Gryphon Audio Designs
Gryphonista is the name that Gryphon Audio gives to the most committed fans of its Danish-made, high-end ultra-luxe audio equipment. Gryphonistas are people who love music and who demand only the highest quality of performance and service. Many will fall for the bold appearance before they even hear the incredible sound produced by the Antileon EVO mono power amplifier or the Trident II speakers. Some will delve deeper into the Gryphon catalogue to discover the astounding Apex amp or Kodo speakers. All will become Gryphonistas.
“For me, a brand is a promise,” says Rune Skov, Gryphon’s Global Sales Director. “It’s a promise of quality, performance and service.” That service encompasses building a close relationship with customers, knowing what they like, what they are looking for and finding out what excites them about Gryphon products. “Our customers love music, and they want the best of the best, so we take them by the hand. We visit their house, we make any changes, we do whatever is needed. That is a huge part of what we do. You are entitled to that level of service, support and respect if you are spending that sort of money,” says Rune.
The company was founded in 1985 by Flemming E Rasmussen, a distributor of some of the biggest brands in the audio industry who wanted to recreate the live music experience in the home environment. One day, he decided to make his own head amp, The Gryphon Head Amp (step-up amplifier), which incorporated a gold faceplate with dual mono and Class A specifications – “the first amplifier in the world with that topology,” says Rune. The amp became a hit in Japan. In 1991, it was followed by the breakthrough DM100, the forefather of all Gryphon amplifiers, which was also hugely successful in Asia.
Part of that success was because of Rasmussen’s eye for design. A trained artist and industrial designer, he styled his equipment to make a bold, sculptural statement. But most of it was down to performance. This remains the metric against which all success is measured at Gryphon. “Performance comes before anything else,” says Rune, who sees the company’s products as a cut above the rest. “I only see a very limited number of competitors.”
The bold, black design of Gryphon products is its trademark. “We have a very distinct design ethic that we call ‘Nordic noir’. It means that nobody is in doubt when they see a Gryphon. It is very masculine and confident. Some might say it is almost decadent. A Gryphon needs to be something you desire, like the finest watch or automobile. It will make you say ‘wow’.”
The focus on performance and exceptionally high standards of manufacture and design gives Gryphon its drive. The company has tripled in size over the past five years, with greater growth in North America and the UK. This is partly because of an increase in visibility as a result of enhanced communication and availability. Rune’s ambition is to have Gryphon’s amps, preamps, speakers, CD players and cables in the homes of the world’s VIPs. “We want to be in the homes of those people who appreciate the finest components that money can buy,” he says.
Although the brand is expensive, explains Rune, “we are not motivated by price. That’s because we want to see more Gryphon products out there. Nothing is better than seeing our products used and loved.”