Gryphon XT Owner's Manual

T H E G R Y P H O N P R E A M P L I F I E R

OWNER'S MANUAL XT

he Gryphon team would like to take this opportunity to congratulate and thank you for purchasing the Gryphon

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Preamplifier XT. To ensure optimum performance and maximum satisfaction, please read the owner's manual
before proceeding to listen to your latest ac quisition. As designers, audiophiles and music enthusiasts, we ar e well aware
that most manuals a re read in the first heated moments of actual ly listening to the equipment, but we do advise you to
read this manual carefully before installing the Gryphon Preamplifier XT .

The Gryphon Preamplifier XT is a »prestige pr oduct« in the only meaningful sense of the term: a handmade product in
very limited numbers based on the extensive research and development efforts of professional audio engineers, a
component expert, a mechanical engineer and a designer. The Gryphon Preamp is the end result of three years of
constant experimentation and investigation into the behavior of audio circuits under »real world« conditions. It is our
intention to offer to the serious music lover a true state of the art system control amplifier which will extract the full
measure of musical satisfaction from whatever source is used.
Working for our own pleasure as much as for anything else, we have challenged ourselves to push back the borders of
audio component performance in a series of no-compromise, cost-no-object designs. The Gryphon Preamplifier XT is the
latest realization of these goals and stands proudly alongside the Gryphon Headamp and the Gryphon Phonostage.

THE GRYPHON

Myth: Creature which combines the power of the »King of Beasts" with the grace of the »King of B irds". Known in Greek
mythology as the guardian of the source of gold and protector of the Dionysian cup of infinite wealth.
Reality: Danish audio engineering company employing cutting edge technology and common sense in the pursuit of
musical excellence.

GRYPHON PREAMPLIFIER XT

FEATURES

• Dual mono configuration

• 24-position passive resistor volume control

• Fully discrete construction

• Select premium-grade components

• Short signal-path with no internal wiring

• 28,000 microFarad capacitor bank

• Flat megabandwidth frequency response

• Zero negative feedback

• Pure Class A mode x 40

• Custom-built C-core transformer

• Low output impedance for long cable runs

• DC coupling with servo-control

• Independent, regulated power supplies with noise filters

• Modular mainframe design

• Non-magnetic chassis

• PCB-mounted WBT phono sockets

• Eleven-stage voltage regulation per channel

• Five year warranty

MUSICAL OBJECTIVES

Let us make one thing perfectly clear:
The sound of live music must be the ultimate reference in the design of any audio playback system.
Of course, there is an endangered species of »techno-freaks« who seriousl y maintain that the concert hall experience is
irrelevant to the hi-fi experience. The techno-freak finds live music in real space duller tha n the thrill of hi-fi, lacking the »
ultra sharp focus « on instruments. The predominance of reflected s ound in the concert hall als o takes the »e dge« of live
music for the techno-freak.
The sole purpose of every Gryphon product is to recreate as accurate an illusion of the live music experience as is
humanly possible. We are successful only if our endeavors move you not to say »What a wonderful amplifier«, but to say
instead, »What marvelous music«.

THE GRYPHON CREW

The exterior design, ergonomics and basic philosophy behind every Gryphon project are the brainchild of Gryphon
founder Flemming E. Rasmussen.
More often than not, a full line of audio products is conceived and designed by a single person whose lack of overall
expertise is revealed by the fact that a fine power amplifier is followed by a medi ocre pr eamp lifier or that the ph on o stag e
in an otherwise excellent preamplifier is not up to the same standard.
The Gryphon design team consists of two permanent members to ensure a consistent standard of performance,
ergonomics and styling. They are assisted by a strong line-up of specialists who provide additional know-how and
creativity for each individual project.

T H E G R Y P H O N D E S I G N G O A L S

One immediately obvious aspect of Gryphon products is the dual mono concept which is carried to its ultimate extreme in
the topology of every Gryphon design in order to achieve mi nimal crosstalk, maximum channel separation. The use of
large, separate power supplies and multistage AC regulation an d filtering are also Gryphon trademarks. Simplicity is the
watchword in Gryphon circuit design, with painstaking attention to the layout of grounding paths. Even the earliest
version of the Gryphon Head Amp in 1984 featured true star grounding. The presence of the MUTE function on the
program selector switch is just one example of our deceptively simple approach to maintaining the shortest possible
signal path.
What is left out in audio engineering is every bit as important as what is put in.
Too many audio engineers use large numbe rs of mediocre components in a vain effort to compensate for fundamental
shortcomings in circuit design, resulting in overly-complex products with textbook specifications, yet mediocre sound
quality.
Equally irrelevant to the quest for realistic home music reproduction is the school of thou ght which subscribes to the
indiscriminate use of only the »best« and most »fashionable« components, »dream caps«, »superresistors«, etc. This
approach guarantees nothing but a very high price.
The Gryphon design team employs premium grad e components, some of which are very expe nsive, others of which are
less well-known in consumer audio but held in high regard in the comput er industry and other professional applic ations.
Rather than view these components in isolation, the interface and synergy of every part of the whole is carefully
scrutinized.
Because Gryphon products are designed with careful attention to the true relationship of measured performance to
subjective sonic performance, the Gryphon Preamplifier XT is an ideal tool for the evaluati on of other components.

EXTERIOR DESIGN

Even if beauty is only skin deep, we see no reason why a fine (and expensive) audio instrument should not be as
pleasing to the eye as it is to the ear, so long as the visuals do not constitute an aesthetic dictatorship which
compromises musical performance.
The Gryphon philosophy makes no allowance for convenience featur es such as rem ote control or digital dis plays s o lon g
as they cannot be executed without dire consequences for sonic performance.
In the Gryphon Preamplifier XT form follows function, reinforcing the basic principles of the Gryphon concept and
reflecting the dual mono topology. Because form follows function, the thoughtfully laid out features of the Gryphon
Preamp are largely self-explanatory, breaking do wn the barriers that are usually erected between technology and the
consumer.

MANUFACTURE AND ASSEMBLY

The Gryphon Preamplifier XT is manufactured by a select team of speci alists. The fully seal ed printed circuit b oards with
three times the normal quantity of high purity copper are assembled by a supp lier of precision 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 as pect of the Gryph on Preamp, from the acrylic cov er
to the spikes to the handmade knobs of precious Brazilian Ven ge wood, the same stringent standards of excellence
apply. Final assembly and testing take place in the Gryphon laboratories. Our years of research and development
experience give us the confidence to back our products with a five year guarantee.

UNPACKING THE GRYPHON PREAMPLIFIER XT

The line level or MM version includes:
1 Gryphon Preamplifier XT

1 power supply
2 power supply cords
1 pair of phono shorting plugs
4 spikes with coasters
1 pair of gloves

The MC version also includes:
10 MC impedance modules
Please keep the carton and all original packing materials for safe future transportation of your Gryphon Preamplifier XT.