Power, Drive, Good for HT

Lack finese, cold, dry

My Opinion is Aragoons sound very similar.

Vero powerful, tight thunderous bass.

but cold and dry(no liveliness eg, sax)

not everybody's type of amp

Similar Products Used:

4004

Excellent power output and stays clean at higher volume levels.

Nome

I purchased this amp used in mint condition and have no regrets. Excellent power output. After a lengthy breakin peroid I must say the slightly crisp top end has smoothed out considerably...you must let this amp break in. Mids and bass powerful and smooth.
Equipment: Proceed PRE
Proceed CDD & DAP
Energy Veritas 2.8's
Harmonic Tech Pro9 Speaker cables
Transparent Super and
Kimber Hero interconnects

Similar Products Used:

Sony ES, Yamaha MX-1

I have auditioned the new 8008 X 3 for Hometheatre and it is STUNNING, AWESOME,DYNAMIC,and like the review by Wes Phillips it is an "open window on the source" is EXACTLY how my ears percieved it! I am purchasing it because I WANT the BEST for my Homethetre that I am in process of purchasing! REMEMBER, if your Hometheatre System lacks the PUNCH and STUNNING CLARITY, YOU don't have true Hometheatre, you just have a TEASE!(SEE AND READ MY STATMENT ON MEADOWLARK AUDIO UNDER SPEAKERS)

I've heard quite alot ofamps at this price range and I would Like to add my 5 cents share in this topic.The aragon basically is quite agood amplifier as agreed my one and strongly disagree by another in this section.What do I think? Well ,it very much depends on what you craved for.If you truly love the characteristic of a tube amp (i.e. warm & tuby without any grain)this one is not for you. I'm not saying that the aragon has a grainy sound but the typical s.s sound is evident.On the plus side ,
it had what a ss amp should have and probably it had more than the average.
With alot of deep tight bass and a resonablly well defined soundstage.In fact ,it had a touch of warmth in its sound too.Something that an audiophile who is not a tube fan will liked.However, when pushed too hard, the top end will sound a touch grainy . I must emphasised just a touch becaused it very much depend on the recording of the software too.To get a good solid state with the best of both worlds (Is there a best?) you need to pay alot more for it.You have to look at the
Krell FPB series,the Pass labs 0 or at least the Ayre for that.
An alternative for the audiophile who like a cleaned sound (baised towards a good cleaned tube sound)from a ss amp , i.e. you don't have to do with valves
maintenance, and like the extra degree of low end control with it, look no further than the McComack DNA1 or 0.5.
I personally think the .5 has a better value.It had a clear and cleaned sound.
Free from glare and very SMOOTH a point it scores on.Partner it with a good tube pre you have one of the smoothest sounding system for a very good price.
Just to add that the DNA amps had a slight softened treble focus.This might explained the smooth & grain free characteristics of it. There again , for the best of both worlds, PAYYYYY.
Finally , how do I rate the Aragon 8008ST???


I actually bought one.
I actually bought one.

