The roots of the Antileon amplifier go back to the very beginnings of the Gryphon company and beyond. The product that would come to be known as the Gryphon Headamp began as a strictly personal, non-commercial exercise, an exploration into how efficiently electronic topology could be translated into sound with all essential musical values intact.
Since there were no commercial aspirations behind the project, nothing was ruled out. Extreme, no-compromise dual-mono construction, ultra-wide bandwidth, zero negative feedback, true Class A operation, huge power supplies and all-discrete components were all essential ingredients in the recipe.
Gryphon DNA
This approach to amplifier design would be the building block of all future designs, the very foundation of the Gryphon DNA and led directly to the design of the first Gryphon power amplifiers, Gryphon DM 100 (1991- 1995) and the monoblock version,Reference One (1992-1996). As the years passed, new parts andGryphon’s evolving know-how allowed them to further refine their amplifiers.
Mephisto
After a long lifespan of the mono and stereo versions of the Antileon (1995-2000), Antileon Signature, (2000-2015) and Antillon EVO (2015-2020) power amplifiers, Gryphon Audio Design celebrate with a limited edition release of the Gryphon Antileon Anniversary, the ultimate refinement of concepts, technologies and components originally developed for the Gryphon Mephisto, the brand’s ultimate power amplification statement.
The technology and topology that are at the heart of Antileon, now 2 x 150 Watts and 670,000 microFarad power capacity, have undergone many modifications and refinements over the years, but the fundamental philosophical foundation remains the same.
Stereo & Monoblock
In celebration of the Antileon’s 25th anniversary, Gryphon is offering a special numbered series consisting of 25 stereo versions and 25 monoblock pairs.
Each set will include a reproduction of the original Antileon EVO artwork and a special owner’s manual with a historical introduction to every Antileon generation written by Gryphon founder Flemming E. Rasmussen.
The Gryphon Antileon Anniversary is dedicated to the memory of Flemming’s good friend and Australian distributor for 33 years, Josef Riediger, who regrettably passed away in October of this year.
An aluminium frame surrounds the display, engraved with “Antileon EVO Anniversary” and the series number, for instance, Serial No. 1/25. On the amplifier top, a golden Gryphon figure is recessed into the massive transformer cover.
Get all the latest Hifi News with Hifi Pig here!
You must be logged in to leave a reply.