Very cool I have been a big fan of his going back to the Aragon 2002.[ the first one that i could afford] I wish him the best of everything in his new endevor.
. Their upcoming preamp is going to contain a digital media server. It will be good to see high end companies start do develop and improve the digital server sector of the audio market. It is the future. It seems D'Agostino is planning on making new headway in that arena.
Nice looking design on his new amps. I'm a little disappointed in their size. Hey, I know size isn't everything, but I expected 'big iron' from the creator of Krell. I've never owned Krell, but I have always lusted after their big iron. .
Yeah, "one of the world's...." would have been more appropriate and accurate - not sure he would sell one more amp by claiming the crown. Yet, a very important designer he certainly is, and good to know he is staying in the business with a new venture. I would hope anyone willing to buy a $42,000 amp is well beyond the vagaries of the up and down economy.
That is UGLY. It's like they took the MX-R and handed it to a blind man for aesthetic "upgrading". Orange/copper? Really? And what a blowhard; it's almost as if he's trying to convince himself that he is still relevant.
Retro kool! The combination of modern sculpture with a touch of classic reminiscent a time machine. Their read out display looks to be watch inspired. Like gazing into face of some fine mechanical timepieces. Would be nicer bigger though. Now, how the sound..
Sounds like he wanted the money a capital investment firm can bring, but didn't like the strings attached. Since this is in court, all we get are carefully crafted PR pieces by the lawyers.
What are you all so critical about? Given the current economy, you don`t think yet another uber priced solid state amp is going to be to be anything but a smashing sucess and a shot in the arm for current High End audio woes?
They look really nice, as long as the copper color looks better in life than in the photos. I do think the copper heat sinks are an answer in search of a question.
Existing amps with big heat sinks do that in order to exchange enough heat to the air - I suspect these amps are smaller because they don't run the heavy bias of Krells, so they don't need to dissipate all that heat.
Nothing wrong with that per se - after all, this is an opportunity for D'Agostino to head off in a new direction, like Nelson Pass did after leaving Threshold.
It'll be interesting to see how the new house sound compares to Krell - warmer? more detailed? less "relevant", whatever that means?
I have no idea how these amps sound, but I really like the look.
As far back as I can remember, every iteration of Dan's amplifiers have stopped me in my tracks upon first sight. His designs always reminded me of what Wayne Gretzky said when posed with the question that he wasn't as tall, big, quick, fast, agile, strong, tough, or mean as the average hockey player yet obviously distinguished himself as a true all-timer, "Most people skate to where the puck is. I skate to where it's going." Indeed, Dan always seems to point to where things are going.
The new amp looks great especially for someone working in the metalindustry like myself , thats the way to deal with a " takeover " , im enjoying the EVO 400 s every day , there is no substitute for lots off clean power with lots off reserves , dynamic wise. I hope to hear them someday
A great $5000 Class A Integrated would have sent the message that the baton had passed to a successor company with a viable sales path; not sure this product is about making sales, at least not right at the start.
Agreed - Petra D'Agostino: "We are not currently soliciting US dealers. Dan's official launch is at CES in the Venetian. We hope you stop by and see the new products!"
"Law of diminishing return!" Is that like the law of gravity? Or more like the M formula? I mean, what formula or law do you use to measure return? How about this one? V=$xyrs+channels/listeners) + (age x pw/yrsL) / FM ?
"I just wonder if this Amp will be a huge upgrade in performance over say an ~10K Pass labs X250.5 or SimAudio Evolution W-8?" NO
I don't think the strategy is to sell these, why the economy does not matter, but it sure will get a lot of press and photos from the show and a story to tell about new innovations and insights from years of designing amps and at some point this new vision will trickle down into products priced to sell - so much about this industry is having a story to tell and differentiate - this product seems to set the table with its look and price point.
Hi Pubul57 - Interesting, you could be right. I would venture to guess though regarding trickle down, you'll see a stereo amp with a real world "trickle down" price of a $19,995.00. Still more then twice the price of a Pass X250.5 or a even a Classe CA2200 :o)
Well, if these designs are going to end up being Class A, hard to tell, then I can see the being quite a bit more than the Pass X series, but you would think in line with the XA.5 (some the best SS amps I have ever heard) so maybe 15-20K for 100 Class A watts in monoblock. I think Dan D tended to push the wattage enevelope, whereas Nelson Pass seems to be comfortable with world class amps with as little as 15-30watts (and more if you really want it, or need it). I get the sense if the Vaporware were $5000 he would get much less "ink" and ink - so let's see where his new venture takes him, I'm sure he has a following based on him being the designer, and new Krell product just won't be seen as being the same, as Marantz wasn't the same after....
These are almost certainly going to be Class D amps - given the compact size, and that the website boasts of the output transistors running "at a blistering 69MHz".
Have to apologize for my above post. Turns out that I reached the wrong conclusion - the new D'Agostino amp is indeed a Class A/B design, not a Class D.
I remember Dan when he was an audio salesman in Niagara Falls NY-Transcendental Sound.
Too bad so many are set against giving the man credit for staying in the game.
I hope this is just the tip of the ice berg, and hasn't anyone heard of trickle down tech?
I am sure he will make gear for the less fortunate vociferous crowd,you know the folks who are against anything that costs more than what they can ever afford.
I hope all those who are discontented with Dan's new efforts and the high end in general, sleep well tonite. Perhaps they'll end up like Dan did, outsourced and have their job,lif'e work taken away from them.
Having been, untill 5 months ago and only because I wanted tubes, a long time krell owner, with 8 differant krell amps and 3 or 4 krell pre, ending with the krell evo202 and evo600's. I for one am looking forward to seeing his latest designs. I believe he deserves the best of luck and my/our well wishes. It always amazes me how some knock things they have no real experiance with. They just believe false/inacurate/missleading/missrepresentations/lying/dumb "sound bites" they hear!
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