constellation audio: hercules ii / monoblock power amplifier

Hercules II

In the original Hercules monoblock, Constellation Audio achieved the unprecedented: an amplifier with 1,000 watts of power that sounds as musical as a small, single-ended tube amp. The Hercules II is essentially the same amplifier circuit, reconfigured from the original tower-style design to a more standard horizontal design. Not only is it more convenient to install, the horizontal chassis allowed substantial upgrades to the amplifier’s power supply.

Another advantage of Hercules II is that it is now available in a 500-watt-per-channel stereo version for systems that do not necessarily demand the incomparable power of the original 1,000-watt monoblock configuration. The two amplifiers are sonically and electronically identical; the difference is that the stereo version has half the power and double the inputs.

Like the Hercules, the Hercules II uses a modular design. Each module is a separate 125-watt amplifier, meticulously designed to deliver the detail and subtlety audiophiles crave. To achieve the desired power, we simply add more modules. The result is a 500- or 1,000-watt amplifier that sounds identical to the original 125-watt design.
