Gryphon Trident ll User manual

Owners manual
Trident ll
This speaker system consists
of a combination of different
materials that respond to tem-
perature and humidity.
For prolonged life, maximum
performance and reliability, we
recommend that it is placed in
a room without any large varia-
tions in temperature and humi-
dity.
本扬声器系统以多重物料制作
，可能受温度和湿度影响。
请将本扬声器系统放置于温度
和湿度比较稳 的房间，以确
保其最佳表现、耐用性及可靠
性
本揚聲器系統以多重物料製作
，可能受溫度和濕度影響。
請將本揚聲器系統放置於溫度
和濕度比較穩 的房間，以確
保其最佳表現、耐用性及可靠
性。

A Message from the Founder
By Flemming E. Rasmussen,
CEO, Gryphon Audio Designs
As the thirtieth anniversary of Gryphon Audio Designs looms
large on the horizon, it is as good an occasion as any to look
back and reflect on how we came this far, on what we have
achieved and what we have learned.
It is now widely acknowledged that Gryphon has built its repu-
tation on a singularly iconoclastic approach to the design of lu-
xury High End home audio equipment, perhaps best
described in the kind and generous words of audio critic Ken
Kessler,“a code of perfectionism, the likes of which I’ve only
ever seen at the Bugatti atelier in Alsace or at the great watch
houses in Switzerland. It is the result of not accepting the no-
tion of compromise, on any level.”
In retrospect, the history of Gryphon Audio Designs has been
an exploration of the complex art of simplicity, taking as our
conceptual foundation the words of Albert Einstein, widely re-
ferred to as Einstein’s Razor:“The supreme goal of all theory is
to make the irreducible basic elements as simple and as few
as possible without having to surrender the adequate repre-
sentation of a single datum of experience.”
Fortunately, during the Gryphon’s lifetime, dedicated music lo-
vers in ever increasing numbers have come to demand more
from their home entertainment systems in recognition and
appreciation of the crucial musical contribution of natural, un-
doctored, realistic sound that conveys the integrity and full
emotional impact of the original performance.
More and more, serious listeners recognise the validity of the
Gryphon approach: A loudspeaker must not be an instrument
or an interpreter with a voice of its own, only a neutral conduit
that lets us hear what is there, no more and no less, for better
or for worse.

Trident ll
Rarely have we designet a speakerproject, that from the very
beginning had something ”right” about it. It was like this spea-
ker was trying to show us the direction to follow, in its creation,
from the organic shaped individual baffels to the exceptional
marriage between the AMT and the conedrivers. Everything
fell into its right place and no drivers needed ”agressive coa-
ching” ( read: lots of adittional correcting components ) to
shine in all its glory. This feeling of ”right” is what people
comment when they hear this speaker, they praise its seamless
and coherent presentation with amazing dynamics and detail,
but alwayst in a way that makes you appreciate the music the
way it should be, something that moves us and let us escape
into a another world for a while.
Flemming E. Rasmussen
Ry, Denmark, March 2014
The Final Frontier
Having earned a global reputation for technological mastery
and unsurpassed excellence in audio amplification and CD
playback, it was a natural evolutionary move for Gryphon
Audio Designs to broaden its scope and apply the uncompro-
mising Gryphon philosophy to the final link in the chain. But
this decision was by no means made on the spur of the mo-
ment.
The Gryphon loudspeaker story begins with a chance encoun-
ter between Gryphon founder Flemming E. Rasmussen and
Danish loudspeaker legend Steen Duelund, a Danish mathe-
matician who dedicated his life to the advancement of louds-
peaker theory. Duelund was a man on a mission whose many
theories and discoveries continue to inspire professional de-
signers and DIY speaker builders long after his passing.
On a strictly informal basis, they began an in-depth explora-
tion that would take full advantage of Rasmussen’s extensive
experience in design and manufacturing to transform Due-
lund’s theories into real-world products with scant regard for
such minor details as pricing, parts availability, prevailing atti-
tudes and preconceived notions.
Imperfect Drivers
Duelund’s revolutionary theories on constant phase in crosso-
ver networks can be summed up in a single statement:“All
drivers must be in phase at all times at all frequencies.” Follo-
wing this theoretical “Eureka,” the hard part then became ma-
king that happen with a real loudspeaker in a real room. The
first step was to acknowledge that the greatest challenge fa-
cing loudspeaker designers was the simple fact that dynamic
drive units are by nature flawed and compromised.
Steen Duelund

