New System Decisions

[Tango]

I would worry that Magico + dCS + CH would sound a bit....dull. The CH are incredibly neutral and don't tip into either warmth or lean, and to my way of thinking, you would want something with a bit more "meat" to it when it comes to amplification. Gryphon class-A would fit the bill, and the Humboldt is a saturated sound and would work well. Just my 2c worth.

Not 2c worth. Mega bucks.

 

[Katzky]

I would worry that Magico + dCS + CH would sound a bit....dull. The CH are incredibly neutral and don't tip into either warmth or lean, and to my way of thinking, you would want something with a bit more "meat" to it when it comes to amplification. Gryphon class-A would fit the bill, and the Humboldt is a saturated sound and would work well. Just my 2c worth.

Is there a non class A brand similar to Gryphon? I can’t do class A and power amp needs to fit on a 19x21 hrs rack. Boulder is also neutral sounding?

Curious what saturated means vs the warm meaty Gryphon sound.

 

[dan31]

I would look at Boulder.

 

[TDX]

Is there a non class A brand similar to Gryphon? I can’t do class A and power amp needs to fit on a 19x21 hrs rack. Boulder is also neutral sounding?

Curious what saturated means vs the warm meaty Gryphon sound.

Soulution, vitus.

 

[Addicted to hifi]

Soulution, vitus.

Vitus components are stunning in sound and looks.

 

[Thieliste]

I had the same problem finding the right amp for my Thiel CS 3.7s which are uber transparent speakers and treble tend to be agressive if not well paired.
I wanted an integrated to stay within reasonable budget and after auditioning many of them the Diablo 300 was the obvious contender.
Obviously if you have the budget for the Humboldt it's in another league but IMO the Diablo 300 has no competion in it's price range.
By the way the Diablo 300 is class A/B it doesn't get too warm compared to the separates.
Good luck in your search.

 

[_Alchemist_]

I had the same problem finding the right amp for my Thiel CS 3.7s which are uber transparent speakers and treble tend to be agressive if not well paired.
I wanted an integrated to stay within reasonable budget and after auditioning many of them the Diablo 300 was the obvious contender.
Obviously if you have the budget for the Humboldt it's in another league but IMO the Diablo 300 ha no competion in it's price range.
By the way the Diablo 300 is class A/B it doesn't get too warm compared to the separates.
Good luck in your search.

I second that. With the Diablo you get the best of both worlds, it has a class A behaviour for some watts but doesn't heat up and consumes like a pure class A. Don't forget the essence has two running modes, so you can switch on demand.

 

[Katzky]

I had the same problem finding the right amp for my Thiel CS 3.7s which are uber transparent speakers and treble tend to be agressive if not well paired.
I wanted an integrated to stay within reasonable budget and after auditioning many of them the Diablo 300 was the obvious contender.
Obviously if you have the budget for the Humboldt it's in another league but IMO the Diablo 300 has no competion in it's price range.
By the way the Diablo 300 is class A/B it doesn't get too warm compared to the separates.
Good luck in your search.

Well I talked to the dealer re Humboldt and it’s over $60k. For some reason I thought it around $45k. Saw an ex dem sell under $30k so not going to buy one at MSRP. Certainly without an in home demo and that’s not going to happen.

Probably going to buy a used Diablo just to hear it. Maybe it’s all I’ll ever want/need. Local dealer won’t do an in home demo so not buying from them.

Is luxman a good alternative to Gryphon. Found a pair of mono blocks at a good price. They’re not class A and I could put them in my rack.

 

[thomask]

I auditioned A5 with Bartok Dac and Octave 80 tube amplifier at the famous hifi shop.

It gave excellent clarity and details.

if you have not bougth the amp yet, you can consider Octave 80.

 

[Al M.]

I auditioned A5 with Bartok Dac and Octave 80 tube amplifier at the famous hifi shop.

It gave excellent clarity and details.

if you have not bougth the amp yet, you can consider Octave 80.

I love my Octave HP 700/RE 320 preamp/amp combo.

As you say, clarity and detail. I would add: excellent dynamics and believable timbre. For example, rosiny, wooden tone on violin but also silvery overtones, all when recorded as such. Not a one trick pony presenting music with a color that pervades everything.

 

[_Alchemist_]

Well I talked to the dealer re Humboldt and it’s over $60k. For some reason I thought it around $45k. Saw an ex dem sell under $30k so not going to buy one at MSRP. Certainly without an in home demo and that’s not going to happen.

Probably going to buy a used Diablo just to hear it. Maybe it’s all I’ll ever want/need. Local dealer won’t do an in home demo so not buying from them.

Is luxman a good alternative to Gryphon. Found a pair of mono blocks at a good price. They’re not class A and I could put them in my rack.

Mono means you need at least another set of power cords + you need to ponder if you put a pre or use the rossini as pre and wonder about compatibility.
If you get a good deal on a diablo, you wont lose money on it to try it.
But as I said, the quality of your electrical power is key, invest in a dedicated line, get the diablo and live a happy life
You will have a good system where you can always upgrade down the line if you feel like

 

[Barry2013]

Well I talked to the dealer re Humboldt and it’s over $60k. For some reason I thought it around $45k. Saw an ex dem sell under $30k so not going to buy one at MSRP. Certainly without an in home demo and that’s not going to happen.

