Ethos

About the Ethos

The Gryphon Ethos is a high-end CD player and DAC dedicated to Red Book 16-bit/44.1 kHz CD playback and advanced digital-to-analog conversion for stereo systems. It combines a StreamUnlimited CD-PRO 8 CD transport optimized for CD with a fully balanced, dual-mono DAC section based on ESS SABRE ES9038PRO 32-bit chips in a dual-differential topology for each channel. As a DAC, it accepts digital inputs via AES/EBU, USB and BNC, supporting PCM up to 32-bit/384 kHz and DSD up to DSD512 via USB, with AES/EBU and S/PDIF limited to PCM up to 24-bit/192 kHz. Ten user-selectable digital roll-off filters, along with asynchronous PCM upsampling to 384 kHz and optional PCM-to-DSD conversion up to DSD128, allow extensive sound tailoring. The heavily regulated, fully discrete, fully balanced Class A analogue output stage uses zero negative feedback and no capacitors in the signal path, providing nominal output voltages of 4.3 V (XLR) and 2.15 V (RCA) with low output impedance. The chassis is purpose-engineered for mechanical stability and vibration control, with constrained-layer-damped acrylic and aluminium construction, an internally decoupled mechanism and precision CD clamp, resting on three adjustable Gryphon Atlas Spikes that act as mechanical diodes to evacuate resonance. A touch-sensitive front display offers adjustable brightness, and a metal system remote is included. Dimensions are approximately 48 x 17.6 x 45.3 cm, weighing approximately 13.7 kg.