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  #31  
Old 01-19-2022, 02:41 AM
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Well, I'm once again spending a wonderful evening completely enthralled by the Constelllation Inspiration integrated amp.

I've been running it in, as well. Now that its got more than 200 hours or so on it, I have to say the Constellation Inspiration is of one of 3 best integrated amps I've ever heard, the other two being the...Constellation Argo (no surprise there) and the mighty DarTZeel CTH-8550.

There was a review of the Inspiration in TAS by Neil Gader in 2018, IIRC, and those comments were spot-on.
Ref here: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/art...-integrated-10

I had a buddy over around Thanksgiving, and he was very impresssed, too. We spent the evening listening to a wide range of content on the Inspiration, and he said it had the finest reproduction and resoluton of vocal texture he had EVER heard.

Anyhoo, I am SUPER impressed with this integrated. I could live with it as the core component in my system, along with my Lampi Baltic 3 DAC, and a Rega P10 TT, forever and be a blissfully happy man that entire time. VERY impressed.

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Lumin P1 streamer/DAC/preamp, Constellation Inspiration integrated TT: Michell Gyro SE MkII, SME V, Koetsu Urushi Vermilion, EAR324. Harbeth 30.2s, REL R-305, Shunyata Alpha V2 ICs, Alpha V2 SPs, Sigma XC, Sigma NRv2, Omega QR-s & Alpha NRv2 PCs, segmented Altaira SG stack w/ Alpha & Omega CGCs, Everest 8000 PD. Remote Server Room: Uptone EtherREGEN, AfterDark Master Clock & LPS, Alita, Battle Angel, (Akasa NUC Roon Core), iFi DC Purifiers (for SMPS used for Alita & router), Shunyata Gemini combo power distributor & Altaira-type CG GP-NR hub, Venom & Alpha CGCs, Shunyata NRv14 power cords for digital components.
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  #32  
Old 01-19-2022, 01:24 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Puma Cat View Post
Well, I'm once again spending a wonderful evening completely enthralled by the Constelllation Inspiration integrated amp.

I've been running it in, as well. Now that its got more than 200 hours or so on it, I have to say the Constellation Inspiration is of one of 3 best integrated amps I've ever heard, the other two being the...Constellation Argo (no surprise there) and the mighty DarTZeel CTH-8550.

There was a review of the Inspiration in TAS by Neil Gader in 2018, IIRC, and those comments were spot-on.
Ref here: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/art...-integrated-10

I had a buddy over around Thanksgiving, and he was very impresssed, too. We spent the evening listening to a wide range of content on the Inspiration, and he said it had the finest reproduction and resoluton of vocal texture he had EVER heard.

Anyhoo, I am SUPER impressed with this integrated. I could live with it as the core component in my system, along with my Lampi Baltic 3 DAC, and a Rega P10 TT, forever and be a blissfully happy man that entire time. VERY impressed.

Stephen, is this a review sample that you're starting to have designs on?
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  #33  
Old 01-19-2022, 04:37 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FreddieFerric View Post
Stephen, is this a review sample that you're starting to have designs on?
No, this is just one that a friend loaned me.
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Lumin P1 streamer/DAC/preamp, Constellation Inspiration integrated TT: Michell Gyro SE MkII, SME V, Koetsu Urushi Vermilion, EAR324. Harbeth 30.2s, REL R-305, Shunyata Alpha V2 ICs, Alpha V2 SPs, Sigma XC, Sigma NRv2, Omega QR-s & Alpha NRv2 PCs, segmented Altaira SG stack w/ Alpha & Omega CGCs, Everest 8000 PD. Remote Server Room: Uptone EtherREGEN, AfterDark Master Clock & LPS, Alita, Battle Angel, (Akasa NUC Roon Core), iFi DC Purifiers (for SMPS used for Alita & router), Shunyata Gemini combo power distributor & Altaira-type CG GP-NR hub, Venom & Alpha CGCs, Shunyata NRv14 power cords for digital components.
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  #34  
Old 01-19-2022, 05:13 PM
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Originally Posted by Puma Cat View Post
No, this is just one that a friend loaned me.
Understood. Maybe he'll just forget all about it.

I had a friend safe keep a small boat for me when I went out of state for law school. That's 30 years ago and he still has it!

Just didn't have the heart to ask for it back.
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  #35  
Old 01-20-2022, 01:27 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FreddieFerric View Post
Understood. Maybe he'll just forget all about it.
I'm appreciative of the chance to experience and enjoy it, and when my friend requests to send it back, I'll be happy to do so, as the experience of it will have informed my thinking process with greater insights as what's out there in the market now, and the understanding of that will provide a broader context of understanding.

