Pre/Power Amplifiers

More than a week with the Progression S350, alongside the latest-specification Momentum S250 with its MxV update, provided a revelation – it's a gift to authorised D'Agostino dealers as it can be used as a pitch some customers might find irresistible. Please keep in mind that I have lived with a Momentum stereo amplifier for a decade, through two major revisions. And just as the MxV upgrade is a trickle-down bonus, so is the evolution of the Progression S350.

The manufacturer says both were beneficiaries of the Relentless amplifier's design and practice; each D'Agostino range has upped its performance to a higher level thanks to upgrades inspired by the flagship. In practice, then, the gap between a pre-MxV Momentum and the far dearer Relentless has been reduced by some measure, but more pertinent here is what this has done for the stereo and mono Progression amplifiers. As far as my ears tell me, the S350 is easily the equal of the previous, pre-MxV Momentum. That's another way of saying the amp has shot up in sonic merit to the level of an earlier Momentum costing £20,000 more.

As useful and crucial as such comparisons are, let's leave the Progression S350-vs-Momentum S250 MxV contrasts by saying the S250 MxV has the edge, most vividly in an area that's enough to show how the two can co-exist – if this was 1970, I'd call the Progression S350 a 'rock 'n' roll' amplifier and the Momentum S250 MxV a 'jazz' or 'classical' amp, as was the accepted hi-fi shorthand back then.

Of course, that would be to perform a disservice, as both D'Agostino amplifiers are adept with any flavour of music. But what convinced me that the Progression S350 is a discernible level above its predecessors is its enhanced delicacy in the upper frequencies, without giving up any of the brutal take-no-prisoners power delivery of a Progression relative to a Momentum. To be sure, the costlier Momentum models are no slouches when it comes to sheer impact, but the way they deliver it is the other variant.

Vibes, Bells And Bongos
Discussion of differences is about the small stuff, the subtleties, one's partnering equipment, and ultimately one's biases or preferences. This is as it should be, a challenge to the listener in the way that moving from a small hatchback to a 300kph supercar surely tests one's driving skills. To confirm this, instead of hard rock – a Progression forte – I was tempted by Martin Denny's Exotica [Liberty LT7034 open-reel tape], a potpourri of weird sounds recorded a lifetime ago, in 1956, to show off one's flashy new hi-fi system.

While primarily orchestral, Denny's album was rendered 'exotic' through the use of myriad unusual instruments, including esoteric percussion, bongos, vibes, bells, bamboo sticks, small cymbals and other 'tropical' clichés which would horrify those who currently worry about cultural appropriation. This ensured that the activity at the frequency extremes was as revealing as any source material I could find – the opposite of an electric guitar staccato barrage à la Eddie Van Halen. And especially for the transient attack of ultra-delicate sounds, through the S350 it was fully on display.

Silk Cut
It was the same moving to the 101 Strings Orchestra's less-outré A Night In The Tropics [Audio Spectrum AST-102 open-reel tape]. This time, the upper frequency material was more familiar – with massed violins dominating – so the illustrative value was thus greater. The S350 boasted a recognisable absence of 'screech', and a silkiness that I would not have attributed to previous Progression designs. By comparison with its Momentum stablemate, again, the S350 proffered audibly greater weight to the lower-octave percussion and strings.

In the midband, the two amps were as close as a brace of genetically engineered twins: I moved on to the vocals of Los Machucambos' Mucho Machucambos [London Phase 4 Stereo LP74055 open-reel tape]. The unexpected extreme treble sweetness and subtlety throughout that I had heard before was retained with these Latin-flavoured performances, especially notable in 'Adios Irene', or 'Goodnight Irene' sung in Mexican. The percussion remained bold, in-the-room, all encompassing, like the massive – and I mean gigantic – soundstage. In this regard the Progression S350 matched the Momentum S250 MxV to the inch, though the latter was slightly more open-sounding.

Uncannily Authentic
And the vocals? They were emerging with such lifelike authority that I could barely detect a gap, let alone a chasm between S350 and S250 MxV. A burst of Kris Kristofferson's country-folk Jesus Was A Capricorn collection on Super Audio CD [Vocalion 2CDLK 4635], and the gentle, thoughtful version of Bob Dylan's 'Make You Feel My Love' from Fragments: Time Out Of Mind Sessions (1996-1997) [Columbia 19439981992SC1], graced the listening room with a greater sense of air around the singers than I would have anticipated.

More to the point, both singers were displaying a presence approaching the uncannily authentic, their voices arriving as if from nowhere. The Progression S350 may be a powerhouse amplifier seemingly without limit, but equally, it has nearly all the grace of its stablemates. I am dazzled.

Hi-Fi News Verdict
Since I've been using D'Agostino amps for over a decade, I reckon I'm fairly tuned-in to the brand's trademark sound. In this case, the Progression S350, like Dan, has mellowed a bit without sacrificing one iota of attitude, fierceness, confidence or presence. This amp has such command, regardless of source or system, that it demands more of the listener. Those who 'get it' will probably consider nothing else at the price.