Gryphon Pendragon User Manual
Owners manual
A Message from the Founder
By Flemming E. Rasmussen,
CEO, Gryphon Audio Designs
As the thirtieth anniversary of Gryphon Audio Designs looms
large on the horizon, it is as good an occasion as any to look
back and reflect on how we came this far, on what we have
achieved and what we have learned.
It is now widely acknowledged that Gryphon has built its reputation on a singularly iconoclastic approach to the design of luxury High End home audio equipment, perhaps best
described in the kind and generous words of audio critic Ken
Kessler, “a code of perfectionism, the likes of which I’ve only
ever seen at the Bugatti atelier in Alsace or at the great watch
houses in Switzerland. It is the result of not accepting the notion of compromise, on any level.”
In retrospect, the history of Gryphon Audio Designs has been
an exploration of the complex art of simplicity, taking as our
conceptual foundation the words of Albert Einstein, widely referred to as Einstein’s Razor: “The supreme goal of all theory is
to make the irreducible basic elements as simple and as few
as possible without having to surrender the adequate representation of a single datum of experience.”
Fortunately, during the Gryphon’s lifetime, dedicated music lovers in ever increasing numbers have come to demand more
from their home entertainment systems in recognition and
appreciation of the crucial musical contribution of natural, undoctored, realistic sound that conveys the integrity and full
emotional impact of the original performance.
More and more, serious listeners recognise the validity of the
Gryphon approach: A loudspeaker must not be an instrument
or an interpreter with a voice of its own, only a neutral conduit
that lets us hear what is there, no more and no less, for better
or for worse.
This is the wellspring of inspiration and motivation that led to
the ultimate loudspeaker system, the Gryphon Pendragon, reaffirming our commitment to being the best that we can be
with the definitive full-range system to be partnered with equipment and a room truly worthy of such a loudspeaker.
Pendragon is a name historically associated with the ancient
kings of the Britons, most famously, Arthur of Camelot. The figurative title Pendragon or Pen Draig means head or chief dragon, symbolising the bearer’s uncontested leadership.
For the most ambitious reference loudspeaker system in the
history of Gryphon Audio Designs, there can be no more fitting name.
Flemming E. Rasmussen
Ry, Denmark, March 2013
The Final Frontier
Having earned a global reputation for technological mastery
and unsurpassed excellence in audio amplification and CD
playback, it was a natural evolutionary move for Gryphon
Audio Designs to broaden its scope and apply the uncompromising Gryphon philosophy to the final link in the chain. But
this decision was by no means made on the spur of the moment.
The Gryphon loudspeaker story begins with a chance encounter between Gryphon head honcho Flemming E. Rasmussen
and Danish loudspeaker legend Steen Duelund, a Danish mathematician who dedicated his life to the advancement of
loudspeaker theory. Duelund was a man on a mission whose
many theories and discoveries continue to inspire professional
designers and DIY speaker builders long after his passing.
On a strictly informal basis, they began an in-depth exploration that would take full advantage of Rasmussen’s extensive
experience in design and manufacturing to transform Duelund’s theories into real-world products with scant regard for
such minor details as pricing, parts availability, prevailing attitudes and preconceived notions.
Imperfect Drivers
Duelund’s revolutionary theories on constant phase in crossover networks can be summed up in a single statement: “All
drivers must be in phase at all times at all frequencies.” Following this theoretical “Eureka,” the hard part then became making that happen with a real loudspeaker in a real room. The
first step was to acknowledge that the greatest challenge fa-
Steen Duelund
cing loudspeaker designers was the simple fact that dynamic
drive units are by nature flawed and compromised.
Many driver designs defy all sound design principles, because they are the result of penny-pinching exercises under
heavy market pressure to deliver “acceptable” performance at
the lowest price. There is little motivation to allocate resources
to making drivers truly the best that they can be.
