It’s called Diablo. Gryphon presents the latest incarnation of its integrated amplifier, and it promises maximum enjoyment. With the 333, the Danes are reaching for the stars.
Whenever Gryphon Audio is mentioned, finality is the word. The Danish manufacturer knows no such thing as an entry-level series. Every new device charts the boundaries of the possible. And this is clearest in their amplifiers. Take the latest Gryphon, the Diablo 333, an integrated amplifier whose physical presence encapsulates the company’s design philosophy: “A mixture of Nordic industrial minimalism and a touch of brutal Darth Vader inspiration.” The terms “compromise” or “interim solution”, which often resonate with integrated speakers, won’t cross anyone’s mind with the 50.6 kilogram net weight and 2 x 1100 watts of peak power (into 2 ohms). The Diablo 333 has arrived to close the book on amplification once and for all
When discussing Gryphon and amplifiers, we’re automatically talking Class A. The current-heavy transistor operation, which keeps them “pre-loaded” at a high bias current to avoid crossover distortion, is integral to Gryphon DNA. The downside is enormous power consumption. Today, folks are finding ways around this issue by using ultra-fast bias current controls. But that is not the Gryphon way. As Sales Manager Rune Skov explains: “We work with huge transformers and incredibly stiff overkill power supplies with tons of current.” He continues: “There is real Class A – and then there’s many attempts to achieve Class A-like performance in an economical and thus compromised way.” The Diablo 333 generates the first eight of its 333 watts (into 8 ohms) in true Class A. This guarantees pure Class A pleasure well beyond moderate listening levels using standard loudspeakers with, let’s say, 87 decibels of sensitivity.
But diving deeper, Gryphon Audio’s technical upgrades in the new 333 over its Diablo 300 predecessor go well beyond power increases (333 watts compared to 300 watts into 8 ohms). The electronics designed by Gryphon’s chief developer Tom Møller are based on the company’s top-of-the-line separates: the Commander preamplifier and the Apex power amplifier. The Danes won’t share their secrets, only mentioning use of the same bipolar power transistors from Toshiba that are used in the mighty Apex stereo power amplifier. The data sheets attest to their particularly low capacitance. Moreover, the same feature is found in the voltage regulators in a high-precision shunt design instead of the usual series regulators. Both bolster the amplifier’s bandwidth and speed. This recurring pattern of capacitance minimization can even be found in the volume control. Niels Madsen from Gryphon explains: “One of the main features of the volume control is the extremely low number of components in the signal path. The relays are not in series with the signal path. This small component count is part of our efforts to minimize capacitance – in addition to meticulous design and layout, which makes it possible to build a volume control with very wide bandwidth and transparency.”
The 333 is a balanced amplifier. And this truth extends well beyond the electrical sense: every last detail of its aesthetics and ergonomics is as well-rounded and deeply considered as you could imagine. For example, I have never seen a better implemented touchscreen than that integrated into the striking front of the Diablo: the clear white color and font size, the UI implementation, where nothing is missing or superfluous. All of this demonstrates true developer skill. In keeping with company tradition, the remote control is equally a showcase of product design. The asymmetrical shape fits perfectly in both the right hand and surprisingly the left. The black foam rubber coating on the underside of the solid aluminum transmitter both optimizes the feel and protects fine furniture from scratches: a clever touch!
As for the rear of the Diablo 333, it features two pairs of speaker terminals, which you would be hard-pressed to find on the market for any amount of money. Gryphon manufactures the elegant terminals in-house, and they can also be found on the range-topping Apex power amplifier. Two balanced and two RCA inputs provide a practical variety of connections. In addition there is a tape loop with a corresponding monitor button (yes, you read that right, the manual leaves no doubt: “Tape Monitor is used to listen to a tape recorder.”). Not to mention two subwoofer outputs.
Gryphon has once again provided two plug-in modules in the new Diablo for functionality expansion. The optional phono equalizer module and the D/A converter card are technically closely related to the respective standalone components from Gryphon. This means that they are hardly courtesy offerings, but rather designed to the absolute highest standards. The PS3 phono module is a fully balanced MM/MC equalizer with extensive adjustment options to the cartridge. The DAC3 D/A converter offers five inputs. It is based on the ES9039PRO converter chip, whose almost limitless signal processing options can be easily controlled through the front display. The review sample was not equipped with any of the extensions.
So what happens when the Gryphon Diablo 333 replaces my amplifier? I’d say it is best described as a “friendly takeover”. Friendly, because my beloved Rowland power amplifier mounts no resistance whatsoever. The Gryphon commands the loudspeakers just like you would expect from a massive powerhouse with a 2.2 kilowatt transformer. For the Diablo, my Ayons don’t exist at all. Consequently, they vanish into thin air. What remains is an enormous holographic stage, an infinitely deep and – to use an old-fashioned metaphor – “pitch-black” background. Against this void, even microscopic sound events stand out so clearly that I can’t believe I’ve never heard them before.
