Combining sophisticated circuit design with an obsessive focus on power delivery and ultra-low-noise operation, the latest Performance 2 Series takes that philosophy considerably further, introducing a new generation of amplifiers and preamplifiers that Constellation describes as surpassing even its previous Reference-level products.
At the heart of the Series 2 transformation is Constellation’s proprietary switch-mode power supply. Developed over years of refinement, the C-SMPS delivers cleaner, more consistent power, with noise more than 20dB lower than a typical linear supply and 20 per cent more power than the previous generation. The amplifiers also employ Balanced Bridged circuitry, ensuring that both halves of the signal follow identical circuitry, while Direct XLR inputs eliminate an amplification stage altogether.
The sonic consequences are immediately apparent. There’s an extraordinary combination of silence, precision and effortless authority, with transients snapping into focus and decays lingering naturally into the recording space. Bass has remarkable grip and texture, while voices and instruments acquire an almost startling solidity. Performance 2 amplifiers don’t merely reveal more detail; they make that detail musically meaningful, opening up deeper layers of atmosphere, dynamics and expression.
With prodigious power on tap – up to 600W per channel into 8 ohms for the stereo amplifier and 1,200W for each monoblock – the Performance 2 Series has the reserves to make any loudspeaker come alive.