Gryphon Helios: Flagship Class A Design, Modular Flexibility & Pandora Successor

Gryphon Audio Designs has launched the Gryphon Helios, a preamplifier with the power supply housed in a separate enclosure. The Gryphon Helios is an entirely new preamplifier that delivers state-of-the-art performance and unparalleled system compatibility. The long-awaited successor to the legendary Pandora, the Gryphon Helios is the more accessible alternative to the Commander and benefits from both the rich history of the Pandora and the innovations developed for the Commander.

High-quality audio since 1985

Since its founding in 1985, Gryphon Audio Designs has been regarded almost as highly for its sculpturally stunning design as for its groundbreaking performance, thanks to the chassis designs by Gryphon Audio Designs founder Flemming Rasmussen. The Gryphon Helios is the first electronic product from Gryphon Audio Designs to usher in a new era. The Helios’s bold, modern appearance simultaneously marks a new visual design language for Gryphon Audio Designs and honors the “Nordic Noir” aesthetic that has been a hallmark of Gryphon Audio Designs for over forty years.

Inspired by the power and elegance of a waterfall, the front panel of the Helios honors both the aesthetic heritage and the future of Gryphon Audio Designs' visual design. The iconic inverted triangle that characterizes the front panels of the Essence , Apex, Commander , and Diablo 333 has been retained, but this detail only becomes apparent when the preamplifier housing is placed on top of the PSU 5: a subtle design refinement that Gryphon Audio Designs connoisseurs will immediately recognize and appreciate. The two housings of the Helios, crafted from thick, richly anodized aluminum, reflect the high-quality build of the internal electronics.

Read our review of the Gryphon Audio Essence preamplifier and power amplifier .

Non-plus-ultra preamplifier, expandable with modules

Like its renowned predecessor, each of the two Helios enclosures contains two separate mono circuits, but the Gryphon Helios makes extensive use of extruded and CNC-machined aluminum for improved rigidity and superior vibration damping. Each chassis is supported by four spikes designed by Gryphon Audio Designs for optimal resonance control. Special coasters are included to protect furniture and ensure that the Helios can be placed directly on the matching PSU 5 Dual Mono power supply. The front panels feature 4 mm thick tempered glass panels in the center. The Helios's 4.3-inch touchscreen is integrated into the preamplifier's glass panel for optimal protection.

Class A topology and relay-based volume control

The Gryphon Helios uses the same single-ended, Class A input buffer topology as the Pandora, but in the Helios, a new and improved design with two JFETs offers the benefits of low noise and ideal simplicity. The signal is routed through two transistors and one resistor for an incredibly transparent, fast, and natural sound, while further enhancing the rich, tangible quality for which Gryphon Audio Designs is known.

Once again, a relay-based volume control has been chosen; however, the gain control of the Helios has been improved with a microprocessor-controlled, 85-step relay volume attenuator featuring precision MELF SMD resistors. Compared to the Pandora, the impedance of the Helios's volume circuit has been halved, resulting in greater bandwidth and an even higher standard of audible excellence. The single-ended signal path of the Helios has been significantly improved over the Pandora and now utilizes the same single-ended input amplifier developed for the Commander. Whereas the Pandora lacked a single-ended output, the Helios offers one dedicated single-ended output per channel via proprietary Gryphon Audio Designs RCA connectors, further enhancing system compatibility. Like the Pandora, the Gryphon Helios does not use global negative feedback.

The Gryphon Helios naturally benefits from the latest developments in component technology. Whereas the Pandora used dual C-core transformers, the Helios uses specially designed toroidal transformers – one per channel – which have lower magnetic radiation, allowing the Helios to be placed directly on top of the PSU 5 (in combination with the included coasters). The designers at Gryphon Audio Designs have specified WIMA polypropylene capacitors for local DC decoupling, durable Panasonic electrolytic capacitors for the power supply, Vishay MELF SMD resistors (with low inherent noise and low inductance), and low-noise, linear shunt voltage regulators from Texas Instruments. The Gryphon Helios makes exclusive use of advanced bipolar and JFET transistors, specially selected for Gryphon Audio Designs.

Central control center, expansion with modules

From the outset, the Gryphon Helios was intended to be more than just an advanced line amplifier: it was designed as the centerpiece of the most advanced audio/video systems. Home Theater Bypass is possible via both XLR and RCA connections, making the performance of Gryphon Audio Designs available for multimedia applications as well. The gain factor can be individually adjusted for all inputs, and the user can choose a name for the input.

For ultimate versatility, the Gryphon Helios is compatible with the latest digital and analog modules. Two cover panels on the rear of the preamplifier housing allow the Helios to be expanded with the DAC3 digital module and/or the PS3 phono module, either at the time of purchase or at a later date, at the user's discretion. This ability to adapt system interfaces and functionality to diverse applications distinguishes the Helios from all other ultra-luxury preamplifiers.