Techno,
No, Nordost and AQ do it well, but I am all for WC trying Gryphon cables. It is natural to want to try many different components when you have an amp you love. We have all done it, including you and me.
WC,
Agree that the speaker comes first, and the Mephisto will get the best out of it. If the speaker is bad, Mephisto will reveal that. However, it is not necessary to have an expensive speaker to appreciate the M or other great amp. From many owner reports, Tekton speakers which are all cheap/modest in price are as good as $100K famous speakers. Too bad audio salesmanship tells people with cheap speakers to get cheap electronics, and people with expensive speakers to get expensive electronics.
The Paradigm Persona B is probably the best speaker of that line for clarity, since it is the only one using all Be drivers. And it is the cheapest, the bottom of the line--another example of deplorable salesmanship. As a fine speaker, for a mere $7K, it deserves the finest amp to bring out the clarity. With its relatively high 92 dB efficiency, and the Tekton Moab's 98 dB efficiency, they would do well with a low power but highest quality amp.
Until you personally do an A/B of the Essence and Mephisto, you cannot say that the M is better in all ways, especially clarity. Certainly, an audition is not needed to predict that the M is better for brute force and power--that's obvious. I'll go back to my experience with Bryston. That company says that all the models sound the same, and a few dealers I have spoken to say the same, because they just blindly follow the sales marketing and merely link the company's website. Possibly a few good dealers who actually listen carefully, know the real sonic differences. However, I am probably only one of very few listeners who know that the 2.5B SST2 is far superior in clarity to the bigger 4B SST2. If I had an efficient speaker, then the little 2.5B would have plenty of power to drive it, and then it would be better than the larger, more expensive 4B in every way.
This might occur with the Essence as well. For an efficient speaker, it might have better resolution AND enough power, making it a better choice than the Mephisto. BTW, we have certainly learned from you that the M has the best drive and transparency, but how about low level resolution? If the M is the best amp you have found, it should excel at both low and high power.
I am not implying that you must do the A/B of Essence and M. You're not getting paid much to work for us, and your personal happiness for your own system is more important. So if you are happy with the M, that's great.
No, Nordost and AQ do it well, but I am all for WC trying Gryphon cables. It is natural to want to try many different components when you have an amp you love. We have all done it, including you and me.
WC,
Agree that the speaker comes first, and the Mephisto will get the best out of it. If the speaker is bad, Mephisto will reveal that. However, it is not necessary to have an expensive speaker to appreciate the M or other great amp. From many owner reports, Tekton speakers which are all cheap/modest in price are as good as $100K famous speakers. Too bad audio salesmanship tells people with cheap speakers to get cheap electronics, and people with expensive speakers to get expensive electronics.
The Paradigm Persona B is probably the best speaker of that line for clarity, since it is the only one using all Be drivers. And it is the cheapest, the bottom of the line--another example of deplorable salesmanship. As a fine speaker, for a mere $7K, it deserves the finest amp to bring out the clarity. With its relatively high 92 dB efficiency, and the Tekton Moab's 98 dB efficiency, they would do well with a low power but highest quality amp.
Until you personally do an A/B of the Essence and Mephisto, you cannot say that the M is better in all ways, especially clarity. Certainly, an audition is not needed to predict that the M is better for brute force and power--that's obvious. I'll go back to my experience with Bryston. That company says that all the models sound the same, and a few dealers I have spoken to say the same, because they just blindly follow the sales marketing and merely link the company's website. Possibly a few good dealers who actually listen carefully, know the real sonic differences. However, I am probably only one of very few listeners who know that the 2.5B SST2 is far superior in clarity to the bigger 4B SST2. If I had an efficient speaker, then the little 2.5B would have plenty of power to drive it, and then it would be better than the larger, more expensive 4B in every way.
This might occur with the Essence as well. For an efficient speaker, it might have better resolution AND enough power, making it a better choice than the Mephisto. BTW, we have certainly learned from you that the M has the best drive and transparency, but how about low level resolution? If the M is the best amp you have found, it should excel at both low and high power.
I am not implying that you must do the A/B of Essence and M. You're not getting paid much to work for us, and your personal happiness for your own system is more important. So if you are happy with the M, that's great.