The best integrated amplifier I ever heard....

[bigblue]

Originally Posted by Hobblecreek

The purpose of this entry is to now tie-off my contribution to this topic and properly state how things have ended up.

I now currently own the Gryphon Diablo 300 (bought it as stated in another thread) and in my system I would characterize the sound it produces as "broken, dull, boring and uninvolving". What I hear isn’t musical per se, I find myself sitting and listening to what sounds more like mid-fi instead of listening to and enjoying real music. I am sure that when paired with the right compatible gear that it will integrate quite well and make beautiful music. But apparently not with my equipment. The loudspeakers I’ve asked it to drive are the YG Acoustics Hailey 1.2 and the power cord (plugged directly into the wall) sending it juice is the Vertere Pulse-HB Mains Power Cable (which in turn is a wonderful cord that has made every component hooked up to it sound simply great).

Great to hear you've found a way forward that brings back the pleasure of music. The fact that you found the Diablo 300 "broken, dull, boring and uninvolving" shows how important synergy is to a system. The Diablo has received unanimously positive critique from the hifi press world wide as on of the finest integrated on the market. Or could the amp be broken in some respect? "Dull" is probably the last I would say about Gryphon.

I have always done home loan when buying my stuff wether it is a dac, amp or speakers. But when purchasing my Diablo 300 I did it without listening to it in my system. A friend of mine has a Gryphon Antelion with his The Sonus Faber speakers and it sounds sublime. So I knew the synergy was there.