Welcome to the global family of
proud owners of fine audio components from Gryphon Audio
Designs of Denmark. Your new
Gryphon unit has been painstak ingly 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 musi cal experience. We feel that the
gryphon is an appropriate symbol for our high sonic goals.
3
Made In Denmark
Flemming E. Rasmussen painting 1967
The Gryphon Head Amp 1985
Sonata-Allegro
Sonata Allegro form was a
development of the classical era.
It represents a more open form
than many of the earlier Baroque
forms such as fugues, rondeau
form ect.
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.
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.
4
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 convinc ing 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
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 pro vides infinite channel separation
which contributes to the ability to
create space, focus, depth and
transparency.
Gryphon is located in beautiful tranquil surroundings.
Master Tape
Collection
In the Gryphon listening rooms,
we are fortunate to possess a
Because the electrical power
coming out of your wall fluctuates wildly in terms of voltage
and distortion, Gryphon incorporates heavily regulated multi-
5
Typical Gryphon module
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 lay out 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-
6
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.
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 simplici ty, 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
From 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.
Gryphon Audio Designs in the
outskirts of the small town of Ry
Exhaustive investigation underlies the selection of every component part and many original,
proprietary components are cus tom-built exclusively for
Gryphon. Because what is left
out is just as important as what
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
handcraftsmanship.
7
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 appreci ated 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 manufac turing 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-inspec tion of components. Chassis
parts are manufactured by a
specialist chosen solely for the
outstanding quality of workman-
ship. 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.
8
Burn-In and
Warm-Up
Your Gryphon unit 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
teristics 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.
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
performanc
Choice of Cables
Because your Callisto integrated
amplifier is a high-resolution
Gryphon audio device, it will
immediately reveal the charac-
Care and
Maintenance
Gryphon products are handcraft ed 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.
9
Unpacking
During unpacking and installation, please take care to avoid
scratching the Gryphon SonataAllegro. Hard, sharp objects
such as tools should not be
nearby during this process. You
might want to remove your
wristwatch, rings or other jew ellery before handling the preamplifier. Please keep the car ton and all packing materials in
a dry place for safe future trans portation.
Installation
In order to minimize any possi ble risk of electrical interference, do not place the preamplifier directly above or below the
power supply. The power supply
connector allows you to place
them some distance apart. If
you wish to place them side by
side, please place the power
supply to the left of the preamplifier as seen from the front.
The following items are
enclosed:
1 Gryphon Sonata-Allegro pre
amplifier
1 Gryphon Sonata-Allegro
power supply
2 AC power cables
2 DC power supply con-
nectors
1 pair of white gloves
1 acrylic polish
1 packing list
1 purchase registration-
card
1 Green Bias control link
(use with Gryphon Antileon or
Antileon Solo power amplifiers)
If anything is missing or damaged, please contact your
Gryphon dealer immediately.
Power supply
For each channel, connect a
DC connector cable to the socket marked DC OUTPUT on the
supply and to the socket
marked DC INPUT on the pre amplifier. Turn the locking connector clockwise to lock firmly to
prevent accidental disconnec tion.
Each channel has its own
On/Off switch. For optimum per formance, we recommend that
you leave the Sonata powered
up at all times. If you choose to
turn the Sonata on and off,
please remember:
ALWAYS turn the preamplifier
on, BEFORE turning on the
power amplifier.
10
Loading...
+ 22 hidden pages
You need points to download manuals.
1 point = 1 manual.
You can buy points or you can get point for every manual you upload.