Many driver designs defy all sound design principles, be-
cause they are the result of penny-pinching exercises under
heavy market pressure to deliver “acceptable” performance at
the lowest price. There is little motivation to allocate resources
to making drivers truly the best that they can be.
In order to succeed in their mission, now assigned the working
title Project 30, Rasmussen and Duelund returned to first con-
cepts, literally building by hand individual drivers with ba-
skets that did not introduce compression, handmade
multi-laminate cones, exotic home-brew coatings, adjustable
wire suspension to replace the conventional spider, heavy-
duty magnetic systems, ventilated pole pieces, machined
phase plugs and special surrounds to optimize the transition
between cone and baffle. All edges were beveled for a delibe-
rate aerodynamic profile. Double wiring was employed on the
cones to ensure perfect symmetry. The list of breakthroughs
goes on.
Every aspect of driver design, assembly and function was tho-
roughly investigated without prejudice and with scant respect
for received wisdom, which often proved to be ill-founded
dogma formulated by individuals promoting their own specific
agendas.
The end result was drive units with extremely low Q, high
power handling, no dynamic compression and a linear pistonic
range that pushed back the limits of driver design.
In order to live up to the uncompromising design goal of per-
fect phase at all times at all frequencies, the enclosure incor-
porated a concave curved front to form a direct angled,
time-aligned system with identical distance from the listener
to the acoustic centre of each driver.
The finished loudspeaker can only be described as an open
window, utterly transparent to the original recorded event with
equally remarkable dynamic headroom that re-creates the
true power and full weight of live music, both in details such as
a drum rimshot and in the effortless expansion of an orchestral
crescendo in a large-scale symphonic piece.
Gone were the sluggishness and “whitewashed” uniformity ty-
pical of loudspeakers with complex crossovers where 60% of
the components are dedicated to the thankless task of com-
pensating for the basic imperfections of inferior drivers. In
such speakers, the crossover becomes a virtual “black hole,”
sucking up energy instead of conveying it to the drivers.
At this stage, a respected German audio reviewer visited
Gryphon. In the Gryphon listening room, he auditioned Gryp-
hon amplifiers using the company’s usual reference loudspea-
kers, a well-known American full-range system. Suitably
impressed with what he heard, he happened to notice some
large enclosures concealed beneath a sheet off to one side.

His curiosity aroused, he persuaded Flemming to hook them
up for an off the record listening session with the clear under-
standing that this was not a commercial product.
To make a long story short, the reviewer had a revelatory ex-
perience and rumours quickly began to circulate about a my-
stery speaker that Gryphon were keeping to themselves.
Despite the unique quality of the project, Rasmussen decided
not to pursue it as a commercial venture, using the loudspea-
kers only as a valued tool in the company’s electronics devel-
opment work. The decision was based on the fact that the
many hand-tweaked, non-standard components made it a slow,
expensive and exceedingly complex system to build. Too
many of its geeky, off-the-wall solutions were conceived and
executed without regard for the real-world problems of consi-
stent, day-to-day production and long-term reliability. More-
over, this was at a time in the High End industry when
electronics manufacturers and speaker makers politely played
in their own sandboxes, rarely invading each other’s turf.
Today, things have changed considerably.
The Cantata Reference Monitor System
By the millennium, Gryphon had become firmly established as
a major international player with a range of amplification com-
ponents and CD players widely regarded as among the very
best in the esoteric world of High End audio.
Gryphon innovations included the world's first single-chassis
CD player with onboard upsampling and critical system en-
hancements such as the acclaimed Exorcist, the world's first
system demagnetizer, as well as a range of cables and acces-
sories.
Still, demand for a Gryphon loudspeaker continued to grow, as
distributors, dealers and enthusiasts wanted to share in the
great secret. Electing not to fall into the same trap as so many
others who rush to market with a “me, too” loudspeaker sy-
stem in an attempt to cash in on the goodwill of an established
electronics brand name, Rasmussen decided to address an
unacknowledged problem that he had frequently observed:
Most audiophiles select loudspeakers that are simply too large
to work well in their room and wind up fighting a losing battle
against room acoustics with inadequate tools.
Rasmussen already knew what they would have to learn from
bitter, expensive experience: Not even the best amplifier and
room treatments can turn things around once you have instal-
led the wrong speaker in the wrong room. To help enthusiasts
with limited living space overcome these obstacles, a more
compact loudspeaker became Gryphon’s top priority, because
it was felt to fill the greatest need.
The Gryphon Cantata

