Gryphon Scorpio User Manual

Scorpio

Owners manual

manual vers. 1.0

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

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.

3

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

4

Flemming E. Rasmussen painting 1967