High performance high

There's no mistaking the D'Agostino family's styling of the second-gen Progression M550 mono amp. What immediately catches your eye is the new heat sink design. Drawn directly from the iconic Relentless Mono Amplifier, each heatsink is ground from a single 48.5-pound (22-kilogram) slab of aluminum. This highly efficient elliptical shape dramatically improves the design's cooling capacity and ensures that the Progression M550 mono amplifier performs safely and reliably even when delivering its full power rating. Reflected in the model name, the Progression M550 mono amplifier delivers 550 / 1,100 / 2,220 watts into 8/4/2 ohms.

The Progression M550 includes important revisions to the input topology. Distortion, signal-to-noise, channel separation, and bandwidth measurements have been improved. The new transistors handle six times the power of the older components and a new DC coupling circuit has improved low-frequency performance and expanded the bandwidth of the amplifiers. Pairing this advanced interface with the improved output stage has improved the dynamic impact, detail recovery, and spatial integrity of amplifier reproduction. The audio signal path is discrete, balanced, and directly coupled. Advanced protection techniques protect the amplifier and associated components from unexpected anomalies

Exploring new dimensions

A new power device provides the basis for an improved output stage. This new transistor, first used in the relentless mono amplifier, extends the high-frequency response, increases power handling by a factor of four, and features a tighter gain tolerance between complementary NPN / PNP pairs. A wider safe operating area and superior gain linearity provide greater thermal stability throughout the amplifiers' power delivery. Coupling the new output device to the high-efficiency heat sink design results in increased operating bias. The higher-bias specification has increased the Progression M550's Class A operating range to 70 watts.

The original amplifier maintains the Super Rail topology, a simple concept but complex in execution. Each amplifier employs one voltage rail, actually two, one positive and its partner negative. The voltage rails support the delivery of power to the speaker. The music signal oscillates between these two rails, but due to natural loss, the music signal never reaches the full capacity of the output rails. A Super Rail overcomes this limitation. Borrowing the idea of ​​a turbo in a car engine, the Super Rail employs higher voltage rails in the sections leading up to the output stage. This "surge" in voltage allows the musical signal to exploit the full capacity of the output voltage rails. Extending the oscillation of the musical signal closer to the output rails maximizes the performance of the output circuit design itself. Near-ideal output stage operation results in improved dynamics, lower distortion, and fierce speaker grip. The output topology employs 48 power transistors anchored by a 2000 VA power supply transformer and nearly 100,000 microfarads of power supply storage capacity.

Legendary purity

The anodized aluminum faceplate includes the iconic look of the company's power meters. The Progression M550 mono amplifier's 180 ° meter needle is driven by a high-speed ballistic circuit that enhances the meter's responsiveness. The Progression M550 mono amplifier features a 180 ° needle arc meter design driven by a high-speed ballistic circuit that improves meter responsiveness. The longer needle arc covers the entire output range of the amplifier.

With innovative circuitry and virtually unlimited power output, the Progression M550 mono amplifiers deliver intimate musical detail, three-dimensional sound staging, and surprising dynamics not possible with less capable designs.

Progression M 550 Specifications

Frequency response 1 Hz to 80 kHz, -1 dB / 20 Hz to 20 kHz, ± 0.01 dB

Signal-to-noise ratio 105 dB - unweighted / 75 dB - A-weighted

Silver or black finish with custom finishes available upon request

Total Harmonic Distortion 550W @ 8Ω .015% @ 1 kHz

Input impedance 100 KΩ

Output impedance 0.1Ω

Power 550 watts at 8 Ω 1100 watts at 4 Ω 2200 watts at 2 Ω

Distortion

Inputs 1 balanced XLR

Dimensions 45.4 x 23.0 x 58.4 cm / 17.875 x 9.0 x 23.0 inch

Weight 115 lb / 52.2 kg