Driven by his decade-long vision of a loudspeaker that would
finally get things right, Rasmussen conceived the Gryphon
Cantata to set new standards for sonic performance in a two-
way system of modest dimensions.With Steen Duelund’s theo-
ries as inspiration, acoustician Lars Matthiesen Rasmussen set
about the task of translating theory into workable, practical so-
lutions. Rasmussen and the Gryphon design team created the
product’s conceptual and physical framework, while Rasmus-
sen and Gryphon chairman Valdemar Børsting were responsi-
ble for final voicing. Exploiting Gryphon’s home court
advantage in the field of electronics, it was natural to incorpo-
rate a high tech active Q control, a concept introduced in the
1950’s by Linkwitz and Greiner, but never successfully imple-
mented.
The Cantata received a rave reception from press and owners
alike, winning numerous awards, including Product of the Year
from UK magazine HiFi+. Gryphon was immediately accepted
as a loudspeaker manufacturer and praised for tackling the
endeavour with innovative flair and bravery.
Gryphon Poseidon
The development and, in particular, the actual production of
Cantata with its innumerable tailor-made components gave
Gryphon valuable experience and the courage to revive and
complete Project 30. Auditioning confirmed that the system
had been well ahead of its time. Equally important, Gryphon’s
accrued experience and good working relations with driver
manufacturers now meant that the project could be fully reali-
sed to an even higher standard.
Special drive units would still be required, but Gryphon’s unq-
uestioned High End stature and the success of the Cantata at-
tracted the interest of an internationally respected Danish
driver manufacturer willing to build drive units to Gryphon’s
strict specifications. Jensen Capacitors manufactured induc-
tors and capacitors to Gryphon’s specifications. A German ma-
nufacturer supplied a surround that matched the cone
geometry. The list of specialists involved continued to expand.
As was once the norm in the High End, Gryphon is still run by
enthusiasts able and willing to take risks and push back boun-
daries, not because the marketplace demands it or because
anyone asked them to, but out of sheer curiosity as to what
awaits in the uncharted territories where no one has gone be-
fore.
Consequently, Project 30 began to grow in scope and ambi-
tion, bearing out Flemming E. Rasmussen’s bold declaration,
“The reason we make products is to finance our research and
development. This is our true passion.”

In August 2004, the final fruit of Project 30 was unveiled, Gryp-
hon Poseidon. Lavishly built by even the most extravagant
High End standards, the exquisitely finished Gryphon Posei-
don offered expressive musical communication and a gripping
sensation of involvement in the performance as it unfolds.
Gryphon Poseidon redefined loudspeaker performance in
such crucial areas as sonic continuity and integrity, allowing
the listener to create a more vivid mental image of the musical
event with a greater sense of wholeness and consummate
ease.
Followed by the more accessible Trident, Atlantis and Mojo sy-
stems, Poseidon immediately established Gryphon Audio De-
signs as a force to be reckoned with in the field of High End
loudspeakers.
Enter the Trident ll
Now, Gryphon Trident ll builds on what has gone before, ex-
ploring the complex art of simplicity even further in the ser-
vice of music.
The sculptural towers are built just down the road from Gryp-
hon by a woodworking company specializing in custom design
work for recording studios and musicians.Their staff includes
several musicians, who combine a perfectionist approach to
their craft with an open mind to untraditional solutions. Ras-
mussen frequently tested the limits of their open-mindedness
in executing an undertaking on the grand scale of the Trident
ll, while maintaining structural and aesthetic integrity.
Assembled using proprietary techniques, Trident ll offer a ser-
vice unique in the audio field: access to virtually unlimited
personalised custom finish options not only at the time of ori-
ginal purchase, but also at any later date to keep pace with
evolving personal style and interior décor.
Available panel options are limited only by the customer's
imagination. However, requests may not include rain forest
wood or any endangered, restricted or illegal materials.
The Quest for Simplicity
No single drive unit is capable of properly reproducing the
entire audible range from 20 Hz to 20 kHz. No diaphragm can
move fast enough to reproduce 20 kHz overtones and, at the
same time, move enough air to reproduce deep bass at con-
cert hall levels.

