D'agostino amplifiers: where's the beef?

As long as we’re at it, let’s make a list of all the amps - $5k and up - that have no equal in sound quality and build quality at a lower price. 

Although you say you would rather have a Krell and a Boxter, most of these buyers have several cars far more expensive than Boxters.

@millercarbon 

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

"Only one of those is worth any money at all."


Getting a little touchy because Corvette Racing has won the last four IMSA races?  Just sayin' or askin' I guess.

Regards and Stay Well, 
barts

BTW Porsche makes beautiful machinery. 

Good luck!Upgrading with your kind of budget is opening a can of worms. Be prepared to spend a lot of time and effort if you you want performance that matches your budget. You are faced with some very questionable reviews in the HiFi press (when did you last read a really critical review?), some real nonsense on forums (including this thread) and that’s before compatibility and set up is considered. I’ve not listened to the Dagnostino amps but I think that your scepticism is well placed. Years ago I much preferred the sound of the Advantage (Bladelius) S-250 to the Krell ksa250 And subsequently upgraded it to Grendel and then the stunning Ymer. I recently upgraded my speakers to MA pl500 ii’s. They sounded rubbish in so many ways but had glimpses of great potential. I was open minded and while even purchased some other speakers at 3 times the price to try I still came back to the MA’s. I ended up having to replace every single component to get them working properly: PS audio direct stream to dcS Rossini, Audience au24 cables to SX version, 
pre amp from BAT vk31se to rex2, added shunyata Denali and Gaia feet - superb sound. Now to the power amp question. I am currently demoing a pair of BAT vk655se monos. My expectations were low: the ymer is stunning (look at the specs, how could it be bettered ?) But I was simply stunned. Previously I’ve listened to various Magico’s and YG’s and been impressed by their HiFi sound but left cold, not engaged, but now I was hearing something completely different: Previously every high end system and component had a character that could be described - this was different: no overall HiFi character. Listen to any singer, they have their own character. Listen to a cymbal, it has the character of a cymbal. Every instrument was sounding so distinct and individual that it was hard to believe that they were all coming from the same transducer. Trust me - magic was happening! I would go to huge lengths to listen to these mono blocks. Read this https://www.soundstageaustralia.com/index.php/reviews/349-balanced-audio-technology-vk655se-power-am...
Bear in mind that he is only reviewing a single stereo one. For me, a single one wasn’t capable of properly controlling my speakers (unlike The Ymer) but the mono blocks were simply awesome. They aren’t audio jewellery but if you’re after the music I think you’ll find They offer far better value than D’Agostino can give. I’ll look forward to hearing how you get on.

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.

+1 to mg012
Lastly, of course it boils down to whether you can afford the equipment in the first place.   Buy the best you can afford and enjoy it.  


But make sure it is not Yamaha , denon , or other toys 😉

Lastly, of course it boils down to whether you can afford the equipment in the first place.

So is it first or last?

I HAVE followed the changes over the years at Krell and one simple fact remains like it or not: I have seen more cosmetic redesigns of their equipment than just about anyone else, sound quality aside.  I even owned an FPB300 Amp and it threw a big 3D stage and was very clean sounding, well made, and had a classic design without a lot of neato
meters or other things I didn't want or need. Plus the amp never gave me any trouble at all. But I upgraded to Rowland-12 mono blocks which sounded a bit "smoother", looked all shiny etc. but they had defective switch-mode power supplies. After sending them back twice Jeff redesigned the power supplies altogether for free of course.It was a bad experience. Krell in the meanwhile kept changing their look over and over again. When the D'Agostino gear came out I hated it immediately because I knew a lot of money went into the external design, which does not make it a better product. I can't tell anyone else what to buy, but solid-state amps should deliver the best sound possible for the money. Even Pass labs had Aleph amps which were Plain-Jane but sounded great to most people that heard them. But Now I don't need a meter on the front- just an LED and a power switch. Of course they have a well earned reputation for sound. But if you need a meter a Pioneer receiver will offer plenty of moving needles, and blinking colored lights as well. 

Consider a Pass labs class A amp and never look back. The only unfortunate side effect would be that your A/C bill may shoot up in the summer but very few others come close. 

If you listen to Pass, Luxman, Ayre and D'Agostino you'll definitely come away with a strong preference. :-)

I have to say that if you strongly like Pass, you'll probably dislike the others and vice versa.  In the case of Pass, speaker matching is really important so don't try to listen in the store to speakers different than your own.

Best,
E

This is a topic that csn last for a longggg time....obviously we as humans are. We as humans  are much about what looks good. For the money....What sound good or better?? 

