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Gryphon Diablo 300 Has Arrived: First Impressions.

After a very long and drawn out search for a new amplifier for my B&W 803 D2's, which included in-home demos of McIntosh (452/C2600), Bryston (4B3), SimAudio Integrated's, and others that I tested in-store, I finally landed on the Gryphon Diablo 300. With the optional DAC module and phono board.

I feel lucky to a short trip away from one of the seven Gryphon dealers in North America, or I would not have found my amp. Some who are familiar with the Diablo may see my list of other amps I tested and think, those brands are not in the same league as Gryphon. And, after having painstakingly scrutinizing every demo component, I would have to agree they would be right. Those other brands cannot even come within striking distance. But here's the thing: from a pricepoint perspective, I'd be spending the equivalent amount of cash with those lower end brands once you factor in a pre/power amp, power cables, and interconnects - and it wouldn't sound as good as the Diablo. So, while expensive - the value is tremendous with the Gryphon Diablo 300. Others on this board have confirmed their opinion that I'd need to spend double on seperates before I could better the Diablo's performance. Including Whitecamaross, OP of the well known and ongoing "long list of amplifiers..." thread. I recognize that my search did not include uber-integrates from T+A, Dartzeel, etc. No way to consider these were I live. But I think that the Diablo is likely better suited than these alternatives for my use-case, with the power, current, and ability to drive my speakers in a large open space with a vaulted ceiling.

So I picked up the Diablo and it came in a great wooden crate that is smaller than you'd think, and has very handy clips that allow each panel of the crate to come off one panel at a time. The DAC was not pre-installed, and came in a seperate box. The phono board was also seperate, and was sold to me at a discount as it was a pulled from the shop's demo Diablo 300. I had expressed interest in installing these modules myself, so the shop said they'd let me have the experience of opening the brand new Diablo. Having installed the module and board (without incident), it was a little tricky. I would not suggest others try this unless you have some experience working with electronic components, PCB's etc (I do). And for safety you definitely want to ensure the Gryphon's massive and many capacitors have fully discharged prior to working inside.

On to the sound, out of the box with 0 hours run-time. The Diablo was a bit of a gamble for two reasons: 1) The dealer does not do in-home demos, and 2) The closest speakers I could test with to my 803's were the B&W 802 D3's, and 3) No returns or exchanges. Having fired up the amp and connecting to my digital source, right off the bat the music was thoroughly engaging. And here's the thing: When purchasing new gear over the course of 20 years or so, I've not once purchased any equipment that I've loved in the first month. This is the first. On my 803 D2's (or Diamond, whatever B&W calls this generation), I found that for the first time in all my amp-testing I was not listening for things like "dynamics","timing", "linear response", "imaging", but rather listening to people playing music. All instruments and voices have this solid and real quality to them. An example: with the tambourine at the start of Reckoner by Radiohead, you can sense the impact of each strike of the tambourine against the musician's hand. The same effect is there for vocals, with backing harmonies having a texture to them I've never heard. Another way to describe this effect is that rather than simply hearing the instruments, you are aware the sound is caused by something physical happening. Like with snare drums, it is more tangible than with any other gear I've heard. I've always thought that trailing notes or chords at the very ends of songs are just there as musicians need to signify that the song is over. But now, there is a presence and drama and texture to these endings I've never heard before. Just as I said earlier, I'm no longer listening for things like "dynamics" and "timing", but rather hearing the musical manifestation of these things. The midrange is absolutely beguiling, as one pro-reviewer put it. I think this may be partially due to the DAC based on my in-store testing I did. So far I've only tried the USB input at home. I am quite sensitive to harsh mids and highs, especially on poorly recorded hard rock, and can find this type of music very grating on hifi equipment. But not on the Diablo. The mids and highs are smooth. There is no sign of any harshness at all. But counter-intuitively, at the same time, there is so, so much detail to the music. Everything is revealed, in a presentation that is paradoxically smooth and engaging. Is this an analytical amp, or a musical amp? It's both. Don't know how they pulled it off. The bass is one of the Diablo's most striking qualities. Just as with the other instruments, the base is tangible, highly detailed and deeply textured - it creates a groove in the music that is so satisfying. I didn't know my speakers could do this.

