CAUTION To reduce risk of electric shock, do not remove any of the amplifier’s cover plates or screws. There are no user serviceable parts inside. Contact qualified service personnel. WARNING To reduce risk of fire or electric shock, do not expose this amplifier to moisture, rain, or excessive humidity.
Thank you for purchasing the Constellation Audio Centaur Mono or Centaur amplifier. You are about to experience what we believe is one of the finest amplifiers ever built. Because of their very high power output, these amplifiers demand careful and thoughtful installation in order to deliver the performance it is designed to achieve. This is especially true of the Centaur Mono, which delivers double the power of the Centaur.
Before you install the amplifier Unpacking At nearly 100 pounds each, the Centaur Mono and Centaur are too heavy for one person to lift safely. Two strong people are required to lift each amplifier and to move it from place to place. Likewise, do not place these amplifiers on surfaces that cannot safely support their weight. Lightweight furniture and equipment racks should not be used to support these amplifiers.
Location The Centaur Mono and Centaur must be installed in an area with adequate ventilation. There should be at least 6 in/15 cm of clearance between the vents on the side of the amplifier(s) and the nearest wall or cabinet. Ensure that no curtains or shades can be lowered in a way that will block the amplifier’s vents. If the amplifier is installed in a cabinet or in an equipment closet, ensure that the cabinet/closet has adequate ventilation.
Connections 1. BAL input Use this XLR balanced input for connection to balancedoutput preamps of other brands. To select this input, set the input switch to BAL (left position). To remove the XLR plug, push on the tab above the jack and pull the plug out. 2. Direct input Use this XLR balanced input only for connection to the Constellation Audio Virgo or Altair preamp. This connection forms the Constellation Direct—an audio interface that is, in essence, perfectly balanced.
4. Speaker-cable binding posts On the Centaur Mono, two sets of binding posts are provided for each amp’s output. These can be used for standard cabling (with a two–conductor cable running from the amp to the speaker) or in a biwired arrangement with separate cables going from one amp to the speaker’s woofer and midrange/tweeter drivers. Consult your speaker’s manual for more information. On the Centaur, one set of binding posts is provided for each channel.
Controls / displays / indicators 7. Front power/mute switch The bar running across the front of the amplifier is the power/mute switch. Press on the left end of the bar and hold it for 3 seconds to turn the amp on and off. Press and release the left side of the bar to activate and deactivate mute mode. 8. Status indicator LED This LED shows if the amp is on or off, and also indicates mute, warm-up, and cool-down modes. Here are the LED modes: SOLID RED: Standby mode. Amp is powered down but ready to use.
. Master power switch This switch disconnects the amplifier from AC power. If the switch is set to the Off position, the front power switch will not be active and the status indicator LED will not be illuminated. If the switch is set to the On position, the front power switch will become active and the LED will glow solid red, indicating standby mode. This switch also resets the amplifier’s internal circuit breaker. If the circuit breaker trips, flip the switch off and on again to reset it. 10.
Operation Initial installation and power-up STEP 1: Before making any connections, make sure the amplifier’s master power switch is turned off. If the AC has not been connected, connect the amplifier(s) to the wall AC power socket using the supplied cord. STEP 2: If you are using Centaur Monos, connect a high-quality speaker cable from the left speaker to the left amplifier’s binding posts, and repeat the process for the right speaker/channel.
STEP 8: To mute the amplifier, press and release the left side of the bar on the front panel. The LED status indicator will start flashing blue and the sound will stop. To unmute the amp, press and release the left side of the bar again. STEP 9: To turn the amplifier off, press and hold the left side of the bar on the front panel for 3 seconds. The LED status indicator will start to blink red, indicating that the amp is in cool-down mode.
up. When the LED turns blue, the amplifier is ready to use. If the LED glows red but does not change color when you push and hold the power switch, contact your Constellation Audio dealer. Amplifier is on but no sound is produced 1. Make sure the front status indicator LED is glowing blue, indicating that the amp is warmed up and in active mode. If the LED is glowing red, push it and wait 1 minute for the amp to warm up and the LED to glow blue. Sound should now be restored. 2.
and vice-versa. If you are using a non-biwired Centaur stereo amp, switch the speaker cables, connecting the left speaker to the Centaur’s right channel and the right speaker to the Centaur’s left channel. If the same speaker doesn’t work—if, say, the left speaker was silent before and it’s still silent after you switch the cables—you probably have a malfunction in that speaker. If the sound moves to the other speaker—i.e.
Specifications: Centaur Mono 14 Inputs 1 Constellation Direct XLR 1 standard balanced XLR 1 unbalanced RCA Outputs dual metal binding posts Power output, 8Ω (1 kHz @ 1% THD+N) Power output, 4Ω (1 kHz @ 1% THD+N) Power output, 2Ω (1 kHz @ 1% THD+N) 500 watts 800 watts 1000 watts Frequency response 10 Hz to 100 kHz +1/-0.5 dB Gain 14 dB Constellation Direct 26 dB Balanced & RCA THD+N (1 kHz @ up to 90% of rated power) <0.05% Output impedance 0.
Specifications: Centaur Inputs 2 Constellation Direct XLR 2 standard balanced XLR 2 unbalanced RCA Outputs metal binding posts Power output per channel, 8Ω (1 kHz @ 1% THD+N) Power output per channel, 4Ω (1 kHz @ 1% THD+N) Power output per channel, 2Ω (1 kHz @ 1% THD+N) 250 watts 500 watts 800 watts Frequency response 10 Hz to 100 kHz +1/-0.5 dB Gain 14 dB Constellation Direct 26 dB Balanced & RCA THD+N (1 kHz @ up to 90% of rated power) <0.05% Output impedance 0.
For more information Your Centaur Mono or Centaur amplifier should give you many years of trouble-free, maintenance-free service. If you encounter any problems you cannot solve or have technical questions, please contact your Constellation Audio dealer. For more information about Constellation Audio products, please visit our website: www.constellationaudio.
