Constellation AudioInspiration Preamp 1.0 LinestageusedConstellation Audio Inspiration Preamp 1.0 LinestageItem Description For sale is a six week old Constellation Audio Inspiration Preamp 1.0 Linestage. I received it around June 15th, purchased new. This is a new Constellation product, and I had ab...4502.00

Constellation Audio Inspiration Preamp 1.0 Linestage

Listing ID: lis6c268 Auction 
 Listed  · 1145 Views

7 Watchers

Items from this seller

Time Left: None

This listing has ended.

Condition
9/10
Payment methods

Contact seller after sale to pay viaCertified check

Ships fromMadison, AL, 35758
Ships toUnited States
Package dimensions25.0" × 22.25" × 9.0" (35.0 lbs.)
Shipping carriersUSPS or FedEx
Shipping cost
Log in to see price
Original accessoriesRemote Control, Box, Manual
AverageResearch Pricing

Item Description For sale is a six week old Constellation Audio Inspiration Preamp 1.0 Linestage.  I received it around June 15th, purchased new.  This is a new  Constellation product, and I had about a 10-week wait to receive it.  I have a separate auction for the Inspiration preamp. I'm selling because I determined that I do not need this much power and I will probably go back to tubes.

The preamp has had a 3-week burn in, and everything works fine.  I am rating it 9 of 10 because it is six weeks old.  I cannot see any dings or irregularities to the unit.  This went from the original packaging straight to my audio rack. 

Unfortunately, Constellation will only transfer their 3-year warranty to a new owner for items sold by an authorized Constellation dealer, which I obviously am not.

Buyer pays PayPal fees -- if buying via PayPal, add the PayPal fee to the final sale price.  Alternately, buyer can pay via Money Order or Certified Check.

Buyer pays shipping, either via USPS or FedEX.  I will not ship UPS.

Questions for the seller
What is the warranty?
Unfortunately, Constellation will only transfer their 3-year warranty to a new owner for items sold by an authorized Constellation dealer, which I obviously am not. I have updated the listing with this information; it's an obvious question that several folks have asked.
What speakers and interconnects-speaker cables were you using with this combo? Why the sell, other than not needing the power- these are supposed to sound closest to tubes for solid state gear other than Spectral. Thanks, B
I live in Madison, Alabama, and I'm a 5 hour drive from the nearest high-end audio store, so my purchases over the years have been based largely on reviews, and I've had my hits and misses. The Constellation amp/pre set was part of a full (and planned to be last) system upgrade. I had a Coincident Frankenstein SET mono amps, putting out 8 watts, along with Coincident interconnects, speaker cables, and Victory II speakers. I got Rockport Atria speakers, which are wonderful, and given their cost, will definitely be the last speakers I ever buy unless I win the lottery. I also upgraded to the Berkeley Reference DAC, also wonderful, and my last DAC. Rockport recommends a minimum of 50 wpc, so I needed a new amp. I traded in my monos and ordered the Constellation set, based largely on a fabulous review by Robert Harley in The Absolute Sound's January 2015 issue. I play everything from my MusicVault server (a Win 7 PC custom-built for audio), Nordost Red Dawn Interconnects, the Berkeley DAC, Coincident speaker cables (to be replaced someday), and Atrias speakers. I listen mostly to Jazz, Jazz Vocalists, acoustic guitar, solo piano, New Age, classical chamber music, etc. usually at low volume levels to read by. The Constellation pair didn't sound quite right to my ears. Very precise and detailed, better bass, but it did not have the "warmth" that I've become used to and like. I had a First Watt Aleph J in my closet, which I bought years ago & used prior to the SET monos. Reviewers said the Aleph J had a "tube" sound for a SS. I hooked it up -- 13 wpc into 4 ohms -- and to my surprise it gave me sufficient volume (using balanced interconnects) and to me sounded better the Constellation pair. I'm a big fan of Harley, and his review was glowing, so it was a big shock when what I heard from the Constellation pair did not match with what I expected to hear. This could be because the Constellations don't live up to Harley's review or because what sounds "good" to me is in the "warm," "tubey" SET spectrum of individual listening preferences. So, the short answer on why the sell is I don't need the power and my low-power amp sounds better to me. Comparing Harley's audio expertise to mine, I think the reason my Aleph J sounds better to me is my listening/music preferences, and that the Constellations are the perfect amp/pre pair for someone else's ears & system. But I obviously do not know this definitively. Hope this helps!

Ask the seller a public question

You must log in to ask a question.

Return Policy

Return Window

Returns are not accepted on this item.