This amp absolutely has a voice to it - it is not a "just the facts" amp. So those who are looking for that sort of amp may not like the Gryphon. But for me, this is exactly the sound I was looking for. Some have said there is a slight "dark" quality to the presentation, and I thought that sounded negative. But I understand now and have come to realize that this dense, detailed, and rich smooth voice is exactly what I was looking for.

In terms of how it performs on my speakers vs with the 802 D3's in the store - there is quite a bit of detail, and soundstaging, that is not present now. But on the flip-side, I actually like the overall presentation at home even more, and the detail that is there is still incredible. And, I'd expect more detail to emerge through the burn-in period. Even now, I'd be totally happy if this is the best it gets. In the store, I found the high level of precision of the 802 D3's just a tad distracting. For example, in the store, if I turned my head slightly, I could hear the entire soundstage shift quite dramatically. My 803's at home don't have this issue.

I have not finished upgrading accessories yet: I am running this amp on inadequate sub $1K Van-den-hul D352 speaker wire, and my source is a Mac Mini with Audirvana/Tidal Hifi. I do have it running with a brand new AQ Hurricane power cord. My Mac will be replaced by an Innuous Zenith MKIII but it's on backorder. Might be a month or two wait. Don't know what I'm going to do about speaker wire quite yet. I'd like to try Valhalla 2 just to see if it is worth it!

Overall, extremely happy. Expect things to get even better with the dedicated music player, upgraded speaker wire, and some more hours of burn-in. One more thing - I don't think that Flemming Rasmussen designed this amp. Batman did. And just look at the remote - case closed.
nyev
nyev OP
1,031 posts
 
Congrats Bubb!  While the current D3 generation B&W's are fantastic, they may not be my first choice for my tastes.  But I don't know of any amp they would sound better with than the Diablo 300!  So far I've not felt a need for any EQ, I've tried to find equipment that avoids the need for tone controls, and haven't missed them since I was young when I did need it to compensate for poor equipment.  Not that I have anything against EQ's.  Maybe one will come in handy as my high-frequency sensitivity of my ears inevitably starts to degrade with age!
I listen at different volumes for different contexts - if I'm working at home I'll set it at 15-16, after 10pm I'll even go lower so as not to bug the family, and on weekends typically I'll have it anywhere from 23-26, with 25 being the start of what I consider to be "loud".  Never really felt the need to go beyond 26 although I've tried going to 28.  Still can't believe how all sonic qualities are maintained even going way, way down to 11 or so - you can still easily pick out the "groove" and impact of the bass and all other details transients and dynamics.  Inna if the Diablo 120 is even better at low levels, that would really be incredible.  But I think I need the power too with my big room :)
Bubb regarding the display bulbs, do you know they are specc'd to 30,000 hours continuous use? Is this at 100% brightness?  I had previously set my brightness at 75%, but I'm now thinking about lowering to 50% (which is a bit difficult to read across the room)!  My last amp had a similar display with individual lights making up the volume readout.  On this amp over 20 years I noticed some bulbs were dimmer than others, for volume settings with numbers that were commonly used.  Actually I noticed that dimming fairly quickly into the 20 years.  But none went out or anything.

Regarding my phono board, good point, but I'm not too worried as I can't see myself selling the Diablo.  And I don't think it is worth double the cost I'll need to pay now to get the new one - I got the board at 50% off and it is never actually been connected to a turntable (including in my system as I currently have no turntable).  So I can't really justify paying a bunch more for the new board which actually won't provide any material added benefit.  Pohanlon thanks for notifying me of the upgrade kit for the phono board - my dealer had not mentioned that! I will ask.
Also for anyone reading this interested in the Gryphon or other uber-integrateds - in retrospect I would to have liked to have tested the Musically Fidelity Nu-Vista 800, which I think is similarly priced.  While all the reviews of that amp are very positive, I'd be surprised (or shocked) if it beat the Diablo.  But this amp somehow escaped my list of candidates and there is actually a dealer that stocks it near me.  There are just a ton of positive reviews for the Nu-Vista 800 amp and the sonic presentation is described similarly to the Diablo, but again, just one that might be good to try but I wouldn't expect to top the Diablo.





