2. amps-preamps
  3. 1319186169

Gryphon Colosseum vs. Karan M2000 monoblocks

I've been on the search for desert island amplification to partner with my Sonus Faber Futuras for a while now. The contenders has been narrowed down to either the Gryphon Colosseum (Stereo) or the new Karan M2000 monoblocks. The price offered are more or less the same.

Preamp will probably be Gryphon Mirage or Pandora if going for the Colosseum, or the KA L Ref.MK3 if going for the Karan M2000. I'm also considering a tube preamp as an alternative - especially the Conrad Johnson GAT.

I would truly appreciate ANY feedback regarding these poweramps and brands. If anyone has experience with both, that would be most valuable.

Source will be Brinkmann Bardo/10.5 tonearm/Pi cartridge for analog playback. Digital playback is yet to be decided, but I'm using an Audio Aero Prestige SE at the moment.

My room is approx. 6x5 square meters. I'm mostly listening to small scale rock/pop/acoustic, classical and electronical music. The system will be used for music mainly, but also film.

Thanks!
128x128sidekick_i
lloydelee21
1,202 posts
 
Hi Sidekick,

100% agree with your last paragraph...100%. I have heard all the Guaraneris...original, the one that came after and the new Memento, as well.

This Futura is far and away my favorite of the 3 Amatis. Far and away.

As for using 2 sets of amps...i imagine perfectly done that could be amazing...but in addition to the complexity (at one particular volume level)...i wonder what would happen as you reduce and increase the volume...would the amps be able to react to the load requirements in the same way and continue to give you similar sound throughout the volume spectrum? i have never done it...just curious.
sidekick_i's avatar
sidekick_i OP
51 posts
 
Lloyd,

I believe(in my room partnered with Audio Aero Prestige, Absolutas and Goldenote cabling) I'm close to a level of performance I could live happy with for a long time. A majority of my earlier problems (a hard, edgy and lean performance) which I believed to be related to the room or bad cable matching are gone. I must say that I'm very surprised by this. The Futuras are brand new out of the box with 10 hours on them. I haven't even played around with the positioning. I just placed them exactly where the Mementos stood yesterday when they arrived. Plain and simple. The Futuras seems much more forgiving when it comes to placement and room integration compared to the Mementos. Everything snapped into place from the start more less. Even so, I'm sure there's improvement to be made.

Well, biamping with different poweramps might be a challenge. It's an interesting thought though, don't you think? :o)
lloydelee21
1,202 posts
 
Hi Sidekick,

Its great when many of the challenge are solved in a single moment. on a much smaller scale, i had 3 kinds of buzzing in my system when i dropped the new amp in. Frustrating. I had been waiting for the new SE-XLR cable to arrive for the new amp, and decided to leave it as is for a couple of days.

When the cable arrived, i re-arranged the new amp and the rest of my equipment to make it more tidy, and also neatened up all the other cables.

And 2 of the buzzes disappeared, and the third is vastly reduced unless i want to play at deafening levels!

And of course the amp is better too. Enjoy the Futuras!!!!!
hamburger
112 posts
 
Just to revive this old discussion... Was it Gryphon or Karan amps eventually?

I am contemplating the same stuff too...
Cheers
lloydelee21
1,202 posts
 
Hi Hamburger,

Have you heard either? Pls post your impressions if you can. i know the colosseum well, and also the Antileon. unfortunately, have not heard Karan.

I am always curious to listen to other amps (like the new D'Agostino monos). My limited experience in amps includes ARC, Krell, MBL monos, Boulder 2060, ML33H, D'Agostino monos, CJ, (as well as older Aragon, Forte)...Gryphon is my personal favorite after finding it delivers the signal from source/pre with extension and detail, and endless reserves of power. If there is any flavor to Gryphon, it has a natural tonality such that violin strings, etc take on a natural burnished quality in the mids and the requisite pierce in the treble. My fav amp.

Good luck and pls post any impressions!
More to discover