I am looking at 2 channel amps in the greater than 100wpc range to power two tower speakers, about 1/2 music, 1/2 home theater. Have a 5 channel HK receiver right now that is adequate, though perhaps dancing at the low power edge for the towers.
Myryad MA-240 makes 120 wpc Marsh A200S does the same Aragon 2002 does 200 wpc
and then there are 5 channel Adcoms
GFA 7700 is 5 x 180 wpc GFA 7605 is 5 x 120 wpc
While I really am worried about powering some old B&W 801s, for about the same price, I could also upgrade amplification from receiver to a standalone separate, but the other speakers do not need such high amplification.
On my downstairs system I have an Aragon 2007 (7 x 200 watts). With a Stage One Aragon AV pre-amp. I often just play it in stereo with a pair of PSB Stratus Gold i's, or I switch it to a pair of ProAc Response 2's. Sometimes I play them oth at the same time. It supplies a lot of good clean power.
It is beautiful to look at--even more so with the lights low. Has great blue lights glowing over the Aluminum carved faceplate on the Aragon symbol.
It doesn't have the double balanced outputs of the newly released ATI's, but it is less expensive and looks much better and unless you have poorly insulated interconnects or a hum problem--then it doesn't matter.
All things being equal, would you buy a car that looks like a Pontiac Aztek or a great looking one atsame price?
An even more humorous take: all other things being equal, would you marry a woman with no goofy lights or ones that are beautiful? While beauty is in the eye of the beholder, it is still there and most value it.
Have you ever seen the Aragon 2002, 2005, or 2007? I have never met the person that thought they looked anything less than beautiful and they sound great too. Mondial doesn't make garbage, even after being bought by Klipsch.
Plus, I see a demo being offered by audio advisor for $999. Has a picture. Go quick before someone else gets it. They only showed it at CES 2004 in January, so it has full warranty. New ones cost $1495.
Heck, I notice the Rotel tried for a fancy look, except the front looks like a heat sink.
By the way, you won't go wrong with a Rotel, Aragon, ATI, Adcom, Outlaw, etc. And in a blind ABX test I'd bet a few thousand no one could tell with any degree of accuracy which was playing.
I am do not think that either Aragon or Rotel is very attractive, but that is me. I don't like unnecessary lights, handles, or whatever the hell Rotel has done with the stupid heat sinks.
Thay being said, I would not shy away from buying an Aragon or Rotel amp, esp if the price was right.
A light may not be necessary, but it is nice to know if you left your amplifier on without walking across the room to see if the switch is up or down. The expense of a blue light glimmering over the faceplate I am sure is quite nominal. Maybe a dollar more than a simple red or green light. Certainly a lot cheaper than handles.
I wouldn't call the light unnecessary. It may not be crucial to the amp operation, but if I see a blue glow at the other end of the living room while passing through I know I left the amp on. I'm sure the amount of money I save on electricity with turning the amp off when I forgot to is much greater than the cost of the blue light.
I have nothing against Aragon, I must admit myself the are quite handsome however I do not believe that the blue light should be the deciding factor between the Aragon and another amp. Perfomance and value before looks is a philosophy I like to go by and the Outlaw's are a good example of this.
Let's not get silly here. I originally said I drive two PSB Stratus Gold i's and ProAc Response 2's with Aragon 2007's and was very happy with the amps performance.
I just added that the design is an extra added bonus, particularly because it sits out in a very visible spot in the living room. I must admit I am a sucker for great industrial design, like IPODS, IMACS with those LCD screens, certain cars, and the Aragon 2000 series amps. And I forgot to mention in case it is important to the buyer that it is THX Ultra 2 also.
But I won't deny that you can get performance that is probably just as good from a Rotel or a pair of Outlaw Audio 200 watt monoblocks for $600. I doubt the difference, if any, is audible.
It depends on your budget, how much style is important to you, how much THX ULtra 2 is important and other intangibles, such as pride of ownership.
I bought the Aragon over other amps because of some of the above reasons and I got a great deal on it.
But I wouldn't spend thousands more for a Krell 200 watt amp.
We all have our limits of what we are willing to spend and how important style, color, etc. is. Look at the long thread on the guy whose wife demanded a silver receiver and the one that would trade-off performance of bookshelf speakers for in-walls.
C'est la vie.
Oh. No doubt it doesn't hurt that I am good friends with a NAD, HK, Lexicon, ATI,PSB, and Aragon dealer in Wisconsin for about 25 years and usually get at least 30% or more off on those products.
So I must admit the reason I got a 2007 Aragon amp was because he had just gotten the line, the above reasons, and he sold it to me at a few dollars over cost.
Actually an even better amp with double-ended balancing (rare--most amps are unbalanced, or single-ended balance anywhere near this series price) is the new ATI AT2002, AT2005, etc. series.
But it isn't as pretty as the Aragon :-) haha
I think ATI makes amps for Outlaw, Sherbourne, and a number of other companies.
