Let me be clear. I’ve always been skeptical about expensive power cables, interconnects, speakers cables… and yes, power conditioners. Sure, I’ll recommend a decent power conditioner to my friends who are building their A/V systems and HiFi rigs, but mostly just to prevent errant voltage spikes from damaging their gear. Just how much can go wrong with an AC power signal that you’d need an expensive device dedicated to cleaning it up?
So when Rune Skov, Global Sales Director from Gryphon Audio Designs, told us at a recent demo event for their new Diablo 333 Integrated Amplifier ($25,000) that they were also going to be demonstrating their new PowerZone 3.10 by Gryphon power optimizer ($14,000), my eyebrows were raised. And not in the fun “this could be interesting” way but in the “OK, here comes some bullshit” way.
The demo system in the listening room at high-end audio dealer Stereo Exchange in Manhattan was comprised of a Roon Nucleus Titan server ($3,999) providing digital music files to a HiFi Rose RS520 streamer ($3,999) with its gorgeous full width color screen displaying album art, artist, album and song details and more. The streamer fed directly into Gryphon’s Diablo integrated amplifier ($25,000). The amplifier, in turn, was driving a pair of the new Wilson Audio Watts/Puppy 50th Anniversary Edition ($40,000/pair). Cabling was by AudioQuest (pricing undisclosed).
First off, the Gryphon Audio Diablo is one powerful and capable amplifier. With a series of different tracks, the Diablo took control of those Wilson speakers, creating a natural, impactful and musical representation with not a hint of harshness. Rated at 333 Watts/Channel into 8 Ohms or a whopping 666 Watts/Channel into 4 Ohms, the Diablo should be able to drive even the most challenging speaker load. The Wilson Audio speakers are rated at only average sensitivity (89 dB) and have a nominal impedance of 4 ohms, so they clearly benefit from a powerful amplifier, and the Gryphon amplifier appears to be just that.
But then came the power conditioner (sorry “power optimizer”) demo. Rune played a track through the system, then unplugged the Gryphon amp from the PowerZone and plugged it directly into the wall. And in my mind while I was trying to figure out synonyms for “snake oil” for my scathing critique, something remarkable happened. I heard a difference.
It’s hard to describe exactly what that difference was, but with the PowerZone out of the picture, the background was a little less “black,” the percussion a little less snappy, the voice a little less articulate. The overall reproduction just lacked a certain cohesiveness that it had previously exhibited. Plugging the amp back into the PowerZone, Rune repeated the same track and those details came back into focus. It was sort of like the difference between an excellent recording of music and a live performance of that same music. I’m not saying the PowerZone magically put trumpets, and upright basses and drums and cymbals in the room with us, but it certainly made that suspension of disbelief a simpler affair. Closing my eyes and leaning back, it was a whole lot easier to lose myself in the music when the PowerZone was doing its thing.
I’m not going to even try to get into the theory behind the improvements. There was some discussion about “focused and idealized crystalline conductor structures” resulting in “happy bouncing electrons.” In addition to the patent-pending HafnerTech conductor modules, the PowerZone also employs the SmartStack vibration damping compound in its chassis. This patented compound developed by Denmark’s MENETA Group was first created to control resonance and vibration in the high performance automotive sector. Apparently it also has applications beyond the braking systems of sports cars.
The Bottom Line
The high-end HiFi industry is full of questionable “tweaks” that may or may not be worth the time, the trouble or the expense of pursuing. Do speaker cables need liquid dielectric insulation or raised bridges to elevate them from the floor? Maybe. Maybe not. Probably not. But did the Gryphon PowerZone power optimizer improve the sound of this particular high-end HiFi system? In my admittedly limited experience with it, I’d say, “Yes.” Was the difference I heard worth $14,000? That’s hard for me to say. But for those who are already willing to buy $25,000 amplifiers and $40,000 speakers, what’s another $14K going to hurt?
You can read more about Gryphon’s new products on their web site:
Got your own opinions about power conditioning or “power optimization” or any other tweaks for audio and video systems? As always, let us know in the comments.
Related Reading:
- Goer Dynamics Acquires Minority Stake in Gryphon Audio Design
- Gryphon Audio’s PowerZone 3 Power Conditioners Are Designed for Ultra High-End Audio Systems
- PODCAST: Gryphon’s Global Sales Director, Rune Skov (2024)
