Inputs 2 XLR (1 for Constellation Link), 1 RCA
Power output per channel, 8? (1 kHz @ 1% THD+N) 250 watts
Power output per channel, 4? (1 kHz @ 1% THD+N) 500 watts
Power output per channel, 2? (1 kHz @ 1% THD+N) 800 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) 160
Input impedance 100KΩ unbalanced, 200KΩ balanced
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)
The Centaur is the only stereo amplifier in the world that can deliver the power of a large solid-state design with all the delicacy and detail of the finest single-ended triode tube amplifiers.
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.
Large heat sinks with carefully engineered ventilation: 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.
