Aragon, Parasound or Bryston

I have the Aragon 8008, and I brought home a Parasound A21 when I first got the Aragon to compare.  I've got PSB Imagine T2 speakers.  The amps were close, but I thought the Aragon had a tad more warmth to the sound (fill in personal adjective here...weight, thickness, heaviness, etc.).  I REALLY don't like too much brightness (edginess, coolness, or just too much clarity) in my music (think Bryston). So, I went with the Aragon.  Been flawless for the past few years.  Not a Bryston man...reputation and warranty notwithstanding.

noble100:  You didn't tell us which Class D amp you are using.  I'm using 3 Parasound JC 1 (LCR), an A 21, and two A 23 (surround) amps that at the moderate listening levels I prefer I suspect stay in Class A, but I might replace the A 21 with a Class D amp in my secondary setup.

db

 "I loved that 8008. Absolutely loved it ..."   Fortunate that you know this. So wisely absolutely act in accordance with what you absolutely love. I had a 20 year Krell service tech and authorized servicer for many world class audio lines not just service or recap my Aragon 4004 mkII. To address all the age related possibilities, he renewed and improved rectification and capacitance for improved speed. I am presently and will for decades be enjoying what I absolutely love free of doubt, restlessness and expensive speculation. After all, it doesn't matter what others like or think. Absolutely do that which will most predictably give you what you absolutely love ! Happy New Years of loving what you hear. :-)

Hi dbphd,

     I have a combo 2-ch/HT 5.1 surround system currently using 4 class D and 1 class A/B amps in a 23'L x 16'W x 8'H carpeted living room .  All amps are directly connected to the amps from the outputs of an Oppo-105 (used as a 2-ch pre-amp, wireless DAC connected to a laptop and NAS for streaming CD and hi-res music files, 5.1 surround sound processor and Blu-ray player).  Amps are:

D-Sonic M3-600-M class D mono-blocks that drive my main L+R mains (Magnepan  2.7qr) connected via XLR cables from the Oppo's front L+R mains outputs. 1,200 watts each into the 4 ohm Magnepans.

Emerald Physics EP-100.2-SE class D stereo amp bridged to mono that drives my center ch ( Magnepan CC-3) connected via RCA cable from the Oppo's center output.  275 bridged mono watts into the 4 ohm Magnepan.

ClassD Audio SDS-440SC class D stereo amp that drives a pair of rear surrounds(Infinity in-ceiling) connected via RCA cables from the Oppo's l+r rear surround outputs.  220 watts each into the 8 ohm Infinities.

Dayton Audio SA-1000 class A/B mono sub amp that drives 4 non-amplified Audio Kinesis subs.

      I've used class A/B  amps (Adcom initially and then McCormak and Aragon more recently) exclusively for the past 30+ years before substituting class D amps in the past few yrs.  I've always left my amps on 24/7 and continue to do so with class D.   I think my system performance has improved with the switch and my monthly electric bill has gone down by between $40-$50/ depending on the season.

      I'm currently involved in another thread on audiogon discussing class D amplification.  Many, including myself, prefer  good quality class D amps but many also prefer class A, A/B, tube, G and even class H amps.

     My opinion is that no amp type has a monopoly on good sound and that class D is not for everyone.

Thanks,
  Tim  

Parasound A21.  Find a dealer closest to you and then ask them for a discount.  There is a reason why this amp is still the current model and won't go away or needs to be updated.