Essence Stereo - To Preamp or Not??

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Remi

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Hello All,

I badly need advice; I am heading towards purchasing an Essence stereo amp but question whether the Essence preamp is a necessity? Many reviews state that the combination is fantastic, and each unit complements the other. I will run a digital system only. How much will the Essence preamp improve sound quality? My dilemma, as is most everybody's, is budget. If I purchase the combo, I have to economize on a digital source, albeit I can easily upgrade as funds provide. If I omit the Essence preamp, I could stretch into an MSB Premier running direct (maybe). I really could use some insights. I do like the benefit of the green bias that the combo offers. My wife likes to play background music, and burning up the grid with class A serves no benefit for that application. Sorry to sound like a babbling idiot, but my experience is mainly with integrated systems. I'm a novice when it comes to separates. I know many agree that the addition of a preamp adds some sweetness. In my case, does the addition of the preamp fall under the "law of diminishing returns"? My goal is to build an end-game system (even if some steps are involved in the process).

Thanks!
 
I have both Amp, preamp and internal Dac and just streaming and using a transport. I like the Green Bias and the whole Gryphon sound. I realize that there are way better Dacs, and preamps and everyones ears are different, but if you like the Essence amp you'll enjoy the pre. Whose selling Gryphon to you in the USA ?
 
Hi Remi;
We've had some PM discussions about this. In the end, with audio at this level, everything makes a difference. I'm somewhat jealous of the folks who do a lot of experimenting of moving components in and our of their systems. For me, even taking the time to unbox or box becomes stressful.
I started with a Mola Mola Tambaqui directly into the Essence Stereo, with a Roon nucleus as the source. I felt there was some lack of richness and dynamics with this, and was pretty sure I would need a preamp. I then switched the roon nucleus with a Grimm Mu1, and many of my original concerns melted away. Upgrading to Tara Lab 0.8 cabling all around created further improvements that diminished my perceived need for a preamp.
My advice is usually centered around "don't do what I have done"... And mainly that is don't sweat the end result of adding a single great component to your system. The Essence is a great amp. Even if it immediately isn't your endgame, if you remain patient, it is a great anchor and will ultimately provide you with what you want over the long haul with other additions/changes to your components.
There are only a few mistakes I feel you can make in getting the Essence. One is if you favor bass and richness over inner detail and imaging. If the this is your game, then get a Pass or Diablo instead and be done with it. And, if you need to ensure you need to get to your endgame in one step, audition integrateds and skip the amp. The other mistake is if the Essence Stereo takes so much of your budget that it will not be possible to make any further adjustments over the next several years. (However, if you can get your hands on an Essence, I think it is going to hold its value pretty well for the near term. I would expect at some point Gryphon is going to update the Diablo with the newer sound).
 
Rick,

Thanks for all your help and PMs. I did not know of your "trials and tribulations" to get to the finish line. BTW, most reviews that compare Essence to Diablo state that the bass produced by Essence is much better than Diablo because of its gigantic reserve capacitance? Can you elaborate? I do agree that the Essence is the perfect foundation to build upon. I certainly can upgrade my digital end over time.
 
Remi said:
Rick,

Thanks for all your help and PMs. I did not know of your "trials and tribulations" to get to the finish line. BTW, most reviews that compare Essence to Diablo state that the bass produced by Essence is much better than Diablo because of its gigantic reserve capacitance? Can you elaborate? I do agree that the Essence is the perfect foundation to build upon. I certainly can upgrade my digital end over time.
Click to expand...
User reviews I have read generally agree with Rick's characterization of Essence vs Diablo bass. Essence bass more articulate, but Diablo has more gravitas. This is likely somewhat speaker dependent. Essence capacitance no doubt helps, but at the end of the day, it's still only 50 watts. In the case of efficient speakers like Fyne, I'd guess Essence bass would be a good match.

If you're inclined to go the pre route, a good alternative to the Essence at about half the price would be the Pass XP-22.
 
I was finally able to demo a Diablo 300 and Essence stereo. They were fed by a DCS Bartok and Rockport speakers (not sure model). We did not utilize a preamp. I thought the bass was great with the 300, but the midrange and highs sounded bright. The Essence had less bass, but it was more refined. The midrange and highs were excellent. I feel neither paired well with the DCS. It appeared that the sonic signature of the DCS came through (very fatiguing). I wish the dealer had a wider range of DACs to pair with. As crazy as this sounds, a few years ago, I listened to a Luxman 20W class A fed by an entry-level Naim streamer which was far more engaging than those above. The MSRP of that system was approximately $20K. I'm a little disappointed and unsure what gives since the system I auditioned was north of $60K? I really think the DCS tainted the audition.
 
The NAIM is really outstanding. I love mine. Both my systems are NAIM.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
Mike said:
The NAIM is really outstanding. I love mine. Both my systems are NAIM.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Click to expand...

What are the qualities of the Naim you enjoy? Also, looking at the NAP 250 DR, I only see 1 input, but both L/R speaker terminals. I'm confused.
 
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