By Rafe Arnott
The Dan D’Agostino Momentum Integrated Amplifier is a work of art to behold.
The chassis just exudes class everywhere you look, and I was looking at it everywhere I could.
You just don’t want to take your eyes off it.
According to the company’s nomenclature the trick-looking copper slabs melded with gobs of machined aircraft aluminum billet in the Momentum’s casework help dissipate heat, and that’s a good thing because this solid state beauty pumps out 200 watts into 8 Ohms, 400 watts into 4 Ohms and a staggering 800 watts into 2 Ohms.
Not much this beast couldn’t drive speaker-wise… actually, I can’t think of anything it couldn’t drive to mind-cleaving SPLs.
This $48,000 US integrated features a whack of digital – S/PDIF, USB and TosLink coaxial digital optical inputs to finesse 24-
bit/192-kHz files – and analog inputs – six XLR and a headphone jack – (and at this price Tidal is included), it also sports a slick 5″ LCD screen to show what artist, track, etc. is playing.
Don’t get me started on that volume knob ring that encircles the signature D’Agostino power output meter that I couldn’t stop turning up and down, much to the consternation of the young man watching over the room.
But I mean c’mon. Have you ever tried this volume ring? You really can’t stop, it feels so damn smooth and precise.
The Momentum setup included a pair of Focal Scala Utopia’s ($40,000) and was running the company’s new iOS app, streaming lossless files from a remote server. A very simple-looking setup which I love: no clutter, just business.
I didn’t get to spend much time in this room, but if I had to describe the sound succinctly through the Focals, I would use words such as; compelling, rich, textured, and distortion free.
This D’Agostino integrated has real jam, and the optional separate, umbilical-connected power supply that doubles as a base is another example of the great design work going on in Arizona at D’Agostino.
Definitely a solid state stereo integrated I’d like to spend more time with.
