Audiophilepure

The Auditorium Plus speakers play well with a 60 wpc amplifier. Still, their lovely, spatial nature shrinks a bit, and the lowest of low frequencies lack the authority and control that a big amplifier delivers. Again, the Double Shot makes these $150k speakers come alive. Because of their wide range, Electronica, Hip Hop, and a lot of current music really comes alive because so much of it has a strong bass groove. No Taylor Swift for me, but Charli xcx’s “Talk Talk” suits the power this amplifier delivers. That bass groove is killer, and the louder, the better.

Ditto for the drums in Beth Gibbons’ “Burden of Life.” Again, at moderate to high listening levels, Gibbons’ voice isn’t clobbered by the drums, losing its way. These types of musical excursions don’t feel the same without big power, but the clarity, pace, and texture the Double Shot has is equally important. It’s not a double shot of crap coffee; it’s a double shot of fantastic coffee!

Moving on to the Mon Acoustics standmount speakers we reviewed earlier this year, a pair of MartinLogan ESL 9s, and the new Magnepan 2.7x speakers all make for an excellent match with the Double Shot. The same characteristics that are easily discernable in the more refined speakers are available here. Nothing makes even a speaker like the compact MONs come alive like plenty of reserve power. If you’re a Magnepan lover, you know that extra power helps these speakers deliver their all. I’ll be discussing the Java amps more in an upcoming review of the Magnepan 2.7x’s, and this double shot is one of the most exciting pairings I’ve ever heard with a Magneplanar speaker at any price. The synergy with MartinLogan speakers is equally thrilling.

https://www.enjoythemusic.com/superioraudio/equipment/1024/Jadis_DA88S_MkII_Vacuum_Tube_Integrated_Stereo_Amplifier_Review.htm

Here’s an interesting bit of information about Jadis electronics. They stay in circulation for very long periods of time. Favorite Jadis amps, like the long out-of-production Defy 7, are always in demand. Another bit of interesting info. There have been many reviews of the DA88S MkII integrated over the years. But it seems that reviewers are always keen to get their hands on one to listen to for themselves. Rarely have I heard of a component that is consistently praised by so many reviewers of very different tastes. And now I know why.

https://www.hifinews.com/content/emm-labs-premtrs

When there’s less of a need for the MTRS to dig deep, this system still lives up to its premium positioning thanks to that sense of transparency and balance across the frequency band. Given cellist Redi Hasa’s ‘Little Street Football Made Of Socks’ [The Stolen Cello; Decca 44.1kHz/24-bit], EMM Labs’ pairing sounded biting and sweet at the same time, highlighting the physicality of his playing alongside well-resolved treble. And as the piece builds, layer upon layer, it was hard not to be swept up by its lush detail and lilting rhythm.

With Johan Johansson’s brooding electro-orchestral ‘The Beast’, recorded for 2015 film Sicario [Cutting Edge 302 067 369 8], the PRE and MTRS sounded as confident as they did with Elton John’s more conventional ‘Rocket Man’ [Honky Chateau; Mercury 528 162-2] with its rich piano and crystalline percussion. As for the dance single ‘Ratchets’, from quality-conscious Danish producer Hedegaard [Spinnin Records, 44.1kHz/16-bit], this absolutely banged, as the younger generation might say. Impossibly heavy synth and bass, playing in unison, loaded the room, and ramping up the level rewarded me with simply more weight, more scale and more drama.

The Serene KTE is a neutral sounding pre-amplifier that produces a rich, organic and full sound. It has superb low-end body and texture, a neutral but natural midrange and a delicate and extended top. It delivers heaps of resolution and an open vocal presence that fills the room. The Serene doesn’t color the music much but offers an enormously clear view of it without the added harshness.

The bass of the Serene KTE is well pronounced and offers high end levels of texture and resolution. It is precise and dynamic, with an excellent body and weight. Bass feels natural and organic throughout. The Serene KTE reaches deep with good authority and thunder. It has a life-like body and presentation, where low-ends come out with nice impact and heft.

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They find this beast, only to also find the dragons are also terrified of it. It is the size of 1,000 dragons and as it emerges from its cave, the bass is of the floor-shaking type. The Diptyque speakers are known for their bass, especially for planar speakers. Even knowing this, the performance delivered through The Gryphon amp was nothing short of astonishing. Without letting out any more spoilers, this final battle scene is a test for even the largest of multi-subwoofer theater systems. While this two-channel combination did not deliver the infrasonic bass notes, the bass from 30 Hz and up was powerful, impactful, and tight.

This performance was so well done that a list of speakers I would love to hear with this incredibly powerful amp began to form. Gryphon’s own Trident II, Bowers and Wilkins 801 D4 signature, Legacy Audio Focus SE, Perlisten Audio S7T, DALI core, and various models from PBN loudspeakers come to mind. Put simply, I cannot imagine a loudspeaker that the Gryphon Diablo 333 could not drive. The small list here (and there are many examples I missed) are all speakers with a response to below 20 Hz. A two- channel system with any of these speakers, anchored with the Diablo 333, will deliver bass to well below 20 Hz without a hint of dynamic limits. Combining this level of power with the accuracy, sound stage, and delicacy that the big amp demonstrated throughout this test proves that the Diablo 333 is not just a tremendous product, it is a real value in today’s ultra-high-end systems.