Drawing on extensive experience with uncompromising reference-level components, Gryphon Audio Designs proudly introduces the next generation of the Atilla: the Gryphon Diablo 120.
The Gryphon Diablo 120 exudes timeless elegance, embodying the unique vision of Gryphon founder and CEO Flemming E. Rasmussen.
Integrated Greatness
The understated styling and forceful lines of the satin black, brushed aluminum chassis and gleaming black acrylic faceplate represent a superb level of fit and finish, exceptional audio finesse, and a sense of unlimited power—all within a single chassis.
The casework, consisting of interlocking blocks of flawless acrylic and deeply brushed and anodized aluminum, is true to the acclaimed Gryphon house style: a complex construct of contrasting angles and planes that is both reassuringly intricate and impressively solid.
Built entirely at Gryphon’s Danish research and development and manufacturing facility, the Diablo 120 inherits the dual-mono circuitry, ultra-short signal path, heavily gold-plated printed circuit boards, minimal internal wiring, high-quality gold-plated and PTFE-insulated sockets, and proprietary binding posts employed in their flagship models. Only the finest audiophile-grade components have been selected based on strenuous, extended auditioning for sound quality, thermal stability, and long-term reliability. The wire-wound emitter resistors in the original Atilla output stage have been upgraded to non-inductive types for the Diablo 120.
The meticulous attention to electrical and mechanical grounding, typical of their top-of-the-line designs, is also evident here.
The Diablo 120 integrated amplifier is essentially two independent mono devices, reducing crosstalk and minimizing interchannel interaction. The only elements shared electrically between channels are the famed Holmgren toroidal transformer and AC power cable.
The custom-made 1,300 VA transformer adds substantial heft with discrete secondary windings for left and right channels. Each channel is fed by its own 60,000 µF capacitor bank.
The Diablo 120’s output power is 20% greater than the original Atilla’s: 2 x 120 W (8Ω), 2 x 240 W (4Ω), 2 x 440 W (2Ω). Consistent increases in output power as impedance is halved is a reliable indicator of exceptional high-current capability, just as the extraordinarily wide audio bandwidth (0.1Hz to 250 kHz [-3 dB]) is a sign of extreme stability. Heatsink surface area has also been increased to match the increased output power.
With two pairs of Sanken transistors, the Diablo 120 can easily drive difficult loudspeaker loads without the faintest hint of strain.
The Diablo 120 circuit employs zero global negative feedback and a unique microprocessor-controlled passive attenuator for the most transparent volume control ever conceived. Regardless of the selected level, the 46-step relay attenuator places a maximum of six resistors in the signal path for ultimate sonic purity.
A large, graphical vacuum fluorescent display is employed instead of a more conventional LED character display to provide space for more information and a larger, more easily legible font. The lavish display and extensive control circuits are powered independently via a separate, isolated transformer to eliminate any risk of noise contamination. All front panel controls are touch-sensitive (capacitive actuation).
The Diablo 120 offers one balanced and four single-ended inputs, a comprehensive menu of configuration options (four levels of display brightness, user-defined start and maximum volume settings, individual source labeling with eight-character names, and a dedicated and electrically isolated A/V bypass function for uncompromising integration with a multi-channel audio system).
Options – Digital or Analog
At the time of purchase or later, the Gryphon Diablo 120 can be fitted with a specially designed Gryphon DAC PCM/DSD module based on the innovative, award-winning Gryphon Kalliope digital-to-analog converter.
The module adds four digital inputs (USB, balanced AES/EBU 115 Ω, TOSLink optical, and BNC S/PDIF 75 Ω). Via USB, the Diablo 120 DAC module can process PCM up to 32-bit/384 kHz as well as DSD (on Windows OS up to DSD512, on Mac OS up to DSD128, on Linux OS up to DSD128 DoP); via BNC S/PDIF and AES/EBU inputs up to 192 kHz/32-bit PCM; and via TOSLink up to 96 kHz/24-bit PCM. Format compatibility of the various inputs is subject to change without notice.
This future-proof digital module is ready for any current or foreseeable high-resolution digital format.
In the finest Gryphon tradition, the Diablo 120 also offers the alternative of an exceptional MM/MC phonostage for dedicated enthusiasts who continue to enjoy the musical treasures etched in the grooves of vinyl records.
The Gryphon Diablo 120 conveys music with unusual poise and exceptional subtlety and definition. Lightning reflexes combine with harmonic richness, articulation, and refinement to create a lush whole that is very comfortable to listen to over extended periods, even at realistic levels.
The Gryphon Diablo 120 offers a unique level of musical enthusiasm and energy that will satisfy and delight for many years to come.