In order to succeed in their mission, now assigned the working
title Project 30, Rasmussen and Duelund returned to first concepts, literally building by hand individual drivers with baskets that did not introduce compression, handmade
multi-laminate cones, exotic home-brew coatings, adjustable
wire suspension to replace the conventional spider, heavyduty magnetic systems, ventilated pole pieces, machined
phase plugs and special surrounds to optimize the transition
between cone and baffle. All edges were beveled for a deliberate aerodynamic profile. Double wiring was employed on the
cones to ensure perfect symmetry. The list of breakthroughs
goes on.
Every aspect of driver design, assembly and function was thoroughly investigated without prejudice and with scant respect
for received wisdom, which often proved to be ill-founded
dogma formulated by individuals promoting their own specific
agendas.
The end result was drive units with extremely low Q, high
power handling, no dynamic compression and a linear pistonic
range that pushed back the limits of driver design.
In order to live up to the uncompromising design goal of perfect phase at all times at all frequencies, the enclosure incorporated a concave curved front to form a direct angled,
time-aligned system with identical distance from the listener
to the acoustic centre of each driver.
The finished loudspeaker can only be described as an open
window, utterly transparent to the original recorded event with
equally remarkable dynamic headroom that re-creates the
true power and full weight of live music, both in details such as
a drum rimshot and in the effortless expansion of an orchestral
crescendo in a large-scale symphonic piece.
Gone were the sluggishness and “whitewashed” uniformity typical of loudspeakers with complex crossovers where 60% of
the components are dedicated to the thankless task of compensating for the basic imperfections of inferior drivers. In
such speakers, the crossover becomes a virtual “black hole,”
sucking up energy instead of conveying it to the drivers.
At this stage, a respected German audio reviewer visited
Gryphon. In the Gryphon listening room, he auditioned Gryphon amplifiers using the company’s usual reference loudspea-
kers, a well-known American full-range system. Suitably impressed with what he heard, he happened to notice some large
enclosures concealed beneath a sheet off to one side. His curiosity aroused, he persuaded Flemming to hook them up for
an off the record listening session with the clear understanding that this was not a commercial product.
To make a long story short, the reviewer had a revelatory experience and rumours quickly began to circulate about a mystery speaker that Gryphon were keeping to themselves.
Despite the unique quality of the project, Rasmussen decided
not to pursue it as a commercial venture, using the loudspeakers only as a valued tool in the company’s electronics development work. The decision was based on the fact that the
many hand-tweaked, non-standard components made it a slow,
expensive and exceedingly complex system to build. Too
many of its geeky, off-the-wall solutions were conceived and
executed without regard for the real-world problems of consistent, day-to-day production and long-term reliability. Moreover, this was at a time in the High End industry when
electronics manufacturers and speaker makers politely played
in their own sandboxes, rarely invading each other’s turf.
Today, things have changed considerably.
The Cantata Reference Monitor System
By the millennium, Gryphon had become firmly established as
a major international player with a range of amplification components and CD players widely regarded as among the very
best in the esoteric world of High End audio.
Gryphon innovations included the world's first single-chassis
CD player with onboard upsampling and critical system enhancements such as the acclaimed Exorcist, the world's first
system demagnetizer, as well as a range of cables and accessories.
Still, demand for a Gryphon loudspeaker continued to grow, as
distributors, dealers and enthusiasts wanted to share in the
great secret. Electing not to fall into the same trap as so many
others who rush to market with a “me, too” loudspeaker system in an attempt to cash in on the goodwill of an established
electronics brand name, Rasmussen decided to address an
unacknowledged problem that he had frequently observed:
Most audiophiles select loudspeakers that are simply too large
to work well in their room and wind up fighting a losing battle
against room acoustics with inadequate tools.
Rasmussen already knew what they would have to learn from
bitter, expensive experience: Not even the best amplifier and
room treatments can turn things around once you have installed the wrong speaker in the wrong room. To help enthusiasts
with limited living space overcome these obstacles, a more
The Gryphon Cantata
compact loudspeaker became Gryphon’s top priority, because
it was felt to fill the greatest need.