For this reason, loudspeaker manufacturers devote considera-
ble resources during product development to selecting speci-
alised drivers for each frequency section and, more
importantly, to designing a crossover network to coerce them
all to work together. To do so, the frequency spectrum is sliced
up electronically and each piece is directed to the appropriate
driver where things are hopefully reassembled to form a cohe-
rent acoustic event.
It is at this point that so much can go wrong.
Are the selected crossover components good enough to do
their job without signal loss or distortion?
Are the drivers sufficiently similar in tonal quality and speed
that they can create the illusion of a single coherent source of
sound?
Does the crossover network properly compensate for the dri-
vers’ varying sensitivities so that the resulting sound is cor-
rectly balanced from top to bottom?
Have the crossover points between the drivers been properly
tuned for undetectable, seamless transitions with no frequency
dips or peaks or phase anomalies?
Is the cabinet designed to prevent resonances and delete-
rious interaction between the drivers?
The Gryphon Audio design team possesses unique experi-
ence in the solution of such arcane audio problems, having le-
arned the most valuable lesson of all: that eliminating a
problem before it arises is always far better than trying to
solve it.
Or, to put it in the vernacular – An ounce of prevention is worth
a pound of cure.
In accordance with this guiding principle, Gryphon Trident ll
eliminates the cabinet altogether in the mid/high frequency
range. Instead, an extremely rigid panel houses a vertical
array of four Air Motion Transformer (AMT) super-tweeters
alongside a single, two meter tall dipolar planar magnetic
thin-film ribbon transducer.
With ideal sound reproduction and mechanical behaviour
across more than seven octaves from 200 Hz to 18 kHz, the
Gryphon Trident ll ribbon eliminates multiple crossover filter
sections in the critical mid frequency range, preserving spec-
tral and temporal integrity.
The crossover consists of the finest Duelund parts and solid

silver components encased in a heavily damped aluminium
block suspended freely behind the panels. At the extreme
high frequency transition between the ribbon and the AMT
super-tweeter array, the ribbon rolls off naturally with no low-
pass filter section in the signal path.
The high frequency system’s innate wide and even horizontal
dispersion with virtually nil vertical dispersion creates a large,
stable sweet spot with none of the floor and ceiling reflections
that muddy the sound of conventional multi-way systems. Eli-
minating this major source of interference allows Gryphon Tri-
dent ll to achieve new levels of room-independent clarity and
resolution.
Bass Foundation
Significant effort and resources have been focused on delive-
ring extended deep bass with articulation, force and authority,
completely independent of the acoustic environment.
To keep pace with the extraordinary speed and openness of
our midrange drivers and AMT tweeters , the Trident ll´s active
bass offers elegantly simple, original Gryphon solutions to a
number of complicated problems.
Deep bass is, perhaps counter-intuitively, the most difficult
part of the audio spectrum to reproduce with both accuracy
and seamless integration with the upper frequency range. A
full-range speaker with bass drivers built into the main enclo-
sure has its own set of demons to exorcise as does the cur-
rently popular approach of tacking on a so-called “subwoofer”
for bottom end duties.
Each Trident ll cabinet houses 4 custom designed 8” drive
units and a built-in, specially designed Gryphon Class A/B
power amplifier capable of 1,000 Watts continuous output. For
extended headroom, available peak power is approximately
4,000 Watts or 4.5 horsepower.
Unlike compromised,“universal” amplifiers, the Trident ll bass
amp has been conceived and built exclusively for optimal in-
tegration with the system’s custom-built drive units, rigid cabi-
net and flexible, user-adjustable room integration controls, for
a level of performance unachievable by any standard mix-and-
match approach.
The Trident ll amplifiers incorporate 18 high current bipolar
output transistors, a 200,000 microFarad capacitor bank, DC
servo-coupling, zero global negative feedback, no output re-
lays, output coupling via massive copper bussbars, decoupled
transformer castings, military spec. double-sided printed circ-
uit boards and Holmgren toroidal transformers with internal
magnetic shielding.
Trident ll custom bass driver

In addition to the advantages of an active bass system with
purpose-built amplification designed for optimal operation
with the drive units and with the array of adjustable parame-
ters, active bass allows the owner to select a dedicated ampli-
fier for the high frequency panels without having to worry
about the power demands of the massive Trident ll bass sy-
stem.
Conventional passive loudspeakers must be designed for
compatibility with a wide range of commercially available
power amplifiers and active subwoofers are typically driven
by an off-the-shelf “digital” power module that could fit in one
hand.
By way of comparison, the purpose-built, onboard Trident ll
power amplifier weighs in at 70 kg per tower!
Naturally, ideal integration with the Trident ll high frequency
panel is assured.
To achieve this ambitious goal, the amplifier incorporates sop-
histicated Q Control circuitry to fine-tune bass response as
well as additional adjustments to ensure ideal room interface.
The bass remote control allows adjustment of bass level, Q, low
cut and other parameters directly from the listening position.
The bass module offers Standby mode and provides effective
driver protection via a comprehensive, non-invasive system
that monitors all functions more than 100 times per second.
The singular bass performance of the Gryphon Trident ll sy-
stem heightens awareness of rhythmic subtleties and nuances
as it immerses the listener in music’s rhythmic power.
Passive Upper Frequency Panel
By physically separating the bass and upper frequency sec-
tions, Gryphon Trident ll elegantly sidesteps issues that inevi-
tably arise in a full-range cabinet or in a satellite/subwoofer
configuration.
Reproduction of deep bass from a dedicated cabinet comple-
tely eliminates bass vibrations, resonances and internal bass
Amplifier module for 1 bass
tower

