Dan D’Agostino’s Pendulum integrated amplifier is now on permanent display!

For those unfamiliar, Dan D’Agostino Master Audio Systems have been making premiere hifi equipment out of their Cave Creek AZ factory for the past 15 years. With Dan leading the engineering team the company has created quite a name for itself, featuring in some of the nicest hifi installations around the world. Although they’re known for building cost no object amplifiers that can power virtually any loudspeaker, D’Agostino has recently made significant strides in advancing their pre-amplification stage after the R&D required to create their reference Relentless Preamplifier. Additionally, they’ve fine-tuned the implementation of the streaming DAC circuits in their preamps and integrated amps.

Of course producing components that are reference-level means reference-level price tags, which has left many unable to afford the company’s equipment. However with their newest product D’Agostino is looking to change that. This year D’Agostino released Pendulum, an integrated amplifier that is not merely a “budget” offering from a reference-level company but a true representation of what the company does… and at a more affordable price point. The unit boasts an updated preamplifier section featuring their latest tweaks, 120 Watts of power into 8 ohms, fully balanced circuitry, and the same type of output devices found in the Relentless amplifiers. Three XLR inputs, one XLR pre-out, and one RCA input (which can be changed to a home theater bypass) grace the back panel. A moving coil phono preamp and streaming DAC board as optional additions further add to the flexibility of the unit.

Historically when a company releases a product at a lower price point there are sacrifices made, leaving performance on the table. Here we haven’t found this to be the case. The Pendulum has all the DNA of its bigger siblings, just minus the ability to drive the largest loudspeakers. You still encounter the same characteristics: huge soundstage, intricate details, and incredible bass control.

We showcased the Pendulum earlier this year in prototype form and it’s now a completely finished product, on permanent demonstration in the shop and already landing in many clients’ homes.  If you are contemplating upgrading the amplification in your home system, you have to listen to Pendulum as a contender. Contact us today to schedule your personalized demonstration.