So...it's all good.
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Lumin P1 streamer/DAC/preamp, Constellation Inspiration integrated TT: Michell Gyro SE MkII, SME V, Koetsu Urushi Vermilion, EAR324. Harbeth 30.2s, REL R-305, Shunyata Alpha V2 ICs, Alpha V2 SPs, Sigma XC, Sigma NRv2, Omega QR-s & Alpha NRv2 PCs, segmented Altaira SG stack w/ Alpha & Omega CGCs, Everest 8000 PD. Remote Server Room: Uptone EtherREGEN, AfterDark Master Clock & LPS, Alita, Battle Angel, (Akasa NUC Roon Core), iFi DC Purifiers (for SMPS used for Alita & router), Shunyata Gemini combo power distributor & Altaira-type CG GP-NR hub, Venom & Alpha CGCs, Shunyata NRv14 power cords for digital components.
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  #36  
Old 02-06-2022, 01:57 PM
rpeluso rpeluso is offline
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I have this integrated amp, for about a month now, very well broken in. Its beautiful to look at and beautiful to hear playing music. It replaced a Luxman 509u integrated I have. Its in a system with the fabulous Perlisten S7t loudspeakers and a (less than a week old) Luxman D-10X SACD player. I marvel each and every day at the music. The very best system I have ever had, maybe heard too, but I am not the type that goes to shows, etc. I am simply a very happy man here with this set-up.
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  #37  
Old 02-06-2022, 03:18 PM
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Originally Posted by rpeluso View Post
I have this integrated amp, for about a month now, very well broken in. Its beautiful to look at and beautiful to hear playing music. It replaced a Luxman 509u integrated I have. Its in a system with the fabulous Perlisten S7t loudspeakers and a (less than a week old) Luxman D-10X SACD player. I marvel each and every day at the music. The very best system I have ever had, maybe heard too, but I am not the type that goes to shows, etc. I am simply a very happy man here with this set-up.
Great to hear you're enjoying it so much. With a Shunyata Everest distributor and PCs for power and using a Lampizator DAC and Rega P10 TT for sources, and the Inspiration as the amplification heart of the system, I could live with this set-up forever, and be a very happy man, indeed.
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Lumin P1 streamer/DAC/preamp, Constellation Inspiration integrated TT: Michell Gyro SE MkII, SME V, Koetsu Urushi Vermilion, EAR324. Harbeth 30.2s, REL R-305, Shunyata Alpha V2 ICs, Alpha V2 SPs, Sigma XC, Sigma NRv2, Omega QR-s & Alpha NRv2 PCs, segmented Altaira SG stack w/ Alpha & Omega CGCs, Everest 8000 PD. Remote Server Room: Uptone EtherREGEN, AfterDark Master Clock & LPS, Alita, Battle Angel, (Akasa NUC Roon Core), iFi DC Purifiers (for SMPS used for Alita & router), Shunyata Gemini combo power distributor & Altaira-type CG GP-NR hub, Venom & Alpha CGCs, Shunyata NRv14 power cords for digital components.
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  #38  
Old 03-26-2022, 07:52 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Puma Cat View Post
Great to hear you're enjoying it so much. With a Shunyata Everest distributor and PCs for power and using a Lampizator DAC and Rega P10 TT for sources, and the Inspiration as the amplification heart of the system, I could live with this set-up forever, and be a very happy man, indeed.


I also have the Constellation Inspiration Pre + Stereo. Looking for the best price/performance I started with Audio Alchemy, then Aesthetics Mimas, Krell K-300i, then blew my budget with the Inspiration because it on TAS 50 Greatest Bargains in High-End Audio list reasoning I’d save myself an upgrade later (that’s how I’m rationalizing this purchase)
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  #39  
Old 11-24-2023, 06:51 PM
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Stephen - is the Constellation a Class D power amp? Seems quite 'light" (<26#) for a Class A/B design.
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  #40  
Old 11-24-2023, 09:35 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Formerly YB-2 View Post
Stephen - is the Constellation a Class D power amp? Seems quite 'light" (<26#) for a Class A/B design.
No, it's a Class A/B design. The Inspiration power amp is 200 W/pc RMS; the Inspiration integrated amp has the exact-same full circuitry of the Inpiration preamp + "one-half" of the stereo power amplifier's power circuitry, for a conservatively-rated 100 W/pc RMS. All are fully dual-mono throughout.

It's really a wonderful integrated. I had an audio buddy who really knows his music over one evening to listen to it when it had like 10 hours of burn-in on it, and he put on a song by Suzanne Vega. He listened to it quietly and then proclaimed, "That's the finest reproduction of female vocals I've ever heard".

And...this was before it was fully burned in and before I added an Altaira to it.
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Lumin P1 streamer/DAC/preamp, Constellation Inspiration integrated TT: Michell Gyro SE MkII, SME V, Koetsu Urushi Vermilion, EAR324. Harbeth 30.2s, REL R-305, Shunyata Alpha V2 ICs, Alpha V2 SPs, Sigma XC, Sigma NRv2, Omega QR-s & Alpha NRv2 PCs, segmented Altaira SG stack w/ Alpha & Omega CGCs, Everest 8000 PD. Remote Server Room: Uptone EtherREGEN, AfterDark Master Clock & LPS, Alita, Battle Angel, (Akasa NUC Roon Core), iFi DC Purifiers (for SMPS used for Alita & router), Shunyata Gemini combo power distributor & Altaira-type CG GP-NR hub, Venom & Alpha CGCs, Shunyata NRv14 power cords for digital components.

Last edited by Puma Cat; 11-24-2023 at 09:48 PM.
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