You make a good point about the buyers budget. If you have the money then why not. I listened to Halcro and Mark Levinson amps and don't really see how they can stay in business. While they make a nice product I don't believe they are worth $40,000 more than a good Aragon or Rotel. It's about as silly as $10,000 Transparent cables. But then again if you have the money...and I guess people must have the money.
Anonymous
Posted on
Gman, where in Wi?
av_phile
Unregistered guest
Posted on
Any users of Acurus out there? I have an Acurus 200x3 and an A250 to power a 5 channel set-up. Excellent amps with awesome sonics and simple lines.
i am actually in the hunt for a quality 3 channel amp right now myself.(without spending an arm and a leg)
to round out my system, one of my main concerns is actually looks (yes i want the quality) i'm not going to pay for something just because of it's looks but i really want something that when people look at it they say "man that is sharp".
for people who have been through the audio gear upgrades, sometimes you really see some beutiful electronics and it's kinda like a piece of art that just catches you.(i want that)
ATI makes OEM for a number of other companies and markets their own too. They have an AT1803 model that pumps out 180 watts per channel at 8 ohms and lists at $1195 and can often be found at 20% off list. If you want their latest models that are both balanced on input and output they have the AT2003, which is a nice macho-looking 200 watt per channel amp at 8 ohms and lists at $1795. You can generally get that at 20% off too, which leaves it over your $1K budget. You might look on audiogon.com to see if you can pick any of these used at a cheaper price.
An alternative is the Outlaw Audio monoblocks. They are 200 watts and list for $299 each. You can get 3 of them for $849, plus around $40 for shipping.
Adcom also has a 3-channel 200 watt amp, the GFA-5503 that lists at $1495. You should be able to get 20% off on that too.
I don't believe that Aragon makes a 3 channel amp. But the 2000 series (200 watts/channel) in 2 channel, 5 channel, and 7 channel certainly make a beautiful visual statement with the brushed Aluminum faceplate and the blue-glowing Mondial logo. At 2 channels you might be able to get one at $1K. Maybe 5 channels at $1995, if you are lucky, or less if I ask my friend at the Sound Seller in Marinette, WI. I forget what I paid for my 2007 Aragon.
Roger, at The Sound Seller also sells ATI. I guess I could find out what the AT2003 might be gotten for.
But you can always see what is available used at audiogon.com
I would check the Anthem MCA or PVA series. They aren't necessarily pretty, but they come with a black or silver faceplate and are astronomical values (as far as performance for the $).
Shawn, while I applaud your enthusiasm, your inexperience shows. Aragon/Acuras make VERY good amps. And while perhaps you don't see how Mark Levinson can stay in business, many can and do. Please realize the proper way to assemble a hi-fi system is source first and most important, followed by pre-amp, amp and finally speakers. No component in the audio chain can possibly improve upon the signal it's being sent. Cables included. That said, perhaps the speakers you are using are not capable of rendering the hyper-detail the finest audio amplifiers can produce. If you stay in this hobby long enough, you'll hear huge differences in amps, pre-amps, cables, cd players, speakers and wire. Keep an open mind.
swampcat
Unregistered guest
Posted on
save some money . stick with adcom 2 channel amps gfa 5500 200 wpc gfa 5400 125 wpc gfa 5800 300 wpc
Great amps for the money. Your sepping up from HK.
swampcat
Unregistered guest
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Stick with Adcom and save your money, Great amps for the money. Check out stereophiles reviews on line, current and archives. The two channel models :gfa 5800 is 300 wpc gfa 5500 is 200 wpc gfa 5400 is 125 wpc Hey look on ebay theirs all kind of good used amps . Their's not much you can do to a solid state power amp.
See if you can locate a Blue Circle amp used. Hard to find, but very nice amps. In my experience, Adcom, while offering a lot of "bang for the buck" tend to break a lot. Stick with Aragon/Acuras/The Rotel mentioned is nice
mauimusicman makes a great point on how to build a system. I totally agree. As far as Mondial amps go, I have both an Aragon 8008x3 and an Acurus 200x3 (circa 1998), that sound as good today as ever, are built like tanks, used every day, and have never had any down time. Just good clean power. Don't worry about gear like Mark Levison yet, it's way to early. You'll get it some day. Good luck!
Can you offer any thoughts/comments/listening experiences on the Parasound HCA 1205?
Thank you
dwsw
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Posted on
Have you looked at the Crown K1 amp. Its 2 channel, 350 w/ch into 8 ohms, and will drive speakers down to 2 ohms, amazing specs, super warantee. There is no cooling fan noise to worry about either. You can find them new for just under $1000 US. They are professional audio, and require a high level, 600 ohm source.
McCormack amps are excellent (a little on the warm side). I can't say if $900 is a good price. or not. I believe there may be different factory revisions for this model. You may want to make sure you know what mod the 125 is.