bubb
29 posts
 
The majority of folk are familiar with the sound they hear from their room and each room holds a unique signature- boomy bass, no bass, too much bass, bright treble, no focus etc. One or more frequencies seem to dominate the frequency spectrum, negating or smearing the rest of them. The sound equaliser helps to balance the sound spectrum by giving each frequency an equal chance to re- produce. It is also a partner friendly device, as putting up acoustic treatment is a no no in majority of living rooms. Audiophiles might disagree and say the purist sound path has to be met, this might be true if you have a ‘perfect room’. But in real life no one does! So losing a bit over gaining mega truck loads is something you can’t overlook. I too was sceptical and dismissed the idea of having anything ‘in- between’, until I discovered true equalisation in the frequency and time domain. They aren’t your bog-standard tone controls or a band equalisers of yester year. This stuff does some mathematics like fourier and laplace transforms behind the scenes. To work out the best response at your seated area.

I’m the kind of guy who will give it to you straight- if a product doesn’t add anything or is rubbish then I will say so. No beating around the bush!

I tried experimenting with connecting my Naim NDX2 directly through the Diablo, but I’ve found it dull and lacking, the stereo imagery, focus, instrument nuance, vocal clarity all go back into the 803D3 speakers. When I connect the processor everything comes to life, each bit of micro detail is heard, in the bass notes you can hear different notes and hear the emotion of the artist plucking them. The bass notes start and stop as they should do, no lingering, ringing, no boom. The artist is in your living room in front of you. You hear things that you have never heard before. It’s like it’s a new system! The difference is night and day. Let me say that again- the difference is night and day! You might say, hold on but I’m already hearing those things. You are hearing a difference from what you had previous but nothing like what you hear when the sound is correctly balanced. Having a balanced sound is what the artist wants you to hear- the way it was recorded is the way it should be re-produced in your living room. Have I got this wrong?

Some people don’t like this as they question about their bass disappearing into the ether. They lose the one tone bass, the thump they use to hear. That’s because that is the type of unbalanced bass they have heard all their life. They are none the wiser, when they are introduced to the REAL sound- the way it’s suppose to be they don’t like it. The bass isn’t lost it’s just that you are hearing the finer grain of bass detail across the bass spectrum. The clarity, the quality, the impact, the impulse, the transients, the notes…

The 803D3 is a step up from the previous version, all depending on how they are set up and what they are fed. They are very critical on source components. If you are looking for a Mike Tyson punch in your chest, this is not what they are about. In terms of clarify / midrange / micro detail they are excellent. If you have room then go for the 800D3, but for my room size I couldn’t fit either 802D3 or the 800D3. Again, these don’t give you the punch in your chest bass.

That’s right you still hear all the bass notes at even lower volume under 10. I’ve taken it to 30 and no higher. Listening at this level is loud, not the kind of loud, that you say turn the damn thing off it’s hurting my ears. Or you start hearing distortion, sound just easily flows out, it’s not fatiguing. You don’t realise that you got it so high until you turn it off. Then you get that ringing in your ears as if you’ve been to a club! This amp is a different beast, you need to hear it to appreciate it. Unlike other amps when you turn the volume up everything gets boosted. With this amp you turn the volume up and you think have I turned it up. Then a loud passage comes in it catches you out, there is no holding back on the amps end. The amp will reproduce it the way it was recorded, if the recording has dynamics then it will give it to you- good and bad.

Maybe the Diablo 120 has been ‘tuned’ differently as it lacks power of the 300, maybe Gryphon think folk will be listening at lower volumes? They have orientated it that way, But I think even if the Diablo 300 had 1000w per channel into 8 ohms, 2000w into 4 ohm, 4000w in 2 ohms. I can live with that too. (:- Having too much power is never enough! Diablo 120 & Diablo 300 aren't the same, meaning 120 isn't a cut down version of the 300.

There is two separate display types used for the display. The main display is fluorescent, it doesn’t tell you the info put down in my previous post in a manual. I did a Google search and that is the estimated time these things last. So I’ve set mine up to go off, after a few seconds. So it lights up when you adjust the volume etc, when it goes off the blue led goes on to indicate. The rest of the display stays at the same brightness. It would be nice if you can adjust the brightness intensity when it comes back on I think it stays at 100%. Also if you can turn off all the lights bar the Gryphon logo in red. The other lights might be filament or led, the blue one is certainly led.

