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Krell Illusions ii / Krell duo 300xd to a Gryphon Diablo 300 integrated an upgrade?

Hi - I’ve got a Krell Preamp (Illusions ii) paired with a Krell duo 300xd amp, stream with a Auralic Aries G1 Streamer / MHDT Pagoda balanced DAC with WE 396 tube upgrade.  Speakers are Alta Audio Alec’s.  If I swapped out the Krell stack and Pagoda for the Gryphon Diablo 300 w/DAC would that be an overall upgrade?

I’ve been really impressed with the Krell duo 300xd amp, compared it to Coda CSiB       , Primaluna Evo 400, Parasound A21, Krell 300i Integrated.  To my ears outperformed them all.  The Gryphon Diablo 300 seems to get showered with praise, exhaulted as one of the best, when compared to many separate stacks and “the best integrated”.

Curious to hear opinions, thoughts. 

 

mm1tt77
audiotroy's avatar
audiotroy
3,754 posts
 

We are a krell dealer not going to be any better the diablo is avery good integrated we have heard it at shows nice but Hardly better then those awesome awesome krellpieces

 

Get a better streamer

 

 

 

We just had another client compare to a much more expensive antipodes afain the Aeon was much more analog like

The Aeon is one of the biggest improvements you can make to a system

 

DAVE AND troy

AUDIO INTELLECT NJ

432EVO US IMPORTERS AND KRELL DEALERS

 

 

mm1tt77 OP
144 posts
 

Thanks for the feedback Audio Intellect, appreciate it.

Would I need to upgrade my DAC as well?  The streamer you are recommending seems to be out of the DAC I have currently’s weight class.

 

 

audiotroy's avatar
audiotroy
3,754 posts
 

Not out of the dacs class the better the server the better the sound  our servers start at 3500 we have a customer with the same dac he loves the sound

yyzsantabarbara
4,727 posts
 

@mm1tt77 In the last 2 years, I sold my CODA CSiB, CODA #8, Parasound A21+, KRELL K-300i integrated and kept my KRELL Dou 175XD. So similar path as you

I liked the KRELL Dou 175XD over all of the above, by a lot actually. Though I like my Benchmark AHB2 the most. These 2 are not similar at all.

Gryphon has a blurb on their web site saying that you need a massive chassis and heat to get REAL Class A. I think that is directed at KRELL. I laughed at that.

KEEP YOUR KRELL and save the cash over Gryphon.

BTW - even though I use my CODA 07x preamp with the KRELL Duo 175XD, and it is really good. I like my Benchmark LA4 preamp ($2500) + KRELL 175XD even more. The clarity and silence of the LA4 just works for me.

I get a new headphone amp this weekend, a RAAL vm-1a, and that amp will determine if I keep the CODA or Benchmark preamp with the KRELL Dou 175XD.

 

 

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