Most SS gear has a relatively low design bar and I do like the D'Agostino esthetic. I also like simple tube amps as they also often have a "steam punk" vibe like the adorable Dennis Had Firebottle HO I currently prefer. The only reason D'Ag charges what they do is because they can...performance is relative and I seriously doubt these things would make me happier than my Had amp which is a hand assembled masterpiece at a tiny fraction of the cost of a D'Ag.

The question of the day is how does it stack up to tube amplifiers. Example;
- Audio Research Reference 250SE
- Audio Research Reference M160
- VTL Wotan
- Cary Audio CAD805 AR or RS
- Jadis various monoblock 
- McIntosh MC2301 or MC901 (Hybrid)
etc.
That’s the test of the day or what you may prefer in sound. I remembered a Stereophile article with Cary Audio CAD805 AE compared to Krell KSA-300S.
check it out. You can focus on specs or how it sound in your listening environment. The choice is yours.

https://www.stereophile.com/content/cary-audio-design-cad-805-monoblock-power-amplifier-sam-tellig-a...

My experience with Dag has been exceptional. Dan took the phone on a call I made about a small issue. He was pure gentleman and fixed the situation immediately. Likewise the staff is very responsive and nice to deal with.
All that said I love his products visually and sonically. As stated above it’s expensive because he can charge what he wants. He’s earned it. No one has to buy his gear.  I doubt, as previously stated by another poster, that all Dag buyers are foolish. I’m pretty comfortable with my judgement, feeling not the least bit challenged. Envy is at play here. The new US pastime. Beat up the well to do. 

I don’t look at it that way at all. When you’re  happy with a product, you definitely don’t have to convince anyone it is a great product. I’ve owned a lot of hi dollar gear. I’ve even owned Chord and Jeff Rowland top of the line monoblock amplifiers. That’s jewelry within itself. I just Prefer tube and that’s why I currently own Audio Research Reference 250SE. Like I said, it’s a choice. Pick what you like but never feel you have to convince one to buy a product. 

@bobbydd

Couldn't agree with you more. To me it's the same issue I have with the Ayre MX-R Twenty amps, most of the weight and cost seems to be in the aluminum casing.  

The best sounding amplifiers have one or two tubes or transistors per channel.

No single person or company has ever been able to beat that simple equation.

Consider the cost beyond the constraints of 'practical value.' Think of them as 'functional art', and as with a piece of fine wall-art or metal sculpture, attribute part of their monetary cost to aesthetic value.
To a small group of discerning owners their capacity to elicit emotional pleasure comes from the eyes as well as the ears. (Not to forget the bragging rights they afford in a capitalist society.)

"Where’s the beef?"

DDMAS-Dan-DAgostino-with-Relentless.jpeg (919×1280) (oracleoftime.com)

PS - if you’re gonna whine about price, find another hobby. These people have to run a company with specialty products. They didn’t choose the easy route by any stretch. The comments of some above are so idiotic I don’t know why they’re even members here.

Tsunami Coming! 

mommy mommy make it stop... 

 If I had such disposable income,you can bet your bippy I would enjoy the finer things in life.  I am not a super wealthy person,but I still try to enjoy the finer things that ARE within my reach.  If someone can afford $65K amps,why not? Why does this seem to offend people?  In life, there are winners,losers,and everything in between.  Everyone doesn’t get a participation award.  

Excellent points rocray. The answer is we all have flaws, and this hobby, along with the anonymity of online posting, brings out the inherent nastiness of some. Happiness isn’t about having money and things, but it is in mental attitude, and enjoying whatever you have. I was delighted to see your post made that point already.

I own M400s (also a KSA-250 in the 90’s), not from being rich, but from working all my life and saving, and making certain decisions (if the OP thinks they lack heft, he should try lifting one!). Honestly, I never cared for their appearance; it was the sound. The milled chassis and copper heatsinks are functional!

But if I truly had money, I’d take a look at those beefy Relentless amps that take a crane to position. There’s always something beyond our means, for most of us. Also, Dan D’Agostino and his organization are fine people.

I have about $25k in my system and that seems to be at the low end to a lot of forum members here but sounds crazy to most of my family and friends....
In life it’s all about priorities, most don’t blink an eye when spending that kind of money on a Harley right?
I always loved Dan D’Ag components and if somehow I can afford to slip into a used one I can afford you bet I’ll run not walk to buy it!

This is a two part interview with Dan D’Agostino. He seems very humble and down to earth! Just one of the guys type of genius, I don’t detect and type of snobbery in at all!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZdgRWg8OrQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyrWxKuPYRs

Jeff Rowland coming out with new gear. There r other options then the dagastino..Boulder 866...pilium...listen first nyc . From what I heard pilius..rhapsody audio is stellar for 29k 39k. Bob rhapsody sent pilium to mahico to break in his M9...maybe worth a listen 

D’Ag is the new B & O.