The Gryphon Diablo 333, a solid state, stereo integrated amplifier ($24,900 without optional DAC and phono stage modules), replaces the Gryphon Diablo 300, which was in production since 2016. The number "333" actually refers to the stated output power of the new amp into an 8 ohm load, of 333Wpc. This output doubles to 666Wpc into 4 ohms, but Anthony Chiarella, director of sales and marketing for Gryphon in the USA, sensibly pointed out to me that using the number 666 for model designation would have perhaps tied things too closely to the occult.
Gryphon Audio is known for state-of-the-art, no-holds-barred amplification, with a particular emphasis on amplifiers with class-A output stages. (More on this in a moment.) That is how Gryphon began, and how the company continues 40 years on. Gryphon's first integrated amplifier, the Tabu, was introduced in 1996. There are now two integrated models currently available that are designated with the Diablo name; in addition to the Diablo 333, there is a sibling, the Diablo 120, which as the name implies puts out 120Wpc into 8 ohms. In recent years, in addition to amps and preamps, Gryphon has expanded its product line to include turntables, loudspeakers, D/A processors, phono stages, power supplies, and even stands. If you have the will and the wallet, you can now put together an entire system from Gryphon Audio Designs.
When Editor Jim Austin first called the Diablo 333 to my attention, he mentioned that some of the best sound he had heard at the most recent Munich audio show was in the Gryphon room. That was enough to get me hooked. When a review sample was offered, I requested that this integrated amp come to me "fully loaded," including the optional phono stage and DAC modules. I wanted to hear the full variety of what this high-quality piece of gear is capable of—a lot to describe and to listen to.
The Full Monty
The Gryphon Diablo 333 is an imposing satin black–finished, 112lb amplifier, with elegantly designed heatsinks fanning out on the sides. Measuring approximately 18.5" square and a little over 9.5" high, it will fit on a standard audio rack—but just barely. Make sure that your rack is sturdy, and you have enough room behind to access the proprietary binding posts and the DAC and phono modules (if so equipped). Power to the unit is supplied via a cord with a 20A IEC connector; if you don't have your own on hand (I did not), you will need to use the one supplied. The power switch is located underneath the unit near the front panel; when engaged, the unit is in standby mode (0.5W). I just left this switched on, and powered off and on with my AudioQuest Niagara 7000.
With Gryphon Audio it's all about power, almost in the Nietzschean sense; the will for it, attaining it, deploying it. Space does not permit listing all of the Diablo 333's specifications, but I need to highlight a few. Starting with the power supply: The capacitance is specified at 2 × 68,000µF. That's a lot of capacitance; don't stick your finger in the amplifier! I asked the Gryphon design team to comment on this, and they responded: "Having heavily over-specified power supplies reassures that the amplifier is having enough current to handle all the dynamics that goes into music. It increases the level of detail at all frequencies and at all volumes. It is not all about watts, but torque (current delivery) is equally important." I asked about transformer construction, and it was described to me as a "massive 2200VA, 17.5kg, varnished dual-mono Holmgren toroidal transformer, with a peripheral magnetic mu-metal shield."
On the operational side, the supplied chunky aluminum remote covers most of the daily use functions and includes choices for the front-panel displays and the optional DAC, as well as offering settings for the optional phono stage. The 4.3" front-panel touchscreen gets at the Menu when you want to go further. I was happy with various default settings—like the front panel display autodimming after a short period. The default startup volume was set at 12, out of 43 discrete volume steps; this microprocessor-controlled, balanced attenuator places just one or two resistors in the signal path. Front-panel controls access a pair of balanced inputs and pairs of single-ended inputs and outputs. (Input levels for different sources can be matched.) There is a fixed-level input for AV. Also noteworthy are the Gryphon custom-built output binding posts—really nice solid gold-plated hardware. There is no headphone output.
Options
The Gryphon Diablo 333 is offered as a standalone preamplifier/ amplifier integrated combo. This will be of interest for customers who already own DACs and phono stages they wish to use, as a budget-saving alternative. Others have the option of purchasing dealer-installed Gryphon modules for these purposes. Prioritizing what is sonically essential, and focusing on achieving that, is the Gryphon way. As the Diablo 333's manual firmly states: "In the interest of ultimate fidelity and signal purity, tone controls, balance controls and other superfluous circuitry have been banished from the signal paths of all Gryphon components."
