Diablo 120

The Gryphon Diablo 120 is an integrated amplifier developed from Gryphon Audio Designs’ experience with its high-end separate components. It follows the original Atilla, introduced in April 2009 and produced continuously until 2016, and draws on circuit topology and parts design developed for the Pandora preamplifier and Mephisto power amplifier.

Built entirely at Gryphon’s Danish research and development and manufacturing facility, the Diablo 120 uses dual-mono circuitry, an ultra-short signal path, heavily gold-plated printed circuit boards, minimal internal wiring, gold-plated PTFE-insulated sockets and proprietary binding posts. Its components were selected through extended auditioning for sound quality, thermal stability and long-term reliability.

The satin black, brushed aluminium chassis has a black acrylic faceplate. Interlocking acrylic and deeply brushed, anodised aluminium sections form the casework, with contrasting angles and planes in the established Gryphon design.

A custom-made 1,300 VA transformer uses separate secondary windings for the left and right channels. Each channel has its own 60,000 µF capacitor bank, while 2 pairs of Sanken transistors allow the Diablo 120 to drive difficult loudspeaker loads. The circuit uses zero global negative feedback and a microprocessor-controlled passive attenuator. Its 46-step relay design places a maximum of 6 resistors in the signal path at any selected volume level.

Analogue connectivity comprises 1 balanced input and 4 single-ended inputs. Configuration options include 4 display brightness levels, user-defined start and maximum volume settings, individual source labelling with 8-character names, and a dedicated electrically isolated A/V bypass function for integration with a multi-channel audio system.

Options, Digital or Analogue

The Gryphon Diablo 120 can be fitted at original purchase or later with a Gryphon DAC PCM/DSD module based on the Gryphon Kalliope digital-to-analogue converter.

The module provides 4 digital inputs: USB, balanced AES/EBU 115 Ω, TOSLink optical and BNC S/PDIF 75 Ω. USB accepts PCM up to 32-bit/384 kHz, together with DSD up to DSD512 on Windows OS, DSD128 on Mac OS and DSD128 DoP on Linux OS. The BNC S/PDIF and AES/EBU inputs accept PCM up to 192 kHz/32-bit, while TOSLink accepts PCM up to 96 kHz/24-bit. Format compatibility of the individual inputs is subject to change without notice. The module is designed for current and foreseeable high-resolution digital formats.

An alternative MM/MC phonostage is also available for vinyl playback.

Gryphon Diablo 120 combines fast response with harmonic richness, articulation and fine definition. Its presentation is designed for extended listening at realistic levels, with a controlled and refined character. The amplifier is intended to provide sustained musical energy and engagement over many years.