Actually, strike pitch black. Do you know Vantablack? This black pigment based on carbon nanotubes caused a sensation in 2014 as the blackest black to ever black. Place an object on a surface coated with Vantablack and it’ll appear to be floating above a black hole. There is no better metaphor for what the Diablo 333 achieves. It builds up the sound images against a backdrop of acoustic Vantablack. There is nothing, and then, suddenly, there is something.
Let’s listen to No Fear No Die by Abdullah Ibrahim. Track four, “Nisa”, begins with a dreamy piano exposition, double bass and drums. It fades out, until the brass section enters with a new motif. I must have had this CD for 20 years now. And there has never been anything in that brief pause between parts one and two. Now there is something. Lips forming words: “One, two, three, four,” someone counting in the horns. I am stunned. This amplifier has opened up a new portal to the original event. Needless to say, it also gives the combo immense spatial depth, with Ibrahim’s grand piano placed large and vibrant up front and in between the speakers, with the other musicians clearly staggered one to several steps behind it.
The Gryphon’s remarkable differentiation reveals all the nuances of interpretation in classical recordings. The new Mendelssohn production by cellist Sol Gabetta is excellently recorded. The Stradivari instrument she plays here and the fortepiano within the hands of Bertrand Chamayou are presented with authentic timbres and glorious live dynamics even on “just” very good equipment. But the Gryphon moment comes at the end of the Variations concertantes, when Sol Gabetta gives the pianist space for a melodic phrase with a note held over several bars. The way Gabetta creates subtle nuances of timbre simply by shifting the contact point between bow and string, sometimes closer to the bridge, sometimes further away, is decidedly a goosebumps moment.
Diablo 333 equally loves complex digital productions. Stolen From Strangers by Jun Miyake is a masterpiece. Multi-layered, electronically enriched bossa nova reminiscences alternate with sketchy elements, and “Le mec dans un train” even invites a lively crime grotesque. Wim Wenders used a version of the first track “Alviverde” for a dance scene in his homage to Pina Bausch (Pina). And everything on this track happens at once, warping and wefting. Then the Gryphon unravels it all: the voices open, the bass abyssal, the masterful mix crystal clear before the listener.
I could go on like this forever. In today’s parlance, the Gryphon Diablo 333 is what we call an endgame amplifier. It teaches subsonic bass to loudspeakers that didn’t even know they could do it. It’s not just capable of resolution – it is resolution. It plays with an incredible delicacy and purity that belies its sheer bulk, while simultaneously throwing physically palpable dynamic eruptions into the room with the slightest effort.
For optimum results, the Gryphon Diablo 333 should not be confined to small rooms. Its energy output needs space to unfold. Pair it with tonally balanced loudspeakers, preferably with a full-bodied voicing. These will be driven to peak performance thanks to the incredible bass accuracy. I had the chance to use it for several weeks with the large Magnepan 20.7: pure bliss.
I conclude with an urgent recommendation not to miss out on the Diablo 333 experience. The Danish über-integrated is a statement about which I can’t find anything to objectively criticize. The flawless user interface, the austere, unadorned look, the technical implementation, the sound: it truly doesn’t get any better than this.
Accompanying Equipment
Turntable: bauer audio dps 3 | Tonearm: bauer audio tonearm | Cartridge: Lyra Kleos | Phono preamplifier: Hagerman Trumpet Wood | MC transformer: Consolidated Audio Silver/Nano | CD player: Electrocompaniet EMC 1 UP | Music server: Innuos Zenith Mk III | D/A converter: Aqua La Voce S3 | Switch: Silent Angel Bonn N8 | Preamplifier: Silvercore linestage two | Power amplifier: Rowland Model 2 | Integrated amplifier: Silbatone JI-300B Mk III | Loudspeakers: Ayon Seagull/c, Magnepan MG 20.7 | Power conditioner: AudioQuest Niagara 3000 | Cables: Fadel Art, Phonosophie, Sun Audio, AudioQuest, Solidcore | Accessories: Rack Creaktiv Trend
Gryphon Diablo 333 integrated amplifier
Concept: Class AB integrated amplifier with expansion options | Inputs: 2 x unbalanced line-in (RCA), 2 x balanced line-in (XLR) | Analog outputs: 1 x tape out (RCA), 1 x sub out (RCA), 1 x loudspeaker | Special features: IR remote control made of aluminum, extensive configuration options via touchscreen, 2 x trigger connections, 1 x IR connection for external infrared receiver, USB-A connection for firmware updates | Options: retrofittable modules D/A converter DAC3 (around € 7259), Phono Stage 3 (around € 5712) | Finish: black aluminum | Dimensions (W/H/D): 47/24.5/47 cm | Weight: 50.6 kg | Warranty period: 3 years after registration | Price: around 25 942 €