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• Overview – The Gryphon Mikado CD Player is a top-loading CD player from Danish manufacturer Gryphon Audio Designs, launched in 2001 and built around a heavily modified Philips CD-Pro 2 transport in a dual-mono configuration.
• Key Technology – Four dual-differential 24-bit/96kHz AKM DACs with asynchronous upsampling feed a Class A, fully discrete analogue stage with no negative feedback, using a first-order filter built around a single silvered Mica capacitor.
• Performance – SoundStage! described the Mikado as a first-class luxury product, with sound, looks, and presentation every bit as top-of-the-line as its price tag suggests, backed by dual-mono power supplies for both analogue and digital domains.
• Specs – The Gryphon Mikado CD Player is dual-mono configured with four separate regulated power supplies split across the analogue and digital domains, and offers both balanced XLR and unbalanced BNC outputs, with XLR recommended by Gryphon for the more lively sound. A 40-gram precision-tooled anodised aluminium CD clamp and die-cast metal transport frame further stabilise disc rotation.
• Dimensions – Measures approximately 480mm (W) × 100mm (H) × 370mm (D).
• Weight – Weighs approximately 11kg.
S$7,200 looks fair to slightly strong for a Gryphon Mikado in like-new condition, and it is not an asking price that feels out of line for this tier of player. The best benchmark point in hand puts the model’s used value around the mid-S$10k range, so this listing appears comfortably below that and should interest serious buyers rather than scare them off.
What makes it compelling is the usual Gryphon appeal: big, refined presentation, excellent build, and the sort of CD playback that still rewards a good transport and a revealing system. In like-new shape, with original packaging, remote, manual, and proof of recent service or light use, it becomes a very easy listen-to-buy candidate. The main thing to confirm is simple: tray, loading, and disc-reading behavior, since any high-end legacy CD player deserves a quick functional check before money changes hands.
Independent perspective — not a price guarantee. Always verify condition, accessories and provenance before purchase.
Gryphon Audio Designs emerged from Denmark in 1985, founded by Flemming E. Rasmussen as a passionate offshoot of his distribution company, 2R Marketing. What began as a spare-time project—a compact, dual-mono phono preamplifier known as the Gryphon Head Amp—quickly gained acclaim after debuting at the 1986 Chicago Consumer Electronics Show. Japanese distributors snapped it up, and the audio press hailed it as a "Best Buy," propelling Rasmussen to establish Gryphon as a dedicated entity by the early 1990s, free from import distractions. The brand's name draws from the mythical gryphon, symbolizing the fusion of lion-like power and eagle-like grace in music reproduction.
Gryphon specializes in uncompromising high-end electronics, starting with its legendary class-A phono stages and evolving into high-power amplifiers, preamplifiers, and integrated systems. The company expanded into full-system solutions with the 2002 Cantata stand-mount speakers, followed by flagship models like the massive Poseidon in 2004. Today, its portfolio encompasses speakers, the groundbreaking Apollo turntable—a collaboration with Helmut Brinkmann and Ortofon—and even cables, ensuring every link in the audio chain aligns with Gryphon's neutral, optimized design philosophy.
Positioned firmly at the pinnacle of high-end audio, Gryphon commands respect among discerning audiophiles for its visionary engineering and sonic purity, often setting benchmarks since its inception as one of Europe's earliest true high-end pioneers. Rasmussen's team-driven approach yields products that prioritize musical essence over compromise, attracting buyers who demand reference-level performance in home systems.
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