19-Apr-2015, 12:18
Here are a few pics. Sorry for some reason I didn't take a pic of the SF Lilium which was a shame as they were absolutely magnificent to look at.
I agree with Rufus' comments re the Constellation Audio which to my ears at least represents the pinnacle of what can be achieved with amplification. I have now heard them on several occasions (including with my Sasha 2 speakers) and they have never failed to disappoint! The "baby" Inspiration units are in my opinion just as good as the Performance units at a fraction of the cost. Hardly a bargain though but one can always dream. What always strikes me about the Constellation sound is its rich "full" room filling velvety midrange. It's quite thick and organic sounding but also very fast and precise. The bass is on a par with Devialet's SAM, perhaps even better in some respects.
The D'Agostino amps are lovely to look at and do seem to present a very delicate and almost "elegant" sound. Dare I say a more feminine presentation? I know we sometimes describe wines in this manner (for e.g. a Margaux). There is plenty of bass but it seems more measured whereas with my D800 and Sasha 2 it is more visceral. The same could be said with the highs, with the D800 sounding a bit more immediate whereas the DAG is very slightly softer around the edges. Some of this of course may come down to the Audio Research CD9 source but I've heard this DAG characteristic a few times now with different sources. The DAGs do seem to have unlimited reserves of power though and can be played at ear splitting levels.
The Ex3mas looked awesome in the flesh. They were probably brand new and never before played so the lack of overall coherence didn't surprise me. Having said that I really liked their sound.
Guillaume
I agree with Rufus' comments re the Constellation Audio which to my ears at least represents the pinnacle of what can be achieved with amplification. I have now heard them on several occasions (including with my Sasha 2 speakers) and they have never failed to disappoint! The "baby" Inspiration units are in my opinion just as good as the Performance units at a fraction of the cost. Hardly a bargain though but one can always dream. What always strikes me about the Constellation sound is its rich "full" room filling velvety midrange. It's quite thick and organic sounding but also very fast and precise. The bass is on a par with Devialet's SAM, perhaps even better in some respects.
The D'Agostino amps are lovely to look at and do seem to present a very delicate and almost "elegant" sound. Dare I say a more feminine presentation? I know we sometimes describe wines in this manner (for e.g. a Margaux). There is plenty of bass but it seems more measured whereas with my D800 and Sasha 2 it is more visceral. The same could be said with the highs, with the D800 sounding a bit more immediate whereas the DAG is very slightly softer around the edges. Some of this of course may come down to the Audio Research CD9 source but I've heard this DAG characteristic a few times now with different sources. The DAGs do seem to have unlimited reserves of power though and can be played at ear splitting levels.
The Ex3mas looked awesome in the flesh. They were probably brand new and never before played so the lack of overall coherence didn't surprise me. Having said that I really liked their sound.
Guillaume
Industry disclosure: UK distributor for Shunyata Research
220 PRO, totaldac d1 server with additional external power supply, totaldac d1-seven, Echole PSU for Totaldac, Wilson Audio Sasha 2, Shunyata Research cables, Shunyata Hydra Alpha A10 + DPC-6 v3, Various Entreq ground boxes and cables, Entreq Athena level 3 rack, 2 X SOtM sNH-10G with sCLK-EX + 10MHz Master Clock input + sPS-500 PSU, i5 sonicTransporter w/ 1TB SSD
UK