pressure waves in the upper frequency enclosures, for cleaner,
clearer mid and high frequencies. By reducing the enclosure
to its most basic form, a floor-standing open panel, Gryphon
Trident ll takes mid and high frequency clarity and articulation
to an entirely new level.
AMT super tweeter
The extreme high-frequency range is handled by an array of
four extraordinary Air Motion Transformers that move air by
driving an extremely low-mass folded sheet in a semi-perpen-
dicular motion via a powerful magnetic field. Following exten-
sive research into materials and diaphragm geometry, the
Trident ll AMT employs a heat-resistant Kapton film base, alu-
minium conductor traces and an innovative fold geometry.
Because of their large surface area and pleated structure, the
Air Motion Transformers move a large air volume with minimal
diaphragm motion for lightning fast transients with flat freq-
uency response well beyond the audible range with negligible
distortion and a total absence of compression.
The AMT array incorporates an attenuator for ideal fine-tuning
and integration with the acoustics of the listening space. ( +1 –
neutral – 1 db )
The Trident ll high frequency panel presents a purely resistive
load, significantly reducing demands on the partnering ampli-
fier, although the system’s unrivalled transparency and resolu-
tion deserve to be mated with the finest amplification and
source components.
The radical passive crossover network design ensures ideal
phase at all frequencies, a perfect result achieved only by
Gryphon loudspeaker.
The Trident ll system's low-frequency cut-off is room-depen-
dent and is also a result of the user-selected Q setting, but use-
able room response from the system's 26 drivers will cover the
range from 16 Hz to 40 kHz.
The transparency, speed and spine-tingling musical realism of
the Gryphon Trident ll system set new standards for audio vir-
tues such as resolution, timbre and soundstaging, illuminating
the music in ways previously experienced only occasionally
in glimpses or fragments of a speaker’s overall performance,
but rarely in a true full-range system.
Like every Gryphon product, Gryphon Trident ll is designed
by Gryphon founder and CEO Flemming E. Rasmussen and
manufactured in Denmark. The Gryphon Trident ll is a decla-
ration of love to music and a finely crafted sculptural element
to grace even the most luxurious of surroundings.
AMT tweeter

Trident ll set-up
Unpacking
The Trident ll system arrives in 4 large and heavy wood crates.
The system will be set up by your dealers or Gryphon distribu-
tor. Do not attempt to unpack the system yourself .
We know the almost uncontrollable urge to get the system up
and listening, but the Trident ll is a complex system that requires
a predefined set-up by experts with special tools and severe da-
mage can be done to your investment – and back - if mistakes
are made.
The 4 boxes include
􀂉 1 Trident ll Master cabinet
􀂉 1 Trident ll Slave cabinet
􀂉 1 display unit
􀂉 1 remote control
􀂉 1 Gryphon anniversary book and brochure
􀂉 1 Dealers assembly guide
􀂉 1 x Trident ll Accessory box inside Slave box
􀂉 1 data cable
􀂉 2 power cords
􀂉 1 hex socket key, 6 mm
􀂉 1 hex socket key, 5 mm
A box in a Box
The differences between rooms are often bigger and more
profound than the differences between speakers. This is the
reason why a speaker with a great subjective review can di-
sappoint greatly when placed in another room. Often it is more
a test of how a certain speaker interacts with a certain room,
rather than the actual quality of the speaker.
In short, you listen to the combination of speaker and room.
In real life it is easier to buy a new speaker than to buy a new
room. Depending on the individual situation – is it a dedicated
sound room or is it a living room with other considerations to
take and respect – but acoustics can be greatly improved in
most rooms and can basically be divided into 2 directions –
absorption or diffusion.
a. Absorption is reducing the sound level at certain frequen-
cies.

