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Scorpio
Owners manual
manual vers. 1.0
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Table of Contents:
Introduction....................... 3
The Gryphon....................... 3
Scorpio................................ 4
The Man.............................. 4
Made in Denmark............... 4
Musical Objectives............... 5
The Gryphon Master Tape
Collection............................ 5
Design Principles................ 5
Exterior Design................... 7
Manufacture and Assembly. 8
Using Your Gryphon......... 8
AC Voltage.......................... 8
Burn-in and Warm-up.......... 9
Placement........................... 9
Connections........................ 9
Choice of Cables................ 9
AC Switch............................ 10
Remote functions................. 10
Operation............................. 11
Care and Maintenance....... 11
Warranty.............................. 11
Safety Instructions.............. 12
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Introduction
Welcome to the global family of
proud owners of fine audio components from Gryphon Audio
Designs of Denmark. Your new
Gryphon unit has been painstakingly designed to re-create the
sound of live music taking place
in its original recorded space.
Every Gryphon product is
designed to cater to the needs of
the most discerning music
enthusiast with sumptuous
styling and superb user-friendliness which elevate it above the
mundane world of conventional audio components.
As audiophiles, the
members of the
Gryphon design team are constantly reminded to keep their
priorities straight. We are not
involved in “hi-fi” for its own
sake, but strictly as a means to
an end, in the service of our lifelong love of the live music experience in all its sonic and emotional glory.
Our higher goal is to bring to the
listener a “You-Are-There” sensation. In taking up this challenge, the Gryphon designers go
back to basics to analyze the
essential nature of the live music
experience. For us, an awareness of soundstaging, ambience
and concert hall dimensions are
necessary components. .
Dynamics and an unambiguous
sense of instrument location
even in the loudest passages
are also high priorities. To
achieve these objectives,
Gryphon products offer exceptional speed and agility along
with seamless coherence in the
time domain.
Since 1985, Gryphon Audio
Designs has quietly gone about
the business of creating fine
home audio components. We
know that you will appreciate and enjoy the benefits
of our accumulated experience and share our abiding passion for music.
The Gryphon
In Greek mythology: A fabled
creature, half-lion and halfeagle, combining the power of
the “King of Beasts” with the
grace of the “King of Birds”. The
guardian of the source of gold
and protector of the Dionysian
cup of infinite wealth.
In the real world: An acclaimed
Danish audio engineering company employing cutting edge
technology and common sense
in the pursuit of the purest musical experience. We feel that the
gryphon is an appropriate symbol for our high sonic goals.
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Scorpio
1. Astronomy. Scorpius.
2. Astrology. a. the eighth sign of the zodiac:
the fixed water sign.
b. a person born under this sign, usually
between October 23rd and November 21st.
The man
Gryphon Audio Designs is the
brainchild of Flemming E.
Rasmussen and the fulfillment of
a lifelong dream to allow the
purest essence of the live music
experience to be recreated in the
home environment.
Rasmussen holds a degree in
painting and graphic arts from
the Aarhus Art Academy,
Denmark. During his studies,
Rasmussen developed close
relationships with the local music
community and designed many
LP covers and concert posters.
After graduation, he taught photography and painting and
designed textiles, before founding 2R Marketing, which quickly
became Denmark’s leading High
End audio import company.
Gryphon Audio Designs was
founded in 1985 as an offshoot
of 2R Marketing, The first product, the now legendary Gryphon
Head Amp, grew from a one-off
spare time project developed
only for the designers’ own home
systems. Although the Gryphon
project was initially strictly a
hobby, not an actively pursued
commercial venture, demand
generated by reviews and wordof-mouth led to the formal establishment of Gryphon Audio
Designs as a separate corporate
entity.
Following the immediate success of the Gryphon brand, all
import business was phased out
in 1993, so that Rasmussen
could dedicate his efforts entirely to Gryphon.
Made In Denmark
Every product from Gryphon
Audio Designs is designed and
built in Denmark. This is much
more than just a geographical
fact. It is also a seal of approval,
a stamp of quality. Living in a
region with no natural resources
(no oil, coal, precious metals,
etc.), the Danes have learned to
rely on their quick wits and
skilled hands. Innovative technology, beautiful craftsmanship,
pride in one’s craft and a keen
eye for attractive design are
some of the long-standing
Danish traditions which are distilled to their finest essence in
every unit that bears the
Gryphon name.
