Gryphon Commander Owner's Manual
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Gryphon Commander Owner's Manual

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Summary of Contents for Gryphon Commander

  • Page 3 Gryphon Commander Preamplifier Owner's Manual Rev. 1.02...

  • Page 4: Table Of Contents

    Table of Contents Introduction ............. 5 Commander Preamplifier Rear Panel .... 26 You Have Arrived ..........6 Commander Power Supply Rear Panel ..28 Creating an Icon ..........7 Remote Codes ..........29 The Man behind the Brand ......8 Remote Control Battery .........

  • Page 5: Introduction

    The Gryphon Name The Gryphon moniker and symbol is an appropriate image for the brand, inspired by Greek mythology, part eagle, part lion, the perfect union of grace and agility with power and authority. Gryphon Audio Designs is quite simply “The ultimate choice for the enthusiast who wants the sound with no frills other than the...

  • Page 6: You Have Arrived

    Gryphon products have set the standard by which all others are judged. With the introduction of the the Gryphon Commander Preamplifier and the Gryphon Apex Mono and Apex Stereo Power Amplifiers, Gryphon has once again pushed the audio art to a new and higher level.

  • Page 7: Creating An Icon

    As for aesthetics, the sculptural beauty of Gryphon components, combined with their extraordinary fit and finish, elevates fine audio componentry to objects of worship at home in the finest domestic spaces.

  • Page 8: The Man Behind The Brand

    His elegant, uniquely Scandinavian black-on-black designs were the original “Nordic Noir,” long before TV crime dramas appropriated the term. His legacy is palpable in the visual aesthetic of current Gryphon chassis, as well as the ethos of quality and performance embodied in all Gryphon products.

  • Page 9: The Gryphon Story

    The Gryphon story is lovingly documented in two volumes: The Gryphon Unplugged: 25 Years of Gryphon Audio Designs (2010) and The Art of the Gryphon: Form and Function in a Spiritual Union (2015), a sumptuous photo gallery of Rasmussen’s designs.

  • Page 10: Foundation For Excellence

    While the printed circuit boards in most audio products utilize conductor traces a mere 35 µm thick, Gryphon employs 70 µm or thicker PCB traces of the highest purity copper. (The conductor traces used for high all current circuits in the Gryphon Apex Power Amplifiers are an astounding 105 µm thick!)
  • Page 11 Our obsessive attention to such issues enables the relaxing, open and transparent Gryphon sound. Unique, non-intrusive protection circuitry offers reliable, fuss-free protection without compromising signal purity and signal path simplicity.

  • Page 12: Timeless Beauty

    The peerless finish, build quality, ergonomics and pride of ownership that contribute to the wholistic Gryphon concept can only be fully understood and appreciated through personal experience with our products. Home of the Gryphon is located in...

  • Page 13: The Gryphon Commander

    The Gryphon Commander How Gryphon Built the Perfect Preamplifier Since our company’s founding nearly 40 years ago, the philosophy of Gryphon Audio Designs of Denmark has remained constant: the relentless pursuit of sonic perfection without commercial compromises in design, construction or cost. All Gryphon products have been conceived in this same perfectionist spirit: uncompromising engineering in the service of music.
  • Page 14 Commander’s sensitive circuitry. A quartet of Gryphon Atlas Spikes under each chassis move resonance control even closer to theoretical perfection. Needless to say, every part of the Commander is the finest available: from the Charcroft Audio ultra-precision resistors used in our volume control to the premium, oversized Mundorf MCap®...

  • Page 15: Placement

    Do not place your Gryphon component on or near any source of heat such as power amplifiers. Do not place any object on the top covering the ventilation holes or heat sinks of your Gryphon component. Do not place it in an enclosed space such as a cabinet, unless ample ventilation is provided.

  • Page 16: Choice Of Cables

    There is no need to add more “negative” filtration to the system as Gryphon is striving to have the finest level of tonal balance and neutrality. Choose your cables with the highest level of attention to the actual parameters of the cable design (e.g.

  • Page 17: Unpacking And Setup

    Unpacking and Setup Please refer to separate Setup instruction document included with your unit. You can also find this document on our website. SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS Hazardous live AC power! Please find important safety instructions on p. 22...

  • Page 18: Installation

    Installation The Gryphon Commander comes with a set of DC cables to connect the Preamplifier to the Power Supply. The DC cable set consists of one DC77 and two DC4 cables. Do NOT connect the AC power cords before having connected the DC cables as shown below.

  • Page 19: Burn-In And Warm-Up

    45 minutes after turn-on. Mains Switches The main ON/OFF switches on the Commander Preamplifier are located on the bottom panel of the Power Supply, near the front. In keeping with Commander’s Dual Mono construction, there are individual power switches for left and right channels.

