Dan D'Agostino Inc., a new company founded by designer Dan D'Agostino, has announced its first product, the Momentum monoblock amplifier. The Momentum combines high power output with a compact form factor and low power consumption.

Each Momentum amplifier is rated to deliver 300 watts into 8 ohms, 600 watts into 4 ohms, and 1,200 watts into 2 ohms. Despite its high power output, the Momentum draws less than 1 watt of power in standby mode.

Key to the Momentum's compact size (just 4 x 12.5 x 18 inches) is its cooling technology, which employs copper heat sinks. The thermal conductivity of copper is 91% greater than that of aluminum, making it possible to use smaller heat sinks. For maximum efficiency, the heat sinks use venturis instead of fins. The venturis narrow from 0.75 inches at the top and bottom to 0.5 inches in the middle. As heat expands the air in the top of the venturi, the air is forced upward, thus pulling air in from the bottom of the venturi. 

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Please be sure to read our other articles if you want more information, including Classé Revamps Its Delta Series Amps, What Really Happened With the Closing of Sound by Singer and Why They Will Be Back Soon, and the McIntosh MC-501 mono amplifier review.  You can also find more information available in our Amplifier section or on the Dan D'Agostino company website, www.dagostinoinc.com.

Each Momentum amplifier features a front power meter inspired by the design of a Breguet watch face. Each meter features Dan D'Agostino's signature. No fasteners are visible from front, back, top, or sides--the unit is assembled entirely from the bottom to give it a clean look reminiscent of the iPhone and the iPad.

Momentum amplifiers are built and tested by hand in Dan D'Agostino Inc.'s Connecticut facility. The chassis is machined from solid aluminum billet to provide a sturdier foundation for the circuit boards and to shield against radio-frequency and electromagnetic interference. The circuit boards use through-hole construction, which is sturdier than surface-mount construction and allows the use of higher-quality capacitors. Dan D'Agostino, Inc. reports that all resistors are 1% metal-film units, and the 28 output transistors are ultra-high- bandwidth models rated for a top speed of 69 MHz.

The Momentum amplifier will ship this fall at a suggested price of $42,000 per pair. It will soon be followed by the Momentum preamp, a product that combines the functions of a traditional analog preamplifier with a digital media server.