My experience with Dan D'Agostino Momentum Amplifier

**microstrip** · 06-17-2012, 10:53 AM

Originally Posted by MylesBAstor

What about the Soulution? Or the big PASS's?

They did not have passionate defenders in WBF until now...

BTW I was addressing only stereo amplifiers, deliberately excluding monoblocks from my list

**andromedaaudio** · 06-17-2012, 11:00 AM

Well i do believe there is a tube sound /solid state sound .
I think very good tube designs are especially good for acoustic non amplified music , they round things of a bit , sound a bit gentler/ higher resolution
Good solid state is all about control first.
I think they both have their charms .
I am now listening to what is probably one off the best 300 B amps on the market with the sophia electric /royal princess tube.
Transparency steps up and the sound becomes gentler more refinded .
Bass is more rounded but seems also deeper at times and very natural , pretty amazing.
Is there a winner ???
probably, but the music you like matters lot , tubes cant be beat probably on jazz , acoustic music , classical.
I havent heard all of the contenders but quite a few

**puroagave** · 06-17-2012, 11:42 AM

Dan gives a talk about the design of the momentum here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qE-W...layer_embedded

its interesting to note this is a class AB design and bi-polar devices throughout - couldnt be more opposite of nelson pass' designs with the exception of simpler circuits, less gain stages, etc. FETs being voltage devices not unlike tubes would make a showdown between the two one for the ages. i havent heard the momentum directly against the latest pass amps but i reckon its like chalk and cheese.

**es347** · 06-18-2012, 09:33 AM

Originally Posted by Gregadd

The hotel show claims another victim.

So in other words the room is to blame for what I heard? Bullroar my friend and I find your post offensive. Some of us may actually have enough experience and hearing capabilities that justify having an opinion. The Sashas and the D'Agostino amps combination produced a brittle, fatiguing top end that had nada to do with the room.

**Gregadd** · 06-18-2012, 10:43 AM

Originally Posted by es347

So in other words the room is to blame for what I heard? Bullroar my friend and I find your post offensive. Some of us may actually have enough experience and hearing capabilities that justify having an opinion. The Sashas and the D'Agostino amps combination produced a brittle, fatiguing top end that had nada to do with the room.

The question would be have you heard the combo in more than one room? Are you saying that your opinion is the final be all end all? When I heard them there was nothing anything close to "britlle or fatiguing."
No offense intended by how do we reconcile those opinions?

I have heard the Sahas with Boulder and Momentum.

**es347** · 06-18-2012, 12:40 PM

Then maybe you need to hear the Wilsons with the D'Agostino amps.

**audioarcher** · 06-18-2012, 01:04 PM

I recently heard the Momentum monos with the Alexandria XLF's at a local dealer. The combo was very good. Best sound I've heard out of Wilson's. It may have something to do with the XLF's new tweeter who knows.

Even more recently I heard the Momentum monos at the same dealer in the same room with Magico Q5's. I did not care for the sound of this combo. It was too polite for my taste. It appeared the Momentum mono's had a little trouble driving the Q5's. At about 90 db the meters on the amps where swinging quite a bit. I looked up the efficiency of the Q5's and the specs say 86db sensitivity at 4 ohms. At that efficiency I would want at the very least 600 wpc into 8 ohms. 1000 wpc would be better. I'm sure the Q5's would sound better with more juice.

That said I was impressed with the Momentum monos with a moderate load to drive. They look cool too.

Sean

**microstrip** · 06-18-2012, 02:55 PM

Originally Posted by es347

Then maybe you need to hear the Wilsons with the D'Agostino amps.

I have heard exactly this combination some months ago. The system used ARC tube units - the CD8 and the Anniversary REF40, all connected using Transparent Audio REF XL MM2. And it sounded excellent - no one would complain about the top end being edgy or brittle.

If you tell us all the details about the system perhaps we can help tracing why you found the sound so poor. I have heard Sasha's sounding divine and sounding miserable - system matching is critical with these speakers.

**microstrip** · 06-18-2012, 02:56 PM

Originally Posted by audioarcher

I recently heard the Momentum monos with the Alexandria XLF's at a local dealer. The combo was very good. Best sound I've heard out of Wilson's. It may have something to do with the XLF's new tweeter who knows.

Even more recently I heard the Momentum monos at the same dealer in the same room with Magico Q5's. I did not care for the sound of this combo. It was too polite for my taste. It appeared the Momentum mono's had a little trouble driving the Q5's. At about 90 db the meters on the amps where swinging quite a bit. I looked up the efficiency of the Q5's and the specs say 86db sensitivity at 4 ohms. At that efficiency I would want at the very least 600 wpc into 8 ohms. 1000 wpc would be better. I'm sure the Q5's would sound better with more juice.

That said I was impressed with the Momentum monos with a moderate load to drive. They look cool too.

Sean

Sean,
Can you give us extra details about the complete systems (source, preamplifier, cables ) that were being used?

**KeithR** · 06-18-2012, 03:27 PM

Originally Posted by microstrip

It seems the rumors were true ...

So we now have four contenders in the stereo class for solid state amplifiers with great tube-like sound

- the Gryphon Colosseum, the Dartzeel 108, the Burmester 911 mk3 and the Momemtum stereo.

The FirstWatt SIT gets there by far more than any others I've heard....McIntosh w/ autoformers right behind it.

I'm still not sure why people think Rowland sounds like tubes---the biggest overgeneralization in ss audio