Digital Drive: REVIEW: GRYPHON AUDIO DESIGNS THE ADAGIO CD Player/Recorder by BHAGWAN72 Upsamplers, DACs, jitter, shakes and analogue withdrawals, this is it.

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Model:	THE ADAGIO
Category:	CD Player/Recorder
Suggested Retail Price:	$6,900/-
Description:	1 BOX 24/96 UP-SAMPLING CD PLAYER
Manufacturer URL:	GRYPHON AUDIO DESIGNS
Manufacturer URL:	GRYPHON AUDIO DESIGNS

Review by BHAGWAN72 ( A ) on July 05, 2002 at 04:21:29 IP Address: 203.94.226.203

Add Your Review for the THE ADAGIO

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07th July, 2002

END OF THE ROAD

A REVIEW OF GRYPHON AUDIO DESIGN’s COMPONENTS

THE ADAGIO CD PLAYER
THE SONATA ALLEGRO PRE AMPLIFIER
THE ANTILION STEREO SIGNATURE POWER AMPLIFIER

THE SYNERGY OF THE COMPONENTS WORKING IN TANDEM IS SOMETHING THAT IS REALLY DIFFICULT TO EXPRESS IN WORDS. IT WAS TO BE HEARD TO BE EXPERIENCED. ‘THE PROOF OF THE PUDDING IS IN THE EATING’ THIS IS THE OLD SAYING, YOU MUST HAVE HEARD IT A MILLION TIMES OVER, BUT IT IS APPLICABLE MOST APTLY HERE. I AM NOT TOO SURE IF I WOULD BE IN A POSITION TO COMMENT ON EITHER 1 PIECE OF THE GRYPHON RANGE OF ELECTRONICS SEPARATELY, YET I SHALL TRY;

A] THE ADAGIO [SERIAL # 0401111]

THE CD PLAYER TO BEGIN WITH, WAS THE COMPONENT THAT SURPRISED ME THE MOST. I WAS NOT EXPECTING IT TO EVEN COME CLOSE TO ME 3 BOX METRONOME CD COMBINATIONS [THE BEST OF THE ‘FRONT ENDS’ I HAD OWNED AND USED TILL DATE]. BESIDES I AM NOT MUCH OF A ‘24/192’ OR ‘UP-SAMPLED’ KIND OF A PERSON. YET, THE
ADAGIO WAS A SURPRISE. FOR A ONE BOX CD PLAYER IT DISPLAYED GREAT ANALOGUE QUALITIES. THERE WAS NO HINT OF DIGITAL FATIGUE, NO HARSH OR EDGY ‘HIGHS’ THE ENTIRE DELIVERY WAS EXTREMELY SMOOTH AND VERY WELL BALANCED. THE PERFORMANCES WERE NEVER OVER RATED, NOR UNDER RESOLVED. VERY, VERY PRECISE.

B] THE SONATA ALLEGRO [SERIAL # 8890099]

I WAS EXTREMELY HAPPY WITH MY OLD PASS LABS X-1 PRE AMPLIFIER [SERIAL # 010388] AND WAS IN NO MIND TO HAVE IT CHANGED. YET, SINCE MY POWER AMPLIFIERS WERE GETTING UPGRADED FROM A BRYSTON 7B ST TO THE GRYPHON ANTILION STEREO SIGNATURE, I WAS FORCED TO UPGRADE OR SIDE GRADE [IF I MAY SAY SO] BECAUSE THE GRYPHON PRE AMPLIFIER RUNS A CLASS ‘A’ BIAS CABLE TO THE POWER AMPLIFIER AND IS NEEDED TO ADJUST THE BIAS ON THE POWER AMPLIFIER. THERE IS A VERY LOW ‘NOISE FLOOR’ ON THE PRE AMPLIFIER. THE SEPARATION OF THE LEFT AND RIGHT CHASSIS AND ATTENTION TO ‘CROSS TALK’ HAS BEEN VERY WELL ADDRESSED IN THE SONATA ALLEGRO. THE QUALITY OF THE DC CABLE [BETWEEN POWER SUPPLY AND PRE AMPLIFIER] AND THE SHIELDING THERE OF COULD BE ADDRESSED AND IMPROVED. THE REMOTE IS WELL STYLED AND WELL BUILT. THE MENU FUNCTION OF THE PRE AMPLIFIER IS WELL ENGINEERED AND EASY TO USE. THIS PRE AMPLIFIER COULD BE COMPARED WITH SOME OF THE BEST IN THE MARKET TODAY, SAY THE MARK LEVINSON # 32, THE AYRE ACOUSTICS K-1ix, PASS LABS X-0.2 ETC.
TRULY REFERENCE CLASS. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, YET NOT AT ITS PRICE OF US $’s 12,700/-.

