Thread: Diablo 300 or D'Agostino Progression Integrated for B&W 802D3's

What speakers are you planning on using with your amp choice?

Joe i am sure he will be using B&W 802D3 as it says so in the headline

Ha!

Sorry, I guess I wasn’t paying enough attention.

Just my opinion, Gryphon no contest for me, my taste.

D'Ag to me sounds like old Krell but better, but that iron grip and just the facts presentation is still there. When reading reviews I have to ask, are you hearing the same amp I did, where did you hear"warmth" & "tube like", recognizing converting sound to language is difficult. Nothing wrong with the sound if that's yourpreference, Dan is one of the best.

Gryphon to me is able to still deliver dynamics while being to the warm side and I find it more engaging. One of the few solids state brands I've herd that is able to lean warm but not boring or overly polite.

I'd say no better/best, it's more which presentation would you enjoy, both are different from one another in sonic character.

Originally Posted by RDSChicago

For the money you’re intending to spend I’d make a trip to a dealer who can give you a demo.

Agreed. But finding a single dealer who just happens to have both integrated's in house at the same time, powering speakers that would be a similar match to one's own?

Still, though...better than earbuds.

For what its worth, i had components from the same house but totally different models…. A Diablo 120 and b&w 702s2. Still had the 702s2 after I acquired a pair of TAD ME-1 but left the 702s in the closet till it was time to sell. I moved from a Hegel to the Gryphon. When I found a buyer for my 702s, I hooked them up to the Diablo and i recall my face being, like wtf? Not good synergy in my opinion. Granted, and again, the components were at the lower end of each house…so take it for a grain of salt and do find a way to demo if possible.

The Diablo 120 and the TAD ME-1 was such a home run combo though. Was hoping one day I could mate the TADs to a Gryphon Essence, and call it a day — says no one ever in audio...!!

TAWW provided a little note to Diablo sound compared to Essence. And I would have to agree, the ‘new’ sound of the Essence would be something more to my liking. Unfortunately moved away from my Diablo 120, but from what I learned, if I come full circle again to find a new synergy with different speakers, I would build it around an Essence.

Gryphon built in DAC's

Gryphon Essence amp & preamp
Post 18

Originally Posted by Low325

TAWW provided a little note to Diablo sound compared to Essence.
Gryphon built in DAC's

Read through that thread and not sure I agree with all the conclusions. I've had a PS Audio DSD with Bridge and some nice upgrades, fed by a Lumin U1, and while I really liked that combination, I prefer the X1. Which sort of implies I might prefer the X1 to the Gryphon DAC module, I think.

Sure would like to try an Essence (or Diablo) fed direct from the X1. That's on the radar (although have to say I am extremely happy with the Enleum right now).

I liked my Diablo 120 when fed by my X1 better than streaming into the DAC module in the Diablo. That isn’t a surprise…

At one point, when I had a U1 going into my 120 w/Dac, I really enjoyed that synergy. But I had different speakers so that’s an important part of the puzzle.
I thought the Diablo dac modules were pretty down good if one were to go that way for an almost all in one less a source option.

Lots of great speakers that mate well to Gryphons power amps/ints. Impossible to listen to all of them and no where near enough funds to merry go round.