Dan D'Agostino's new power amp: Relentless by both name and nature

Dan D’Agostino has just launched a new reference power amplifier. The Relentless – named after the designer’s constant striving to increase performance - is a 1500-watt monobloc design that continues to double its power output as load impedance halves.

Great care has been taken to ensure the Relentless doesn’t run too hot. It’s kept cool by copper and aluminium heat sinking that is specially shaped to improve the flow of hot air.

Inside the power amp you’ll find a 5.5kW power supply that feeds a 100 output devices. At the supply’s heart is a transformer that uses multiple sections, all potted, and enclosed in a metal shield to minimise noise and potential interference. That transformer feeds into a custom-designed rectifier circuit and then into a huge 60,000µF of smoothing capacitance.

D’Agostino has taken much care in designing an all-new input stage that is low distortion, and amplification stages that are unaffected by the demands of the speaker. That’s especially impressive as the Relentless avoids global negative feedback in its circuit design.

At the front you’ll find an extra-large version of the brand’s trademark signal meter. It measures 20-cm in diameter and adjusts its pointer movement to account for differing input levels.

A single Relentless monobloc weighs in at 220kg and will begin shipping in June. Price? Just the £275,000 per pair.

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Ketan Bharadia
Technical Editor

Ketan Bharadia is the Technical Editor of What Hi-Fi? He's been been reviewing hi-fi, TV and home cinema equipment for over two decades, and over that time has covered thousands of products. Ketan works across the What Hi-Fi? brand including the website and magazine. His background is based in electronic and mechanical engineering.