High End 2015 • Hot Product

Constellation Audio is taking a break from developing new models and has started to revise existing ones, so now we have a Virgo III preamplifier and Centaur II power amps. The Virgo III (above, $30,000) had its remote eye moved from the bottom, where apparently handset angle was critical, to a perforated diamond shape in the front panel. More significant is a change to the circuitry that means the preamp no longer needs to be warmed up in order to stabilize; it arrives at this state immediately after switch-on.

The Centaur II power amplifier ($40,000 each, stereo or mono) had a ten times increase in power-supply capacitance. This doesn’t increase the power output, but it does mean more grip.