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> HERCULES Mono Amp
Our “dream team” of the world's finest audio engineers and industrial designers achieved something truly remarkable with the Hercules, comparable to a single vocalist possessing both the warm baritone of Johnny Hartman and the penetrating soprano of Maria Callas. The Hercules is a tremendously powerful amplifier that sounds as musical as a single-ended triode tube amp.
We could have built this 1,000-watt monoblock amplifier in the usual way, bulking it up then tweaking it to sound a little better. Instead, we first designed the best-sounding 125-watt amplifier we have ever heard. We built this single-ended amplifier as a module, so that we could achieve the desired power by combining modules. Thus, the Hercules sounds exactly like that original 125-watt amp.
The Hercules' balanced drive design delivers a perfect balance between the positive and negative halves of an audio signal. Most balanced amplifiers use N-type output transistors for the positive half of the circuit and P-type transistors for the negative half, which produces an imbalance between the two halves of the signal. We build the Hercules by combining two matched single-ended amplifiers using only N-type output transistors. Because the Hercules uses only one type of output device, every element of the musical signal passes through exactly the same circuit components-and the musicality of the single-ended design is maintained.
Such perfect balancing can be fully appreciated only if the Hercules receives a perfectly balanced signal. To this end, we condition incoming signals with our Line Stage Gain Module, the same used in our Altair line stage. If the Altair is used as the preamp for the Hercules, the gain module can be bypassed through our Constellation Link interface.
To supply the Hercules with abundant power, we fit it with dual custom-wound 1,500-watt toroidal transformers and massive storage capacitors. Low-voltage circuits receive fully regulated, noise-free DC power.
A 432- by 230-pixel LCD on the rear panel displays vital operating information. All of this data can also be displayed on our Pyxis wireless system controller.
No matter what speaker one wishes to drive, no matter what type of music one prefers, and no matter how loud a volume one demands, the Hercules can deliver it easily-and it can do so with an intimacy and emotion previously thought impossible for a high-powered amplifier. For audiophiles, it is truly a dream come true.
1,000 watts of power into 8 ohms
Conservatively rated at 1 kilowatt (it actually delivers about 10% more power), the Hercules produces more than enough power for any speaker. It delivers 1.5 kW into 4 ohms and an incredible 2 kW into 2 ohms.
Unique balanced drive circuit design
Uses only N-type output transistors to achieve perfect positive/negative balance. As in a small single-ended amplifier, every part of the audio signal passes through the same type of output devices.
Modular circuit concept
Built from multiple 125-watt single-ended modules to achieve small-amp sound quality in a kilowatt design.
Dual 1,500-watt custom-wound toroidal transformers
These transformers contain isolated windings with taps to provide independent power supplies to various circuits, thus assuring consistent current and voltage to all parts of the amplifier. Because of the isolated windings, the demands of one circuit do not affect the performance of other circuits.
Rear LCD status display
Shows RMS and peak output power, operating temperature, hours of use, and overload condition warning on a 432- by 230-pixel screen. All of this information is continuously displayed, so there is no need to go through menus.
Interfaces with Pyxis wireless touchscreen system controller
Transmits operating data wirelessly for display on the Pyxis' 432- by 230-pixel touchscreen. Users can monitor temperature, be warned of overload conditions, etc., without having to look behind the amplifier.
No output network needed
Many amplifiers require a Zobel network at their output to ensure stability at high frequencies. The Hercules' inherently stable design eliminates the need for this network.
Massive heat sink and ventilation ports
The high thermal mass of the Hercules' huge heat sinks, combined with hundreds of large ventilation ports, assures low airflow impedance and effective cooling.
Line Stage Gain Module
This module, used on all of our line-level components and in the input stage of the Hercules and Pegasus amplifiers, is a fully balanced preamp circuit housed in a machined aluminum enclosure. The complementary circuit is actually two mirror-imaged amplifiers, with one amplifying the positive half of the signal and the other amplifying the negative half. Hand-selected FETs and servo circuits yield an essentially perfect balance between the positive and negative halves of the signal.
Our Constellation Link interface carries perfectly balanced signals from our Altair Line Stage to the Hercules and Pegasus amplifiers. In the amplifiers, the Constellation Link bypasses the Line Stage Gain Module, thus eliminating one stage of amplification from the signal chain.
Inputs : 2 XLR (1 for Constellation Link), 1 RCA
Outputs : metal binding posts
Power output per channel, 8Ω (1 kHz @ 1% THD+N) : 1.1 kW
Power output per channel, 4Ω (1 kHz @ 1% THD+N) : 1.5 kW
Power output per channel, 2Ω (1 kHz @ 1% THD+N) : 2 kW
Frequency response : 10 Hz to 100 kHz, +1/-0.5 dB
Gain : 32 dB
THD+N (1 kHz @ rated power) : <0.05%
Output impedance : 0.05Ω
Input impedance : 100KΩ unbalanced, 200KΩ balanced
Damping factor (8Ω load) : 150
Output noise : <500 µV, -100 dB @ 250 watts
Weight : 275 lbs/125 kg
Dimensions :
28.88 x 11.75 x 20.25 in (hwd)
733.6 x 298.5 x 514.4mm (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
