Gryphon
and Raidho?
October
13, 2020
Roy,
I
have a question regarding system synergy.
I
have a Gryphon Diablo 120 integrated amplifier/DAC. Do you think that Raidho D1.1 speakers
would be a good match with it?
Henrik
Sørensen
The short answer to your question sits somewhere between “Yes” and
“It would be perfect.”
The
Raidho designs, of which I’ve lived with more than a few, have always enjoyed the
company of richer, more substantial but still rhythmically coherent driving amps, which is
pretty much a one-line review of the Diablo 120. As with many designs that use ceramic
cones, the lack of overhang and/or additive harmonics makes for quick, clean, clear
dynamics but can leave the sound a little threadbare. I have not used the D1.1 at home,
but I do have the model that has superseded it, the TD1.2 and I’ve used them with the
Diablo 120 -- a lot. In fact, of all the various integrated amps that I have, or have come
through the house, the little Gryphon is my preferred choice for the Raidhos.
However,
I would suggest one point of caution. The Gryphon amps are extremely picky when it comes
to cables. Get the cables wrong and the sound will be thin, mechanical and disjointed --
the very last thing you can afford with the D1.1. Even if you are happy with the
cable/speaker setup you have now, be prepared to swap cables if necessary. Don’t
worry -- if it is necessary it is also going to be obvious! One way of avoiding any
problem is to use Gryphon’s own cables, which may be practical for
short runs but possibly too expensive if you need longer speaker cables. If that
isn’t an option, I’d suggest a little trial and error, but look to offer the
output stage plenty of metal to work with, larger cross-section cables like Chord Co.
Signatures or the various AudioQuests being a good place to start.
Pay
attention to the cabling (the whole system, not just the speaker cables) and I’m
confident you’ll enjoy a long and happy relationship with the Diablo/D1.1 pairing. It
may be Gryphon’s smallest and most affordable amplifier, but with the right speaker
it is musically mighty. In this particular case, it’s not just the right speaker for
the amp, it’s the right amp for the speaker -- a potential sonic and musical marriage
made in heaven. -Roy Gregory
Please
add me
October
1, 2020
Marc,
Please
add me to your mailing. Thank you.
Martyn
Lucas
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-Marc Mickelson
