Gryphon Hyperion

Gryphon Hyperion Power Amplifier

The Gryphon Hyperion is a pure Class A stereo and mono power amplifier and the direct successor to the Mephisto, which stood as a reference in high-end amplification for 14 years. Gryphon states that the Hyperion brings together technologies developed for the flagship Apex with a new generation of circuit and power supply innovations, delivering what they describe as the same State-of-the-Art sound quality as the Apex in a more manageable and accessible form. Delivering 180 watts per channel in stereo and 200 watts per channel in mono, the Hyperion is designed and manufactured in Denmark.

Succession and Lineage

The Mephisto earned a reputation over 14 years as one of the most respected power amplifiers produced by any company. The Hyperion was not developed to simply replace it but, in Gryphon's own words, to evolve it. The development drew directly on advances made during the design of the Apex, applying its output stage architecture, internal silver wiring, and construction standards to a new amplifier with its own circuit innovations and power supply improvements. Gryphon states the Hyperion represents the new generation of Gryphon performance and the new standard within its range.

Within the current Gryphon lineup, the Hyperion sits between the Antileon Revelation and the Apex, offering more output power and a larger power supply than the Antileon Revelation while delivering what Gryphon describes as Apex-level sound quality in a more attainable form.

Output Stage and Circuit Architecture

The Hyperion uses 40 high-current bipolar output transistors per stereo chassis, and 40 per mono chassis for a total of 80 per mono pair. Gryphon states these are the same cutting-edge output devices specified for the Apex. Pure Class A operation is maintained throughout via a three-position bias system (Low, Mid, and High), with automatic management available through Gryphon's Green Bias link when connected to a compatible Gryphon preamplifier.

The input stage uses a new dual J-FET design with extremely low noise, implemented together with a new matched dual BJT transistor developed specifically for the Hyperion. This input stage feeds a balanced dual differential Class A circuit followed by a fast symmetrical voltage amplifying Class A stage. Zero global negative feedback is employed throughout. A DC servo eliminates the need for coupling capacitors in the signal path. The damping factor is frequency-independent.

Power Supply

Each Hyperion chassis houses two custom-made 1500VA toroidal transformers with individual, mechanically decoupled castings for the left and right channel transformers. Gryphon notes this as an improvement over the Mephisto, which used a single shared transformer casting for both channels. Capacitor bank capacity reaches 500,000uF per chassis, which Gryphon states is more than 10% above the Mephisto. The power supply for digital control circuits is a dedicated separate linear supply, another step beyond the Mephisto which used a switched-mode supply for digital circuits. A fully regulated, low noise supply serves all voltage amplifying stages.

Local power supply decoupling uses premium zinc foil capacitors, which Gryphon states have a loss factor ten times lower than metallized polypropylene film types. All internal signal and power wiring is Gryphon silver cable, the same specification used in the Apex.

Construction and Circuit Boards

The Hyperion uses 4-layer printed circuit boards with copper traces up to 105 microns, with a new PCB developed exclusively for this amplifier to optimize bias control and signal routing. Firmware is upgradeable via USB stick. The non-intrusive protection system monitors the output without placing any components in the signal path during normal operation. Soft-start circuitry prevents in-rush current from triggering household circuit breakers at power-on. Standby power consumption is below 0.5 watts per chassis.

Inputs, Outputs, and Controls

Balanced XLR inputs are provided via gold-plated Neutrik sockets. The mono version adds an XLR pass-through for chaining from preamplifier to second chassis. Speaker connections use Gryphon's proprietary gold-plated custom-built binding posts, accepting bare wire, spade lugs, and banana connectors. A 12V link input enables remote power sequencing. The Green Bias control link connects to a compatible Gryphon preamplifier for automatic bias management based on volume level.

The Gryphon Hyperion is a product for those who want Mephisto-class performance with the circuit and power supply advances that became possible through the development of the Apex, in an amplifier that Gryphon describes as the definitive evolution of one of the most admired power amplifiers in the history of high-end audio.