Gryphon Diablo vs. McIntosh C2700/MC611

Yes, I will definitely audition with an open mind.  I fall into the classic rock genre (Beatles, Traffic, Stones Grateful Dead) but also blues and older stuff and acoustic music.  I generally don’t play very loud, so I would like a full sound at lower volumes.  The Macs I can try. And I would also be purchasing from my local dealer (Overture) whom I would like to support.  And I take comfort that they will be there to support me.  I can also try other things there as well. The Gryphon Diablo piqued my curiosity because of the glowing praise that it receives.  But I would be buying it without a test and not from a local dealer.  

Overture is great. I have dropped by a couple times (I live on the west coast)… they are really good at listening and helping you achiever the sound you are looking for.

Lew,

I recently auditioned a Diablo 300 non-DAC being fed by a DCS Bartok. The Diablo is a great integrated; as crazy as this sounds, the Bartok ruined the presentation; too clinical of a source. Diablo's bass is incredible! The mids and highs were slightly bright to me, thanks to the Bartok. Over the years, I have auditioned various Mac products, but none ever wowed me. The C2700 and MC611's are a great combo, but I do not think better than $10K. The DAC in the Diablo is dated; there are much better DACs out there. Go the Gryphon route and purchase a Lumin X1 used; you can stream directly to the Gryphon and have a little fun by utilizing the X1 DAC. If this was your system, I am confident it would outperform the Mac system on all parameters. 

Has anyone compared the Diablo300 to Pass? (Like 250int or XP22/X350.8)

The staff at Overture are extremely knowledgeable and helpful.  Strongly recommended.