TEMPTATIONS
Dan D’agostino Progression Integrated – £25k of integrated amp
At its most basic, this is a line-level analogue integrated amplifier costing £19,998. But add the optional digital module for an extra £5600 and you get a good range of digital inputs alongside network streaming capabilities.
Want to play records too? There’s a switchable movingmagnet/moving-coil phono stage module available for an extra £2250 and it offers a decent range of cartridge-loading options. And it is possible to fit both the digital and vinyl modules at the same time.
Our review sample of the Progression has the digital module fitted, which has us wondering whether it should even be described as an amplifier – maybe streaming system would be more appropriate? The category lines between product types have blurred significantly in recent years and this is yet another example. No matter, though. As a just-add-speakers unit, the Progression Integrated is a truly mouth-watering proposition.
THE RISE TO POWER
This is a powerhouse, no doubt. The combination of discrete, balanced, direct-coupled circuitry with a generous power supply results in a claimed power output of 200W per channel into an 8 ohm load. That’s plenty, but the impressive thing is that the claimed power doubles as the load impedance halves. In practical terms, that means this unit is capable of driving any speaker to serious levels without issue.
Connectivity is good. The Progression is equipped with four balanced XLR inputs, plus two single-ended options (one of which would be used for the optional MM/MC phono module if chosen).
The phono module’s gain of 60db should be able to accommodate all but the lowest-output moving-coil cartridges on the market without issue. The fact that there are a variety of selectable cartridge-loading options available to help fine-tune the performance with the cartridge of your choice is a real boon.
The digital board fitted to our review sample is also well equipped. Buy this and you get digital inputs – a USB type-b, coaxial and optical – along with a network renderer and access to streaming services such as Tidal, Qobuz and Spotify. The digital module can connect to your network wirelessly, though we always recommend going the wired route for the extra stability it brings. Roon compatibility is also on the menu.
“The category lines between product types may have blurred of late, but as a justadd-speakers unit, this is a mouth-watering proposition”
HI-RES CAPABILITY
The module’s onboard DAC supports music files up to 24-bit/192khz PCM and DSD256, which should be more than enough for most people. It also decodes MQA, so you can make the most of Tidal’s hi-res Masters offering alongside other recordings so encoded.
There’s no complaining about the D’agostino’s build quality. This is an immaculately crafted beast. Every surface is beautifully finished and that large volume dial moves with impressive smoothness, exhibiting nothing in the way
of obvious play. The two power meters look a little ornate but work well in their dual role of showing volume and signal level. They also help when we want to set the balance between the channels more accurately.
The dedicated Progression app to run the streaming module is decent, too. It looks like a reskinned version of the well established mconnect media-player software, and we have no issue with that. We’ve used mconnect for a number of years with various products and it has proved reliable. Some of the amplifier’s controls are available only here, so you can’t change digital input or select the internal streamer any other way than using the app.
This integrated runs warm in use, so it makes sense to take care over positioning. Make sure you leave plenty of room for ventilation around it and that your chosen support is comfortable with the amp’s hefty 26kg weight.
Any amplifier at this level demands high-quality sources, of course. While the built-in digital module might be all the source that most people will need, we also plumb in our reference Naim ND555/555 PS DR music streamer to test the line-level and digital inputs. Our usual Technics Sl-1000r/kiseki Purple Heart MC record player together with Nagra’s Classic Phono (phono stage) provides back-up as an alternative analogue source.
At the other end of the signal chain, we have our trusty ATC SCM50 speakers alongside Wilson Benesch’s Precision P2.0 floorstanders and Proac’s new K1 standmounters. The Progression shows no particular preference and works well with all of them.
Even the 6.3mm headphone output proves unfussy, delivering great results with the likes of the Focal Stellia and Beyerdynamic T1 (3rd Generation) over-ears. However, it’s a shame that the Progression’s design team thought that putting the output on the back panel was a good idea. It plainly isn’t.
ENERGY AND DRAMA
Listen to this D’agostino in full flow and you get a glorious experience. At this level, it’s fair to expect excellent detail resolution and superlative transparency, and we get both. We play Jupiter from Holst’s The Planets suite and are swept along with the energy and drama on offer.
“At this level, it’s fair to expect excellent detail resolution and superlative transparency, and we get both”
This is an amplifier that excels at displaying the power and scale of an orchestra in full swing. Yet, despite all the sonic fireworks, it’s the Progression’s framework of composure and control that is most striking. It never sounds stressed, no matter how high the volume level goes or how complex the music gets.
It’s a taut and precise presentation; one that edges towards the lean side of neutral without going as far as to be criticised for being thin or lacking in tonal colour. It’s this balance that allows the amplifier to sound so nimble for something so muscular.
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
Stereo imaging is terrific. The Progression paints a broad and expansive soundstage and populates it with crisply focused instruments. The orchestra is convincingly layered and there’s a pleasing impression of depth. What’s more, this positional grip isn’t compromised when the music gets difficult either, as is sometimes the case.
We switch to Massive Attack’s Heligoland and are floored by the D’agostino’s low frequencies. They’re superbly defined, beautifully layered and punched out with rare agility. There’s plenty of muscle and authority of course, but that’s to be expected given the power output on offer.
What surprises – and impresses – us the most, though, is the Progression’s articulate nature.
Things are surefooted rhythmically rather than truly enthusiastic, but there’s enough in the way of drive and musical momentum to keep us satisfied. Unlike many similarly priced, high-powered alternatives, the D’agostino manages to sound musically cohesive and emotionally engaging at the same time.
The midrange is wide open and delivers Hope Sandoval’s vocals on Paradise Circus brilliantly. Her voice is rendered in an unusually clean and precise manner, though the Progression avoids sounding clinical by having enough in the way of natural warmth and dynamic nuance to convince. The highest frequencies certainly aren’t shy, but they remain nicely integrated and brim with information.
THE STREAMING SECTION
The D’agostino’s many sonic strengths shine through regardless of whether we use analogue or digital inputs. The onboard streaming module holds its own against similarly priced alternatives too, though such is the clarity of the analogue circuitry that a carefully chosen (and invariably pricier) premium music streamer would deliver even better results, as listening to the Naim ND555/555 PS DR through it proves.
Our time with the D’agostino had us trawling through our music collection, impatient to hear what all those familiar tracks sound like through it. It’s rare to find such a powerful amplifier sounding so transparent and responsive.
There’s no doubt the D’agostino Progression Integrated is a hugely capable product. It delivers a superb all-round performance and its modular nature means it offers far greater flexibility than most rivals. Regardless of whether you’re after a straight high-end integrated or something more fully featured, the Progression Integrated is something that must be heard.
“We play Massive Attack’s Heligoland and are floored by the D’agostino’s low frequencies. They’re superbly defined and punched out with rare agility”