside the speakers and hide them with silk plants or just find an integrated that fits the stand. The 300 may just make it in, lol. Does it run hot?

Somewhat hot but manageable (Class A for first 10 - 15 watts; it's putting out about 200 watts heat at idle). You don't want to put a Diablo 300 into a constrained space.

Mine is running at 165. It's not that bad. I wouldn't put it in confined space though.

How is the midrange and female voices in the Diablo 300? I did have mcintosh c2600 and mc501 but sold that and did buy hegels new h590, but now it sounds totaly flat ��
I really miss the sweet midrange. Will i get that with Diablo 300 or do i need tubes?