As part of its 15th anniversary, Dan D’Agostino Master Audio Systems has introduced the Momentum Z Monoblock Amplifier, a new-generation design from the former CEO and chief designer of Krell Audio—one of the defining high-end audio companies of the 1980s and 1990s. Rather than revisiting past formulas, D’Agostino has continued to refine his approach, pushing further into ambitious circuit topologies, extreme power delivery, and industrial design that treats the enclosure as part of the engineering, not an afterthought.
The Momentum Z is built around a fully balanced, high-current architecture designed to maintain control into the most demanding loudspeaker loads, with massive power reserves and improved thermal stability over previous Momentum designs. Its copper-accented, precision-machined chassis is not cosmetic—it functions as a heat sink and structural component, allowing the amplifier to run cooler while sustaining high output.
Internally, revised gain stages and power supply architecture are aimed at lowering noise, improving transient response, and preserving linearity at real-world listening levels. The result is a monoblock amplifier that prioritizes control, stability, and consistency under load—state-of-the-art not because it chases novelty, but because every design choice serves the signal.
From Dan D’Agostino: “The Momentum Z Monoblock Amplifier embodies the essence of my company’s design philosophy, combining technical mastery and timeless aesthetics in high-current power amplification designed to elevate every system.”
What Is a Monoblock Amplifier?
A power amplifier—monoblock or otherwise—has one job: take a low-level audio signal and deliver the current and voltage needed to drive loudspeakers properly. That’s it. Unlike an AV receiver, a power amp strips the task down to signal amplification, usually offering little more than a power switch and a primary gain control that functions like volume.
Because of that, a power amplifier always requires a separate preamplifier or AV preamp/processor to handle source selection and volume control before the signal ever reaches the amp.
Power amps come in several configurations—single-channel (monoblock), two-channel stereo, or multi-channel designs for home theater—but the concept is the same. A monoblock amplifier powers one speaker, which allows for dedicated power supplies, improved channel isolation, and more consistent performance into difficult loads.
The Dan D’Agostino Momentum Z is a textbook example of a single-channel power amplifier. With that context in mind, here’s a closer look at what this new-generation monoblock brings to the table. We’ve also previously covered Dan D’Agostino electronics, including the Momentum C4 Preamplifier and the Pendulum Integrated Amplifier.
Inside the Momentum Z: Kinetic Drive Regulator and Power Architecture
The Momentum Z generation represents a technical evolution of the Momentum platform, centered on a revised power architecture and updated circuit design. At the core is the Kinetic Drive Regulator, a proprietary power supply system designed to isolate the amplifier from AC mains fluctuations while reducing the influence of speaker load variations—two factors that can compromise the stability and consistency of conventional amplifier designs.
Beyond the power supply, the Momentum Z incorporates redesigned input stage topology and updated output stage circuitry, all overseen by a software-based control system that manages and optimizes each circuit group in real time. These changes are supported by a revised thermal management structure intended to improve long-term stability under sustained output. While we have not yet heard the Momentum Z, the design goals point toward improved control, lower noise, and more consistent performance across a wide range of operating conditions.
Design
The Momentum Z Monoblock Amplifier reflects Dan D’Agostino’s long-standing approach to amplifier design, where electrical performance and industrial design are treated as a single discipline. The sculpted chassis, machined from solid aluminum with copper elements, is engineered to provide structural rigidity, effective heat dissipation, and long-term thermal stability rather than serving a purely cosmetic role.
Every aspect of the enclosure is functional, from its mass and material choices to the way it supports the internal circuitry and power supply. The result is an amplifier whose physical design is directly tied to its electrical performance—deliberate, purposeful, and unmistakably aligned with D’Agostino’s design language.
Monitoring
The Momentum Z is the first D’Agostino power amplifier to incorporate an Ethernet port, adding a layer of network-based monitoring not previously available in the lineup. This interface enables real-time access to key operational and performance parameters, providing visibility into system status and amplifier behavior during use.
Designed for both owners and service technicians, the Ethernet connection supports diagnostics, monitoring, and long-term system oversight, with the goal of maintaining consistent operation and reliability over time.
Control Stage
Operating entirely in the analog domain, the Momentum Z employs an ultra-high-speed control stage designed to deliver substantial current on demand. This architecture is intended to respond quickly to signal changes while maintaining stable operation under varying load conditions.
At the same time, a software-based control system continuously monitors bias and other operating parameters, adjusting operation as needed to keep the amplifier within its intended performance envelope. The focus is on consistency and stability over extended listening sessions rather than user-adjustable intervention.
Clean Sound
By combining the modulation behavior of MOSFET devices with the high current capability of bipolar transistors, the Momentum Z is designed to operate with greater immunity to AC line variation and to the reactive loads presented by loudspeakers during normal playback. This hybrid approach is intended to preserve operating stability as musical demands change, rather than allowing power supply behavior to track those variations.
Central to this design is the Kinetic Drive Regulator, which is engineered to maintain a constant supply voltage regardless of incoming AC conditions or dynamic output requirements. Unlike conventional implementations where voltage can fluctuate with load and line conditions, this regulated architecture aims to deliver a more stable, lower-noise current to the output stage, reducing measurable noise, distortion, and susceptibility to line interference.