C] THE ANTILION STEREO SIGNATURE [SERIAL # 118]

THE BEST PIECE OF ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT THAT IS ENGINEERED AND MADE BY GRYPHON AUDIO DESIGNS. SUPERB………………….
THE ANTILION STEREO SIGNATURE POWER AMPLIFIER IS ONE OF THE BEST POWER AMPLIFIERS AVAILABLE TODAY IN THE WORLD. ITS POWER RATING OF 150 WATTS @ 8 OHMS IS VERY VERY MODEST TO SAY THE LEAST. THE AMPLIFIER HAS ABUNDANT POWER. I CAN SAY THAT SINCE MY SPEAKERS ARE RATHER IN EFFICIENT [DYNAUDIO CONFIDENCE 5] @ 83 DB. THE MOST FORMIDABLE PART ABOUT THIS POWER AMPLIFIER IS ITS ABILITY TO ‘EMOTE’. IT KEEPS THE SPEAKERS UNDER A VERY TIGHT LEASH. THE ONLY BLEMISH [RATHER TWO OF THEM] THAT I COULD FIND IN THIS WONDERFUL PRODUCT WAS :-

1] SPEED
2] HEAT

(1) THE POWER AMPLIFIER IS NOT THE FASTEST THAT I HAVE USED. THE PASS LABS X-600 [ANOTHER SUPERB POWER AMPLIFIER] IS REALLY A VERY FAST POWER AMPLIFIER.

(2) SINCE THE POWER AMPLIFIER IS A TRUE CLASS A DESIGN, IT GETS REALLY VERY HOT AND IS FRIGHTENING SPECIALLY SINCE I LIVE IN A TROPICAL COUNTRY. EXTENSIVE LISTENING IS NOT EASY SINCE THE LISTENING ROOM GETS REALLY HOT.

THESE ISSUES THAT I HAVE STATED ABOVE ARE NOT SERIOUS ISSUES; ONE COULD LIVE WITH THEM VERY EASILY. THIS AMPLIFIER IS A VERY SATISFYING PIECE OF ELECTRONIC HARDWARE. NEEDS THE RIGHT KIND OF PARTNER [PRE AMPLIFIER & SPEAKERS] AND VERY CLEAN AND CLEAR POWER SUPPLY [THIS IS IMPERATIVE]. IF THE POWER SUPPLY IS NOT CLEAN AND PROPERLY POLARIZED THE POWER AMPLIFIER WILL NOT START UP. THE QUALITY OF CONSTRUCTION IS ONE OF THE BEST AVAILABLE IN THE MARKET TODAY. THE ENTIRE POWER AMPLIFIER IS MICRO PROCESSOR CONTROLLED AND TAKES ABOUT 30 SECONDS TO START UP. IT REACHES ITS OPTIMUM OPERATION IN ABOUT 35 TO 45 MINUTES AFTER START UP.

I GUESS I HAVE REACHED THE END OF THE ROAD; THERE IS NOT MUCH MORE I CAN DO NOW, I DO NOT KNOW WHAT ELSE WILL MAKE BY MUSIC SOUND ‘MORE REAL’. I GUESS I COULD AUDITION THE BOULDER SET UP, BUT I DO NOT KNOW IF IT WILL BE A STEP UP OR A STEP SIDE WAYS………..

VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED EVEN @ US $’s 19,800/-. ONE OF THE VERY BEST, MOST NEUTRAL SOUNDING POWER AMPLIFIERS AVAILABLE IN THE MARKET INTERNATIONALLY TODAY.

D] THE GRYPHON PCS REFERENCE SPEAKER CABLE & GUIDELINE REFERENCE BALANCED INTERCONNECT CABLE

ONE OF THE TOUGHEST COMPONENTS TO COMMENT ON IN THE AUDIO RANGE. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN VERY AVERAGE / MEDIOCRE AND EXPENSIVE / GOOD PEDIGREE CABLES IS RATHER OBVIOUS AND EASY TO DISTINGUISH, BUT THE PROBLEM COMES WHILE COMPARING THE CABLES IN THE SAME LEAGUE. I HAVE FROM DAY ONE BEEN AN ADMIRER AND USER OF vdH [VAN DEN HUL] CABLES. THE SECOND BALANCED XLR INTERCONNECTS, THE FIRST ULTIMATE UNBALANCED INTERCONNECTS, THE REVELATION SPEAKER CABLE, THE MAINSTREAM HYBRID POWER CABLE ETC. THE vdH’s HAVE ALWAYS HAD A VERY WARM AND LAID BACK CHARACTERISTIC. NOW THE GRYPHON’s ARE VERY ARTICULATE, THE TIMBRE AND TEXTURE OF THE INSTRUMENTS IS VERY LIFE LIKE. THE INSTRUMENT SIZE IS JUST RIGHT. THE CABLE BY AND LARGE IS VERY GOOD. YET THERE ARE CERTAIN PHYSICAL DIFFICULTIES, THEY ARE :-

THE SPEAKER CABLE IS TOO BROAD AND VERY RIGID; HENCE IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO BEND THE SAME. ROUTING IT IS A NIGHTMARE. THE SPADES ARE OF A RATHER POOR QUALITY AND ARE TOO SMALL. THEY DO NOT FIT ON THE WBT CONNECTORS ON MY SPEAKERS. GRYPHON SHOULD USE THE WBT KIND OF SPADES.

CONCLUSION :-

THE GRYPHON SET UP AS A WHOLE IS VERY SATISFYING. IT IS REALLY TRUE TO THE MUSIC. THE INSTRUMENTS TIMBRE AND TEXTURE ARE ACCURATE. IT IS TRUE TO THE ENVIRONMENT [CONCERT HALL / AUDITORIUM] AND THE LAYERING OF THE SOUND IS HOLOGRAPHIC. THE SIZE AND SCALE OF THE ENSEMBLE TOO ARE VERY LIFE LIKE. IT IS A TRULY ‘YOU ARE THERE’ EXPERIENCE. THERE IS NO AUDIOPHILE EUPHONY HERE [LIKE KRELL !!! MY APOLOGIES] EVERYTHING IS AS REAL AS CAN GET WITHOUT COLORATION. THIS IS A JOB WELL DONE AND GRYPHON AND PARTICULARLY Mr. FLEMMING RASSMUSSEN DESERVES FULL CREDIT FOR THE SAME. I AM VERY SATISFIED.

