Интегральные усилители — Gryphon Audio DIABLO 333

Gryphon Audio built the Diablo 333 integrated amplifier as the replacement for the Diablo 300. Chief designer Tom Moller is responsible for the electronics and founder Flemming E. Rasmussen for the exterior, with design and production handled in Denmark. Its triangular display panel and custom chassis spikes echo the look of the Apex and Commander models.

Key specs that matter

Power is rated at 2 x 333 W into 8 ohm, 2 x 666 W into 4 ohm and 2 x 1,100 W into 2 ohm. Each channel uses ten high-power output transistors of the same type fitted to the Apex, driven by fast low-capacitance pre-driver transistors. Output impedance is 0.015 ohm, bandwidth runs from 0.1 Hz to 350 kHz at -3 dB, and gain is +38 dB. Input impedance measures 50 kOhm balanced and 30 kOhm single-ended. The chassis is 468 mm wide, 472 mm deep and 245 mm high and weighs 50.6 kg net, or 67 kg shipped. Idle draw is about 180 W and standby below 0.5 W.

Engineering and use context

An oversized Holmgren dual-mono toroidal transformer feeds 68,000 uF of filter capacitance per channel. The topology is true dual mono, with no global negative feedback, local shunt regulators and polypropylene decoupling capacitors, built on four-layer boards with 70 micrometre copper on every layer and sockets mounted directly on the boards. A 43-step relay attenuator under microprocessor control sets volume in the balanced domain. A 109 mm capacitive touch screen behind 4 mm hardened glass gives access to start and maximum volume, display intensity with auto-dim and auto-off, input level matching and naming, and AV input assignment. Firmware is updated through a USB 2.0 socket, the remote is machined from billet aluminium as used with the Commander series, and a non-invasive protection system is built in. Mains voltage cannot be switched, so the unit ships for 110-120 V or 220-240 V.

Pairing

Standard connections are two balanced Neutrik XLR inputs, two RCA inputs with Teflon insulation, a tape loop and two subwoofer outputs with +12 dB gain. A fixed-level AV throughput, selectable as XLR or RCA at unity gain, integrates the amplifier into a home theatre. The optional PS-3 module adds a dual-mono MM/MC phono stage with XLR inputs and rear switches for MC load, while the DAC-3 module uses an ESS Sabre ES9039PRO chip with seven PCM filters and USB, AES/EBU, BNC and TOSLINK inputs.

Alternatives

The Gryphon Diablo 120 is the smaller integrated amplifier, rated at 2 x 120 W into 8 ohm.