The Gryphon Exorcist - System Demag Gryphon Audio is known for its big and beautiful electronics and speakers, so it's ironic that the first Gryphon product I've had in my system is the size and shape of a remote control and even more simple to use. The Exorcist is one of Gryphon's longest-running products, and its name is a clever indication of its function. It's a system demagnetizer that addresses the deleterious effect of magnetization on the audio signal.

Gryphon argues that many of the conductive parts in the audio chain, both electronics and cables, become magnetized over time through DC leakage, and when this happens the music suffers. The Exorcist addresses this by producing a tone that reverses the effect, but unlike the various CDs that also claim to perform this same function, the Exorcist is an active device. Inside it is a low-distortion tone generator that runs on a 9V battery, producing a 1kHz signal that fades over the course of 35 seconds, a duration "which we found ideal," said Flemming Rasmussen, the head of Gryphon Audio.

With your system on, you connect the Exorcist to an unused set of inputs, adjust the volume to normal listening level, and then press the Engage toggle. The tone bursts from your speakers, then gradually fades. If you feel it's necessary, do it again. There is no penalty for using the Exorcist more than once. In fact, you may derive benefits from a second treatment.