The practical outcome is an amplifier designed for fast response, stable operation, and consistent performance into complex speaker loads. By maintaining clean current delivery as demand increases, the Momentum Z is intended to preserve clarity and control during dense musical passages and sustained high-level playback without relying on compensatory circuit behavior.
Input Stage
The Momentum Z is the first D’Agostino amplifier to employ a Junction Field-Effect Transistor (JFET)–based input stage. Because this front-end stage handles the incoming low-level signal, device selection is critical. JFETs are well suited to this role due to their inherently low noise characteristics and linear transfer behavior, which helps preserve signal integrity before amplification.
This input architecture is intended to reduce distortion and maintain low-level detail as the signal passes into subsequent gain stages. The Momentum Z also provides selectable input configurations: a JFET input optimized for use with D’Agostino preamplifiers, and a conventional input designed to accommodate preamplifiers with lower current output capability. Input selection is handled via a dedicated switch on the amplifier, allowing proper matching based on system requirements.
Running Cool: Momentum Z Thermal Design and Solid Copper Heat Sinks
A defining element of Dan D’Agostino Master Audio power amplifiers continues in the Momentum Z with the use of solid copper heat sinks, selected primarily for thermal performance rather than visual effect. Copper offers substantially higher thermal conductivity than aluminum, allowing heat to be transferred away from the output devices more quickly and evenly under load.
For the Momentum Z, the heat sinks have been redesigned using advanced 5-axis machining, with each formed from a single 42 lbs (19 kg) copper billet. The updated elliptical geometry is intended to increase surface area and improve airflow, enhancing heat dissipation during sustained operation. This thermal approach is designed to support stable operating temperatures at high output levels, contributing to long-term reliability and consistent electrical behavior when the amplifier is driving demanding loudspeaker loads.
Meters: Dual-Domain Display System
The Momentum Z incorporates D’Agostino’s Dual Domain Meter Display, a design approach shared across the company’s amplifier lineup. Rather than relying on a single measurement method, the system combines digital information display with an analog power indication.
The digital domain replaces a traditional meter face with a 3.5-inch high-resolution LCD. This screen functions as both a power meter and a status display, providing operational information and system messages.
The analog domain is represented by the signature meter wand, which indicates output power in real time. This mechanical display remains a defining functional and visual element of D’Agostino power amplifiers, offering an at-a-glance representation of amplifier activity alongside the digital readout.
Power Supply
At the heart of the Momentum Z Monoblock Amplifier is a power supply built around a dual 1,200 VA linear toroidal transformer array. Transformer capacity is a critical factor in a power amplifier’s ability to deliver sustained output and maintain stability under load, particularly at higher listening levels and with low-impedance loudspeakers.
This transformer configuration supports rated output of 500 watts into 8 ohms, 1,000 watts into 4 ohms, and up to 2,000 watts into 2 ohms, reflecting the amplifier’s design focus on high current delivery and load tolerance rather than peak power figures alone.
Specifications
| Dan D’Agostino Model | Momentum Z |
| Product Type | Momoblock Amplifier |
| MSRP | $125,000 |
| Power Output | 500 watts @ 8 Ω 1,000 watts @ 4 Ω 2,000 watts @ 2 Ω |
| Frequency Response | 1 Hz to 200 kHz, -1 dB / 20 Hz to 20 kHz, +0.1 dB |
| Signal-to-Noise Ratio | >75 dB, A-weighted / >115 dB, unweighted |
| Gain | 27 dB |
| Distortion | 0.02% @ 1 kHz, 500 watts @ 8 Ω |
| Input Impedance | 1 M Ω (Standard Input setting) 300 Ω (Z input setting) |
| Output Impedance | <0.05 Ω, 20 Hz to 20 kHz |
| Output Voltage | 190 V peak-to-peak |
| Output Current | 60A peak-to-peak |
| Power Consumption | Standby 17 W / Idle 35 W / Maximum 2,000 W |
| Inputs | 1 balanced XLR |
| Outputs | 1 pair of binding posts |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 13.5 x 5 x 20.5 in (32 x 13 x 54 cm) |
| Weight | 100 lbs (45 kg) |
| Finish | Silver, Black |
The Bottom Line
The Momentum Z Monoblock is a statement power amplifier built around real technical ambition rather than cosmetic excess. Its design centers on a regulated, high-current power architecture, revised input and output stages, advanced thermal management, and network-based monitoring—choices aimed squarely at stability, consistency, and control into demanding loads. This is engineering intended for systems where amplification is not the limiting factor.
Pricing has not been officially confirmed, but industry sources point to a figure in the $125,000 range per monoblock, placing a stereo pair around $250,000 before factoring in a suitable preamplifier and speakers. At that level, the Momentum Z is clearly intended for reference-grade loudspeakers—state-of-the-art planar magnetic, electrostatic, and flagship dynamic designs that often extend well into six-figure territory themselves and demand extreme current delivery and load stability.
In short, the Momentum Z is not about accessibility or value. It is about removing amplification from the list of compromises in a no-limits system, where power delivery, thermal stability, and circuit control must remain predictable regardless of speaker complexity or listening level.
Price & Availability
The D’Agostino New-Generation Momentum Z Monoblock Amplifier is priced a $125,000 USD and available through Authorized Dealers Internationally, Canada, Mexico, and the US.
For more information: dandagostino.com
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