NAD S300 integrated = Gryphon Tabu Century?

Paul Green Hifi, Bath

 

Thanks Technobear. I'll start pointing people there if / when they ask again.

Cheers

 

Can we have a smiley of someone doing a back flip, please?

I think this one should be re-named too... :NADowner:

 

The S200 also is a Dual mono design and I really don't think that the S300 is in a different league to the S100+S200 combo - well at least not in the sense of being superior... You might say: "Sure he's saying so, as he owns the S100/200." But in fact I've compared both amps side by side and found the S100/200 to be the much "cleaner", more neutral and dynamic amp of the both, which is why I decided take the pre-power-road.

 

Looking at the photos the powersupplies are fairly different arrangements, the Gryphon has two rectifiers per channel, the NAD only one. This may be insignificant in performance terms.

I'd quite like to know what the output devices are, if anybody has a good enough photo?

Paul

 

Paul - the output devices (in both the Tabu and the NAD) are "Sanken" transistors, if that means anything to you.

Michael.

 

Sanken's are pretty well respected fet's without question. Wm

 

I thought they might have been using 'Chip Amps' (nothing wrong with that...) from the size of the package but I see Sanken do big audio oriented power transistors in that format, so that makes sense.


Paul

 

So Michael, now that you've had the NAD in your system, how do you rate it (if you haven't been too distracted by digi-connects!)

Can it compete with the £3K+ integrateds?

reg

 

Well, I rate it very highly. I would say it does compare well with the current clutch of £3K integrateds (Sim i-5, Krell KAV400xi being the two others I've heard in my system but there are others).

If you were shopping for an integrated at that level I'd definitely give it a listen for a chance to save yourself £1500. I'm not going to get one because to my ears I prefer the Sim i-5 but it's a personal preference issue not a better/worse issue. The S300 also doesn't work for me as it doesn't have AV bypass and it's also a monster that wouldn't fit in my rack!

In terms of build quality, it's as good as anything I've seen and it really is a behemoth. I nearly had a hernia trying to lift it!

Michael.

 

Thanks for the overview Michael. Can you elaborate on the contrasts between the NAD and the Sim/Krell? Is your preference for the Sim in the area of 'bounciness' in which the Sim seems to major. If the NAD can't do PRaT, it's probably a bit handicapped. But then again, I don't recall anyone ever accusing Gryphon gear of being lifeless...

reg

 

It's difficult to say, I'm always very cautious about making comparisons when I haven't heard the two things side by side or within at most a few days of each other.

I had the Krell and the Sim at my place at the same time and the Sim definitely won that battle for me. It was far more bouncy than the Krell which was very correct but a bit lifeless. The Krell also had simply unbelievable bass control and extension but in the end it just couldn't life with the Sim for musicality and involvement.

Whether the NAD does PRaT as well as the Sim I wouldn't like to say. It certainly has a very big, full sound and it is very dynamic. Possibly not quite as fast as the Sim but not far off.

Michael.

 

Try moving house three times with the bugger. My back will never be the same.

 

I'm Gustavo Villa a new member from Chile, after some readings I have been very impress for the overall level of knowledge shown in this forum, congratulations to all of you.
I posted this theme in hi fi choice forum but without the results I have seen in here, as an owner of the S300, and I did some research about it, and I want to confirm some of the thing that you previously posted..
The specifications are exactly the same, only the dumping factor is different, 100 for the NAD and 150 for the Tabu, all other are the same. As the post you mention says, the big difference is the transformers, hölmgren for the NAD, C core for the Tabu, also the looks of the cooling modules is different. But the amplification modules, the layout of them are terrible similar, the components are the same, sanken fets push pull for both, alp pot, same relays, etc., etc..

But the definitely test was 6 months ago, I brought the s300 to a friend's house who has a lot of experience in audio (he own sonic frontiers power 2, sf80, pre amps, cd players for the same manufactures, some bryston also and dalquist DQ30 speakers, an audiophile paradise), he had the opportunity to extensively test some gryphons gear from a fellow, associated with tannoy westminister speakers. After some warming up, he said, “S300 has exactly the same type of sound that I heard with the gryphons gearâ€Â. Type of sound because he heard two gryphons monoblocks class A, and the overall warm and sweet was of course different (better), but the mayor similarity was in soundstage, he told me that gryphons gear use to focus the singer in the middle of the stereo image that no other brand use to do (not even his own gear). He experienced the same thing in both auditions, then we open the top of the amp and the gryphon “way to do things†or “know how†was very easy to identify by him, he also said, “To my opinion there I no doubt about it, Gryphon has at least and incredible influence in the S300â€Â.

In my opinion the S300 has an incredible sound, but be aware that a warming up period of about two hours at least is absolutely necessary to really enjoy his possibilities, also for the type of sound, the s300 really need a warm CD player, of course S500 is the better match, but others can do a great job too, in my case I use a Creek CD53 with good results.

Many greetings from Chile

Gustavo Villa

 

Hello and welcome Gustavo, I'm sure your insight will help clarify a few points for some of the members thanks Wm

 

If anyone wants an S300, theres one at hifiguy for £800

http://www.hifiguy.co.uk/

 

Mine! Mine! Mine!

 

So you bought it then Isaac.

I hope you are very happy with it - it certainly appears to be a great buy.

 

Yup. Cheers for the tip off there. There was a cheaper one on hififorsale, but michaelab is negotiating on that for his friend who had it on demo (and caused this thread in the first place). I negotiated inclusion of insured couriering in the price of this one however, so that's not too bad.

From most accounts, it's what I'm looking for. Strong, punchy, dynamic but not quite as flat-out in-yer-face as some. The hifiguy had it set up with meadowlark kestrel hotrods in his demo room, so that bodes reasonably well...

Not sure where I'm going to put it... It won't fit on the shelf that the rotel presently occupies, and the speaker cable won't reach from a higher shelf (I need the top shelf on the rack now, because the two lower shelves aren't high enough for the marantz and the NAD). However, details, details...

 

I think this thread has settled in my mind the amp I'm going to get to partner my S500 once I've saved up a bit