My sample came with the Gryphon DAC3 module installed ($7600). This unit offers five digital inputs: USB, AES, TosLink, and two coaxial S/PDIF. Circuitry is based around the new ESS Technology Sabre ES9039PRO converter, which provides a choice of seven reconstruction filters. The DAC3 is a dual-mono design, running in a class-A configuration. The analog output stages feature ultralow-noise regulated voltage supplies. Six-layer printed circuit boards are connected by short signal paths. The Super-Capacitor (12.5 Farad!) power supply for the USB input acts like a battery supply. All current digital formats are accepted, though wireless streaming and Ethernet networking are not. When I asked about this choice, the design team commented: "We decided not to include wireless streaming and/or network function mainly due to limited space available inside the Diablo 333 and [the] optional DAC3 module."
The Gryphon Audio PS3 Phono Stage module ($6000), also included in my review unit, is the other option that many users will be interested in. The PS3 is based on Gryphon's prior standalone Legato Phono Stage. This MM/MC unit is a true balanced dual-mono design, with no negative feedback. Polypropylene capacitors are used in the RIAA correction stages, along with matched low-noise transistors. MC cartridge impedance loading options are accessed from a pair of DIP switches on the rear of the unit; 15 different impedances are available, ranging from 20 to 1600 ohms. The front-panel setup menu provides the choice between MM and MC use. Set in MC mode, the PS3 offers 64dB of gain, with a signal/noise ratio specified as >72dB. There is a grounding tap on the rear of the Diablo 333, for attaching directly to a turntable.
It should be noted that Gryphon has opted for the path less taken with their PS3 Phono Stage; only a single pair of balanced Neutrik XLR inputs is included—there are no single-ended RCA inputs. Robert Harley states in his Complete Guide to High-End Audio: "Balanced phono inputs are rare on a preamplifier; virtually all phono cables are terminated with unbalanced RCA plugs, not balanced XLR connectors." I have never owned a turntable set up with a balanced output. I checked with VPI President Mat Weisfeld, and indeed the tonearm of my VPI HW40 could be rewired—but then it would not work with my current reference preamp, which only accepts RCA inputs for the phono stage. To take full advantage of the PS3 Phono Stage module, in terms of signal/noise issues, customers would be advised to look into this possibility, depending on their own turntable design. For this review, I settled on a stereo cable terminated on one end with RCAs, and on the other with XLRs, figuring this would yield a better result than using cheap adapters.
Class distinctions
The four standalone amplifier models currently offered by Gryphon Audio all operate with class-A output stages. And they do this with Scandinavian heavy-metal panache. To give you one example of the ballpark that Gryphon is playing in, their Apex Stereo Amplifier, currently listed in the Class A (Solid State) category of Stereophile's Recommended Components list, weighs in at 445lb, with an equally hefty list price of $104,500. There is no getting around the physics of producing high current capability with class-A circuitry into low impedances; you are going to need a lot of hardware, and that is going to produce a lot of heat that needs to be managed.
With class consciousness on my mind, an interesting aspect of evaluating the Gryphon Diablo 333 became judging how close this integrated amplifier, with its output stages running in a high-bias class-AB mode, could get to the purist sonic virtues of its heavyweight class-A siblings; dynamics, liquidity, lack of crossover distortion, etc. There are 10 high-power output transistors for each channel, ultrafast, low-capacitance pre-driver transistors, and polypropylene capacitors for local power supply decoupling. The Diablo 333 does radiate some heat, but nothing on the order of its class-A relatives.
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COMMENTS
A real amp for speakers with harder loadings, and this statement below says it all about amps that don't start to wheeze like an asthmatic into the hard loads of those higher end speakers, these big/heavy linear BJT amps Class-D's can't match without current (torque) limiting.
Sasha: "It is not all about watts, but torque (current delivery) is equally important."
Cheers George
I never thought I would see the day when Metro Area and Moodyman were referenced in a review! Next thing it will be DJ Koze and Ricardo Villalobos! Thank you.
Is it just me, or do the DAC and phono stage seem overpriced in relation to the cost of the main unit?
$25 grand for an integrated with all those features and power seems a fair and competitive price to me… but adding phono stage fo $6k, and $7700 for a DAC module? And they don’t even have to provide any chassis hardware, display hardware, or control hardware for either of them?
Especially in the case of the DAC, IMO most people would be much better off choosing an outboard, standalone unit. DAC chips are constantly evolving and improving, and I imagine this very expensive DAC is the most prone to becoming outdated and obsoleted by less expensive, newer designs in the future. Adding an onboard DAC that costs almost a 1/3 of the entire unit doesn’t make much sense to me, no matter how good it is.
