Hi Nyev,
Great summation! I'm a fellow Gryphon Diablo 300 owner and can echo many of your same sentiments. I am a little anal and so I did my research and demo'd quite a few amps including the D'Agistino Momentum here in Atlanta. It sounded a bit over analytical for my taste.
I've also heard the VAC tube amps and Macintosh SS amps (including Monoblocks). None could compare to the Gryphon Diablo 300 in my humble opinion. But, I would say it's also based on personal taste. However, I have yet to have someone listen to a demo and come out unimpressed.
I purchased the DAC module for $6K and had it installed in Denmark (mine was back ordered for about 2 months). But it was oh-so-worth the wait! I recently decided to purchase the Chord M Scaler and Hugo TT2 after hearing it. If you don't mind spending a bit more (retail is close to $11K for the pair and even though you have a DAC module, like me) you may find this combo extremely satisfying as it can upscale your digital sources in many cases from as low as 44.1kHz for CD's to as high as 705.kHz and other high res sources like streaming services from 96Hz to 768kHz!
As for my other components, I'm using a Torus Power RM 15 Plus Isolation Transformer which gives me gobs of clean power and an ultra-black background to all my music! I was going to go with the Niagra 5000, but after researching I leaned a bit more towards Torus Power's concept of clean power slightly more than Garth Powell's design in the Niagra 5000. (But you can't go wrong with either one).
As for PC's I love Triode Wire Labs offerings! I'm using Peter Grzybowski's "Seven Plus" PC with a Furutech FI-11M (Cu) mains and FI-11 (Cu) C13 IEC connectors which Pete graciously modified to an IEC (C-19) 20 amp to accommodate my Torus Power RM 15 Plus (which has a 20 amp input but runs on a 15 amp plug--more power and better sounding than their 15 amp plug version. In addition, I'm running Pete's top of the line "Obsession NCF" power cord ($1,399). I've had it running from my Diablo 300 into my RM 15 Plus and absolutely love the sound! I've heard the AQ Hurricane too hooked up to an Audio Research VT80SE Power Amplifier pushing some Vandersteen Quatro Wood CT, and they sounded great using that PC.
As for speaker wires, I absolutely love Pete's fairly priced and over-delivering, "American Speaker Cables" (12 ft/$1,299). But, I recently purchased some different speaker cables that I love a bit more than Pete's SC and those are the Audience's Au24Sx Speaker Cables! that are slightly more refined without losing any of the bass or midrange and still gives nice transparent highs with a wider soundstage without being bright or fatiguing! I think you will absolutely love either one of them!
For the money Pete's speaker cables are killer! But for the refinement, you may like Audience's Au24Sx a bit better. They retail for around $4K, but you may be able to catch them discounted at Usedcables.com which is a subsidiary of The Cable Company which may have them at a slightly discounted rate off the $4K
As for digital cables, I did my research and listened to quite a few before settling on Black Cat's SilverStar 75! I'm fortunate because this is a small boutique cable and the owner and manufacturer lives in the metro Atlanta area! For the money, you would probably be hard pressed to find anything in the $300 range that sounds even close and you'd probably have to pay 10 times more to get better!
I appreciate you ordering the Innuenos because I've heard great things from the dealer I purchased my Chord components from. Although I haven't heard it in person. Please let me know how it sounds when it gets in and you have some time to critically listen to it! Can't wait!
As for my speakers, I'm using Focal Sopra 2's which I love! I demo'd the B&W's 803's and heard the Sonus Faber Amatis and enjoyed them both. But the 803's didn't have the warmth and body of the Sopra No. 2's and the Amatis sound a bit to treble-heavy and fatiguing.
Happy listening and thanks for the review!
Great summation! I'm a fellow Gryphon Diablo 300 owner and can echo many of your same sentiments. I am a little anal and so I did my research and demo'd quite a few amps including the D'Agistino Momentum here in Atlanta. It sounded a bit over analytical for my taste.
I've also heard the VAC tube amps and Macintosh SS amps (including Monoblocks). None could compare to the Gryphon Diablo 300 in my humble opinion. But, I would say it's also based on personal taste. However, I have yet to have someone listen to a demo and come out unimpressed.
I purchased the DAC module for $6K and had it installed in Denmark (mine was back ordered for about 2 months). But it was oh-so-worth the wait! I recently decided to purchase the Chord M Scaler and Hugo TT2 after hearing it. If you don't mind spending a bit more (retail is close to $11K for the pair and even though you have a DAC module, like me) you may find this combo extremely satisfying as it can upscale your digital sources in many cases from as low as 44.1kHz for CD's to as high as 705.kHz and other high res sources like streaming services from 96Hz to 768kHz!
As for my other components, I'm using a Torus Power RM 15 Plus Isolation Transformer which gives me gobs of clean power and an ultra-black background to all my music! I was going to go with the Niagra 5000, but after researching I leaned a bit more towards Torus Power's concept of clean power slightly more than Garth Powell's design in the Niagra 5000. (But you can't go wrong with either one).
As for PC's I love Triode Wire Labs offerings! I'm using Peter Grzybowski's "Seven Plus" PC with a Furutech FI-11M (Cu) mains and FI-11 (Cu) C13 IEC connectors which Pete graciously modified to an IEC (C-19) 20 amp to accommodate my Torus Power RM 15 Plus (which has a 20 amp input but runs on a 15 amp plug--more power and better sounding than their 15 amp plug version. In addition, I'm running Pete's top of the line "Obsession NCF" power cord ($1,399). I've had it running from my Diablo 300 into my RM 15 Plus and absolutely love the sound! I've heard the AQ Hurricane too hooked up to an Audio Research VT80SE Power Amplifier pushing some Vandersteen Quatro Wood CT, and they sounded great using that PC.
As for speaker wires, I absolutely love Pete's fairly priced and over-delivering, "American Speaker Cables" (12 ft/$1,299). But, I recently purchased some different speaker cables that I love a bit more than Pete's SC and those are the Audience's Au24Sx Speaker Cables! that are slightly more refined without losing any of the bass or midrange and still gives nice transparent highs with a wider soundstage without being bright or fatiguing! I think you will absolutely love either one of them!
For the money Pete's speaker cables are killer! But for the refinement, you may like Audience's Au24Sx a bit better. They retail for around $4K, but you may be able to catch them discounted at Usedcables.com which is a subsidiary of The Cable Company which may have them at a slightly discounted rate off the $4K
As for digital cables, I did my research and listened to quite a few before settling on Black Cat's SilverStar 75! I'm fortunate because this is a small boutique cable and the owner and manufacturer lives in the metro Atlanta area! For the money, you would probably be hard pressed to find anything in the $300 range that sounds even close and you'd probably have to pay 10 times more to get better!
I appreciate you ordering the Innuenos because I've heard great things from the dealer I purchased my Chord components from. Although I haven't heard it in person. Please let me know how it sounds when it gets in and you have some time to critically listen to it! Can't wait!
As for my speakers, I'm using Focal Sopra 2's which I love! I demo'd the B&W's 803's and heard the Sonus Faber Amatis and enjoyed them both. But the 803's didn't have the warmth and body of the Sopra No. 2's and the Amatis sound a bit to treble-heavy and fatiguing.
Happy listening and thanks for the review!