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> CENTAUR Complete Mono/Pair
For those who demand a musical presentation free of concerns about dynamics and distortion, yet with all the delicacy and detail that a single-ended tube amp delivers, we present the Centaur Mono. The Centaur Mono incorporates all of Constellation Audio's groundbreaking amplifier technologies in a package that is, shall we say, a bit more living-room-friendly than our 275-pound-each Hercules monoblock.
Each Centaur Mono delivers 500 watts per channel continuous power into 8 ohms. This is sufficient to drive any speaker ever made to maximum performance with power left to spare. When you own the Centaur Mono, there can be no doubt that your amplifier is delivering all the dynamics in whatever music you choose to play. Such extraordinary power also essentially eliminates concerns about amplifier distortion.
Only Constellation Audio's “dream team” of engineers and designers could have come up with the radical modular design of the Centaur Mono. Most high-powered amplifiers are just bulked-up versions of smaller amplifiers-and as bulk is added,musicality is all too often lost. Instead of following this predictable and unsatisfactory approach, our engineers created a modular design, in which multiple 125-watt amplifiers are combined to achieve the Centaur Mono's 500-watt power rating. The sound is exactly the same as the smaller amp, but vastly more powerful.
Along with the Hercules and the Centaur stereo amplifier, the Centaur Mono is one of the few amplifiers in the world that deliver true, fully balanced performance. Almost all amplifiers use N-type transistors for the positive half of the audio signal, and P-type transistors for the negative half of the signal. Thus, the two halves of the signal are not perfectly matched.
The Centaur Mono instead uses Constellation Audio's exclusive Balanced Bridged design, which employs matched single-ended amplifier modules using only N-type output transistors. This arrangement achieves the truly balanced output that all fully complementary amplifiers strive for but only Constellation Audio achieves.
Those who own a Constellation Altair or Virgo preamp can use the Centaur Mono's Constellation Direct balanced input, which bypasses the amplifier's input stage for better fidelity. For use with other brands of preamps, we provide a standard XLR balanced input that connects to one of our Line Stage Gain Modules. The Line Stage Gain Module, a circuit used throughout the Constellation Audio line, uses servo circuits and hand-selected, ultra-low-noise FETs to produce a signal that is in essence perfectly balanced. The perfectly balanced signal (already available from the outputs of the Altair and Virgo) allows Centaur Mono's Balanced Bridged amplifier design to achieve optimum performance.
To assure that the Centaur Mono never fails to exceed expectations, we gave it a potent power supply: a 1,600-watt toroidal transformer, numerous large storage capacitors, and fully regulated output for small-signal circuits. Huge heat sinks that run nearly the full height and depth of the amplifier assure proper cooling and reliability.
The Centaur Mono delivers everything an audiophile could want : incredible power and incomparable finesse, in a chassis compact enough for easy installation in most listening rooms.
500 watts per channel into 8 ohms
The Centaur Mono owner need never worry about power, no matter what speakers are used. The power output is sufficient to drive any speaker, of any impedance or sensitivity, with enough headroom to practically eliminate the possibility of audible distortion from the amplifier.
Unique modular design
The Centaur Mono gets its power not from bulking up a smaller design as most big amplifiers do, but by combining multiple 125-watt modules. Thus, it delivers the musicality of a small amp with no concerns about dynamics or distortion.
Exclusive balanced bridged circuit design
By using only N-type output transistors, instead of half N-type and half P-type as almost all other amplifiers do, the Centaur Mono achieves practically perfect balance between the positive- and negative-going halves of the audio signal.
Fully discrete circuitry
To assure maximum performance, we use no ICs in the Centaur Mono's audio circuits, only discrete transistors.
Custom-wound toroidal transformer
The Centaur Mono's more-than-ample power supply assures lifelike dynamics. The core of the supply is a custom-wound, 1,600-watt toroidal power transformer, which allows the amp to deliver exceptional headroom while minimizing production of stray magnetic fields.
Stable design with no output filters
performance_familyBecause we designed the Centaur Mono's output to be inherently stable, the amp does not require a Zobel filter network at its output as many high-powered amps do.
Maximum ventilation for maximum reliability
The Centaur Mono's extreme output capability demands careful thermal control, which we achieve through extra-large heat sinks and hundreds of large ventilation ports.
Line Stage Gain Module
The Centaur Mono's input stage employs the same Line Stage Gain Module circuit used throughout our line. This fully complementary topology uses servo circuits and hand-selected, ultra-low-noise FETs to assure that all incoming signals are perfectly balanced. This is important when preamps of other brands are used.
The Constellation Direct interface bypasses the Centaur Mono's input stage, thus reducing the number of gain stages in the system and achieving superior sound quality. It is designed for use only with our Altair and Virgo preamps, which output a perfectly balanced signal because they use our Line Stage Gain Module.
Inputs
1 Constellation Direct XLR
1 standard balanced XLR
1 unbalanced RCA
Outputs : dual metal binding posts
Power output per channel, 8Ω (1 kHz @ 1% THD+N) : 500 watts
Power output per channel, 4Ω (1 kHz @ 1% THD+N) : 800 watts
Power output per channel, 2Ω (1 kHz @ 1% THD+N) : 1000 watts
Frequency response : 10 Hz to 100 kHz, +1/-0.5 dB
Gain : 14dB (Constellation Direct)/26 dB Balanced & RCA
THD+N (1 kHz @ rated power) : <0.05%
Output impedance : 0.05Ω
Damping factor (8Ω load) : 80
Input impedance
20KΩ Constellation Direct
20KΩ XLR balanced
10KΩ RCA unbalanced
Output noise : <70 µV, 500 kHz BW
-116 dB @ 250 watts
Weight : 98 lbs/44.5 kg
Dimensions
11.00 x 17.00 x 20.00 in (hwd)
280 x 432 x 508 mm (hwd)
Formats
CD Formats : Red Book
Audio Formats : WAV, AIFF, FLAC, ALAC, OGG Vorbis, AAC, Windows Media-formatted content files, MP3
Internet Radio Provider : vTuner
Disc Compatability : CD, CD-R, CD-RW
User Control
Front Panel : Touch-sensitive eject and shutdown mode function
TV Monitor : 4:3 and 16:9 customisable TV interface USB touch screen compatible
Web Interface : PC and Mac internet browser compatible Adobe Flash user interface
AMX Creston : Installer-customisable reference apps available
Handheld : User interface app for iPhone and iPod Touch devices
Streaming and Ripping
USB : Scan and play from FAT and NTFS formatted memory sticks
Network Shares : Scan and play from music stored on a network share
Network Storage : Rip to external network storage for expanded music storage
CD Metadata : AllMusic.com online, FreeDB online and local database
StreamNet : 6 user streams to NaimNet and NetStreams systems
Power
Supply Voltage : 100V-230V; 50 or 60Hz
Dimensions (HxWxD) : 87 x 207 x 314 mm
Weight : 4.2 kg
Supplied with : External power supply
Formats
CD Formats Red Book
Disc Compatability CD, CD-R
User Control
Front Panel Seven button matrix
Handheld R-Com
Power
Power Supply Options 555PS, 2 x 555PS
Upgrades
Power Supply 555 PS
Other NAC 252, 552 PS, NAP 500, 500 PS
Dimensions (HxWxD) 114 x 432 x 314 mm
Weight 20.2 kg
Supplied with Hi-Line, R-Com, Burndy x 2, Remote Control NARCOM 4, Clamp 6