b. Diffraction is scattering reflections and removing negative
effects of reflections from the walls that interfere with the di-
rect sound from the speaker system
At Gryphon we are biased towards diffusion as we find that ab-
sorption in its extreme is killing dynamics and live feeling and
is often pushing the system to hard because of the loos of
sound level. Damping may be required to control an excess of
energy in a certain frequency area,. Diffusion can not do that.
The Trident ll is a dipole speaker system where the midrange
and tweeter panels is radiating sound forward and backwards.
Consequently it is interacting with the back wall more than a
box speaker.
It is not possible to give plug and play directions to any spea-
ker system,. A large degree is the individual – and often mi-
nute – adjustments of position of speaker and listening
position that is crucial for optimum performance.
In the following we will describe a starting- point set-up based
on our experience and it should only serve as a guideline.
Keep in mind that the set-up that sound right – is right.
As speakers run in,. minor adjustments may be required for
final set-up.
The bass is a huge challenge in set-up and reason for much
aggravation,. However, the Trident ll active woofer with its ad-
justments to the room is making that part more easy.
In our reference room ( 60 sq m ) we do not have any damping
( absorption ) behind the speakers but some diffusion on this
and more on the rest of the walls. Often some damping on the
back wall may be the right solution – the live / dead end phi-
losophy – If ceiling is low, damping at first reflection is sugge-
sted. For a ultimate-take-no-prisoners- approach, the
traditional table in front of the listener should be avoided as it
can generate reflections just as the close ceeling.
The Trident ll may at first sight look very much as some of the
old 4 column systems such as the Infinity IRS models that was
outstanding at its time.They were usually set up with very little
respect to the woofer towers that was just placed somewhere
behind the panels and just supposed to provide some oomph
to the sound.
The Trident ll is a different generation of speakers and shines
with its seamless integration between bass and the MT panels
that was the weakness of the older generations of 4 tower sy-
stems. So forget about the old school set-ups
Notes on sound reflections.
Behind speaker:
The farther away the system is from back wall, then less diffu-
sion ( if any ) is required.
Side walls
Diffusion should be used ( if any ) at sidewalls where first re-

flection will enter – in this example between 1/3 and 2/3
Behind listener
If distance is large little or perhaps moderate damping can be
applied. If it is closer diffusion can be applied, could be com-
bined with damping.
Speaker Toe-in ( se fig. 1 )
Note that the system is set up in a curve so all drivers are on
same line and pointing direct at the listener.
Toe-In
If the room is narrow it may be necessary to use the bass to-
wers on the outside of the MT panels to increase distance from
panels to sidewalls. In this case it is advisable that the AMT
super tweeters are kept on the outer side of the
midrange/tweeter panel.
In a short room, a set-up where the “focus” of the speakers is
slightly behind the speaker may be required.
Reducing toe-in – opening up – may increase soundstage size,
opening to much can reduce focus and often headroom.
Adjusting lean angle
The feet on the panels can be adjusted in height; a back lean
will often result in a higher placed soundstage. If you are sea-
ted low, a forward lean may be required.
The bass towers are not sensitive to this.
Spikes
Due to the weight of the system and consequently, its solid
contact to the floor,. Spikes are not offering any performance
gain, unless the floor is very lively or the carpet is thick and
soft.
The woofer towers
In the old school systems, the woffers was often underestima-
ted and viewed as devises that should provide some “umph”
to the sound,. They lived their own life , often unhappily mar-
ried to a inferior muscle amp with PA qualities ( a contradic-
tion of words perhaps )
The Trident ll is a speaker system and shines with its rare inte-
gration between the piston drivers and the planar drivers. This
is achieved by using a number of special developed drivers
that due to its size are lightening fast to respond to command.
Large drivers are heavy and takes time to start and most of the
time has trouble stopping thus creating the dreaded “over-
hang” – the woofer is playing something that it was not told to
by the amplifier. By using this responsive drivers in a large
numbers in combination with a Gryphon amplifier designed
specifically to this purpose – rather than a all-round perfor-
mance - a exceptional degree of bass control is achieved
down to the notes that are more felt than heard. The signature
of a deep bass system in absolute control is the absence of
bass unless the bass is required – it is never a constant “rum-
ble” creating a illusion of a bass that is not telling if it is a cello

or a bass – at best, it is just a deep sluggish tone.
The Bass tower electronics
Each tower has a amplifier capable of delivering 1000 watts to
the drivers.
It also has some adjustments to support precise integration
with panels and the room.
One of the towers is the master and the other is the slave.
The master tower houses all the intelligent circuits that res-
ponds to the remote control or other functions, these com-
mands are communicated to the slave with a data-only cable
between them. This set-up with only one master in charge se-
cure that no misunderstandings can occur.
Master tower control.
Adjustments applies to both towers automatically.
Warning:
Be aware that there is 1000 watt amplifier in each tower that
can deliver a huge output in very low frequencies if instruc-
tions are not observed. Please be very careful when handling
this system
View from above
viev from side
Note that the curve of the baf-
fel is duplicated as the curve of
toe-in of the speakers.
This system is designed for on-
axis listening and the curve on
the baffel is providing true
timeallignement and maxium
dynamics. The default distance
is to speakers is 5 meters de-
pending on where the ”hot
seat” is preferred.

