Sumo 9 and B&K EX442

Sumo is Class A rated. Very warm and tube like. Definitely in the class of Threshold or Pass.

Is 500 too much to pay for one, and what about the fan noise.

I used to biamp with two Sumo 9's and have nothing but good to say about them. They were reliable, sounded good and and I did not find the fan noise objectionable.

I have an EX-442, which I use with a BAT VK-31 preamp and inefficient, 9-driver speakers from Fulton. The combination is warm and comes close to what I heard using the same equipment with a pair of Aleph 2s. I paid $450 for the EX-442 on Audiogon, and I consider the amp to be an excellent one at that price.

I also found that B&K's repair facility has fair prices. They repaired the amp for a nominal charge and shipped it back to me in a new box and with new packing materials.

Mark do you know what the difference is between the EX442 and the EX4420 other than looks.