The Gryphon Head Amp 1985
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Flemming E. Rasmussen painting 1967
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unique library of more than
1,000 original master tapes of
recordings made during the
Golden Age of studio engineering from 1956-1976.
Unlike conventional commercial
releases, our master tapes capture the dynamic contrasts and
subtle inner harmonic structure
of the musical event, forcing us
to work to a higher standard in
our efforts to maintain the integrity of the original musical performance.
Design Principles
With state of the art technical
equipment and some of the
finest minds in the audio engineering field at our disposal, the
Gryphon brand name continues
to define the highest audiophile
standards of subjective and
technical performance.
The dual mono configuration
radically eliminates any possibility of crosstalk or other interference between channels and provides infinite channel separation
which contributes to the ability to
create space, focus, depth and
transparency.
Because the electrical power
coming out of your wall fluctuates wildly in terms of voltage
and distortion, Gryphon incorporates heavily regulated multi-
Gryphon is located in beautiful tranquil surroundings.
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Musical
Objectives
While scientific method and
sophisticated technology play an
important role in our electronics
design work, at Gryphon we
never lose sight of the fact that
the keen ears of an experienced
listener are the most crucial “calibration tools.” Therefore, every
Gryphon product exists for one
simple purpose: to bring the user
closer in the never-ending quest
for a more natural and convincing musical illusion.
Every Gryphon design has been
built to cruise effortlessly through
even the most demanding musical passages, regardless of volume level, with a musical presentation defined by supreme
articulation and immediacy, subtle dynamic shading and razorsharp focus. Refinement and
delicacy are combined with
power and authority for a natural, involving listening experience.
The Gryphon
Master Tape
Collection
In the Gryphon listening rooms,
we are fortunate to possess a
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stage power supplies that act as
effective mains conditioning filters. Displays and control circuits
are fed by a separate power supply to isolate any digital noise
artifacts and effectively prevent
them from contaminating the signal path.
While the printed circuit boards
in more conventional audio products utilize conductor tracks a
mere 35 um thick, Gryphon
employs at least 70 um traces of
the highest purity.
Beginning with our very first
product, “The Head Amp” all
Gryphon products have featured
extremely wide frequency bandwidth, because the ability to
reproduce ultra-sonic frequencies with no difficulty ensures linear phase across the audible frequency range.
The implementation of circuits
with wideband frequency
response is a painstaking
endeavor in which the actual layout and ground pattern of the PC
boards are crucial to the
achievement of superior sonic
performance with no loss of
inherent stability.
Wideband frequency response
ensures the high slew rate
essential to the realistic handling
of the ultra-fast transients which
routinely occur in live music and
is crucial in recreating the natural decay of musical instruments.
Wide bandwidth also improves
phase characteristics, for more
correct soundstaging and imaging.
All Gryphon designs are realized
with an absolute minimum of
negative feedback, which when
present in large amounts can
actually increase TIM distortion.
All Gryphon preamplifiers are
designed with zero negative
feedback. Gryphon power amplifiers apply negative feedback
judiciously for improved linearity
and bandwidth.
Gryphon research into the detrimental effects of magnetically
induced distorted (MID) has led
to the elimination of magnetizable materials wherever possible. To eliminate the effects of
stray magnetic fields, non-magnetic materials are employed
throughout, with the unavoidable
exception of the transformer
shield box.
The mechanical design of the
cabinet and assembly methods
are all carefully calculated to
ensure minimal resonance,
either through the use of
mechanically grounded high
mass or decoupling. Vibrationsensitive components, capaci-
Typical Gryphon module
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tors in particular, are thus guaranteed a non-resonant environment.
The heavy, thick chassis offers a
vibration-proof environment for
the sensitive electronics inside
and provides crucial shielding
from a polluted world of low and
high-frequency radio waves,
power-line radiation and other
electrical interference.
Meticulous attention to such
issues makes a significant contribution to the relaxing, open
and transparent Gryphon sound.
Unique, non-invasive protection
circuitry offers reliable, fuss-free
protection without compromising
signal purity and signal path simplicity, with no conventional
relays in the signal path to
degrade or compress sound.
The ground path has been carefully laid out in order to achieve
superior sonic performance with
no loss of stability. Component
layout has been designed to
ensure the shortest conceivable
signal path.
