GRYPHON EOS 2 speakers: everything from a great…
Presented in May at the High End Show in Munich at the same time as the new Diablo 333 integrated from Danish Gryphon, the EOS 2 speakers attract like a crystal with sharp angles. Seen from above, the head of the column forms an irregular decagon. Seen from the front or in profile, it is a slender silhouette barely more than a meter high called ” Stealth ”, proportionate and dynamic certainly. Research aimed at curbing undesirable resonances finds here a form of absolute in geometric complexity. Just like the load of this two-way, with “tunnel attenuation” of the rear bass-midrange sound, controlled by two vents, one front and one back to choose according to the level of bass desired and perceived. The 19 cm bass-midrange with Thin-Ply carbon fiber cone (TPCD) is manufactured by a Formula 1 specialist. The neodymium magnet and the Impulse optimization ring present on the membrane (in direct connection with the moving coil) allow this speaker to achieve the same impulse response as that of the 34 mm beryllium dome tweeter equipped with a decompression chamber and a waveguide. The filter placed in the anti-resonant aluminum base creates a gradual overlap and aligns the phase response of the two transducers.
Good news for anyone who despairs about mispositioning speakers in their listening room: the EOS 2 is designed to be placed close to the rear wall. With the two vents, we will play on the bass, more or less thoughtfully. A three-position switch adjusts the tweeter level above 12 kHz, playing on presence. Presence is what best describes this column. Presence but also intelligibility – the voices, magnificent – harmonic thread, speed and cohesion of the two voices in a particularly fusional whole. The filter helps ensure that the 19 cm follows the cadence of the beryllium tweeter which is the fastest material (12,900 m/s; nylon: 2600 m/s, air: 340 m/s). By harmonizing the levels and phase so that we do not detect the transition from one transducer to another (at 2200 Hz with a variable slope). The other excellent surprise of this listening carried out with the Nagra Classic electronics is the transparency and the absence of any linearity defect. The bass ended up dropping gently towards 50/60 Hz, but that day the speakers were not placed as recommended by the manufacturer, only one step from the rear wall, the configuration of the place not allowing it. Corroboree de John Antill (« Welcome Ceremony ». New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, James Judd. Naxos. Available on CD and on Qobuz in 16 Bits/44.1 kHz) is literally carried by the EOS 2: it's fast, explosive, at the same time expressive and harmonically rich, while remaining eminently listenable at a level which will not alert the neighborhood. A sort of quadrature for increased listening pleasure!
