STATUS - SOLD
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Description :
The Aragon 8008 is manufactured by the same Connecticut-based facility which built the earlier Aragon amplifiers, a factory which also manufactures industrial, medical, and military components. The new heatsinks produced are significantly large and form a basic structural element in the redesigned chassis. They are designed to keep the operating temperatures of each of the output devices as close to identical as possible. The Aragon 8008 runs hot in operation, even in idle, which suggests the output stage is biased well into class-A. Like most amplifiers, it switches to class-AB at higher output powers.
The power supply of the Aragon 8008 is based on a single 2000VA toroidal transformer. There are separate transformer windings for each channel, along with separate rectification and filter capacitance. The input stages are fully discrete, running in class A, and each channel has its own circuit board for improved isolation. A new DC servo circuit allows the 8008 to operate down to 5Hz. This circuit disconnects the loudspeakers if any energy including DC is sensed below that frequency. Precision matching is performed on all transistors, and gold, silver, or palladium is used on all contacts. Mil-spec or medical-spec parts are used throughout, including silver-composite, Teflon-insulated wiring. All resistors are epoxy-sealed, which according to Mondial, ensures a consistent 1% tolerance in all climatic conditions. The rear panel of the 8008 has plenty of room for the unbalanced RCA input jacks, detachable power cord, and two pairs of five-way loudspeaker binding posts (for bi-wiring, if desired).
The bass quality of the Aragon 8008 depends very much on the loudspeaker/amplifier match. The midrange was not as "palpable" as some amplifiers but neither was it threadbare or cold-sounding. The treble was full of detail both subtle and obvious, whichever was musically appropriate. The very top could turn slightly dry at times, with a trace of added zip particularly on hard transients. But this one blemish was the only thing keeping the 8008 from having the best top end. In some recordings, the Aragon can sound very refined and finely shaded with convincing detail. It was not as soft-sounding as some solid-state amplifiers, but some tube lovers will not like the way it lays bare the flaws in some program material, but with good recordings it never sounded edgy, bright, hard, or grainy. Vocal character was accurately presented. They will also likely not find the Aragon 8008 sufficiently immediate-sounding, its sonic perspective is just a little laid-back. Solo instruments and voices did not float in front of listeners, but sat realistically in space between the loudspeakers.
Specifications :
Power Output....................................Stereo: 200 watts into 8 ohms
.....................................Mono: 400 watts into 4 ohms
Total Harmonic Distortion....................Primary: <0.015%
....................Secondary: <0.03%
Frequency Response.........................5Hz to 20kHz, +0/-0.1dB
.........................5Hz to 100kHz, +0/-1.2dB
Intermodulation Distortion...................0.003% (Dynamic/Transient)
Signal-to-Noise Ratio.........................110dB, "A-weighted"
Damping Factor.................................400, 8 ohms at 50Hz
Input Sensitivity.................................1 watt: 120mV (SE & Balanced)
.................................200 watts: 1.7V (SE & Balanced)
Input Impedance................................46k ohms (SE), 70k (Balanced)
Ethernet/RS-232...............................Status and control of standby/on
12V..................................................Standby/on control
Inputs..............................................Gold-plated, panel-mounted RCA jacks, XLR balanced jacks
Outputs............................................2 sets gold-plated, insulated speaker binding posts
Power Consumption..........................Standby: 1 watt
..........................Idle: 120 watts
..........................Max: 150 watts
Finish..............................................Satin anodized finish with laser-etched logo
Dimensions(w x d x h).......................48.5 x 38.5 x 17 cm
Weight.............................................28kg
Miscellaneous :
Matching..........................................Aragon Aurum Pre-Amplifier
XLR Input.........................................Yes
Made In............................................USA
Condition..........................................7/10 (Screws Rusty)
Product Information :
http://www.aragonav.com/8008 (Manufacturer's Website)
http://www.hifi-manuals.com/Download/Aragon/8008-owners-manual (Manual, mk2, requires registration)
Reviews :
http://www.stereophile.com/solidpoweramps/562/index.html |
