Virgo III Preamplifier
Product Reviews:
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發燒音響 (Audiophile) Feb 2021 |
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HiFi 音響 (HiFi Review) No.395 |
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Stereo Sound No.199 |
A subtle but significant evolution.
Virgo III is a subtle but significant evolution of our Virgo II line stage preamplifier. The new version introduces a unique, passive implementation of a digital volume control created by our "dream team" of world-renowned audio engineers. This new control works perfectly right from power-up and doesn't need the warm-up time of the light-dependent resistors used in Virgo II's volume control. It's as electronically pure as it can be, essentially just two resistors per channel in the signal chain. It incorporates no gain and no extra amplification stages. The listener enjoys the precision of pure digital control - with the musicality of a traditional analog control.
Separate, triple-output power supply
Virgo III uses a completely separate, dual-mono power supply. It provides separate R-core transformers for left and right channels in addition to a third transformer for the control circuits. This upgrade makes the channels more independent, so extreme demands in one do not affect the other. It also improves channel separation, and thus imaging and soundstaging. High-current Hypertronics cables, originally developed for aerospace applications, carry the power from the supply to the main chassis.
While the power supply incorporates substantial DC filtration and regulation, our optional DC power filter takes the performance to an even higher level. It adds additional power storage and filtration to the included power supply, and fits neatly between the power supply and the main Virgo III chassis.
Perfectly balanced signals for impeccable musicality
The core of Virgo III is Constellation Audio's exclusive Line Stage Gain Module. This fully complementary, balanced topology uses separate mirror-imaged circuits to amplify the positive and negative halves of the audio signal. Through the use of our private stock of extremely low-noise field-effect transistors (FETs) and the innovative application of servo circuits, which adjust automatically to cancel any anomalies, the Line Stage Gain Module maintains essentially perfect positive/negative balance in the audio signal.
If you use Virgo III with a Constellation Audio amplifier, you can use our Constellation Direct interface. This connection bypasses the amplifier's own Line Stage Gain Module, reducing the complexity of the signal chain and thus increasing fidelity and musicality.
Mechanically isolated audio circuits
Analog preamp circuits can pick up vibration in the air and from the ground, creating spurious audio signals - called "microphonics" - that are passed down to the amplifier and into the speakers. Only through exceptionally careful vibration control can microphonics be avoided.The analog circuitry in Virgo III is built on a "raft," a thick metal plate that floats on an elastomeric suspension that damps incoming vibration. Just as a raft floating on a lake is not affected by disturbances on shore, so Virgo III's analog audio circuits are isolated from external vibration.