Gryphon Audio Diablo 333

EXPENSIVE, YES. BUT YOU KNOW YOU WANT THEM

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Integrated amplifier

£24,500 Gryphon Audio is a Danish high-end brand founded in 1985. Its first product was a moving-coil step-up unit, which in many ways set the template for components the company makes to this day. Since that auspicious beginning, Gryphon's products have always been positioned at the top end of the market, prioritising engineering purity and performance above all else.

The Diablo 333 amplifier is a fine example of the breed. It is the pricier of the company’s two integrated options, and sits in an extensive range that includes almost every part of the audio chain. The breadth of Gryphon's output is wide for such a modestly sized brand and includes a complete record deck, including tonearm and cartridge, alongside various phono stages, integrated and pre/power amplifiers plus a small range of not so small speakers.

Digital hasn't been ignored either, with a number of CD players and digital-to-analogue converters on offer. The company even makes cables and furniture, so it is possible to have a complete end-to-end Gryphon system if you desire. Impressive.

That adjective equally applies to the Diablo 333. This beast is all about big numbers. That starts with the base price, which at £24,500 sits near the top end of the scale as far as one-box designs go. This integrated is chunky but not over-sized by class standards, though the all-in weight of around 50kg gives us pause for thought as we take the unit out of its smart wooden crate. You will certainly need help unpacking it if you value a healthy back, and you'll require an equipment support sturdy enough to resist folding under the pressure of all that weight.

So, 333 watts per channel into an 8 ohm load. Can we just stop and think about that absurd figure for a second? That amount of power probably makes the Diablo the most powerful domestic amplifier that What Hi-Fi? has tested in its almost 50-year history.