Unless you have an emotional attachment to the Aragon scrap it and move into something more in tune with your Maggies and has some resale.Bryston amps were my choice but the squared series would exceed your price point.That said,an older 4B SST ranges between $1300 and $1500,would be an upgrade and a more seamless match with your speakers.
Replacement amp for Magnepan 2.7s?
My Aragon 4004 amp's right channel just went out due to leaking capacitors in the power supply. It's the original version (not the MKII but it has the same output transistors) and is now about 23 yrs old. I used the amp to power my Magnepan 2.7 spkrs that are 4 ohm and I think about 84-87db efficient at 1 watt. The amp and spkrs are used for both 2-channel and for front mains in HT usage. My budget is low, $600 or less, because I no longer work since having a stroke 2 yrs ago. So, I have thought of 3 options so far:
Option#1- Repair my amp for $300-$500.I contacted Rick Santiago, the new owner of Aragon, and he was very helpful in finding a local shop for repair. Upside is it's within my budget and I know I'll like the sound with my spkrs, as long as repairs are done well.Downside is there's no increase in system performance for the money spent and the amp is 23+ yrs old. I asked Rick if he would trade one of his new Aragon amps for my original 4004, so he could start a museum of all Aragon amps, but he didn't bite.
Option#2- Buy a replacement Aragon 4004 or later version 4004MKII. Upside is I know I'll like this with my setup. Downside is it's a lateral move with no clear improvement in performance and current used 4004s go for about the same amount I paid for mine about 10 yrs ago($1,000).
Option#3- Buy another high power (200-400 watts) amp that's a good match with my spkrs for both music and HT. Upside is a possible improvement in performance, if chosen wisely. Downside is my budget may be too low. I've been scouring the internet forums and reviews on newer amps and have currently narrowed it down to the following:
Wyred4sound(ST250, ST500,UPA monos or older discontinued multi-channel models). These are all based on the classD ICE modules and have plenty of power into 4 ohms. Reviews and word of mouth are both very favorable but I've never heard them. Also, I'm not seeing many of these for sale and the ST500 and monos probably exceed my budget.
PS Audio (HCA-2 or other models). All are ICE based amps with plenty of power. These also have received very good reviews but I haven't heard these either. Used offerings are slim for these, too.
Emotiva (XPA-2 or XPA-3 or other multi-channel models). These are all class A/B. Again, plenty of power, but may not offer better performance since my 4004 was also classA/B. Plus, I think the looks are a bit cheesey.
I'm currently favoring option#3, buying a high power replacement, since a different amp offers the possibility of increased performance. Please let me know your thoughts. Any suggestions of other amps or options to consider are very welcome.
Thanks,
Tim
Option#1- Repair my amp for $300-$500.I contacted Rick Santiago, the new owner of Aragon, and he was very helpful in finding a local shop for repair. Upside is it's within my budget and I know I'll like the sound with my spkrs, as long as repairs are done well.Downside is there's no increase in system performance for the money spent and the amp is 23+ yrs old. I asked Rick if he would trade one of his new Aragon amps for my original 4004, so he could start a museum of all Aragon amps, but he didn't bite.
Option#2- Buy a replacement Aragon 4004 or later version 4004MKII. Upside is I know I'll like this with my setup. Downside is it's a lateral move with no clear improvement in performance and current used 4004s go for about the same amount I paid for mine about 10 yrs ago($1,000).
Option#3- Buy another high power (200-400 watts) amp that's a good match with my spkrs for both music and HT. Upside is a possible improvement in performance, if chosen wisely. Downside is my budget may be too low. I've been scouring the internet forums and reviews on newer amps and have currently narrowed it down to the following:
Wyred4sound(ST250, ST500,UPA monos or older discontinued multi-channel models). These are all based on the classD ICE modules and have plenty of power into 4 ohms. Reviews and word of mouth are both very favorable but I've never heard them. Also, I'm not seeing many of these for sale and the ST500 and monos probably exceed my budget.
PS Audio (HCA-2 or other models). All are ICE based amps with plenty of power. These also have received very good reviews but I haven't heard these either. Used offerings are slim for these, too.
Emotiva (XPA-2 or XPA-3 or other multi-channel models). These are all class A/B. Again, plenty of power, but may not offer better performance since my 4004 was also classA/B. Plus, I think the looks are a bit cheesey.
I'm currently favoring option#3, buying a high power replacement, since a different amp offers the possibility of increased performance. Please let me know your thoughts. Any suggestions of other amps or options to consider are very welcome.
Thanks,
Tim