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D'agostino amplifiers: where's the beef?

So I've owned two of the classic monster Krell amplifiers from the distant past, the KSA 50 and later the KSA 250.  Both great amplifiers in their time and both collectible for those interested in that kind of stuff.  I'm generally a fan of D'agostino as a consequence.

I'm currently shopping for a new solid state amplifier to pair with potentially new speakers (Wilson or YG or Von Schweikert or Magico or Joseph - long story for another day).

 So recently while auditioning at my local dealer the system was powered by the current D'agostino M400 mono amplifiers.  While the sound was good I couldn't help but notice how TINY the $65K amplifiers were sitting on stands near the speakers.  OK they had nice metal work and were shiny but I couldn't help wonder WHY are these things so expensive?!  Later at home photo's of the insides of these amps on Google led me to wonder even more!!  The power supplies and interior construction in these things are nothing like the monster supplies and parts in the classic Krell's

Plus while the Krell's were expensive in their day (with great sound) the current D'agostino's have absurd pricing, far exceeding inflation.  

Are people spending this kind of money for fancy heat sinks?  Really?

I'd rather have an old Krell and a new Porsche Boxster or C8 Corvette for the same money.

Any one else have similar impressions?
bobbydd

Showing 2 responses by daveyf

daveyf's avatar
daveyf
3,070 posts
 
D’Agostino is a brand that I believe appeals to an a’phile who primarily is concerned with the look of the case...and not so much the total SQ. While his amps and preamps don’t seem to fall down in the SQ department anywhere, I think they can be bettered by a number of competing products at equal and lower price points. You will not get the ’bling’ factor that his products are known for ( fancy casing, large dials and gauges etc) but you will get superior sound in some instances.
IME, High end is solidly in the camp of price high/ high looks. This is a marketing decision based on an obvious knowledge of who the current high end/high price consumer is...and more importantly what he expects to spend for the ’look’.
Your older KSA50 and KSA 250 were from a period when function was more important than form, now it is swinging the other way, IMO.
daveyf's avatar
daveyf
3,070 posts
 
A good friend of mine and a fellow a’phile brought up an interesting point when we were discussing some of the high end pricing...he simply stated it was "comical"!!
I would agree with his statement in many instances in this hobby.
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