Exhaustive investigation underlies the selection of every component part and many original,
proprietary components are custom-built exclusively for
Gryphon. Because what is left
out is just as important as what
goes in, an absolute minimum of
internal wiring is included.
By lavishing attention on each
aspect of the circuit and fully
understanding the purpose and
behavior of every single part of
the whole, our designers can
optimize performance in each
section, before moving on to the
next step. This ensures simplicity, a short signal path and a unity
of purpose with a single, welldefined objective: musical purity.
In the interest of ultimate fidelity,
tone controls, balance controls
and other unnecessary components have been banished from
the signal path.
Exterior Design
Fom the very beginning, every
Gryphon product has offered
stunning audio performance,
sumptuous styling and superb
user-friendliness, catering to the
needs of the discerning audiophile who demands musicality,
convenience and aesthetics, all
without compromise.
In every Gryphon product, form
follows function in a unique synthesis of aesthetics and practicality. Gryphon stands for
sophisticated technology with a
high standard of industrial finish
that also incorporates the best of
Gryphon Audio Designs in the
outskirts of the small town of Ry
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handcraftsmanship.
The peerless finish, build quality,
ergonomics and pride of ownership that contribute to the totality
of the Gryphon concept can only
be fully understood and appreciated up close and in person.
Rasmussen’s background in fine
arts and industrial design gives
every Gryphon product a distinctive, luxuriant finish which arises
organically out of the audio circuit design and the user interface for a truly unique integration
of form and function.
Manufacture and
Assembly
At our laboratories and manufacturing facilities in Denmark, we
maintain full control over every
aspect of development and production, and the members of our
conscientious staff diligently follow each Gryphon model from
initial concept to early prototype,
through to final quality control.
Printed circuit boards are
assembled by a supplier of precision military and medical
equipment with strict standards
of quality control and pre-inspection of components. Chassis
parts are manufactured by a
specialist chosen solely for the
outstanding quality of workmanship. In every aspect of every
Gryphon product, the same
stringent standards of excellence apply.
Following a 48-hour burn-in,
each product is tested again,
before being subjected to
Gryphon’s custom-developed
transport simulator which simulates the inevitable shaking that
a product will encounter in transit. The product is placed on top
of a very large loudspeaker
which plays a special CD with
low frequencies which simulate
the vibrations of an airplane.
Each unit “travels” the equivalent
of 40 round trips from Denmark
to Australia before leaving the
factory.
AC Voltage
Your Gryphon unit is especially
made for the AC voltage of the
country to which it has been
shipped. If the voltage has been
changed, the warranty is void
and the product may be unsafe
or malfunction.
Correct AC polarity contributes
greatly to optimum performance.
If you are not using a three-pin,
non-reversible power plug,
please experiment with the orientation of the plug for optimum
performance.
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Correct AC polarity contributes
greatly to optimum performance.
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Burn-In and
Warm-Up
Your Gryphon has been thoroughly tested and burned in
before shipping. Performance
will continue to improve during
the first 40 – 50 hours of normal
use. After this period optimum
performance will be reached
approximately 45 minutes after
turn-on. With the exception of
Class A power amplifiers, we
recommend leaving your
Gryphon components powered
up at all times.
Balanced
Connections
All Gryphon products uses the
AES standard for balanced connections.
1. Ground
2. Positive
3. Negative
We recommend the use of dedicated balanced cables. Avoid the
use of adaptors as they degrade
performance.
Choice of Cables
Because your Scorpio is a highresolution audio device, it will
immediately reveal the characteristics and possible limitations
of the other components in your
system, as well as those of the
interconnects and loudspeaker
cables used to connect your system.
Wiring should never be utilized
as "equalizers" to correct errors
elsewhere in the system.
Instead, any error should be corrected at the source, so that
interconnects and loudspeaker
cables can be selected solely on
the basis of sonic neutrality. For
this reason, we employ
Gryphon's own range of interconnects and cables in every
stage of the design of every
Gryphon product.
Placing the
Scorpio
1.Do not place the Scorpio on
top of power amplifiers or other
components that contains large
power supplies.
2.Pay attention to the routing of
AC cords to keep them from
interfering with audio interconnects.
3. Keep interconnects as short
as practical possible.
Connections
The backside of the Scorpio is
very strait forward and features
A. 1 Pair of balanced outputs to
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We recommend the use of dedicated balanced cables. Avoid the
use of adaptors as they degrade
performance.
