Constellation Audio decided to see if they could bring the same concepts, the same care … and even the same audio circuits … to demanding audiophiles who crave the state of the art at a more modest cost. The Inspiration STEREO 1.0 amplifier perfectly embodies this aesthetic. It’s not exactly the same as their Hercules and Centaur stereo amplifiers, but one must look carefully to discover the differences.

As with all Constellation Audio amplifiers, the heart of the Inspiration STEREO 1.0 is the unique Balanced Bridged circuit topology, which combines multiple single-ended amplifier modules in a fully balanced design.

Constellation’s Balanced Bridged topology uses only N-type output transistors, so the two halves of the audio signal are always perfectly balanced. In most fully balanced amplifiers, the schematics for the positive and negative halves of the amplifier circuit are mirrored, but one half uses N-type transistors and the other half uses P-type transistors. Thus, a perfectly balanced output can never be achieved.

Given its conservatively rated 200 watts per channel, though, you are highly unlikely to exhaust the Inspiration STEREO 1.0’s dynamic reserves. Massive heat sinks, ventilated through hundreds of ventilation ports in Constellation Audio’s trademark machined-aluminum side panels, assure cool, reliable operation.

The Inspiration STEREO 1.0 is the very essence of the Reference-series Hercules and Performance-series Centaur amplifiers, distilled into a more compact and affordable package.