CD Player/Transport Reviews

May be JVS could do a comparison follow-up review with the Kalista DreamPlay CD player ($43,000) :-) .........

Thanks for review, reading your AR M160 review, I remember you liked Progressions without Ref6 pre. Anything has happened in between because you mentioned here that you were using Ref6 with better result. And generally, will you please advice if you prefer direct connection of your dCS stuff to power amp or using a pre. Thanks Jason.

Thanks for review, reading your AR M160 review, I remember you liked Progressions without Ref6 pre. Has anything happened in between because you mentioned here that you were using Ref6 with better result. And generally, will you please advice if you prefer direct connection of your dCS stuff to power amp or using a pre. Thanks Jason.

Jason, it takes some time to find your optimal filter choices but once you find them it is pretty much set and forget. I find the choices helpful.

A nice review.

The review noted:
"Many of our competitors take the current from the output and transform that into an analog voltage," Møller explained. "Instead, we take the voltage directly from the DAC circuitry..."
In fact, most Delta-Sigma dac chips today (including those less than $1 ea.) are voltage out.
-------------
"So Gryphon went with StreamUnlimited of Austria's CD-Pro 8 drive, which only handles CD. "
Interesting ... and very cool that there are still high-quality drives out there. Not sure whether StreamUnlimited is superior to Philips or TEAC.
-------------
For a device THIS $$$, Jason Victor Serinus should have compared to more units (CD players), regardless of price diff. This includes older high-end players from Naim, Boulder, Meridian, etc.

The problem with these sorts of expenditures is that they pretty much are disposable items. They become technologically obsolete because of the electronics in a few years.

If you purchased a Patek Philippe watch for the same dollar amount today, there's a really good chance that it would be worth more than what you paid ten or forty years from now, even accounting for inflation.

I can't explain why mechanical devices do better over time than electronics, but they do. Perhaps it's because the individual components go out of production in electronics gear, with very few replacements available over time. If you need a mechanical part, somebody can always machine you a new piece. That's pretty hard with silicon.

I'm not throwing water on a product like this, or critiquing anybody who purchases one. It's just an observation on my part.

...then, what, it's only worth $35,000?

Who in their right mind would spend $39,000 on a CD player? Even if I hit the lottery I would never spend that much

I guess I have no issue with someone offering such a "CD player", but the issue is are there any other players that come near or at the performance of this player for under $5K? Audio bling does not bother me any more the Michael Fremer owning a Caliburn turntable that I can't even afford to dream about. Do his reviews of LPs have any real-world information to pass along to me, one who has refurbished a Dual 502 and put a Rega arm on it?

I am sure that any LP Mr. Fremer would play would be totally revealed to be great or awful. I cannot make those value judgements on the gear I own. It would not be fair, as it would not be fair to judge music playback on such pedestrian equipment I own and use.

So the only real question is does this player have any flaw, because at that price I would think it must not. It is no surprise that DCS gear is so highly praised as cost is no object should win the day. When something is more that any of my first 3 houses in cost, I must pause and ask the question; Where is this hobby going? Can a Tesla be just "another" car?

I can readily see that this is a remarkably great looking player, but it is no wonder why people make fun of audiophiles. There have been CD players reviewed in Stereophile in the $5K to $10K range that have not survived the scrutiny of JA1 when put on the bench. I am glad that this one seems to have passed the test as I feel the owners who anted up a tidy some do deserve not just to have audiophile "bling", but also a truly state of the art player.

I will take some hits for saying this. And, maybe a big part of the cost of this player is the distribution of the R&D that went into the design and manufacture of this player based on the quantity of sales. Nothing come for free.

I just wanted to point out that Roon is not limited to DSD128 playback but will play files up to DSD 512 with equipment that supports it.

The affliction of CONSUMERISM is the same for the very high end as it is for the low-wage American walking out of WalMart once a week with cart full-o-useless landfillables.
Major pubs, like Stereophile and TAS, do not directly compare new products with legacy ones because of what they may find. Indeed, why have R2R dacs and non-oversampling dacs and vinyl and open reel come back? Better sound? Maybe. Boredom with same-ol'-same-ol'. Gettin' close!

Very cool design - but the fact that it cannot play SACD means that the entire design places form above function, which really doesn't make sense at this price point. You could get away with it on a budget product designed to look nice - but designing a so-called premium product that cannot even play hi-res SACDs sadly means this is dead on arrival, other than perhaps as a photoshoot for coffee table books.

