Gryphon Essence amp & preamp

Re: Gryphon Essence amp & preamp

NebobDK , welcome to the Forum , and that was also what i was aware of that there might only be one dealer here which is sad. And i dont know why it is like that.
What was the speakers ? and cables used ?
What music was you listening to. ?
 
Re: Gryphon Essence amp & preamp

FDPDK said:
NebobDK , welcome to the Forum , and that was also what i was aware of that there might only be one dealer here which is sad. And i dont know why it is like that.
What was the speakers ? and cables used ?
What music was you listening to. ?
Click to expand...

Cables were Gryphons Vanta and loudspeakers were Gryphon Mojo and YG Carmel. Source was some highend vinyl rig. We listened to blues, jazz, and classical (e.g. John Lanchbery’s La Fille Mal Gardee and J.S. Ondara American Dream). I brought my own Luxman c-900u preamp, and there is no doubt that the Essence preamp is a MUCH better partner with the Essence power amp. That should not come as a big surprise, but I was still astounded by the difference in soundstage, smoothness and the way music flowed from the speakers when the Gryphons played together.
I am very curious to audition the Essence siblings with my Vivid Audio speakers..
 
Re: Gryphon Essence amp & preamp

Well, I’ve owned the essence combo for 2 1/2 months and wanted to explain the Green Bias feature of the Gryphon Essence combo if folks are thinking about buying the combo (Yes I bought mine from SunCoast Audio). My goal is to get a decent sound but make sure synergy is the number one priority without a million trial and errors. I’ve only been at this for 20 years and I’m still making mistakes. I realize there are better pre amps and dac's (yes the MSB stack is way better) but I wanted semi simplicity.The Green Bias connection between the amp and pre amp is slick as heck. First it allows you to leave the unit on 24/7 and the amp is cold to the touch. I keep the combo in stealth mode so 99% of indicator are off. I use to own a Luxman 590AX many moons ago and it was a little space heater if I left it on 24/7. The Bias connection also serves as trigger switch to turn the amp on and off, you control the Bias in two modes low or high settings thru the volume control.

Low setting: volume control: 00-09 low bias (light bar green), 10-19 medium bias (light bar red), 20-42 (high bias light bar red)
High setting: volume control: 00-15 low bias (light bar green),16-25 medium bias (light bar red), 26-42 high bias (light bar red)

I prefer the medium and high bias, it is way better than low bias for critical listening. If you want pure class A at a lower volume you have to disconnect the cord which I’ve done if I want listen at super low volume.
 
Re: Gryphon Essence amp & preamp

johnthomas said:
Well, I’ve owned the essence combo for 2 1/2 months and wanted to explain the Green Bias feature of the Gryphon Essence combo if folks are thinking about buying the combo (Yes I bought mine from SunCoast Audio). My goal is to get a decent sound but make sure synergy is the number one priority without a million trial and errors. I’ve only been at this for 20 years and I’m still making mistakes. I realize there are better pre amps and dac's (yes the MSB stack is way better) but I wanted semi simplicity.The Green Bias connection between the amp and pre amp is slick as heck. First it allows you to leave the unit on 24/7 and the amp is cold to the touch. I keep the combo in stealth mode so 99% of indicator are off. I use to own a Luxman 590AX many moons ago and it was a little space heater if I left it on 24/7. The Bias connection also serves as trigger switch to turn the amp on and off, you control the Bias in two modes low or high settings thru the volume control.

Low setting: volume control: 00-09 low bias (light bar green), 10-19 medium bias (light bar red), 20-42 (high bias light bar red)
High setting: volume control: 00-15 low bias (light bar green),16-25 medium bias (light bar red), 26-42 high bias (light bar red)

I prefer the medium and high bias, it is way better than low bias for critical listening. If you want pure class A at a lower volume you have to disconnect the cord which I’ve done if I want listen at super low volume.
Click to expand...

I am a bit puzzled about you description regarding the medium bias. My dealer tells me that the Essence power amp can only run low and high bias. He did ask a tech guy at Gryphon. The inclusion of the medium bias interval on the Essence preamp is for pairing with Antileon and Mephisto amps that both have three bias levels. With the Essence pair, I listened to, the power amp went straight from low bias to high bias - green to red light - at volume 16.
 
Re: Gryphon Essence amp & preamp

When the essence amp is operated without the green bias wire you have low and high bias:
page 15 of the essence amp manual.

Low, med and high when using the green bias with gryphon preamp: page 16 of the gryphon preamp manual.

Maybe I’m reading the manual incorrectly but I don’t think so. LMK
 
Re: Gryphon Essence amp & preamp

johnthomas said:
When the essence amp is operated without the green bias wire you have low and high bias:
page 15 of the essence amp manual.

Low, med and high when using the green bias with gryphon preamp: page 16 of the gryphon preamp manual.

Maybe I’m reading the manual incorrectly but I don’t think so. LMK
Click to expand...

