Cello Performance II Monoblock Amplifiers - 200W - Very Rare and Collectable

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Very rare and very collectable. 

"For 15 years Mark Levinson and the engineers at Cello created the world's best high fidelity equipment, and the continued interest in the equipment speaks to the enduring quality and performance of those products. The Cello Ltd. product line consisted of speakers, amplifiers, pre-amplifiers, and peripherals."

These are unique Mark Levinson Cello Performance II monoblock amplifiers. They're configured as dual-chassis per channel of amplification for a total of 4 boxes.

These amplifiers are later version Performance II's rated at 200 Watts at 8 ohms, and 400 Watts at 4 Ohms.

We performed a light service and a full test in our lab and listing area where they performed admirably at their full rated power.

Overall condition is pretty solid with very clean faceplates and all hardware intact. The top covers do have some scratches since they are made of soft aluminum.

In my opinion it would be difficult to find a better built and sounding mono amplifier at this price point.

In our last photo you'll see a set of "Cello Strings" cables with Fischer style connectors to XLR inputs. These cables are not included by default, but are available for an additional $900 if needed for your specific setup. Simply choose the appropriate option at the bottom of this listing when adding to your cart.

Shipping: These are heavy delicate items and all of them need to arrive intact to work as intended. These will ship freight for a flat $400 anywhere within the lower 48 US States and do not fall under any SkyFi Free Shipping promos that may be active. If you're local to NY/NJ please contact us for a courier quote.

More from the Cello Audio historical page of their website follows after our condition scale.

Click below to add our recommended matching cables from Kimber Kable, all brand new as SkyFi is an official Kimber dealer.

Kimber Kable - XLR Interconnects - Better

Kimber Kable - Speaker Cables - Better

Kimber Kable - Speaker Cables - Best

Kimber Kable - Bi-Wire Speaker Cables - Best (If applicable)

Kimber Kable - Power Cords - Good

Kimber Kable - 14AWG (Gauge) Power Cords - Better

Kimber Kable - 10AWG (Gauge) Power Cords - Best

The SkyFi Testing Process for Solid State Amplifiers:
We start with a visual inspection of all internal components to make sure there are no signs of stress or aging. Capacitors are checked for telltale sings of bulging or leaking, resistors are checked for signs of overheating or cracking, and transistors are checked for signs of stress or damage.

We then power up the unit carefully and run a simple 1k sine wave while monitoring the output on an oscilloscope for signs of distortion or noise. Finally, we run the amplifier to its full rated power into the appropriate resistive load provided by our Sencore amplifier tester. If there is an issue, it will usually be noticeable at this point. If everything reads clean, we will often test for THD (Total Harmonic Distortion) measured by our Keithley distortion meter, and compare it against the original manufacturers specifications. The amplifier then remains powered on to "burn in" on our test bench for a few hours to make sure there are no heat related issues. If there are balanced inputs available they will be also be tested.

Final testing involves pushing actual music thorough the amplifier. We've learned over time that some issues are only noticeable to a trained ear while listening to familiar source material. Our test bench has reference vintage KEF speakers that we're very familiar with which quickly reveal any discrepancies. Some amplifiers will then move into our listening room where they are tested with our in-house reference speakers of choice.

The Performance Amplifier II
The Performance Amplifier is a four chassis set, comprised of two mono power supplies and two mono power amplifiers.

The Performance Amplifier includes many engineering features exclusive to Cello, which together provide unparalleled speed, clarity, impact, natural tone quality and reliability.

Each amplifier chassis has a balanced audio input, balanced bridging output, and four sets of barrier strip outputs. Three pin Fischer connectors are used to provide balanced line audio connections of the highest quality.

The cost of the Performance Amplifier reflects Cello's insistence on the most innovative circuitry and premium parts.

The Performance Amplifier offers a combination of sonic purity, power, build quality, freedom from obsolescence, and flexibility that makes a new level of musical integrity and system performance possible.

Class of operation:
Class AB1

Power Output (single amp):
@8 Ohms
Rated: 200 Watts
Clipping: @1000 Hz >350 Watts

@4 Ohms
Rated: 400 Watts
Clipping: @1000 Hz >700 Watts

@2 Ohms
Rated: 800 Watts
Clipping: @1000 Hz >1000 Watts

@1 Ohm
Rated: 1000 Watts
Clipping: @1000 Hz >1300 Watts

Power Output (bridged set):
@8 Ohms
Rated: 800 Watts
Clipping: @1000 Hz >1400 Watts

@4 Ohms
Rated: 1600 Watts
Clipping: @1000 Hz >2800 Watts

@2 Ohms
Rated: 3200 Watts
Clipping: @1000 Hz >4000 Watts

IMD (SMPTE):
0.13% (60 Hz / 40V Output)

IMD (CCIF):
<0.2%

THD (20 - 20000Hz):
<0.1% (8 & 4 Ohms / 40 Volt Output)

Frequency Response:
+0 / -0.8 dB @ 20 - 20000 Hz

Dynamic Headroom:
2.7 dB

Channel Separation:

Infinite
Signal to Noise:
< -105 dB (1000 Hz / 40 Volt Output)

Input Sensitivity:
1.485 V (8 Ohms / 200 Watts / 40 Volt Output)

Input Impedance:
1 mOhm (Non-Inverting)
5000 Ohms (Inverting)

Gain:
28 dB

Dimensions:
17.5"w / 8.5"h / 18.5"d (each of four chassis)

Shipping Weight:
72 lbs. each Power Supply
60 lbs. each Power Amp