  • Page 20: User Instructions

    User Instructions ON/STB Button: Push the ON/STB (Standby) button below the Gryphon logo to turn the Commander ON and again to engage to standby mode. When the preamplifier is ON, the symbol turns green. (A red symbol indicates STB) Note: ALWAYS turn the preamplifier on, BEFORE turning on the power amplifier(s). ALWAYS turn the power amplifier(s) off, BEFORE turning off the preamplifier.
  • Page 21 VOLUME The Commander Preamplifier uses a unique volume control. It is not a digital device, but a discrete solution based on fixed resistors in an ultra-short signal path involving a very small number of relays selected for perfect function and “sonic invisibility.” This technology can sometimes - depending on the material played - make a very small clicking noise when used.

  • Page 22: Menu Activated Functions

    VOLUME START: Use the “Up” and “Down” arrows to adjust the desired start volume. The next time Commander is powered up, the volume will be set to the value of Start Volume. VOLUME MAX: Use the “Up” and “Down” arrows to adjust the desired Max Volume.
  • Page 23 Please note that selecting "BIAS L" on the Apex Power Amplifier will disable Green Bias control. IR SOURCE: It is possible to connect an external active IR receiver to the back panel of the Commander. To use this option; select Rear Panel IR Connector.
  • Page 24 8 characters. AV INPUT: This option allows you to use either Input 4 (balanced) or Input 5 (single-ended) on Commander as a “Unity Gain” input for a source (e.g. Home Theater Processors) with its own volume control, e.g.

  • Page 25: Remote Control

    Remote Control ON/STB Places the Commander “On” or in “STB” (Standby) MONITOR Tape Monitor is used to listen to a tape recorder. If the recorder has a source/monitor function, this switch may be used to listen to the tape as it is being recorded. When selected, the display shows a filled white dot next to the MONITOR button.

  • Page 26: Commander Preamplifier Rear Panel

    INPUT 5 - INPUT 6 Single-ended RCA inputs to connect single-ended sources. INPUT 6 is also a dedicated "Tape Input" (Please see MONITOR function.) Balanced Connections All Gryphon products follow the AES standard for balanced connections: 1. Ground 2. Positive 3. Negative Gryphon recommends the use of dedicated, XLR-balanced interconnect cables.
  • Page 27 "Green Bias" - and to the Owner’s Manual of your power amplifier. The IR input enables connection of an external active IR receiver 12V LINK IN For switching the Commander between STB (Standby) and ON when connected to a unit with compatible link output. 12V LINK OUT For switching other units with compatible link input between STB and ON following the STB/ON status of the Commander Preamplifier.

  • Page 28: Commander Power Supply Rear Panel

    ANALOG PSU 2 LEFT and RIGHT Analog power supply output for Legato, Legato Legacy or future source components. CONTROL INTERFACE 1 Power supply output for the Commander control circuits. CONTROL INTERFACE 2 Power supply output for future source component's control circuits LINEAR DIGITAL DAC SUPPLY Linear power supply output for future source components.

  • Page 29: Remote Codes

    Remote Codes The Gryphon Commander Preamplifier remote control uses the Philips RC-5 standard for infrared communication. The following RC-5, system 16 codes are used for the Gryphon Commander Preamplifier: ON/STB Direct Input Select MUTE INPUT 1 VOL UP INPUT 2...

  • Page 30: Green Bias

    Green Bias offers TRUE, PURE CLASS A with considerably lower power consumption than traditional solutions. Green bias in the Gryphon power amplifier allows the user to select the amount of Class A required to run his speakers fully in Class A at any given time, encompassing such factors as speaker sensitivity, room size, musical dynamics and overall volume level.

  • Page 31: Features

    Local shunt regulators which ensure low noise over a large frequency bandwidth • Commander Power Supply chassis with additional DC voltage outputs for future external Gryphon sources. Gold-plated Neutrik XLR sockets for four balanced (Source) inputs and two (Main) outputs •...
  • Page 32 • Large 4.3” TFT capacitive touch information screen for intuitive control, presented in 4mm glass • Firmware upgrades easily via USB stick through rear panel • Separate mechanical chassis for Power Supply and Amplifier circuits Decoupled Kerrock™, bitumen and steel sandwich “Constrained Layer” chassis bottom •...

  • Page 33: Specifications

    Specifications Input Impedance, balanced: 18KΩ • Input Impedance, single-ended: 12KΩ • Output impedance: 7Ω • Bandwidth (-3dB): 0.1Hz to 1.5MHz • Gain: +18dB • THD + N: 0.003% @ 1kHz and BW 10Hz – 30KHz, balanced output • Max output level, balanced: 19Vrms •...

  • Page 34: Dimensions, Preamplifier

    Dimensions, Preamplifier...

  • Page 35: Dimensions, Psu Unit

    Dimensions, PSU unit...

  • Page 36: Warranty & Support

    This warranty will be void if the serial number of the unit has been defaced or removed. No user serviceable parts inside. This warranty will be void if the unit has been repaired or modified by non-authorized Gryphon dealers or distributors. Optional modules must be installed by authorized dealers and distributors only.

  • Page 37: Important Safety Instructions

    IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS Read these instructions. Only use attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer. Keep these instructions. Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of time. Heed all warnings. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is Follow all instructions.

  • Page 38: Notes

    Notes...

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