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Sunfire Signature or Aragon 8008BB to power SL3?

Follow goners, I come to you again for help in choosing an amp for my SL3.

After more than a year of searching and collecting funds, it has come down to two amps: The Sunfire signature and Aragon 8008BB. Before arriving to these final two, I have looked at Rotel 1090, Bryston 4B-ST, Odyssey Extreme monos, and Levinson 333. I am not into whether the sound is warm or bright, but just good sound-stage, transients, and tonal balance - things that my previous Onkyo 504 couldn’t reproduce (It had great specs, though!).

I am more impressed with the 8008BB, but I cannot seem to shake-off the Sunfire signature, even though I have seldom come across people associating the Sunfire with “deep unbelievable sound stage”. On the other hand, I am not sure if there is a significant sonic difference between the 8008BB and 8008ST, besides their differences in the number of components and power supply design. The 8008ST has a more appealing price.

The lack of a place to demo has forced me to rely on my fellow Goners, and I am grateful for that. I am looking forward to your advice, opinions, and suggestions.

Thanks
planckscale
76doublebass's avatar
76doublebass
254 posts
 
To get the wide deep soundstage I would get an ARC VT-100.
I'm using a ARC VT-60 on my Martin Logan Quest Z's and have them biwired with great sucess.If u don't have provision for biwire on the SL-3's then you would need to move up to the ARC VT-100.With the tube ARC, its been my experience over the years that they mate perfectly with Martin Logan's.
S.S. Gear makes Martin Logan's to analytical,cold,with lack of soundstage expansion.Your ticket IMO is a ARC AMP.
planckscale OP
60 posts
 
76doublebass, thanks for you input. If I ever consider a tube, it will be a pre-amp. Those ss amps are my last choices. The Oddysey Extreme is a little bit expensive for me and they aren't better than the 8008BB, according to my research. But Warnerwh got me thinking; what speakers did your innersound drive?
wccoe
75 posts
 
Have you tried the Odyssey Extreme in your system?
wccoe
75 posts
 
Did your research include actually listening to one?
planckscale OP
60 posts
 
Never demoed, and never will in any near future! That is why I rely on your opinion and my instincts! I have a background in electronic engineering, but I have come to learn that selecting audiophile gears requires more than that. So I intend to buy a set of gears at a decent price and then spend the next 10 years building synergy using all the tweeks I can afford. It should be fun!
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