"Anyone Up For A Fight?"
The Danes were conquerors.
And that trait has flowed all the way down to Gryphon products. Pit them against anything out there and frankly, they usually win.
About the Apex Power Amplifiers
So this amplifier is, even for Gryphon, a huge leap forward in aspiration and commitment. A class A power amp that can deliver 2 x 1490W into a 1Ω load – whilst staying fully in Class A (yes we said class A twice – thrice!) is a tough thing to do. Gryphon have always said that pure class A is the only way to achieve the best performance possible but the power supply needs, the stress on output devices and the heat dissipation requirements make the task a significant engineering challenge. Gryphon tackle that problem by using a large number of very high current bipolar output transistors to share the workload – sixty four transistors to be exact. The amp also employs two x 2kW mains transformers and over 1 Farrad of reservior capacitance to feed the beast, but also to add some flexibility to the proposition, the Apex has selectable bias settings that enable the amp to be dialled back when the full Class A capability is not required (see Tech Insight).
But brute force is nothing without quality. Gryphon have incorporated new transistor technology into the Apex, transistors that have a lower junction capacitance than any previous equivalent. This change alone is said to be a game changer for sound quality. There is meticulous attention to the fine detail with Gryphon such as the extremely low capacitance Class A J-FET input buffers followed by a very fast symmetrical voltage amplifying Class A stage. An then there's 4-layer 'up to 105 um' copper printed circuit boards, improved eletrical and mechanical grounding techniques and many more improved design features throughout the design.
The Apex is of course, also available as a monoblock pair. The same great fundamentals but with the ability to drive the largest of systems with pure class A. With two monoblocks, power supplies are now doubled, with the two x 2kW mains transformers now feeding just one channel, with a total of over 1 Farrad of reserviour capacitance per channel. The number of output devices per channel is doubled-up too of course.
Tech Insight
A significant element of the Apex power amplifier design is the variable bias system. Three bias options are available, selectable through the front-panel touchscreen: Low for efficient, noncritical listening; Medium, which provides 100W of pure class-A, with higher power going into class A/B; and High, which is 100% class-A power, for the ultimate performance. Gryphon do caution that after changing the bias setting the amp requires approximately 45 minutes to "settle" before the effect on sound can be assessed.
Specifications
Stereo Amplifier
2 x 210W @ 8Ω, 2 x 420W @ 4Ω, 2 x 800W @ 2Ω and 2 x 1490W @ 1Ω at 115V/230Vac
Noise, unweighted 20-20kHz: < -80dBV A-weighted: < -86dBV
THD+N: < 0,02%, 50W @ 8Ω
IMD (DFD): < 0,02%, 50W @ 8Ω
Output impedance: 0,015Ω
Bandwidth (-3dB): 0,3Hz to 330kHz
Gain: +31,0dB
input level: 1,16Vrms
Input Impedance, balanced (20-20kHz): 20kΩ
Power consumption (Maximum): 3700W, standby: < 0,5W
Power consumption (Idle): Bias H: 1000W / Bias M: 660W / Bias L: 320W
Automatic Green Bias setting via Green Bias control link or manual Low/Mid/High bias
AC inlets: 2 sockets for power cords with C19 receptacle
Dimensions, WxHxD:59,3×37,1×88,6 cm, 202kg net.
Shipping dimensions:102 x 81 x 67 cm, 265kg
Mono Amplifier
1 x 225W @ 8Ω, 1 x 450W @ 4Ω, 1 x 880W @ 2Ω and 1 x 1690W @ 1Ω at 115V/230Vac
Noise, unweighted 20-20kHz: < -80dBV A-weighted: < -86dBV
THD+N: < 0,02%, 50W @ 8Ω
IMD (DFD): < 0,02%, 50W @ 8Ω
Output impedance: 0,010Ω
Bandwidth (-3dB): 0,3Hz to 330kHz
Gain: +31,0dB
Max. input level: 1,20Vrms
Input Impedance, balanced (20-20kHz): 10kΩ
Power consumption (Maximum): 3700W each amplifier, Standby: < 0,5W each amplifier
Power consumption (Idle): Bias H: 1000W / Bias M: 660W / Bias L: 320W – each amplifier
Automatic Green Bias setting via Green Bias control link or manual Low/Mid/High bias
AC inlets: 2 sockets on each amplifier for power cords with C19 receptacle
Dimensions, WxHxD::59,3×37,1×88,6 cm, 202kg net. – each amplifier
Shipping dimensions for a pair: Two crates; each 102 x 81 x 67 cm, total 530kg
Matching & Setup
Well, with an amplifier so big, what can we really say about matching and setup? In terms of speaker load matching, this isn't really a consideration – the Apex's capability means it is not really affected by any normal speaker load parameters. Where speaker choice is important though, is ensuring that the speaker is capable of revealing the truly incredible potential of the Apex, and handling the energy that the Apex is capable of delivering. In fact, this is a good way of thinking about speaker compatability – the requirement should be for wide dynamic range with great headroom, great cabinet construction for minimal smearing and lots of transparency and resolution. The Gryphon speakers meet the bill perfectly of course.