MAZHER BASHIR JAFFAR

MUMBAI [BOMBAY] INDIA

ITEM NUMBER 01 CD PLAYER 02 PRE AMPLIFIER 03 POWER AMPLIFIER

SERIAL NUMBER 0401111 8890099 118

MODEL NAME THE ADAGIO THE SONATA ALLEGRO THE ANTILION STEREO

SIGNATURE

I JUST UPGRADED FROM :-

• SIMAUDIO MOON ECLIPSE CD PLAYER [Serial Number A-211294-CD]
• SIMAUDIO P-5 PRE AMPLIFIER [Serial Number A-081291-PRE]
• ELECTROCOMPANIET EMC-1 24/192 CD PLAYER [Serial Number 01334]
• AUDIOMECA MEPHISTO II CD TRANSPORT [Serial Number 2001045]
• AUDIOMECA ENKIANTUS 24/192 DAC [Serial Number 2001073]
• METRONOME T1A MK II TRANSPORT + UP SAMPLER
• METRONOME C1A MK III TUBE 24/192 DAC
• BRYSTON BP-25 PRE AMPLIFIER [Serial Number 251744]
• BRYSTON 7B ST POWER AMPLIFIER [Serial Number 773775 & 773793]
• PASS LABS X-1 PRE AMPLIFIER [Serial Number 010388]
• DYNAUDIO CONFIDENCE 5 SPEAKERS [Serial Number 729879 & 729990]
• VdH THE SECOND BALANCED INTERCONNECTS
• VdH THE FIRST ULTIMATE UNBALANCED INTERCONNECTS
• VdH THE REVELATION SPEAKER CABLE
• VdH THE MAINSTREAM HYBRID POWER CABLE
• XLO ELECTRIC TYPE 4.1B AES/EBU DIGITAL INTERCONNECT CABLE
• THE GRYPHON ADAGIO CD PLAYER [Serial # 0401111]
• THE GRYPHON SONATA ALLEGRO PRE AMPLIFIER [Serial # 8890099]
• THE GRYPHON ANTILION STEREO SIGNATURE POWER AMPLIFIER
• THE GRYPHON GUIDELINE REFERENCE BALANCED INTERCONNECT
• THE GRYPHON PSC REFERENCE SPEAKER CABLE

MUSIC USED FOR AUDITIONING & EVALUATING :-

M.A. Recordings - Begona Olavide / Mudejar MA042A

Water Lily Acoustics - Tabula Rasa WLA-CS-44-CD

ECM Records – Making Music / Zakir Hussain ECM – 1349

Moment Records – Ustad Sultan Khan MRCD – 1006

Reference Recordings – TUTTI ! RR-906CD

Telarc – A tribute to Oscar Peterson CD – 83401

Chesky Records – The Raven / Rebecca Pidgeon JD 115

Mercury – Essential / Yello 512 390 – 2

Pope Music – Entangled Devotions PM 1004 -- 2

The Grapevine Label -- Mary Black – The best of… GRACD 012

Warner Bros- Ry Cooder – Crossroads – Movie O.S.T. 25399-2

AMMP Ustad Ali Akbar Khan plays ALAP CD 9303

E-Mail :- SCHWINN@BOL.NET.IN

07th JULY, 2002

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Product Weakness:	REMOTE CONTROL, CD LOADING PROCEDURE, LIGHT WEIGHT [SLIDES ABOUT]
Product Strengths:	VERY ANALOGUE SOUNDING, NEUTRAL, CORRECT TIMBRE OF INSTRUMENTS, HOLOGRAPHIC LAYERING OF SOUND STAGE, NO DIGITAL FATIGUE ETC.

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Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	THE ANTILION STEREO SIGNATURE POWER AMPLIFIER
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	THE SONATA ALLEGRO [GRYPHON AUDIO DESIGN]
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	THE ADAGIO [GRYPGON AUDIO DESIGN]
Speakers:	DYNAUDIO CONFIDENCE 5
Cables/Interconnects:	vdH THE SECOND [BALANCED INTERCONNECT] & THE FIRST ULTIMATE [UNBALANCED INTERCONNECT] & THE REVELATION [SPEAKER] & XLO TYPE 4.1B [AES/EBU DIGITAL INTERCONNECT] & vdH THE MAINSTREAM HYBRID [POWER CABLE]
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	CLASSICAL, CONTEMPORARY JAZZ
Room Size (LxWxH):	20 x 10 x 8
Room Comments/Treatments:	CURVED, HPORN SHAPED [WOOD]
Time Period/Length of Audition:	OWNED EQUIPMENT
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	vdH THE MAINSTREAM HYBRID
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner
Your System (if other than home audition):	AT HOME AS STATED IN MAIN REVIEW

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