CES 2016 • Hot Product

D'Agostino Master Audio Systems' Progression ($45,000/pair) is the company's most powerful amplifier to date at 800 watts into 8 ohms and doubling all the way down to 2 ohms, where it produces a hair-raising 3200 watts. D'Agostino has strengthened the driver stage with 84 output transistors and used a 4000V power-supply transformer and 400,000 microfarads of power-supply capacitance.

Dan D'Agostino said the Progression was his best effort to bring many of the Momentum-series strengths to a wider audience. His decision to use aluminum instead of copper for the Progression's double row of heatsinks helped to hold down production costs. Each heatsink is milled from a single 48 1/2-pound aluminum billet, and the amps will be made by hand in the company's Arizona factory.

Vinyl fans will be pleased to learn that D'Agostino also unveiled the new Momentum-series phono stage ($28,000). It uses all-discrete class-A circuitry and through-hole construction, and, interestingly, D'Agostino has placed the separate power supply in the stand beneath the main unit. Maximum gain is 70dB. The front panel displays gain, loading impedance, and capacitance, and rotary switches and pushbuttons allow adjustment of all. Users will enjoy selectable equalization curves. All four of the inputs are available via unbalanced and balanced connectors.

Company officials say a stereo amplifier and stereo preamplifier/DAC/streamer will follow the Progression monoblocks and Momentum phono stage, both of which are expected to begin shipping in the first quarter of this year.