Gryphon Colosseum- How good?

Quanmer,

The Colosseum is definitely more agile than the Antileon in the treble. it is not close, and i own and love the Antileon. i just managed to get a second hand Colosseum and am now thinking of selling the Antileon.

The Colosseum presents speed with true capability...so rather than feel like you're driving 190 in a golf cart going downhill and about to fly apart at the wheels...its like you're doing 600mph...in a jet which is just idling.

as a result, you get speed, but it is delivered to easily and effortlessly, you dont realize it. until of course you go back to another amp.

http://www.avguide.com/blog/the-best-stereo-system-ive-ever-heard

Rlapporte and Ozy, thanks for your input, could you tell me the speed of Colosseum? I love lighting fast power amp!

jzach--

2 years ago i got the colleseum monos, paired with the mirage preamp. as both ron and larry alluded so elloquently,the mirage preamp is in a diferent level of performance and should be mated with the colleseum amps, either the stereo or the monos.
at the time this combination was driving the venerable rockport hyperions, with exccelent results.
the colleseums' sound is sweetand smooth with refined power and coherency across the frequency, and with seductive mids to boot....
last year i replaced the hyperions with the tidal sunrays and added a colleseum stereo amp to run them in a bi- amp mode with an actie x/over. the stereo version retains all this maginificant sound of the monos albeit with a bit less of resolution and power (and i do mean a tid bit less!),as to be expected.
every so often we all come across a product that is just right, in every aspect- sonically and visually- imho, and expereince, these latest offerings from gryphon, are such products!

Ron,

thanks for your post...few people are as experienced as you in Gryphon amps from the looks of the many different models you've owned/used. How would you highlight the differences between Antileon stereo and mono? I own the original Antileon (non-Sig) and run a pair of Sonus Faber Strads with them. Your thoughts on mono with them are appreciated!! (Was using CJ Act 2 and am expecting to move to balanced with new ARC Ref 5...thoughts welcome here as well!)

Disclosure - I'm a former Gryphon dealer and current Gryphon Mirage preamp owner. Among other Gryphon products, I've owned the Antileon Signature stereo and mono amps. I've not owned a Colosseum stereo or monos, but have heard the Collosseum stereo owned by Rockport Technologies on two occasions. The first was four consecutive days with the small Rockport Alyas while sharing a suite with Rockport at CES 2010. The second was more recently at Rockport's facility, through the bi-amped Arrakis system that Robert Harley wrote so favorably about. In both applications, I thought the Colosseum was outstanding. A little less "warm" than the Antileon Signature monos and with tremendous resolution and coherency. Terribly difficult to fault. Although I haven't lived with a Collosseum in my system, I'd say it belongs on anyone's short list of statement amps.

If the cost difference doesn't deter you, you may want to consider the Mirage over the Sonata pre. Both are excellent, but the Mirage is to the Colosseum, as the Sonata is to the Antileon Signature...just another level up the chain.
Ron Lapporte
Blue Smoke Entertainment Systems

I've listened some Gryphon's products, i'm an owner of Mikado and Callisto 2200.
Sonata Allegro with Antileon Signature is wanderfull, however i've listen Gryphon colosseum only at Top Audio.
I can suggest it, but with Sasha you could try to listen even Viola Cadenza+Bravo.

Jzach,
Having spoken to Flemming Rassmussen on a couple of occasions, I can tell you that the American Press and he are not kissin' cousins. Somewhere along the way they met a Waterloo...and in my opinion the American press is the poorer.
Gryphon (I owned and auditioned this gear, even sold it back in the day), is remarkably good. It's smooth, sweet, natural and for all the world like Tubes with BALLS.
It's not likely that it will, in the near future be reviewed domestically, but you can bet that it's EXCELLENT.
I recently, (in the last 4 years) owned the integrated, and it was excellent by any standard.
I compared this integrated to Krell separates, Ayre and too many others to name, and it was MY personal favorite of these.
WAAAAY back in 1993 the amps were light on current--but this is ancient history, and now they keep doubling as the resistence goes down. Great designs and great sound.
You can't go wrong.
Also, and I'm sure you already know this, their site offers translations oftentimes.
Good luck and good listening.

Larry