Vol+/Vol-
Bass level up or down.
Q+/Q-
Optimizing bass performance to the specific room.
Low cut
Use this with turntable use to prevent overloading the system
with low level noise from turntable ( rumble) or to prevent di-
sasters with a dropped tone arm
MUTE
Always, if you change cables – or turn the towers off.
1000 Watts releassed in the basse is a scary experience.
In & out puts
XLR in
Connect to balanced output from balanced preamplifier XLR -
AES standard- ( pin 2 positive, Pin 3 negative, Pin 1 shield )
XLR out
Can be used to loop to Mid/Hi amplifier if preamplifier do not
have 2 outputs.
XLR/RCA
Toggle Switch between balanced or single ended connection
CONNECT ONLY TRIDENT LL TOWER TO PREAMPLIFIERS
WITH ABSOLUTELY STABLE DC OPERATION. NEVER TURN
PREAMPLIFIER ON OR OFF OR MOVE TOWER UNLESS THE
TRIDENT LL MASTER IS TURNED OFF.
RCA/in
Connect to single ended output from preamplifier
RCA out
Can be used to loop to the Mid/Hi amplifier if your preampli-
fier do not have 2 sets of outputs.
Ports
Display
Connect LED display here
Data Interface
Link between Master and Slave
Error
Indication of malfunction

12 v. Link
Auto power-on if connected to a Gryphon link system
Stdby
Flashes when starting up. Blue led on front of bass tower is in-
dicating that tower is ready
AC power
Do not use filters or “sound enhancing” AC devises.
FUSE
Replace only with fuses of same value and type
No serviceable parts inside.
On/Off
Mains switch, both towers must be turned on.
The Benefits of A Semi-Active Speaker System
• Complete control (remote) of bass level and other settings for ideal
room integration (Level,Acoustic Q, Low Cut, High Cut)
• 1,000 Watt Class A/B power amplifier developed especially for this
bass system. (No traditional, external amplifier can do this as well.)
• Greater flexibillity. Active bass takes a huge load off the mid/high
amplifier, consequently ,a smaller amplifier can be selected - the number of
potential amplifiers is much higher.
• Less costly than traditional bi-amplification, which requires an addi-
tional external amplifier.
• No speaker cables for bi-amplification are required - The best cable
in the world is no cable at all.
• No interconnect cables for bi-amplification are required. - The best
cable in the world is no cable at all.
• Space saving

Most audiophiles understand that getting the bass exactly "right" is usually
the single greatest challenge in setting up a speaker system.
Especially at the bottom end of the audio spectrum, room interaction has pro-
found impact and the desired balance is extremely difficult to achieve.
Speakers with dual sets of input terminals invite people to experiment with
bi-wiring using different cables for each frequency range or with bi-amping
using special bass amps.
Gryphon actually coined the expression "vertical bi-amping" way back in the
day, suggesting the use of two identical stereo amplifiers, one for each spea-
ker, rather than traditional horizontal bi-amping, where one stereo amp hand-
les left and right upper/mid frequencies, while a second amp, often of a
different power rating and brand, handles left and right bass.
However, in many of the old school systems such as the big infinity´s, the
choice was often a favourite tube amplifier for the upper/mid and a big and
bold solid state amplifier for the bass, because of the widespread notion that
power was all that mattered in this application.To a surprisingly large extent,
that misconception lives on today.
Specialist Bass Amplification
When a manufacturer designs an amplifier, it is for an existence where it will
face all kinds of speaker loads and ideally drive them all equally well. Since
speaker systems are very, very different to drive (sensitivity, impedance,
phase, tonality) such an amplifier must be universally compatible. Rather than
being a dedicated specialist, it must offer "one size fits all" functionality. And,
naturally, it must be at its best from the very highest frequencies to the very
lowest.
Now, imagine instead designing an amplifier that is conceived and born with
a single purpose in life - to drive one specific speaker and never anything
else. It will also be required only to give its best within a very narrowly defi-
ned frequency band.This is the specialist amplifier at its ultimate extreme
and, when it is properly executed, any "normal" amplifier will inevitably fall
short in comparison.
Because this amplifier is integrated in the "system" from its conception, it can
also offer highly desirable features such as remote adjustment of bass level
from the listening position, low and high cut filters and a less known, but eq-
ually valuable feature: user-selectable bass system Q, an extremely important
factor as matching system Q to the listening room’s own Q is the gateway to
superior bass performance.
We all know the frustrations of struggling to control the bass by moving the
speakers around the room to get the best bass performance. Unfortunately,
that position often also provides the poorest soundstage or a less coherent
tonal balance.
Gryphon has always been a firm believer in smaller bass drivers with bigger
"motors" (built to Gryphons specs) as vastly superior to the traditional large
bass drivers that often are slow to start and slow to stop, resulting in "over-
hang" or an area where the driver is doing something other than what it is in-
structed to do by the amp.To ensure that the cone surface area is sufficient to
generate the appropriate quantity and quality of deep bass, multiple bass dri-
vers are employed.
With Gryphon’s special, (fully analogue) bass amplifier, capable of delivering
1,000 Watts continuously to the drivers, the bass drivers are held in an iron
grip at all times.This system responds with such exceptional speed that con-
ventional bass systems appear sluggish and "wet" in comparison.