... $2,799 Rotel RA-1592MKII, which includes a MM phono stage and a DAC, and is capable of peak power outputs of 308W/585W/1,080W/1,755W into 8/4/2/1ohm loads.
https://www.hifinews.com/content/rotel-ra-1592mkii-integrated-amplifier
If you would prefer an elevated level of build quality, then there's the $6,499 Rotel Michi X3 Series 2.
https://www.hifinews.com/content/rotel-michi-x3-series-2-integrated-amplifier
Those are much higher value for dollar propositions for sure. The Gryphon is clearly a more substantially built, luxury product to be sure. But like I said, I have no problem with the $25k base price of the amp itself.
But I’ve seen this SO OFTEN with other luxury products and brands. They offer the base, stripped down model at a price that is seemingly fair for what it is. But then they NAIL you on all the add ons that aren’t strictly necessary, but ones that they know their moneyed customer base will want and pony up for anyway.
#Porsche
I’m sure there are Gryphon buyers out there who love the look of the amp and don’t want to spoil the clean, simple aesthetics with outboard boxes of various shapes and sizes containing a separate phono preamp and DAC. As long as they’re willing to pay for it, they are supporting it.
Prefer 'outboard'? Try the Gryphon "Legato" Phonostage: $17k.
Or perhaps the Gryphon "Kalliope" DAC: $25k.
Want another brand? How about the recently reviewed by Jim Austin Pass Labs "XP-27" phonostage: $12k.
Or maybe the Bricasti "M1SE" DAC I reviewed: $10k.
As I said: "Is it as good as separates? Yes - it is."
"$7700 for a DAC module? And they don’t even have to provide any chassis hardware"
If it were a better richer sounding well designed discrete R2R dac you can understand, but when it's the cheap ESS Delta Sigma dac chip, they're sticking it up you.
Cheers George
My mistake: $7600, not $7700. And no wireless streaming. I find it insultingly expensive for what it is
25K is at least 22K too much for an audio amp. Audio amps are a simple technology. Nothing special about them. Nothing magical about them. No amount of audiophile delusion can change this fact. Placebo is fine as long as people don't waste their money on things that don't have any real value.
I think I can say that pretty much everybody here will disagree with that. Just the massive toroidal power transformer alone on this thing is something you will never find on a $3k amp nowadays.
I think you’re better off at a place like cnet or gearpatrol. You aren’t seeking the same things that people here are seeking.
... the $3,599 Rotel RA-6000.
https://www.stereophile.com/images/223rot.ins.jpg
https://www.stereophile.com/content/rotel-ra-6000-integrated-amplifier
I can’t find a kva rating for the transformer in the Rotel anywhere in the article, but I’m sure that having the capacity to manufacture their own transformers from scratch and in house helps keep costs down.
Great value product, made in China. I don’t have anything against that. It isn’t clear that this Gryphon is made in Denmark (assuming it is), but even if it is, it’s surely comprised of many if not mostly parts made in China. I’d be very surprised if the transformer in the Gryphon were made anywhere else.
And that ESS Sabre DAC chip. Not made in Denmark. Does anyone definitively know where ESS manufactures their Sabre DAC chips?
Most semiconductor manufacturing has long since moved to Asia…
I can clearly hear the differences between amps on my Confidence 60's, and they're not even a difficult speaker to drive. I wanted to like my Bryston 4B cubed more than the McIntosh MC 452 at the dealer but the Mac was just plain better. Heck, except in the treble (which lacked detail), my under $2k Parasound A23+ was better than the Mac - no transformer on the output, transformers have a sound and I'm not a fan. How can that be at only 1/5 the price?!? The most expensive amp must sound the best, right? right? no.
The A23+ is a freakin' stealth bass monster and if I had to choose between those three amps I'd take the A23+, the Mac a close 2nd. It's also pretty clear you've never heard a Gryphon amp, they're kinda special. There's valid reasons they cost a pretty penny, and you can hear it... well I can, as can many other people.
You probably think a Baldwin 9' concert grand and a German Steinway 9' concert grand piano sound the same too. The German Steinway doesn't even sound like an American Steinway, it has richer harmonics. Baldwins sound like yacht rock, they're midrange forward which is works well for that genre.
Have you considered visiting an audiologist? Maybe watch some YouTube videos about active listening? Are your speakers some Optimus 3-ways from Radio Shack? Cerwin Vega maybe? Regardless, you could at least try something new as this song is played out.
that 3k is the most you are able to spend on an amp (and you're perfectly allowed to feel that way) and leave it at that and stop the silly statements. You're the deluded one here as you continually just accentuate the negative. You have the right to comment here but we have the right to tell you that you are full of BS.