Note: this is a review of the Aragon 8008ST and not the 8008BB
Following up on my disappointed review of the Audio Research D130 last month,
I decided to follow up that review with the Aragon 8008ST, another s.s. amp that is in the
same price range. Aragon has had major success with their 4004 amp as reviewed by
Corey Greenberg (he still has the best ears in the business, next to Vincent Gallo that is!),
and their 8008 amps are their next big endeavor. When I had listened to the 4004 about
three years ago, I was very impressed with not just its power and dynamics but also its
musicality that most other s.s. amps are missing. I had hoped that the 8008 carried on
these attributes.
On listening to the 8008 (hooked up to Martin Logan SL3's), immediately there is
a sense dynamics and power present. These attributes are able to put forth a very big
sound stage with superb imaging. I was immediately impressed. One of the other
reviewers on this page said that it took him 3 hours to get this amp warmed up, I find this
hard to believe when I got incredible sound from just turning the amp on for 30 seconds
and then playing a CD. The high frequencies were clear and clean without the brightness
that I had expected from most s.s. amps. The midrange was also very clear and detailed.
Listen to the Holly Cole CD (any one, they're all good) and this amp will convey just how
much control she has of her vocal chords to express so many different emotions in her
songs. The midrange is not as sweet as tube amps and will not win over any tube fans,
but the clarity and detail is so good that it that it can please just about any s.s. fan (besides
that one reviewer on this page). The lower frequencies of this amp is one of the best that
s.s. has to offer. The bass is tight and controlled without any flabbiness; this leads to a
bass that does not try to over express itself but instead is very musical.
I enjoyed listening to this amp very much. I have heard many s.s. amps, and I rate
this as one of the best ( if not one of the best bargains). Does it compare to other big
powerful s.s. amps such as Krells that cost five times as much? Is it knocking on the door
of the mighty Krell you might ask? No, it is not knocking on Krells door. Instead, it
kicked Krells door down, walked in, and took no prisoners. I have heard Krells many
many many times before, some sounding truly awe inspiring (when hooked up to
Apogees), and some sounding incredibly bad and slow (when hooked up to Avalons).
Besides, I am sick of everyone in Houston thinking that Krells are the Holy Grail of
amplifiers. They are good but not that great, I'll tell you of some truly great amps in
upcoming reviews (including my own reference the Cary 805B). So should you believe
my praises for the 8008 or the other reviewer's bashing of it? Neither, you should go out
and audition these incredible amps yourselves, I have never heard of any dealers having
trouble giving a demo of this reliable amp (except from that other reviewer). If you're
serious about good sound then take these amps home on loan and test it out in your
listening room. I am sure you won't be disappointed.

I purchased this 200wpc solid srtatr amp because it was recommended by the designer and manufacturer of my speakers. So far the amp has not dissappointed me. It is matched with a pair of Apogee Duetta signatures. The basic personality of this amp is reserved and cool. It is not an "in your face" kind of product. It never seems to run out of power. It seems more powerful than a 250wpc Hafler and a 300wpc Adcom I've used in the recent past. The upper mids and highs are a bit reticent, and that is a clean matcvh for the rest of the components in my system. It givesd every appearance of being well constructed, except for the speaker binding posts, which are cheap plastic junk. I would recommned this amp for anyonyone who needs lots of power, and who does not care for "bright" sounding equi

I had heard and read good things about the Aragon 8008ST. My dealers demo setup was unable to demontrate an amplifier of this caliber so I took it home.
The manual says you shoulkd turn it off when you're not listening and wait 20 minutes after turn on before serious use. It seemed to take more like 3 hours before the amp sounded average in my system. At this price, average is not what I expect. I realize you can spend far more for the very best but sound at $2,000 should be better than this.

Good detail and dynamics, great bass impact, but lots of glare and grain. At loud levels voices are painfully harsh. Non audiophile friends wrinkled their noses and said my old Denon integrated was better. In short, cheap transistor sound. If this is what you want, nuy a high power Japanese receiver and get all kinds of extra bells and whistles for less money.

Clean, clear, transparent, detailed, smooth sound.
Incredible control, esp. bass. Heavy, rugged, well-made construction. Customer service from ARAGON /MONDIAL. (Paul Rosenberg is a true gentlemen.)

Only if running very warm is a weakness for you.
Since more weight is a good thing with power amps, I think that being heavy is a plus (indicates quality power supply -very heavy duty transformers)

