Gryphon Design Philosophy
Design Philosophy
Gryphon Audio Designs is a prime proponent of a dedicated, no-frills, minimalist approach, leaving out tone controls, balance controls, headphone sockets, etc. in order to maintain signal integrity.
Each Gryphon product is designed to serve the single purpose of maintaining the integrity of the input signal with no subtractive or additive colorations. The quality of the input signal itself (for better or for worse) must always be the sole factor which determines the final sound quality. This philosophy naturally entails that poor recordings will be revealed for what they are, while allowing fine recordings to be more fully appreciated.
At Gryphon we have found soundstaging and ambience to be fundamental aspects of the live music experience. This awareness underlies the wide bandwidth which is one of the key points in Gryphon circuit topology. All Gryphon products feature ultra-wide frequency bandwidth to ensure perfect phase characteristics which are essential to correct soundstage reproduction. Broadband frequency response is also an indication of the high slew rate of every Gryphon gain stage.
Gryphon pioneered the external, overkill power supply with extensive mains filtering based on the insight that the audio signal begins with AC from the wall outlet. All Gryphon designs are heavily biased towards Class A to keep transistors well within their most linear operating area and the vast majority of Gryphon products are zero negative feedback designs.
Gryphon was also the first manufacturer to introduce a true dual mono configuration. Dual Mono eliminates any possibility of interaction between the two channels which might compromise ultimate sonic performance.
A Mission Statement
Gryphon has undertaken a quest for absolute musical truth, remaining unconditionally faithful to the musical source. One of the most important lessons that Rasmussen learned as a painter is that too much of human perception is based on expectations, on what we think we know about things and not on what we actually see or hear. In order to properly create the illusion of something real, we must first perceive the reality accurately and understand it in detail. This lesson is the philosophical cornerstone of Gryphon Audio Designs
As the best possible reminder of the reality that the finest audio equipment must recreate and as an indispensable tool in the development of our products, Gryphon owns an extensive collection of first and second generation master tapes of studio performances in all musical genres recorded between 1956 and 1976 during the golden age of stereo recording. These tapes represent the closest approximation to live performance, which for Gryphon is the only reliable reference. No CD or LP comes close to these original recordings for dynamics and resolution. These recordings are a valuable tool that forces Gryphon engineers to work to a higher standard than designers who only have access to ordinary commercial releases.
Gryphon also works closely with a professional recording engineer whose concert recordings allow the frequent opportunity to attend a concert and then listen to the recording immediately after. With the concert experience fresh in mind as an absolute reference, the critical evaluation of home equipment takes on new dimensions, which are reflected in the exacting standards to which every Gryphon product is designed.