You are correct. The green bias is awesome. With the essence, the low bias is quite a low volume and then you quickly jump to medium and then eventually to high.
 
Re: Gryphon Essence amp & preamp

The Essence Preamp has three biases, low, mid and high, just like the Antileon and Mephisto amps. But the Essence amp only has two, high and low. When the two Essence are paired, if the amplifier receives the low bias command, this is the one it adopts, and if it receives the medium or high bias it adopts the high bias.

Page 19 of the Gryphon Amplifier Manual

“The Essence Power will change to Bias High if receiving “Bias Medium” and “Bias High” commands from the preamplifier .
It will change to Bias Low if receiving “Bias Low” command from the preamplifier”
 
Re: Gryphon Essence amp & preamp

Read both this & the preceding Aussie review - I'll take the Aussie review every day of the week & twice on Sundays - how do I spell bias :D :D
 
Re: Gryphon Essence amp & preamp

R S said:
6 Moons review. Synergy is a thing!

Apols if been posted already.

Essence preamplifer & stereo amplifier


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

There is something about the Essence sound, it’s as addictive as heck. It’s the first amp built by the engineering team without Flemming. The sound of this new amp is delicious and will carry on the great legacy.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
Re: Gryphon Essence amp & preamp

I'm thinking of putting a Center Stage 1.5 under the Essence amp. Do you know if the feet can be easily removed?
 
Re: Gryphon Essence amp & preamp

“ Class A
True Class A operation has always been a Gryphon benchmark, simply because nothing in our experience can match the sonic glories of pure Class A.

Unfortunately, true Class A is even rarer today than when we originally introduced the DM100. Rising consumer awareness has forced some manufacturers to stop making outrageous, unsubstantiated claims of Class A power ratings that only exist in the fevered imagination of some marketing "expert".

Still, there is a growing number of so-called “new” Class A topologies based on automatic biasing which somehow allows the amplifier to sense when the bias should increase to ensure constant Class A performance!

If such a thing were to work as claimed, it would be tantamount to a re-writing of the laws of physics. In order for an amplifier to be able to increase bias and stabilize thermally to instantaneously meet the dynamics of the input, it would have to be able to predict what is going to happen next on the recording. Auto-biasing can by nature only respond to something that has already happened and the bias will rush up and down in a desperate attempt to follow the last note.

Put bluntly, there is no such thing as a free lunch when it comes to pure Class A, so we state with no apologies: True, pure CLASS A means heavy transformers, very large heatsinks, lots of heat, lots of electricity, expensive parts and costly assembly.”

Truer words were never spoken about Class A. Cutting through the BS. Gryphon gets it.

Ken
 
Re: Gryphon Essence amp & preamp

Alpinist said:
“ Class A
True Class A operation has always been a Gryphon benchmark, simply because nothing in our experience can match the sonic glories of pure Class A.

Unfortunately, true Class A is even rarer today than when we originally introduced the DM100. Rising consumer awareness has forced some manufacturers to stop making outrageous, unsubstantiated claims of Class A power ratings that only exist in the fevered imagination of some marketing "expert".

Still, there is a growing number of so-called “new” Class A topologies based on automatic biasing which somehow allows the amplifier to sense when the bias should increase to ensure constant Class A performance!

If such a thing were to work as claimed, it would be tantamount to a re-writing of the laws of physics. In order for an amplifier to be able to increase bias and stabilize thermally to instantaneously meet the dynamics of the input, it would have to be able to predict what is going to happen next on the recording. Auto-biasing can by nature only respond to something that has already happened and the bias will rush up and down in a desperate attempt to follow the last note.

Put bluntly, there is no such thing as a free lunch when it comes to pure Class A, so we state with no apologies: True, pure CLASS A means heavy transformers, very large heatsinks, lots of heat, lots of electricity, expensive parts and costly assembly.”

Truer words were never spoken about Class A. Cutting through the BS. Gryphon gets it.

Ken
Click to expand...

Agree with above. While I do not own one, the Essence pre does have the nice feature of being able to adjust the bias according to "need". Also, my amp powers our main family room AV. I can push a button on the underside of my Essence amp which allows it to stay in AB when the kids are watching TV....
 
Re: Gryphon Essence amp & preamp

Ricky64 said:
Agree with above. While I do not own one, the Essence pre does have the nice feature of being able to adjust the bias according to "need". Also, my amp powers our main family room AV. I can push a button on the underside of my Essence amp which allows it to stay in AB when the kids are watching TV....
Click to expand...

I didn’t know. That’s a cool feature.
 
Re: Gryphon Essence amp & preamp

Guys any idea if a pair of Essence Monos would drive better my Thiel CS 3.7s than my Diablo 300 ?
My dealer is willing to lend me the stereo version to try but he doesn't have the Monos.
 
Re: Essence

Hello Mike
How are you?
Carlos from Miami...Jay's friend!
Question for you, which phono preamp would you pair a Essence Combo? remember I have the Magico A5. thanks.
tube or SS ( phono)
 
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