help me choose between Audionet and Constellation Audio

I have the constellation stereo amp and the constellation pre. Both their introductory offerings.

And???  

I’d highly recommend upgrading from the AZ Matrix Ref ll to the Silver Ref ll.  I have both and the Silver Refs are a step up in every direction.  Buy them used and sell your Matrix and it’ll be a very cheap and meaningful upgrade IMHO. 
 

I was going to suggest before buying anything listening to the new north series by Simaudio and especially the new Gryphon 333 integrated...oooh well

I have the constellation stereo amp and the constellation pre. Both their introductory offerings.

hello @dpm2340 , curious if you purchased something and your impressions!

@dpm2340

If you are not a member on WhatsBestForum you might consider signing up and posting your question there as well to see if you get some additional input on both brands and your specific models in mind

Ok. We seem to be straying. I was first curious about who would choose one versus the other based on experience. Based on responses there are more audionet fans than constellation. I doubt you could go wrong with either. That is only an assumption on my part. Thanks for all input.

Hello, @dpm2340  "so you're telling me the amps are better than their pres?"

Are you an investigative reporter? :)  Just kidding.

I am a huge Audionet fan, and now own the Stern and Heisenbergs. I believe strongly in the synergy between their amps and preamps.  So much that you see what I ended up with.  But I did not start there.  My first piece was the Pre 1G3.  I got it when my Classe Pre / pro crapped out for the third time.  So the Audionet Pre 1 went with my Classe amp.

It was as if a veil had been lifted. (I know ..these terms).  I decided there was something special going on.  So after a bit I jumped in and ordered the Pre G2 and the Max amps.  I was smitten.  compared to PS Audio high end, stuff with blue meters, Classe, Parasound, and all else I had heard, the Audionet combo blew them away.  And GTT Audio and Bill are great.

Today, in my second system, I still have the Max amps, but with the Mola Mola Makua preamp with internal Tambaqui.  Is this combo as good as the Pre G2 with separate Tambaqui?  Not quite, but still pretty special sounding and a cute preamp with internal DAC in my Family room vs the separates in my basement main room.

The amps simply sparkle and are much better than the Mola Mola Kaluga class D amps I had up there.  So in this instance, the Audionet amps pair superbly with another pre.

The Audionet amps and matching pre have wonderful synergy I think and it sounds best that way.  But if I could only start with one, it would be the amps.  My commitment to this is evident in my Stern preamp, when I only have one input (my DAC)!

We will always need and desire the best amps possible.  But the preamp is evolving,  Many nice preamps with internal DACs, as evidenced by my Makua with onboard Tambaqui, are now available.  Cute and pretty and organized.  But not so easy to upgrade if one wants a different DAC!

@vonhelmholtz there a couple of downsides to the Stern:  cost, placement, and required power cord and interconnects.  But sound quality is not amongst them!

So, when buying gear in such limited circulation, it really becomes difficult to come up with a buying strategy. 

Comparing amplifiers to preamplifiers doesn’t seem, to me, to be a reasonable thing to do. This is especially true when you aren’t even discussing specific models.  I’ll be interested in the response to your question.  I get the impression, upon reading post here, that few people own Audionet gear, so how many can actually compare Audionet to Constellation?  When I look at @fastfreight system page, I doubt that there are many downsides to such high level gear….oh..other than cost.

so you're telling me the amps are better than their pres?

This is not exactly what you asked, but if you had to pick Audionet amp(s) vs preamp, I would pick the amp(s).

thanks. i have also thought about keeping the bat pre. starting at the introductory  level on the audionet amp 1 v2 i was curious if it is any good. one thing i see is to get the next step pre is a little salty. is antbody using the v2 amp with a different manufacturer preamp.

To my ears Audionet is extremely fast and dynamic, with exceptional detail, yet not fatiguing.  Fast is a word my friend and I often say...yet easy. N0t dry or analytical, yet very resolving.

@dpm2340 Choosing between the two will come down to your sonic preferences. From my experience, Audionet is exceptional every step of the way, but it prioritizes a rich tonal density and balance (that many electronics manufacturers can only dream of achieving) over microdynamics and detail. Perhaps a better way to express it is that Audionet has no shame in delivering a refined sound. Constellation by contrast tends to come off more dynamic and will likely be faster on the transients, but at the expense of falling short to the soul that the Audionet Amp V2 can deliver. Of course, the higher up you go with Audionet, the control and microdynamics only continues to improve.

I’ve read a few reviews and posts in the past that communicate the Constellation Inspiration Stereo amp is not great with macro dynamics and bass. I would say no Audionet units are ever incapable of delivering those.

It’s not to say that Audionet doesn’t deliver detail, it’s just very different in presentation. And how either perform will come down to the rest of the synergy in the room.

Audionet is amazing. I had their mono amps and pre 1. But…

do whatever you can to get their Max amps and pre 2!  : )  Have you talked to GTT Audio?  He has people trade up and sometimes has pre owned.

I am sure the constellation stuff is fantastic.   I just don’t know it. Good luck with those fun choices! Ken.

@blisshifi ..Juan is the one to ask. I purchased my Audionet phono pre through him. Great source of info..  The phono preamp transformed my analog.  Now very musical, natural and lots of inner detail.