This review brought back to mind a chat I had with the owner of a well know hi-fi manufacturer some years ago. He explained to me why he approached the whole reviewing process with trepidation: “A glowing five star review doesn’t add a single sale, but four stars - or any caveats at all really - can kill a product stone dead.”
Therefore despite both the undoubted prestige of being this month’s cover star, and the fact that JVS makes it abundantly clear he thinks the Ethos sounds pretty fabulous, I suspect the manufacturer's focus might be drawn more sharply to the brief somewhat cursory four point comparison the reviewer makes to his own dCS combo - the Brits proving preferable each time. And yes I know they cost $21k more, but I suspect if a potential customer can afford $39k to start with they will likely be able to make this stretch if so desired.
Many moons ago Gryphon withdrew from the American market following a review that criticised their equipment for being too neutral sounding (or at least something to that effect). Obviously there will be no repeat of that this time around. But I do still end up wondering if they will be that much happier with this one despite the overall positive tone. I guess we will find out when they reply in the next issue.

I wonder what rationale The Grypon used for nomenclature. "Ethos"?

They read the wiki:

Ethos (/ˈiːθɒs/ or US: /ˈiːθoʊs/) is a Greek word meaning "character" that is used to describe the guiding beliefs or ideals that characterize a community, nation, or ideology. The Greeks also used this word to refer to the power of music to influence emotions, behaviors, and even morals.

Well, once you get the nomenclature outta the way ("Ethos"), other Greek trends begin to reflect in the echo chamber. Anyone see similarities ...

Instead of spending $40k on a CD player, one can buy any of the various servers available on the market and, transfer terabytes of CD data .......... Comfortably sit on the listening chair, and listen to music for hours :-) ......

It is simply a fact that wealthy hobbyists encourage manufacturers to push the envelope. New technologies then trickle down to benefit all hifi enthusiasts. It baffles me why some in the community cannot see the huge merit of this. And it is up to the discerning consumer to decide if he wants to buy into new technologies or not. This is a hobby after all, which keeps a lot of brilliant artisans and superb craftsmen usefully and peacefully employed, provides a income to artists and keeps us, listeners, very happy.
But I would like to comment on the physical media and my own experience with them. I do hope that manufacturers and producers read the comments posted on Stereophile. They might provide them with food for thought.
I am in the blessed position to own both a top-end vinyl replay system consisting of a Clearaudio Master Innovation with Statement parallel arm and Ortofon Century, and a 3-piece suite of dCS Vivaldi Transport, DAC and Clock. Amplification Burmester, loudspeakers Audio Exclusiv (full electrostatics). With a great deal of attention given to power supply, cabling and equipment support. With other words, a dream system built over many years and optimized to enjoy the sound reproduction of “non-electronic” instruments (classical, jazz, voice). 80% of my listening is classical. I don’t “do” streaming.
Being completely unbiased, and heavily invested in CD, SACD and vinyl with some of the best equipment to play them on, I can postulate today with confidence that SACD, when well recorded, is the King of Formats. And this notwithstanding the fact that I am obsessed with vinyl. But when I compare the same piece issued both on SACD and vinyl (Channel Records, Pentatone), SACD carries the day by a whisker: a touch airier, a slightly truer tone and yes, an even better “flow” that facilitate following the musical argument. On the other hand, vinyl’s sound stage remains unbeaten, as the ClearAudio parallel arm recreates a truly “cavernous” sound world. And although both media allow unrestricted (subjective) dynamics, SACD is simply a fraction quieter. CD is a VERY distant third (notwithstanding the dCS wizardry to bring it to life).
I find it therefore incomprehensible why Universal Music Group, which owns a.o. DG, Decca and EMI robs its artists of the opportunity to record on SACD. UMG even makes a mess of pressing vinyl. Listen for instance to the popping, cracking, rumbling (!) DG vinyls of Abbado’s Bruckner 9th, his last and deeply moving recording – with the superb Zimerman in Schubert D959 & 960 barely better. I therefore bade farewell to my roster of UMG artists and, when buying digital, I now exclusively buy SACDs. From labels like Ars, BIS, Challenge Records, Channel Records, Pentatone, RCO Live etc. And guess what: I discovered stellar performances by stellar new artists (or who migrated away from UMG), superbly recorded - by which I mean: “uncannily close to Live”. I wish opinion-makers at Stereophile would walk that extra mile in favour of SACD.
I would therefore also caution lovers of classical music and jazz when they audition the Gryphon Ethos. They should compare it with a good SACD player. SACD as a format is so much more enjoyable to listen to than CD, especially in the above genres. Is CD therefore a basket case? Probably. Although a small Dutch label, TRPTK, produces beautifully recorded CDs. Maybe it is on to something. Whilst vinyl remains vinyl: superbly tolerant of mediocre recording, poor power supply, shoddy bases, with the hardware delivering excellent performance even at humblest price points (Dual!). Supremely affordable, lots of fun, and endearing. My 40-year old records still outclass anything on CD sound-wise, the 2nd hand market is awash with great performances sumptuously recorded with mint copies going for under 10 euros, new productions avoid the pitfalls of CD – even in jazz, with new work on the Newvelle label or by the venerable, magical Charles Lloyd.

Why not buy Topping D90 at 700$ and a cdplayer with another 700$ instead of this ?