AXPONA 2025

The New Pendulum Integrated Amplifier is Dan D’Agostino’s Bargain Bling Machine

Jason Victor Serinus  |  Apr 30, 2025

First unveiled in passive display at Munich High End 2024, the new D’Agostino Pendulum Integrated amplifier made its US consumer audio show debut in two places at AXPONA 2025: a hallway setup—where listening was possible only at close range—and in a room sponsored by Innuos.

The Stereophile team caught up with Dan D’Agostino during his brief visit to Chicago to get the lowdown on the newest and lowest-priced integrated in his line. Some of his remarks on sound versus measurements make this video a must-see.

The all-balanced Pendulum Integrated has one single-ended input, three balanced inputs, a home-theater pass-through, and two balanced outputs that allow subwoofer integration. Connections include optical, RJ-45, Wi-Fi, and HDMI eARC. Thanks to a custom toroidal transformer rated at 750VA and a 25,000µF capacitor bank, it can deliver 120W into 8 ohms and 240W into 4 ohms.

The Pendulum Integrated’s optional Digital Streaming Module (DSM) can decode signals up to 32-bit/192kHz and DSD256. It currently supports Tidal, Qobuz, MQA, Tidal Connect, and Spotify, with Roon Ready and Qobuz Connect coming soon.

The optional MC phono stage features discrete circuitry, 75dB of gain, and user-selectable load settings: 50, 100, 200, 400, 1000, and 47,000 ohms.

Pricing is $16,000 for the analog integrated amplifier, with $2500 extra for the DSM and $1000 for the phono module.

For comments on the sound, see the combined Innuos/Pendulum report that accompanies the Innuos video.

COMMENTS
avanti1960's picture
Submitted by avanti1960 on April 30, 2025 - 9:36am

Dynaudio Contour Legacy speakers sounded fast, microdynamic and had a near best of show midrange. A very special midrange you do not often hear.

FredisDead's picture
Submitted by FredisDead on May 2, 2025 - 5:35am

I picked up one of the few remaining pair a month ago and it has been a pure joy-I once again look forward to firing up the system and listening to all of my records again. Dynaudio nailed it with this loudspeaker-it goes to show that you don't need an aluminum or curved enclosure if you have great drivers and a first order crossover of the highest quality and design.

FredisDead's picture
Submitted by FredisDead on May 2, 2025 - 10:27am

D'Agostino and Dyneaudio did not protest having their gear on display in an active set-up in such a compromised location. Frankly, I am surprised the amp and loudspeakers even sounded good in such a crappy location with an escalator running so close-by and limiting any proper listening position.

DaveinSM's picture
Submitted by DaveinSM on April 30, 2025 - 11:55am

I agree with D’Agostino’s comments on measured distortion and sound quality. Japanese receivers in the 70’s with super low distortion figures and not great sound taught us that.

Then again, thd is only one of many measurements, and when all thd measurements nowadays are low enough to be hard to discern anyway, presumably once you get below a certain threshold. And that threshold is almost certainly subjective and dependent on who is listening.

Does this mean that, for example, frequency response and dispersion measurements of loudspeakers have no correlation to how speakers sound?

I think we all know the answer to this.

Anton's picture
Submitted by Anton on April 30, 2025 - 12:58pm

I'll tell you how old I am: 20 grand for the full featured integrated is something I can't call bargain. I know Glotz will simply call me a tin eared jealous old man, but 20 large isn't exactly entry level.

But, if this starter set up draws in the twenty-something bargain minded audiophiles of the future, good for them. Kids these days must be killin' it.

It's more a matter of semantics, really, not quibbling with the sonics of this one eyed sound snake. ;-D

Jason Victor Serinus's picture
Submitted by Jason Victor Serinus on April 30, 2025 - 2:15pm

As much as "bargain" is not a spin I'd put on anything at this price, the headline sure got you spinning
;-). I've got to hand it to Rogier Van Bakel, who is doing the editing; he sure knows how to push them buttons. Me, I'll stick to the touchscreen remote.

Anton's picture
Submitted by Anton on April 30, 2025 - 6:05pm

As an old guy, I feel like I have a stake in my hobby. Not fair to the Oligarch Audio crowd, but it's there.

When I was a young buck, Hi Fi was something the middle class could partake in at almost the highest levels. I guess my nostalgia for that sort of accessibility is prosaic. And that's fair to criticize, by the way.

Honest questions:

1) When was the last time you felt a cheaper piece of gear out-performed a more expensive one, and can you point me to that review? I truly cannot recall.

2) Have you run into ANY oligarch end audio gear where you have simply said, "This is ridiculous?"

Jason Victor Serinus's picture
Submitted by Jason Victor Serinus on April 30, 2025 - 6:49pm

My dear Anton (and I mean that),

I'm not going to play into this "oligarch audio" terminology. I knew a music professor who owned a pair of over $800,000 Wilson Audio WAMMs, and he gifted them to his school before he died of cancer. He was a devoted music lover and educator, not an oligarch. "Oligarch audio" may be a catchy phrase, but as a blanket statement, it does not ring true to me.

At this point, I tend not to review "cheap" pieces of gear. It really doesn't fit into my reference system. But at this show, I've covered Wattson Audio, which I consider a giant killer.

As for question #2, my personal policy is to comment on sound, not price. Prices have gone through the roof, and there are only so high my eyebrows can rise before my scalp begins to rip off. Having said that, there are a few pieces of gear I've encounered whose five figure prices dismayed me no end for only one reason: I failed to see a sonic justification for their prices.

When it comes to six-figure equipment, I have yet to review anything that pushes my "are you fucking kidding me" button. Why? Because every single six-figure piece of gear that has arrived for review has sounded so good.

I've got many more show reports to write before I head to Europe. I shall refrain from further comments until I've finished and had room to breathe. But not before saying...

I miss seeing you Anton. Please find a reason to visit the Olympic Peninsula so we can listen and hang together.

jason

David Harper's picture
Submitted by David Harper on May 1, 2025 - 8:11am

You didn't answer his questions. One more time:

1- when was the last time a less expensive component outperformed a more expensive one?
2- when was the last time you said that a component was overpriced?

You become increasingly implausible and rediculous with each review of astronomically priced "high end" components. There aren't enough audiophool idiots to support this kind of nonsense any longer.

tonye's picture
Submitted by tonye on April 30, 2025 - 10:16pm

I've heard the top Wilson speakers with the top D'Agostino amps and front end and some six figure turntable and DAC.

The whole thing runs well over $1M.

Honestly, it doesn't sound like the right thing. My far humbler set up actually sounds more like Row L, orchestra, mid row than those Oligarch class things.

Sure, my stuff is half of it Class A FET/SIT/VFET DIY... and a few old tubes... and I'm sure that my black boxes are not impressive for those who do not spend their lives in a lab environment... and there is negative 2nd order distortion... but, but... it sounds a lot more like the real thing...

Sure, the D'Agostino stuff is impressive looking stuff. Nice to my eyes, but honestly, not to my ears.

Maybe I should drill some holes on some of the face plates of my amps and put in old style, yellow face, round Bakelite power meters?

But my wife might really hate that. Huh?

Ortofan's picture
Submitted by Ortofan on May 2, 2025 - 2:17pm

... killin' it"?
That would depend upon your definition of "killin' it".
The median salary for Google/Alphabet and Nvidia employees is about $300K.

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