Review: Aragon 8008 BB Amplifier

To which Krell amp did you compare the Aragon? I have the 8008 to but given the choice I would take most if not all the 200W or higher Krells. Everything the Aragon does well the Krell does better. I've spent untold hours listening to my Aragon and my brother-in-laws Krell. If the oportunity to trade arose, I would keep everything I own in favor of his equipment except for the KMA amps. I would be glad to trade my great Aragon for his much better Krell. I don't understand why people keep taking unsubstantiated pot shots at Krell. It's better than the Aragon.

I think even the class a/b Krells and especially the class have tight bass slam down but at the price (to these ears ) of sounding metallic in the mids.Overpriced.Aragon is to me a very good value if a bit "cool" sounding over some of it's competition say the Adcom 5802 I had briefly.Interesting to if there is a sonic difference with the new MkII designation Aragon put out.

Sorry It took so long to reply bur didnt see the review button until today. This is all personal feelings and I was refering to the KAV series and not the big boys. I would also highly recomend the FPB and if I had the money give them consideration. I feel in this price range that I have the best at least to my ears. I did listen to the McCormack and was very impressed with it.

Dear Nrchy, I am answering your posting after a while, and talking with the certainty that a good comparison will make, I have had a couple of Krells in my system as well as a couple of Threshold, through the years, and of course the Aragon's which I presently own among others such as Sunfire, Crown, also some tubed gear.
The fact that many people compare the Aragons to the Krells seems to be the bass control, the Slam on the mid bass and off course because they were designed by the same gentleman yes the very well respected Mr. D'Agostino.
Well, the Aragons will never have the finesse and creamy and silky top end of the Krells because simply they were not designed to that price point in mind.
They were supposed to be the Working Man's Krell, and they were if nothing else they are wonderful sounding Amps that just will beat the pants of any amp coming close to their price range and even more . . ..
They do share the slam and bass as well as many characteristics of the Krells, after all a family resemblance is only natural don't you think?
I don't know what Klipsch have been doing with them I hope something reasonable . . . As far as Amps go; the Aragon 8008 and any of its encarnations same as the old 4004 MK-II's they were designed to beat any competitor out there in the price range, Krell is just not a Competitor.
I am reviewing a Threshold from the new generation now and will post results here on our little corner. Stay tuned, as it is a good one, and for the price ($2,500) . . .
Good luck to you Gentlemen

Gonzalo

It always amazes me how brand name lemmings feel compelled to jump to the defense of their "pet" brands. I've compared my Aragon 8008BB amps (I have three) against a good many big-buck amps that I've actually owned and used extensively in my own system, in my home, including the Rowland Model 10 and monoblock 12, the AR VT-200, the McIntosh MC352, the Bryston 14B-SSt, the Classe 401, and most recently the Krell FPB 400cx. All of those amps are orders of magnitude more expensive than the Aragon, but they are not orders of magnitude better, and a few, like the big Krell, are too close to justify the huge price premium. In fact, once I tried using two Aragon 8008BBs to vertically bi-amp my extremely accurate and revealing PMC MB-2 monitors, I realized what I was missing with the timber-challenged and soundstage-flattening Krell. The ONLY place the Aragons gave in to the Krell was a slight bit of congestion in the extreme highs. The Krell had to be history when two used Aragons that cost far less than half the price of the Krell showed it up in bass control and slam, dynamics and timbral accuracy. After listening to the Krell for more than a year, the two 8008BBs were a revalation. Jeez, maybe I've become an Aragon lemming.