I didn't think there would be that much of a difference when I upgraded to the Aragon 8008 BB from the 200X3. (Now I use the 200X3 for the center and surrounds - I'll use the Acurus A150 for something in the future, as it's also a very good amp. See EQUIPMENT list at bottom.)
Boy, was I wrong! Even my wife, who couldn't care less about sound quality - as long as it isn't grossly distorted, commented (without being asked I might add) that the music was so clean and clear, that it sounded as if the musicians were right in the room. I concur wholeheartedly. I listen to jazz and rock mostly - from Davis and Coltrane, Metheny and Dimeola, to Todd Rundgren and Steely Dan, Karla Bonoff and Jackson Browne. Some MoFi, some MAPLESHADE, but mostly regular CDs and vinyl from the "old days". I also watch movies on cable and DVD, but I'm more critical when listening to 2-channel music.
I have heard Krell, Levinson, Conrad-Johnson, YBA, Jadis, Meridian, and Spectral (all excellent); I'd put the 8008 BB up against any of them, or any 400 watt per channel amp. (The Golds are 4 ohm speakers.) This amp is THE bargain of the "High-End". I have spoken to Mr. Paul Rosenberg, the head of MONDIAL, on half a dozen occasions; he is the epitome of excellence in the audio business. He makes himself accessible and is not the least bit pretentious. MONDIAL's MAGIC Box eliminated the residual 60Hz hum generated by the cable-TV ground being at a different potential than the house electrical ground.
While one can hardly call the 8008 BB inexpensive, it is a veritable bargain by high-end standards. I cannot recommend it stronger. I am not employed by nor connected to MONDIAL (or Klipsch, whom bought them) in any way. Just a very satisfied customer who is trying to spread the word amongst fellow audiophiles. Good listening!


EQUIPMENT:

PSB Stratus Gold - left and right speakers
PSB Stratus C6 - center speakers
PSB Ambient II - surround speakers
VELODYNE HGS-15 - subwoofer
ARAGON 8008 BB - left and right channel power
amplifier
ACURUS 200X3 - center, left and right surround
channel power amplifier
ACURUS A150 - 2-channel power amplifier (unused)
SONY TA-E9000ES - Pre-amp / processor (Upgraded to
Version 2.01)
SONY DVP-7700 - DVD / CD player
SONY ST-SA5ES - AM / FM Tuner
PIONEER CLD-M90 - Laserdisc / 5 CD player
Panasonic AG-1960 - S-VHS VCR
B & O 4002 w/ B & O - Tangential tracking phonograph
cartridge player (27 years old - seviced a
few times, works perfectly;
Michael Fremer: eat your heart
out)
SONY TC-127 - Cassette deck (33 years old, no
Dolby, except for sticky tape
counter, works perfectly - and
NEVER has been serviced)
RCA 31" HomeTheater - TV
RadioShack Gold - Audio and Video Interconnects
RadioShack Home Theatre - 12 ga. oxygen-free 20' speaker
cables, terminated with
banana plugs, for the left,
right, and center channels
RadioShack Stranded - 16 ga. copper cable (30 to 40')
for the surrounds

Similar Products Used:

Acurus 200X3, A150

Clarity of Sound. You hear what's in the source material.

Takes a while to warm up. Must use the proper speakers with
this amp

Overall, I give this amp 5 stars! After playing it for more than 100 hrs., the amp really opens up. I have also found the only limitation to this amp maybe the speakers used with them. It delivers a very warm sound, especially with
acoustic suspension speakers!

Music:

Acid Jazz/Jazz
Funk
Hip-Hop
R&B
Rock
Blues


Equipment:

Meridian 508.24 CD
Acurus ACT-3 Pre-Amp
Aragon 8008 BB Amp
Boston Acoustics A70 Speakers (to be replaced w/ B&W
Nautilus 804s)

Similar Products Used:

Krell, Bryston, Plinius

For many people, the 8008BB is better than they need (face it, how many people really listen to the music). For those people, any old receiver would be ok. However, if you're reading these reviews, then you are obviously one of a minority who values quality. And when you combine value with quality, you get the 8008BB.
I note that Stereophile often makes reference to the 8008ST, and their original review stated that upgrading to the BB was unnecessary. I don't agree. I think there is a clear and audibile improvment, especially when combined with running in balanced mode.

The BB is a splendid and solid performer. I have it bi wired to my Veritas 1.8's with Kimber and am most pleased by the combination. I also have an 8008X3 for center and surround (a combination which many would say is overkill - but hey, my dream system would be four 1.8s and the matching Veritas center channel Energy has been promising for three years). Its a damm fine setup.

One point of nit picking - - amps this good deserve better binding posts than the el cheapo plastic jobs. Upgrading to some decent Cardas posts are probably in the future for my amps.

Has anyone tried experimenting with different power cords for these amps? If so, I'd be interested in the results.