Gryphon Audio Designs has priced the Apex, its new flagship dual-mono power amplifier, at $99,000 per stereo unit, marking one of the most ambitious releases yet from the Danish manufacturer best known for the Diablo and Essence ranges. The Gryphon Apex is built entirely around a pure Class A, zero-global-negative-feedback topology, delivering 210 watts into 8 ohms that doubles all the way down the load curve to 1,490 watts into a single ohm.
That kind of current delivery is rare in a solid-state design at any price, and Gryphon frames the Apex as the clearest expression yet of a philosophy it has pursued since the brand’s founding: circuits kept as simple and as fast as possible, with no shortcuts taken in the power supply.
A Pure Dual-Mono, Zero-Feedback Design
Each channel of the Gryphon Apex runs as a fully independent dual-mono amplifier, built around 32 very high-current bipolar output transistors per side, 64 in total, operating in pure Class A with zero global negative feedback. A Class A J-FET input buffer stage feeds the output array, and the whole signal path is laid out on four-layer circuit boards using copper traces up to 105 micrometres thick to keep resistance and distortion to a minimum. Voltage gain is set at 31dB, with an input impedance of 20 kilohms and an output impedance of just 0.015 ohms.
Behind that circuitry sits a power supply built to match: a 1,040,000-microfarad capacitor bank fed by two 2,000VA toroidal transformers, with soft-start circuitry to protect the mains connection at switch-on. Inputs run through gold-plated Neutrik XLR connectors, and standby consumption is rated below 0.5 watts.
Massive Power Reserves for Any Load
On paper, the Gryphon Apex’s output scales from 210 watts into 8 ohms to 420 watts into 4 ohms, 800 watts into 2 ohms and 1,490 watts into 1 ohm, essentially doubling with every halving of impedance. In practice, that means the amplifier can drive electrostatic and other current-hungry speaker loads without the power supply sagging, while a bandwidth of 0.3Hz to 330kHz at -3dB keeps the frequency response well clear of the audible range in both directions. A 12V trigger input and USB-upgradeable firmware round out the practical side, letting the Apex slot into a multi-room or custom-install system and receive updates without a service visit.
Danish Engineering, Built to Last
At 593 x 371 x 886mm and 202kg per chassis, the Gryphon Apex is unmistakably a statement piece as much as an amplifier. Its exterior was designed by Flemming E. Rasmussen, the naval architect behind decades of Baltic sailing yacht designs, while the electronics were engineered by Gryphon’s Tom Møller; the whole amplifier is designed and manufactured in Denmark. For a more compact route into the same house sound, Gryphon’s own Diablo 333 integrated amplifier remains in the current lineup. Full specifications and dealer information are available via gryphon-audio.dk.
Key specifications
- Type: dual-mono, pure Class A power amplifier, zero global negative feedback
- Power output: 210W into 8Ω, 420W into 4Ω, 800W into 2Ω, 1,490W into 1Ω
- Output devices: 32 bipolar transistors per channel (64 total)
- Bandwidth: 0.3Hz–330kHz (-3dB)
- Input impedance: 20kΩ; output impedance: 0.015Ω; voltage gain: 31dB
- Power supply: 1,040,000µF capacitor bank, two 2,000VA toroidal transformers
- Inputs: gold-plated Neutrik XLR; 12V trigger; USB-upgradeable firmware
- Standby consumption: below 0.5W
- Dimensions: 593 x 371 x 886mm (W x H x D); weight: 202kg
- Design: exterior by Flemming E. Rasmussen, electronics by Tom Møller; made in Denmark
- Price: $99,000 per stereo unit