Probably going to buy a used Diablo just to hear it. Maybe it’s all I’ll ever want/need. Local dealer won’t do an in home demo so not buying from them.

Is luxman a good alternative to Gryphon. Found a pair of mono blocks at a good price. They’re not class A and I could put them in my rack.

The Vitus 030 is £35k new in the UK so probably about $50k in the US. Less than the Humboldt but still a lot of money.
The Diablo is a well regarded amp and is likely to be a good buy. It is a bit too industrial looking for me, but that's a matter of taste and no reflection on its sound quality.
You might like to have a look at the quite new Rotel Michi range of integrated and pre/ power amps. Very highly reviewed. A high end dealer who is a good friend and very highly regarded ,not just in the UK but internationally too, has heard a custome'rs pre/ power combo in one of his customer's home. The dealer has no links to Rotel.
He was very impressed with Rotel Michi pre/power amps which retail here for a bit under £20k.
I haven't heard them myself but if he tells me that then I can be sure they are very good.

 

[Katzky]

The Vitus 030 is £35k new in the UK so probably about $50k in the US. Less than the Humboldt but still a lot of money.
The Diablo is a well regarded amp and is likely to be a good buy. It is a bit too industrial looking for me, but that's a matter of taste and no reflection on its sound quality.
You might like to have a look at the quite new Rotel Michi range of integrated and pre/ power amps. Very highly reviewed. A high end dealer who is a good friend and very highly regarded ,not just in the UK but internationally too, has heard a custome'rs pre/ power combo in one of his customer's home. The dealer has no links to Rotel.
He was very impressed with Rotel Michi pre/power amps which retail here for a bit under £20k.
I haven't heard them myself but if he tells me that then I can be sure they are very good.

Funny but I was looking at these Michi mono blocks. The weird thing it says on them they’re not for use under 4 ohms. My local dealer has no idea why it says that on the amp.

 

[Mdp632]

Well I talked to the dealer re Humboldt and it’s over $60k. For some reason I thought it around $45k. Saw an ex dem sell under $30k so not going to buy one at MSRP. Certainly without an in home demo and that’s not going to happen.

Probably going to buy a used Diablo just to hear it. Maybe it’s all I’ll ever want/need. Local dealer won’t do an in home demo so not buying from them.

Is luxman a good alternative to Gryphon. Found a pair of mono blocks at a good price. They’re not class A and I could put them in my rack.

At first, I thought you from the EU/outside of the US, as perhaps the Humboldt might have been a better "value" compared to its Swiss competitors.

That said, 60K USD and no dealer discount , to me is staggering.

What is "high-end" audio now like car dealers? LOL

Remember when nobody ever paid retail?

To me, I still struggle with a lot of these uber priced electronics.

New Relentless pre-amp is only 150K lol

Things have gotten nuts.

 

[Katzky]

At first, I thought you from the EU/outside of the US, as perhaps the Humboldt might have been a better "value" compared to its Swiss competitors.

That said, 60K USD and no dealer discount , to me is staggering.

What is "high-end" audio now like car dealers? LOL

Remember when nobody ever paid retail?

To me, I still struggle with a lot of these uber priced electronics.

New Relentless pre-amp is only 150K lol

Things have gotten nuts.

After taxes added it’s about $64k which is a dollar amount oddly familiar. My problem is I still never pay retail which makes this game frustrating. Maybe I don’t understand the economics of hifi. The margin on the Humboldt to the dealer is what... 100% 200% no idea. It is possible it is an excellent value @ $64k but I hate taking a punt on something like this. The house I grew up in cost $34k and any time I even consider spending more than that I get a serious reality check.

 

[Addicted to hifi]

After taxes added it’s about $64k which is a dollar amount oddly familiar. My problem is I still never pay retail which makes this game frustrating. Maybe I don’t understand the economics of hifi. The margin on the Humboldt to the dealer is what... 100% 200% no idea. It is possible it is an excellent value @ $64k but I hate taking a punt on something like this. The house I grew up in cost $34k and any time I even consider spending more than that I get a serious reality check.

It’s a terrible shame that this hobby of ours has to cost so much money.I sometimes think if I took up golf would be a lot cheaper.

 

[howiebrou]

How about a used Dartzeel preamp and amp combo?

 

[Thieliste]

The Vitus SIA-030 would be a great match indeed with the A5s.
In the same price range you also have the CH Pecision I1 which i heard several times and was pretty impressed.
But like you mentioned price tags in this category of integrated is pretty scary.
The Diablo 300 on the other hand you really get what you pay for.

 

[Thieliste]

I don't know if this one has been mentioned but the Pilium Leonidas should be in this list.
You have good distributon in the US with Rhapsody NY.

 

[Barry2013]

Funny but I was looking at these Michi mono blocks. The weird thing it says on them they’re not for use under 4 ohms. My local dealer has no idea why it says that on the amp.

Thanks Katzky.
I have no idea either, but I am sure there are more knowledge members on the Forum who could enlighten us.
I don't think it has any practical significance. I am not aware of any audio equipment under 4omhs, but presumably there are some such rare beasts and it is therefore right that Michi make it clear that their monos are not suitable for such equipment.