Dan D'Agostino comemora o 15º aniversário da Master Series com o amplificador monobloco Momentum Z.
O tempo passa. Depressa. A vida também. Depressa demais. Na memória, ficam os momentos. Indeléveis? Nem sempre. Por isso, convém recordá-los. E deixar os momentos gravados na pedra. Uma vez na internet, para sempre na internet. Nós é que não. Partimos como chegamos: em lágrimas.
Há 15 anos, eu estava em Las Vegas a assistir a um momento histórico: a apresentação mundial do amplificador monobloco Momentum. Dan D’Agostino tinha sido ‘despedido’ da Krell e, pegando o touro pelos cornos, estava ali de novo de pé, agora com uma nova empresa, a Dan D’Agostino Master Series. Passados 15 anos, eis o Momentum Z, que inicia uma nova geração de amplificadores.
D'Agostino Momentum na CES 2011, Las Vegas
Em abril de 2025, entrevistei Dan D’Agostino, tendo abordado o momento doloroso da sua saída da Krell; mas também os momentos felizes, mas duros, do nascimento do mais famoso dos seus filhos da família Krell: o KSA 50.
Three Million Dollar System (Highend 2025, Munique)
Um mês depois, estava com ele de novo, na apresentação gloriosa, em Munique, no High End 2025, do famoso ‘Three Million Dollar System’, que toda a gente queria ouvir e nem todos lograram ouvir, composto por fonte digital dCS Vivaldi e fonte analógica VPI AVenger Statement+Momentum Phono; amplificação Dan D’Agostino Relentless Pre/ 4 x 1600 e colunas Wilson Audio WAMM Chronosonic+Subsonic, com cabos Odin 2, Gold e condicionador QBase Reference, num ‘remake’ da última audição deste sistema pelo saudoso Dave Wilson.
A geração Z
Dan D’Agostino anuncia agora urbi et orbe o Momentum Z, que promete ser tão revolucionário e tecnologicamente avançado como o KSA 50 foi in illo tempore, e que levou John Atkinson, então editor da revista Hi-Fi News, a declarar: “I was a virgin in audio, until I heard a pair of Apogee Scintillas driven by Krell amplifiers”. O mesmo aconteceu comigo com as Apogee Duetta e um Krell KSA100 *.
* Nota: ver artigo em pdf de 3 páginas abaixo no final do artigo.
Para que nada se perca na tradução, reproduzo na íntegra e em inglês o comunicado de imprensa de Dan D'Agostino sobre o novo Momentum Z. As fotos são produções do Hificlube.
Taking the Lead
Marking the fifteenth anniversary of Dan D’Agostino Master Audio Systems, the new Momentum Z Monoblock Amplifier advances the company’s relentless pursuit of musical perfection, building upon the core technologies that have defined our amplifiers—advanced circuit design, precision machined enclosures, and extraordinary power delivery. The Momentum Z takes performance to an entirely new level of refinement and control.
A benchmark in high-end amplification, the Momentum Z generation advances every facet of the Momentum platform. Its unique power supply technology, the Kinetic Drive Regulator, keeps the amplifier immune to AC mains irregularities and the speaker interaction issues that commonly degrade the performance of conventional amplifier designs.
In addition to this proprietary innovation, every element of the Momentum Z has been reimagined, including the input stage topology, output stage circuitry, and an advanced software-based control system that optimizes the operation of every circuit group. Integrated within a newly refined thermal architecture, the Momentum Z delivers effortless dynamics, exceptional transparency, and a lifelike sense of musical scale.
The Momentum Z Monoblock Amplifier embodies the essence of Dan D’Agostino’s design legacy—combining technical mastery with timeless aesthetics. Its sculpted chassis, crafted from solid aluminum and copper, not only ensures superior heat dissipation and mechanical stability but also stands as a work of art in itself. This is power and beauty in perfect balance.
The Momentum Z also introduces a new dimension of connectivity and insight. It is the first D’Agostino power amplifier equipped with an Ethernet port, enabling advanced monitoring and reporting of key performance parameters. This intelligent interface allows owners and technicians alike to view operational data and system status in real time, ensuring optimal performance and long-term reliability.
