Aragon 4004 mk2 vs Adcom 555 mk2

Like Bose? Have you gone absolutely mad?

Talk about driving difficult loads take a look at this link and the first amp on their recommended list. http://www.apogeespeakers.totalserve.co.uk/scintilla.htm

Reason i asked was because i own the aragon which retailed for 1895 and i know the adcom retailed for 900. Yet in the used market there seems to be only about 100-200 dollars difference in price. I was just wondering if the popular adcom was just as good as my aragon. Also if its not in the same league why has the aragon fallen so far in the used market? And why does the adcom seem to hold around 500 used? Thanks

Thats basically what i thought was happening here.Its like the mass market effect. Thanks Joe and all for the responses. Not to change the subject but i would like to publicly thank Bigtee for the Audible Illusions L1 owners manual he sent me. Just shows what kind of community audiogon really is. Its really amazing how people will go out of their way to help a fellow audiogoner. Thanks again Bigtee. I am very impressed with the way my aragon sounds mated with the L1. What a great synergy i have found in the two components. Thanks again all. And happy listening.

Didnt really mean that in a bad way CLbeanz. I think i understand what you are saying. The adcom gear is recognized to the extent that bose is. So you think that the adcom 5500 is a better amplifier to run head to head against an aragon 4004mkII? Must be a nice amp then cause my aragon is running my power hungry speakers beautifully.

Let me rephrase "dual mono" design.

Didnt realize i picked such a touchy subject. LOL

Gmood1, I really think Johngalt47 was just stating his real life comparison between the two. And he stated he wasnt sure if the amp or if other components are what made the the biggest difference. Also he was just giving his opinion on the adcom 555mk II which he had in his home so thats a pretty good test. Aragon 4004 mkII also uses a bipolar design.

Eldartford, I understand that you like adcom and own them but have you actually compared it to an aragon 4004 mkII in your home? I see that you drive maggies with 5503's. Really the 555mk II and 5503 are totally different animals. The older model uses bipolar design and the newer uses mosfets. So i am not really sure how you are comparing the 2 amps i requested information about. I do notice you talk alot about the 5503 handling a tough load which you state at being 350wpc/4 ohm load. Well one thing about the aragons they are quite noted for handling tough loads. The aragon 4004 mk II is a true mono design amplifier which doubles down from 8 to 4 and again to 2 ohms. Also with the true mono design i would imagine the stereo seperation between the 2 channels would also highly have to favor the aragon.

But i am not here to slam adcom i think they make good products at good prices. My initial thread was just to find out some comparisons that people have done in their own homes with both products. Aragon just happened to be the favored here from folks that owned both.

Happy Listening!

Gmood1, As I look closer at Johngalt47 reply I noticed that he wasnt even sure of the model number of the adcom.
I stand corrected.

ELdartford, I was looking over your past threads and my wife looks over at me and says what is so funny. I like your humour. Good Stuff!

Eldartford, the Aragon 4004 mkII does indeed use seperate transformers. IT is a true mono design.

Ritteri, I have never had my top off so i was just going by this quote from Mondial Designs'
"The true replacement for the 4004 was the 8008BB. However, the 8008 BB also incoporated 50% more output transistors, twice as much power supply capacitance, and the balanced input stage. The difference between the 8008ST and 4004 is that the 8008ST used a single, "dual-wound" transformer for the power supply while the 4004 has the separate transformers. The 8000 series amplifiers also added the DC servo circuit for flat operation down to 5 Hz."

Adam Gershon
Mondial Designs

Actually i have no idea of the benefit of the dual mono design over the stereo design while sharing the same chasis and ac plug. I only brought it up as comparing the 2 amplifiers in question. Common sense tells me there would seem more than likely to be a better seperation between channels however small that might be. As to sonic values i have no clue. Another reason for the thread :)

Eldartford,

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3055794170&category=39783#ebayphotohosting

seems the price is getting pretty darn reasonable on that new amp you were talking about.