Do you know if there is any documented text to say the amp runs in Class A over so many watts? It certainly runs hot, heats my living room up!

One small niggle I have is why on earth did they make the front fascia out of plastic, for such an expensive amp. Over time it will end up getting scratched. I was looking for a custom screen protector (maybe overkill!).

It’s good we can discuss our experiences here, keep posting!
nyev OP
1,031 posts
 
Excellent points Bubb - I’ve definitely had room issues in the past and can see how frequency correction count have helped.  At this point I don’t perceive any issues with my current room.

Regarding the amp display lights, I didn’t know you could set the “main” display to turn off after adjusting- thanks for this!

I’d also be interested in how many watts this amp is Class A up to.  I’ve only seen speculation, largely due to making assumptions due to the heat.  This amp definitely will heat a smaller room but is not as hot as some amps get.  Mine doesn’t get too hot to touch and is in a very open area with high ceilings so it is not a problem for me.

Regarding the front plastic panels - I totally agree; I would have preferred this be aluminum.  Bubb, not to draw your attention to this, but if you run your phone’s flashlight over the plastic up close, if your unit is anything like mine it will show some imperfections and whirls.  Some of it was residue from the adhesive protector which I removed with a mild plastic surface cleaner.  I’ve decided to be okay with the whirls based on the knowledge that this is bound to happen over time anyways.  My black B&W speakers have the same issue.  Even dust sitting on the unit over time will eventually leave little marks in the surface finish, and no matter how you dust it will leave minor marks.  Again this is really only apparent if you shine a light directly on the surface and inspect up-close.  Having said that, it is definitely a slight knock on Gryphon quality when everything else build-quality wise is COMPLETELY without fault.  One note regarding scratches in the future - mild scratches can be easily buffed out with plastic polish.  This can be a bit scary to do, and in my experience with my speakers’ finish it will remove minor scratches but leave very mild whirls that can only be seen when you shine a light directly on the surface.

dguitarnut
136 posts
 
I home demoed both Diablos 300 and 120. The 120 seemed sweeter and just as “live” and detailed sounding in my small 11x14 ft room. But at just $3-$4K difference in price it made more sense to get the 300. For a large room it’s a no brainer though. They were recently running a special on the Diablo 120 to make it a more attractive deal.
I did go to an all tube Vac amp and preamp because I preferred a little more “relaxed” sound but the Gryphons are world class electronics as far as solid state.
Speaker wise I am extremely impressed with their Pantheon model. Just a little to big for my living space.



bubb
29 posts
 
Nyev,

It’s not just if you have room acoustical problems, it sorts focus, impulse response, clarity etc. Worth investigating more so than power cords!

Regarding the Class A, I read in a review somewhere that it was biased towards Class A. But I’m not sure if it is Class A over so many watts before moving to A/B. Like PassLab for example, I think it’s 10w for some of them.

You must of went for the "fashion" finish for your B&W speakers. The piano gloss black, I went for the wood finish. The turbine head has those swirl marks from new you are talking about. I took a flash light to inspect them close up. I’ve been cleaning them with a pressured air can and a sponge wringed in distilled water- gently in one direction. This is the best way I have found as using a piano duster scratches the surface. Yours must be a nightmare as your whole speaker is piano gloss black finish. Plus the finger prints, especially guests who are magnetically attracted to touch, a nightmare! If I don’t use my system for a while I cover the speakers so they don’t collect dust.

The other thing I’ve found is my music collection is going from the excellent sounding tracks to the rubbish pile. As the quality flaws of the recording are easily revealed more so than before. I am forever searching for a good engineered / recorded track. The thing is you can tell from the first note that the recording has been compressed or it’s a mass production quick buck type. I’m not a full time Beethoven 5th type of guy, I listen to rock, jazz, classical, dance- house, techno, country, opera, chart. Anything and everything! My palette is extensive, the problem is majority of these recording are compressed to the hilt. They are fantastic for mediocre systems, once you leave a certain point in HiFi it’s just continuous searching. Do audiophiles play the same tracks all the time, the ones that sound the best? This is crazy. Maybe I should sell and go back to where everything sounds fantastic!

Happy listening.
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