Power Supply Highlights
At the foundation of the Momentum Z Monoblock Amplifier is a dual 1,200 VA linear toroidal transformer array that provides the unwavering power backbone for its audio circuitry. This foundation delivers a power output capability of 500 Watts into 8 Ω, 1,000 Watts into 4 Ω, and 2,000 Watts into 2 Ω.
Operating fully within the analog domain, the ultra-high-speed control stage delivers instantaneous and immense current capability, while the software-based control system continuously monitors bias and other operating parameters in real time—maintaining absolute stability and musical coherence. Our proprietary Kinetic Drive Regulator brings a significant advancement in both engineering precision and sonic refinement, uniting these advances within a single, elegantly executed architecture.
By combining the fine modulation characteristics of MOSFETs and the high current handling of bipolar transistors, the Momentum Z operates with immunity from AC variations and the performance-robbing aspects that speakers present to amplifiers in the normal course of playing music through them. Unlike unregulated architectures that permit voltage to fluctuate with musical demand and incoming AC variations, the Kinetic Drive Regulator maintains constant, ultra-stable voltage rails under all operating conditions. This stability ensures the output stage receives a cleaner, ripple-free current, dramatically lowering noise, distortion, and line interference. The benefits are both measurable and audible.
The result is an amplifier that is super-fast, dynamic, and stable. Because the amplifier can deliver clean current instantly when the music demands it, complex passages remain lucid and alive, even at higher volumes or with difficult speaker loads.
Input Stage Highlights
The Momentum Z is the first D’Agostino amplifier to use a Junction Field-Effect Transistor (JFET) based input stage. At the very front end of an amplifier, where the delicate musical signal first enters the circuit, the choice of device is critical. JFETs excel in this role, offering exceptionally low noise, which preserves every nuance of the source signal. From a technical standpoint, JFETs operate in a manner that provides a smooth, linear transfer characteristic with natural load handling. This design minimizes distortion and ensures that micro-level musical details are passed into the amplification stages intact, without being masked or colored. The amplifier offers a selectable input configuration: a JFET input optimized for use with all D’Agostino preamplifiers, and a conventional input designed for preamplifier designs that do not provide the same level of current output capability. A simple switch on the input stage allows the user to select the appropriate input.
Internet Connectivity
With an integrated RJ45 Ethernet connection, the Momentum Z provides a glimpse into the performance and service parameters the software-based control system is optimizing. Through any web browser, users can view amplifier performance data including operating voltages, temperature, bias, DC offset, 12V trigger status, and more—all continuously monitored and displayed on connected devices via their home network. The same dashboard also provides control over front panel display settings for a personalized user experience.
Design
A defining hallmark of Dan D’Agostino Master Audio Momentum amplifiers is the distinctive use of solid copper heat sinks, a choice driven equally by engineering performance and visual impact. With nearly twice the thermal conductivity of aluminum, copper draws heat away from the output devices more quickly and uniformly. Immediately striking is the new, advanced 5-axis machined copper heat sink design, each formed from a single 42 lb (19 kg) slab of copper billet. The highly efficient elliptical geometry significantly enhances cooling performance, ensuring that Momentum Z operates safely and reliably even at full power. This exceptional thermal efficiency not only improves long-term reliability and longevity, but also maintains optimal operating conditions for the amplifier’s critical circuitry, preserving sonic stability under the most demanding loads.
The Momentum Z features a Dual Domain Meter Display designed to echo the elegance of the Swiss watch, inspired analog meters found throughout the D’Agostino product line. The first domain is digital: in place of a passive meter face, Momentum Z employs a 3.5-inch high-resolution LCD that serves as both a power meter and a message display. The second domain is analog, where—true to D’Agostino tradition—power is indicated by the iconic meter wand, a defining visual and functional element of D’Agostino power amplifiers.
O Momentum Z vai ser demonstrado no High End 2026, em Viena, e o Hificlube vai lá estar, como sempre, para ouvir e depois contar como foi. Isto se não for antes, em abril, por altura do 40º aniversário, no novo auditório da Imacustica – Porto, onde recentemente vi os seus egrégios avós, os Krell KAS (Krell Audio Standard).
Krell KAS (Krell Audio Standard), monoblocos com alimentação independente. Um componente histórico e raro na obra de Dan D'Agostino. Reparem na evolução estética (e tecnológica) dos atuais modelos de Dan D'Agostino.