No amp at $3k can even begin to compare with the Gryphon. Few $30k amps can.
Gryphon or an Accuphase or a Luxman - to name three deluxe SS amp brands with a similar sonic character. I didn't say identical just similar.
My point being - value is a relative perception in high-end waters. Gryphon is offering their modules for the Diablo 333 amp at prices that are significantly below the retail prices for their 'outboard' stand-alones.(Though there may be some tech differences.)
And I pointed out that for people who already have those outboard components, Gryphon gets to the meat of the matter by offering this amplifier without those, at a reduced cost. (It's still an 'old-fashioned' integrated in the sense of combining amp and pre-amp.)
-S.M.
Your point doesn’t even address my points as to why this DAC option on THIS integrated amp is overpriced.
Bringing up $17k and $25k DACs in this discussion is a non sequitur.
As I said - again - at $25k, this integrated amp is seemingly fairly priced for what it is and its target market and competition. There are many here besides me who you will never convince that it’s a bargain price. Because it’s not.
Everyone can agree that the DAC is the heart of any converter and is what drives performance through technological advances. The Sabre ES9039pro in this $7600 DAC onboard option is a $100 chip at the end of the day, and it can be found in much less expensive designs by other manufacturers.
What I’m saying is you could find an comparably performing outboard DAC now for a fraction of the price, or a Topping in a few years with a more advanced DAC that will blow this thing away at a fraction of the cost. And you can bet that it will have wireless streaming.
This is the nature of the semiconductor business.
The main benefit of the Gryphon Dac3 option is that it is the only available integrated, onboard DAC option for this integrated. And as such, they’re charging a ridiculous premium for it.
The ONLY way they could make the Gryphon Dac3 option even remotely compelling would be to somehow future proof it by making upgrades available. But since the advancements are in the DAC chips themselves, you could surround it with all the deluxe voltage and power supplies and short signal paths you want, but in ten years you’ll still have a ten year old DAC in there.
I guess for $7600 and if it still sounds good, that’s enough for some people.
But I thought that much of the whole point of separates is to allow for selectively upgrading one’s system when appropriate or necessary.
So this DAC option doesn’t make sense to me on a couple of levels.
A new week begins and like clockwork you pull back the curtain to show us AGAIN that the Wizard of Oz is just a man. Please, we get it. Stop. I went to a show a couple years ago, saw a behemoth in a gigantic room, the largest room, a Gryphon amp on the floor like some ridiculous audio beast. I stuck around until they played it, and, lord, was it drop-dead impressive. Maybe not the best thing I'd ever heard, but unlike anything I had ever heard. It was made for a gargantuan listening space, not my 17x12 apartment living room. If I was loaded, loud, with a house beyond what anyone needs, I absolutely would have that thing - and the amp here (my preference for integrated amps born out of a necessity unrelated to my dream world) on my short list. I'm very partial to tube amplification, but Gryphon makes music stunningly, almost too overwhelmingly vivid. $3,000? A nice amp in your little living room.
As consumers, we can drink any flavor Kool Aid we like.
Too pricey? That’s fair game. Maybe the ‘High End’ pod people haven’t assimilated you yet!
Priced just right? Maybe higher is fine!
We all reach a point where we notice a shark has been jumped.
Or just the cheap stuff?
At what price point begins the good stuff?
About 50 bucks. A good Rye and James Gin, goes up from there.
That made me smile. We're all good. Drinking, when healthy, is also good. Keep finding the value plays!
Never a hangover with vodka and water. What causes hangover is not alcohol but rather the garbage that is mixed in with it. Only two molecules in vodka; water(h2o) and ethanol (alcohol). And drinking it in a mix of 10% vodka and 90% water prevents dehydration. Works pretty well. When I was younger I smoked weed but I came to dislike the effect of it. Made me weak, lazy and stupid. But that's just me.
Not heard one but my impression on this review is one word: Overpriced.
“ The case temperature increases by some 25°C/77°F over this period, distortion rising very slightly again as the chassis and key components reach an equilibrium.”
Wow! The test report doesn’t say under what conditions these temperatures were achieved or what exactly is meant by “case temperature”, but 150ish degrees at room temperature is MUCH hotter than the heat sinks on my Pass Labs class A amp ever get, and too hot to touch. I can’t remember any other amp testing this hot in prior Stereophile reports.
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