Let me start by telling you a story that undersigned experienced about a month ago. So it happens my wife´s mother has a summer house on the Island of Föhr just outside the Westcoast of Germany and an hour short of the Danish border. After having spent a week of vacation surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean we drove home to Sweden via Denmark. While passing the City of Aarhus and its suburb Ry, I presented the idea to my wife to make a short stop over in Ry and by The Gryphon Head quarters. I mean, when in the neighborhood, why not check out the facilities. Maybe there is a museum to visit? To the story belongs I up until this moment never owned a Gryphon component before, hence my curiosity, merely stemmed from the deepest respect for the brand, encountering them on several hifi-fairs throughout the years. Said and done. I stepped into the reception, presented my self, and asked if there existed a shop or a museum or anything of that sort. I was asked to wait and moments later I found my self shaking hands with the CEO Jakob Odgaard, who instantly took me on a factory tour. Almost paralyzed of the hospitality and the shown interest in a positive surprised potential Gryphon owner (or just a HIFI-fan), the 45 min tour eventually took me to a mighty wall with Gryphon gear, shelfed from top to bottom (I took me the liberty to share a few of the pics here, please enjoy). I left The Gryphon headquarters with a very positive feeling, a memory for life and a base ball cap as a souvenir. Back in Stockholm I immediate contacted my local The Gryphon Distributor, got me handed (on a two week no cost trial out period) an Essence Stereo Amp and started the trials. I set my reference list via Roon on play. It took me about 20 seconds into the first reference track Takla Makan with Yello to realize the Esssence was something very particular. Let me underpin, it was still stone cold and only being on for a minute maximum two. The warmer it got the more intoxicating it became. It was like it casted a spell on me. Fueled up by the Valhalla II power cord, recommended by my Distributor, this was the first time I encountered true Class A in my home environment. Stunned by the amplifier there was just nothing else to do then to surrender to it, organize my financials and purchase it. Throughout the last two years I have had the privilege to have a few amplifiers visiting my home. The brand new Technics SU-R1000 (that enjoys fine reviews world wide). The Bryston 4B3, (a reliable Canadian work horse.) The Berlin Hifi-Specialist MBL with its Noble Line mighty mono blocks (retail price of 30,000 EURO) and the Atmasphere OTL mono blocks. It goes without saying The Gryphon in its presentation is in its own league. It is a wonderful match to a pair of low impedance riding speakers such as the Martin Logan´s ESL 11. What started with a vacation on the sunny Islands of Föhr, Sylt and Amrum ended up with me re-organizing my Hifi-rack and re-defining Hifi in my home environment. I wish you all a good summer ahead! //Greetings from Stockholm
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