Constellation Audio Centaur Stereo Amplifier

Purchased less than 2 years ago from authorized Constellation dealer. This is an amazing amplifier, with the delicacy of an SET and the power/authority/ease of use of the best solid state amplification. This amplifier has been the soul mate of my Magico S5 speakers. Constellation Audio has detailed information on their website. Please note, you do not see Constellation gear for sale very often, and as Audiogon blue book shows, Constellation typically sells for 10% off retail. I am very fastidious with my gear so this unit has been lightly used -- the "9" rating is conservative and chosen because I have used this for more than one year. Buyer to pay for shipping as well as adding 3% to purchase price for Paypal if paying that way.
Reason for selling: Oldest daughter going to college; want to replenish funds.
Centaur / Stereo Power Amplifier / Features


250 watts per channel into 8 ohms
With the current to deliver 500 watts into a 4-ohm load and 800 watts into a 2-ohm load, the Centaur has enough power to drive any speaker, even state-of-the-art full-range models.

Balanced drive circuit design
Because the Centaur uses only N-type output transistors, it achieves essentially perfect positive/negative balance—something no amplifier that uses half N-type and half P-type output transistors can match.

Modular amplifier design
The Centaur is built from multiple 125-watt single-ended modules so it delivers the power of a large amplifier with the finesse of a small amp.

Fully discrete circuitry
The audio circuits inside the Centaur are constructed using discrete components only, with no analog audio ICs.

1,600-watt custom-wound toroidal transformer
A large toroidal transformer provides ample current for the Centaur’s power rails. To provide independent, stable power to the left and right channels, the transformer uses separate windings for left and right channels. Thus, high power demand on the one channel does not affect the performance of the other.

Inherently stable design
The modular design of the Centaur is inherently stable, so it does not require a Zobel network at its output to ensure reliable performance at high frequencies.

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 same balanced preamplification stage found in our Virgo preamp is also used in the Centaur, to assure that the amplifier circuit receives a perfectly balanced signal. This fully complementary circuit is actually two preamps, one amplifying the positive half of the signal and the other amplifying the negative half.

Constellation Link balanced interface
The Constellation Link interface assures the best possible sound quality from Constellation Audio components. It carries the perfectly balanced signals from the Virgo or Altair preamplifiers to the Centaur—and allows the user to bypass the Line Stage Gain Module on the Centaur, reducing the number of gain stages in the signal chain.