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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
noble100
noble100's avatar
noble100 OP
1,093 posts
 
Zd542,
I think I like the combo of the 4004 coupled with a tubed preamp much better than with a ss pre. The sound is very smooth and liquid through the midrange but also nicely detailed at the same time. The amp never seems like it's running out of power and has plenty of headroom for good dynamic impact. The 4004 can be a little on the lean side of neutral. Adding the tubes brings the sound slightly to the warm side of neutral, which I prefer. When I pull the speakers away from the wall about 5', The combo presents a deep soundstage with a holographic affect on good recordings. So, I think I enjoy the combo of a tubed preamp with a high powered ss amp more than I enjoy the amp itself. From what I've read about the PS Audio ST250 and ST500, I think this would be a very good choice, But I see very few for sale and I've never heard one. I think, if I found one for sale, I might just take a chance, anyway, since I don't know where to audition it. A

Zavato,

All very good points; repairing it would probably be the least costly and I'd pretty much know what I'm getting. And yes, my spkrs are getting as long in the tooth as my amp (and me). both date back to 1989-90. Wonder if Magnepan could do a refurbishing.

Csontos,

Your suggestion is very interesting. The tech/owner of the repair shop I would use is a former Klipsch employee that worked on Aragon equipment. Aragon used to offer an upgrade to MKII status and he may be able to do this. $500 for replacing capacitors is too steep.I found a site online that details exactly what the upgrade consists of with schematics and a parts list. If the parts are still available, maybe it can be done.

Alatham,
I've already been on that site but didn't realize they have a used marketplace. Is your XPA-2 a good match with your 2.7's? I'm very curious about the Emotiva amps. I thought I could find a bargain on an older XPA-1 or XPA-2, which I heard were very good too, but I haven't seen any for sale recently. I saw a few XPA-2's in the $500-600 range and even a few XPA-3's in that range. Do you think the XPA-3 would sound as good as the XPA-2 for 2 channel listening? I could use the extra channel to power my CC3 center spkr.
Are you using a tubed preamp? If not, I strongly suggest you try a few with this amp if you can.

I really appreciate everyone's great input so far. I think I'm starting to lean toward getting it repaired/refurbished and possibly upgraded but that may change.
Thank you,
Tim
tobb
131 posts
 
Nob check out Coda Technologies!
markwatkiss
476 posts
 
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.
noble100's avatar
noble100 OP
1,093 posts
 
Well, I was all ready to get the Aragon repaired/refurbished when I received some info about a small company in California called ClassD Audio. It's a small kit amplifier company that has recently branched out to offering finished amplifiers. I went on their website (www.classdaudio.com) and it piqued my interest.

I did some searches on the internet and, after reading many positive owners' testimonials, I called them this morning. I talked to the owner, Tom. He's a great guy and he explained his company's philosophy; basically trying to build the best amplifiers he can and relying on word of mouth referrals rather than advertising to build his business. We had a good conversation and I explained my system and what I was looking for. He recommended their SDS-440cs model as a good match for my system. It's a propietary class d amp that delivers 600 watts/channel@4 ohms. He said they're coming out with a new casing that is black with a polished aluminum face plate. Photos are not yet published of the new style on the website, but he said he could use the new style case if I would like. I don't think there's an extra charge for these newly styled cases but I could be wrong. He told me he designed his amps to have tube-like qualities in the midrange on up and solid state qualities in the bass. This is exactly what I am after for my system sound.

So, I ordered this model in the new casing today. He even asked if I would like the silver screws for the aluminum face plate or black. When I said silver, he said he'll send me the black ones for free if I change my mind once I see it. Talk about good customer service.

I just wanted to thank everyone for their input. My decision to buy a new amp was based on the Aragon being over 20 yrs old and the possibilities of these new amps. Tom said this model works very well with Magnepan spkrs and is stable with low ohm loads. I'll try to post a new thread once I have a chance to listen to the amp in my system. I'm trying not to get my expectations too high but I can't wait to test this thing out.
zd542
5,339 posts
 
Tim,

I was just typing out my response to your comment on my post and was about to tell you to fix your amp since you achieved something that most audiophiles fail to do. That is, being legitimately happy with your current system. In true audiophile fashion, though, I see you through caution into the wind and became just like the rest of us; silver screws and all.

I hope the new amp works out for you. If its not too much trouble, can you post once you had a chance to listen to it. I'm sure everyone would like to hear what you think. Please be sure to note which screws sound better; black or silver.
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