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be connected to any line input
on your pre amplifier or integrated amplifier. *
B.1 S/PDIF 75 to be connected
to an external D/A converter.
* We do not recommend the
use of direct connection to
power amplifiers via a passive
volume control.
AC Master switch
Placed under unit at front.
We know that the Scorpio is not
your first CD player and you do
not need to learn how to use
the basic functions of a CD
player.
In the following we shall only
address the more complicated
features of the Mikado
Remote control
functions:
Amp.
Pressing this button simultaneously
with the: INP-, INP+, VOL-, VOL+,
allow you to remotecontrol basic
functions of the Atilla Integrated
amplifier.
Stand-by
Sets the Mikado in a powersaving stand-by mode.
Tray
Open/close the disc tray
Time:
1 push - total time played
2 push - return ( shows status
of single track )
Repeat
1 Push - repeats the entire disc
2 Push - repeats current track
Disp- / Disp+
Here the display light intensity
can be adjusted.
High
Medium
Low
Off
When display is off, pressing
any button will briefly turn display on. Press again to activate
the display function.
Display off is indicated by blue
LED on front of player.
Search
When holding the button 'NEXT'
or 'PREV' down for more than 1
sec., the Scorpio will perform a
search forward or search back-
ward on the CD playing.
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The master On/Off switch on
the Scorpio is placed on the
underside of the unit near the
front.
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Operation:
Playing a CD
Press the button that opens the
Tray. On the remote control it is
the Tray button - on the Scorpio
front it is a symbol illustrating
the Tray.
Place the CD firmly label side
up. Be sure to center the disc.
Push the tray button to close
the tray again.
Care and
Maintenance
Gryphon products are handcrafted by individuals who take great
pride in the high level of fit and
finish which we achieve. To
maintain your Gryphon components in pristine condition,
please follow these simple
instructions.
Metal surfaces may be cleaned
with a damp cloth. Some product
made for treatment of vinyl interiors in cars may be useful. Test
the product on a non-visible surface, before using any fluids.
Acrylic surfaces should only be
wiped with a very soft, dry cloth.
Small scratches may be
removed with fiberglass polish.
Fingerprints may be removed
with a damp cloth. Do NOT use
spirits or paper tissue.
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Copied CD´s may not
work in this machine
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Warranty
The Gryphon Scorpio is warranted against failures arising
through faulty workmanship and
materials for a period of 3 years
( laser/transport 2 years ) from
date of purchase. The warranty
is not transferable.
This warranty
is only valid in the country where
the product was purchased.
All claims under this warranty
must be made to the distributor
in the buyer
`
s country by returning the unit securely packed in
the original box with all accessories, postage/freight prepaid
and insured. Original sales slip
must be included. The unit will
be repaired or replaced at no
charge for parts and labor.
This warranty remains valid only
if the serial number of the unit
has not been defaced or
removed and if repairs are performed only by authorized
Gryphon dealers or distributors.
If the voltage has been changed,
the warranty is void and the
product may be unsafe or malfunction.
Warranty does not cover damage due to misuse, accident or
neglect. The distributor or manufacturer, Gryphon Audio
Designs, Denmark, retains the
exclusive right to make such
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judgement on the basis of
inspection.
The retailer, distributor or manufacturer of the Gryphon shall not
be liable for consequential damage arising from the use, misuse
or failure of this product, including injuries to persons or property.
To secure the best service, the
enclosed warranty registration
card must be filled out and
returned to the manufacturer
within 10 days of purchase.
Alternatively, you may wish to
register online from our website.
www.gryphon-audio.com
To confirm your warraty registration, you will receive a little
Gryphon token to welcome you
to the family of Gryphon owners.
SAFETY
INSTRUCTIONS
Do not expose the unit to dripping water or moist.
Placement:
Do not place your Scorpio on
top of any heat producing products, such as power amplifiers
or DACs. If you place the
Scorpio inside any Hi-FI furniture or cabinets, there must be
a clearance of a minimum of
10cm (4 inches) above the
product and a minimum of 5cm
(2 inches) along the sides. To
allow a flow of cooling air the
back of the cabinet must be
open. If these guidelines are not
observed, overheating may
result.
Hazardous live
AC power
CLASS 1 LASER PRODUCT
Caution – use of controls or adjust-
ments or performance of procedures other than those
Specified herein may result in hazardous radiation exposure.
Laser radiation is only accessible
when cover is removed and switch
is overridden.
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