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.”
