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-   -   The CD is dead? Long live the CD with the Gryphon Ethos (https://www.audioaficionado.org/showthread.php?t=51088)

Solartiger 04-24-2022 12:58 PM

The CD is dead? Long live the CD with the Gryphon Ethos
 
Last weekend everything changed ...

I think it was about 2012 when I bought my first digital player, the Aurender S10. I plugged it with a digital cable into the Burmester 089 CD player to use the DAC of the 089. A comparison with music that I had on the Aurender and as a CD showed the Aurender sounded much better than the CD transport.

Being a collector at heart, I still bought CDs - but not so much. I tried to get everything as a digital file, if possible in high resolution. Often I couldn't resist and boxes by Genesis, Pink Floyd, Miles Davis etc. were added to my collection frequently. But fact was, CDs got less and less playing time in favour of files.

I since upgraded my Aurender to the new N30SA top model and bought a new DAC, the Brinkmann Nyquist 2. With the N30SA, over 2 TB of digital music and streaming with Qobuz, my CD player was playing maybe 1 or 2 CDs per month.

And then last Saturday my friend Achim came over with the Gryphon Ethos CD player & DAC. We compared the DAC of the Gryphon Ethos against the Brinkmann Nyquist 2 (the Ethos is fuller, the soundstage is much bigger), the Aurender N30SA to the DAC connection with an AES cable vs USB audio (AES sounds much better).

https://hosting.photobucket.com/imag...2_1_100_o.jpeg

https://hosting.photobucket.com/imag..._100_o(1).jpeg

https://hosting.photobucket.com/imag..._IMG_3358.jpeg

The real sensation happened when we played a CD. It was just sensational. I never heard a CD sounding so good. I can not tell if it is a CD or a 44.1 16 bit file playing. The optics and handling of the CD player, in particluar closing the lid, reminds me of a turntable.

After playing a lot of CDs over the weekend I noticed how much I missed this. Of course it is more convenient to just click on some songs to play them. But taking out a CD, putting it on, taking out the booklet to read - it has a certain old school feel that I enjoy a lot.

https://hosting.photobucket.com/imag...G_3353(1).jpeg

My Burmester 089 and the Brinkmann Nyquist 2 will leave the house, the Ethos stays here. The Ethos is connected with the Aurender N30SA with an In-Akustik Referenz Digital-2404 pure silver AES cable.

For those of you with a big CD collection I can recommend trying the Ethos.

Kind regards,
Ecki

bart 04-24-2022 03:49 PM

Hello Ecki, Gryphon make wonderful gear.
Their electronics are top notch.
The fact it beats the Brinkmann says enough...

FreddieFerric 04-29-2022 05:06 PM

Now I'm really feeling ancient. The OP says taking out a CD to play and reading the booklet is like old school. :faint:

I am, however, pleased to read that you really like the Gryphon player. As Bart said, they make sensational gear. Does it also support SACD?

Solartiger 05-05-2022 01:49 AM

Quote:

Does it also support SACD?
No, the CD transport supports only standard CDs.


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