Driven by his decade-long vision of a loudspeaker that would
finally get things right, Rasmussen conceived the Gryphon
Cantata to set new standards for sonic performance in a twoway system of modest dimensions. With Steen Duelund’s theories as inspiration, acoustician Lars Matthiesen Rasmussen set
about the task of translating theory into workable, practical solutions. Rasmussen and the Gryphon design team created the
product’s conceptual and physical framework, while Rasmussen and Gryphon chairman Valdemar Børsting were responsible for final voicing. Exploiting Gryphon’s home court
advantage in the field of electronics, it was natural to incorporate a high tech active Q control, a concept introduced in the
1950’s by Linkwitz and Greiner, but never successfully implemented.
The Cantata received a rave reception from press and owners
alike, winning numerous awards, including Product of the Year
from UK magazine HiFi+. Gryphon was immediately accepted
as a loudspeaker manufacturer and praised for tackling the
endeavour with innovative flair and bravery.
Gryphon Poseidon
The development and, in particular, the actual production of
Cantata with its innumerable tailor-made components gave
Gryphon valuable experience and the courage to revive and
complete Project 30. Auditioning confirmed that the system
had been well ahead of its time. Equally important, Gryphon’s
accrued experience and good working relations with driver
manufacturers now meant that the project could be fully realised to an even higher standard.
Special drive units would still be required, but Gryphon’s unquestioned High End stature and the success of the Cantata attracted the interest of an internationally respected Danish
driver manufacturer willing to build drive units to Gryphon’s
strict specifications. Jensen Capacitors manufactured inductors and capacitors to Gryphon’s specifications. A German manufacturer supplied a surround that matched the cone
geometry. The list of specialists involved continued to expand.
As was once the norm in the High End, Gryphon is still run by
enthusiasts able and willing to take risks and push back boundaries, not because the marketplace demands it or because
anyone asked them to, but out of sheer curiosity as to what
awaits in the uncharted territories where no one has gone before.
Consequently, Project 30 began to grow in scope and ambition, bearing out Flemming E. Rasmussen’s bold declaration,
“The reason we make products is to finance our research and
development. This is our true passion.”
In August 2004, the final fruit of Project 30 was unveiled, Gryphon Poseidon. Lavishly built by even the most extravagant
High End standards, the exquisitely finished Gryphon Poseidon offered expressive musical communication and a gripping
sensation of involvement in the performance as it unfolds.
Gryphon Poseidon redefined loudspeaker performance in
such crucial areas as sonic continuity and integrity, allowing
the listener to create a more vivid mental image of the musical
event with a greater sense of wholeness and consummate
ease.
Followed by the more accessible Trident, Atlantis and Mojo systems, Poseidon immediately established Gryphon Audio Designs as a force to be reckoned with in the field of High End
loudspeakers.
Enter the Pendragon
Now, Gryphon Pendragon builds on what has gone before, exploring the complex art of simplicity even further in the service of music.
The Pendragon is a three-way loudspeaker system consisting
of four separate enclosures, all 199 cm tall, coincidentally (?)
the same height as Mr. Rasmussen himself. The distinctive
string grille design is courtesy of Sonus Faber of Italy and is
used with their kind permission.
The sculptural towers are built just down the road from Gryphon by a woodworking company specializing in custom design
work for recording studios and musicians. Their staff includes
several musicians, who combine a perfectionist approach to
their craft with an open mind to untraditional solutions. Rasmussen frequently tested the limits of their open-mindedness
in executing an undertaking on the grand scale of the Pendragon, while maintaining structural and aesthetic integrity.
Assembled using proprietary techniques, Pendragon offer a
service unique in the audio field: access to virtually unlimited
personalised custom finish options not only at the time of original purchase, but also at any later date to keep pace with
evolving personal style and interior décor.
Available panel options are limited only by the customer's
imagination. However, requests may not include rain forest
wood or any endangered, restricted or illegal materials.
assembly of bass towers
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