Considering Gryphon Diablo 300 "OR" Simaudio 700iv2 ???

Huberto wow that is a fascinating non factual statment:

Before I decided to buy Diablo 300 I audutioned and directly or indirectly (different rooms) compared with it the following amplifiers:

You can’t judge indirectly the sound of one amplifier in one room playing one set of speakers vs another completely different set of speakers playing on different gear.

It sounds like you went to a show and heard a bunch of different rooms or went to a dealer with multiple rooms and listened to different systems.

The only way you can judge the quality of the Gryphon vs any other amplifier is by listening to one on the same set of speakers, and then changing the electronics, warming them up and listening to the same tracks.

By the way the Gryphon is an excellent amplifier, we have heard their gear and the Diablo is a great piece, it is not better than any of the other top level amplifiers you mentioned, such as the T+A or Vitus gear,at this level you will have preferences and the products individual voicing, along with your loudspeakers, digital or analog rig and cabling is going to lead you to the sound of one vs another.

We would agree that the Vitus, T+A and Gryphon are going to sound really fantastic and should sound better than some of the lower level gear the Luxmain 509X is a great amplifier but the Luxman separates at 3 times the price is going to be better, the uber intergrateds sound as good as many separates so that is another duel.

As per the others

Sugden ia4
Leema Tucana 2 Anniversary
Bryston pre plus 4b3 and 7bsst2
Musical fidelity nu Vista 800
Ayre ax5
Mark Levinson 585
McIntosh ma8000

all of these are good pieces but not up to that uber level of the Vitus, Gryphon and T+A gears or the Luxman separates, however most of these are $5k or more less expensive so you are not comparing necessarily apples and oranges.

Mikya not doubting it Sim Audio to our ears is a bit on the brighter side the Gryphon warmer and punchier with more layering, however a Vitus or T+A would also have been equally impressive.

Dave and Troy
Audio Doctor NJ

Really p59teitel,

Do you drive 10 different sports cars on 10 different days over a two week period on different roads, times of days and make a conclusion.

Or

Do you get all ten cars, drive them one lap at the track on the same day under the same conditions before you proclaim this one is the fastest with the best handling?

Love Car and Driver that is how they test a performance car under the exact same conditions, any other way you are going by memory of under specious testing procedures.

The only way to test a piece of gear is under the exact same conditions, same loudspeaker, source, cabling, same room, same time frame.

For this reason the Stereophile recommend Component issue is a joke, do you honestly think that Stereophile has ever has all the Class A amplifiers in the same room at the same time? Or digital or loudspeakers?

Do you honestly think that a pair of Wilson Chronosonic or a pair of Tidal Sunrays, or top Kharmas is not going to be Class A++++? Do you honestly think that most of the products that are Class A are really the best that exist?

OP...... So what did you end up going with? 700v2 or 300?

He posted back in March on another thread that he’d ordered the Gryphon.  Fortunately for him he now not only doesn’t have to read ads about other brands he never asked about, but his wise choice was confirmed by Humberto, George and Mike, LOL