The Gryphon Diablo 300 Integrated Amplifier
The Gryphon Diablo 300 Integrated Amplifier
Gryphon audio are synonymous with a no compromise engineering approach to creating beautiful sounding high end audio products. The Gryphon Diablo 300 Integrated amplifier embodies the same obssessive attention to detail in design to ensure a thoroughly captivating musical experience and continues the high end tradition into a truly top end integrated amplifier.
The Gryphon Diablo 300 is considered by many to be one of the best integrateds ever made. High-end specialist Gryphon Audio Designs is renowned for the quality of its products in all aspects of design, be it style, engineering principles or sonic performance. The company has had considerable success with the astounding Diablo 300 integrated, a powerhouse offering which, as the name suggests, is rated at 300 watts per channel. The Diablo 300’s modular design is capable of accepting a top-shelf DAC and phono stage while bearing the usual Gryphon (for short) engineering and artistic design flair.
An integrated amplifier that goes above and beyond
Despite its substantial size and heft, the satin black, brushed aluminium chassis and gleaming black acrylic faceplate of the Gryphon Diablo 300 exude luxurious elegance that will enhance any interior. Form and function come together as the non-magnetic, non-resonant chassis and isolated power supplies for pre and power stages and control and display functions shield against interference.
The Gryphon Diablo 300 is controlled via an intuitively simple touch-sensitive front panel user interface and a software-based menu display that allow the owner to customise key functions. Future software updates can be installed via flash memory as they are developed.
A large alphanumeric Vacuum Fluorescent Display prominently exhibits the name of the active input and the current volume setting. Personalised input source names up to eight characters long can be assigned in the display.
All functions are accessible from the front panel or the striking remote wand. So there are no mechanical parts to wear out or become noisy.
The ultra-transparent, fully balanced volume attenuator topology fully exploits the two balanced inputs. Unlike the vast majority of solid state volume controls that typically introduce dozens of resistors in the signal path, the Diablo 300 employs no more than two for any given level setting". Forget the so-called Hi-Res Audio designation, as the Diablo 300 obliterates it handily. The Diablo 300 extends from 0.5 Hz to 350 kHz, which is far above and beyond the basic specs needed to qualify as Hi-Res Audio. And that power output you ask, even those of you with low efficiency speakers. You get 300 Watt @ 8 Ohms, a doubling to 600 Watts @ 4 Ohms and 'only' 950 Watts @ 2 Ohms. Nine hundred and fifty Watts of power, wow!
So how do they do it? First we start with the critical power supply. Gryphon Audio's Diablo 300 has an electrical power reservoir of 68,000 microFarad and employs local active shunt regulators for excellent noise suppression. You'll find polypropylene coupling capacitors in parallel with high-grade electrolytic capacitors within various amplification stages. With a vast amount of electrical power reserves, the amplification section that operates in high Class A/B bias should never run out of juice. Naturally there are an abundance of hand-picked audiophile-grade parts, chosen only after many hours of listening. As you'd expect from a reference design, low-capacitance pre-driver transistors plus increased current in the voltage amplification stage are some of the highlights. Improvements within the Gryphon Audio Diablo 300 over the previous longstanding design include using non-inductive emitter diodes versus the previous model's wire-wound variant.
Gryphon Audio Designs’ Diablo 300 is a unique audio component. Its visual or electronic design is unlike that of any other high-end component and its build quality is exceptional. The Diablo 300 is designed to easily corral any speaker on the market.
Diablo 300 Optional Add on boards
Diablo 300 comes as standard without phono and DAC modules. With the optional dual mono class A DAC module the Diablo gains two SPDIF inputs, Toslink, AES/EBU and USB input. These should cover all the digital epicenter needs. Diablo DAC comes as a trickle down version of Gryphon Kalliope and its quite interesting and potent one. Along with typical PCM affairs being fully covered Diablo DAC module also run not only in dual DSD mode, but in quad and even octave DSD mode. Something that might be quickly overlooked into the specs, but its more then worthy to be noted and heard.
The Phono module is both MM and MC and it’s a really great performer with an all discrete topology, no IC or op amps.
The Gryphon Diablo 300 Specifications and Reviews
- 2 x 300W (8 Ohm), 2 x 600W (4 Ohm), 2 x 950W (2 Ohm)
- True Dual Mono configuration
- Zero negative feedback
- Microprocessor-controlled 43-step fully balanced relay volume attenuator for best sonic performance based on a minimalist contingent of ultra-precision resistors
- Ultra-short signal path
- Minimal internal wiring
- Military spec. dual-layer and four-layer printed circuit boards with up to 105 micron copper traces
- Dual Mono Holmgren toroidal transformer with vacuum treated core and windings to virtually eliminate mechanical noise
- PCB-mounted sockets eliminate wiring and shorten signal path
- New, high-speed, discrete single-ended Class A input buffer for best possible sonic performance
- Gold-plated Swiss Neutrik XLR sockets for two balanced sources
- Gold-plated phono sockets with Teflon insulation for 3 inputs and 2 outputs
- Fixed-level AV throughput for uncompromising integration with surround preamplifier
- Input level matching to prevent abrupt level changes
- Large Vacuum Fluorescent Display for easy legibility
- Adjustable display lighting (100%, 75%, 50%, 25%, Off)
- Backlit touch-sensitive front panel controls
- Optional MM/MC phonostage module
- Optional PCM/DSD DAC module with one USB, 2 x SPDIF, 1 AES and 1 optical input
- 12V DC link input and output
- Flash memory upgrades via key fob
- Local shunt regulators for optimal noise suppression
- Non-invasive protection system
- Infrared remote control
- Input for external iInfrared receiver
- Standard power consumption: less than 0.5 W, conforming to latest EU standards
- EU CE approval
- Designed and built in Denmark