With the bass well in hand, the owner has the added bonus of far greater free-
dom in selecting an amplifier for the rest of the system, which becomes so
much easier to drive. Most amplifiers greatly appreciate being relieved of
bass duties, allowing them to shine within a more limited range.
Gryphon Pendragon and Trident II Reference Loudspeaker Systems
with Integral Self-Powered Bass System, Q Controller and Active Crossover
Bias
Like every loudspeaker ever made by Gryphon, the critically acclaimed top
of the range Pendragon and Trident II incorporate specially developed con-
stant phase technologies to ensure that all drivers are in phase at all frequen-
cies at all times.
The Gryphon Pendragon and Trident II systems both take full advantage of
our ground-breaking semi-active configuration with specially developed bass
amplification as an integral part of system design. As one of the very few High
End manufacturers of complete system solutions from source components to
amplification to loudspeakers, Gryphon has a uniquely valuable perspective
on all relevant compatibility/synergy issues.
Unlike compromised, universal external amplifiers, Pendragon and Trident II
purpose-built, on-board bass amps are conceived and built exclusively for
optimal integration with our custom-built drive units, advanced crossover net-
works, handmade crossover components, non-resonant enclosures and pro-
prietary, user-adjustable room integration parameters.This extraordinary
degree of integration delivers a level of performance unattainable via any
standard mix-and-match approach.
Gryphon Pendragon and Trident II bass amps incorporate custom developed
parts, the finest Sanken high current bipolar output transistors, linear power
supply, large capacitor banks, DC servo-coupling, no output relays, output
coupling via massive copper bussbars, decoupled transformer castings, mili-
tary spec. double-sided printed circuit boards and Holmgren toroidal trans-
formers with internal magnetic shielding. Ultra-wide bandwidth and zero
negative feedback contribute to extreme speed and unconditional stability.
For extended headroom, available peak power is approximately 4,000 Watts
or 4.5 horsepower. The dedicated, Gryphon bass power amplifier weighs in at
70 kg per speaker!
In addition, Pendragon and Trident II both employ Gryphon Q Controller
room-adaptive technology that allows user adjustment of the total system re-
sonance frequency and of system Q for ideal coupling to any room.
As a theoretical concept, active Q control was discussed in the 1950’s by Link-
witz and Greiner, but never successfully implemented prior to the breakth-
rough Gryphon Cantata stand-mount loudspeaker in 2002, offering powerful
new opportunities for extensive low-frequency adjustment and room integra-
tion.
Bass parameters can be optimised for fast, seamless integration of the bass
section with the upper/mid in any listening room.
Set-up of the Gryphon Q Controller via remote control is simplicity itself
with a separate display that can be placed for clear visibility from the liste-
ning position.
Active Crossover Bias
In addition to increasing low-frequency extension for a given cabinet volume
and improving bass control by direct-coupling the driving amp to the drivers,
the Gryphon active approach also provides permanent 28 V biasing of cros-
sover capacitors to eliminate crossover distortion at zero electric potential.
Originally introduced in the Gryphon Cantata, where bias voltage was ap-
plied by battery, the considerable benefits include improved stability, body,
tonal colour and image coherence.
This extraordinary level of coordination and integration ensures an exceptio-

nal degree of bass control all the way down to the notes that are felt more
than heard.The signature of a Gryphon active deep bass system is absolute
control and speed.
Thanks to the development and implementation of active, integrated bass am-
plification, Q control and active crossover bias, Gryphon Pendragon and Tri-
dent II elegantly and effectively resolve electrical, mechanical and acoustical
issues, delivering extended deep bass with articulation, force and authority,
independent of the acoustic environment.
Gryphon Trident II – Laser-Sharp Clarity, Alacrity and Precision
The Trident II self-powered bass system employs four 8” drivers in a single,
massively braced, stylish enclosure per channel with precisely contoured baf-
fle and driver surrounds and baffle covering carefully selected and applied to
eliminate baffle reflections and diffraction phenomena.
The massive air displacement of the bass system is complemented by two ex-
tensively modified Danish 5” midrange units and the Air Motion Transformer
high frequency driver with minimal mass and virtually instantaneous res-
ponse in a symmetrical vertical array for an ideal point source presentation of
the musical event with unparalleled speed and accuracy.