Aronov Amplifiers - Opinions?

Hello Alexc, I haven't heard the Aronov amps but I am a proud owner of the BAT mono VK60s. These are great amps and in many ways are still competitive with anything out there. BAT has just announced a long awaited upgrade for the VK60(s) to the SE status. You could get a used pair of mono VK60s for around 5k to 6k enjoy them and then when you're ready have them upgraded to the SE status which I have been told are just amps to die for. A little over 2 years ago when I bought my VK60s I compared them to other amps both tubed and solid-state (ARC,CJ,VTL,Mark Levinson,Krell,Pass,Cary,) and to my ears and for the attributes that were important to me the VK60s were better by quite a large margin. They seemed to have combined the qualities of a single-ended 300b based tube amp (correctness of timbre texture and tone with tons of space and air that you can actually hear) with the virtues of a push-pull type amp(the ability to drive and control the speaker). If you can please try to audition the amps you have in mind in your system and room so you can decide for yourself what is right for you. I have friends that have made the mistake of buying equipment based on a price they couldn't pass up and in the end were disappointed and had to spend even more money. First decide what you want then shop for "the deal". Be patient and the right deal will come your way. Best wishes, Tom

Many thanks to all. Tom - I wish I could indeed audition the amps in my system. Problem is that there isn't a BAT (let alone Aronov!) dealer for miles around. In fact, no dealer for ANY tubed gear at all. So, looks like the only way to audition is to just purchase the equipment. I figured I will try the Aronovs (straight up swap for my Bryston 7 BST's), and can always put those for sale and move to VK60's if I find them to "tubey" or if I need more low end control (though the Aronovs are reputedly pretty good in the bass). Any way, I expect there will be alot of VK60's coming up for sale in the next year or so as folks upgrade to the new 75 or 150. Needless to say, my fingers are crossed as take the plunge. To Truma and Glreno, curious to know what loudspeakers and loudspeaker cables you've tried an dliked with the Aronovs. I will use them to drive SF Guarneri's and my cables are right now AQ Argent +.

I owned the BAT VK5i and used it with Arnov LS9100 monos. It worked just fine!!! Unfortunately I was talked into a solid state amp and sold my LS9100's. I guess when the "Audio Bug" bites it bites hard! I've also tried the BAT VK60's which sound great on Dunluvy speakers (SC4/A). I did not like the sound of the VK60's when I used them on my Von Schwiekert VR-4s. It sounded to thin on the midrange, kinda like Audio Research gear. I also considered the Arnov preamp but thought that 2 separate volume controls was totally goofy! You'd be constantly up & down each time you wanted to make a change in volume. That's why I bought the BAT VK5i with remote.

I used the Aronovs with Inner Sound Eros and Von Schweikert VR6 speakers. They worked great with both. Speaker cable was Harmonic Tech Pro 9, which works with about anything. Also used Goertz Silver, which was good, but not as good as Harmonic Tech.

Hello Alexc, Sorry to hear there are no dealers around that carry the components you wish to audition. I'm partial to tube equipment and I suspect the Aronov amps will be a nice improvement over the Bryston in many ways. I'm surprised to hear someone find the midrange of the VK60s sound simular to the ARC. When I compared the ARCvt200 to the BATvk60s the midrange had the most pronounced difference. The ARC had a grainy sand like coloration compared to the BAT. The BAT was much more liquid, much richer and vibrant and had more texture and timbre of tone throughout most of the frequencies. In my system with the VK60s driving the Eidolons I would never describe the midrange as being thin sounding. I guess it goes to show us once again how important finding a synergistic combination of components and cables are. Good luck Alexc and report back to us on how the new amps sound in your system. All the best, Tom