Bryston,Aragon,Anthem or Parasound

larry777

Hi,I would like your thoughts on the following amplifiers for 2 channel audio. Speakers are Energy RC-70's and a Sansui Au 717 will be used as a Preamp,if I decide to purchase a seperate power amp. Would their be a noticable difference compared to running the Sansui Au 717 alone ?????

1 Bryston 4B St
2 Aragon 8008
3 Anthem MCA 20
4 Parasound Halo A 21

I am gathering information and thought this forum would be the best place for comments from experienced users...or those who researched these amps. Used
price ranges would also be helpful for these amps. Thanks for the help.

danz1906

Both the Aragon 8008 and Parasound Halo A21 are very powerful
and good sounding Amps.

fishbones

I think you'll notice a difference, but I haven't personally heard any of these. I have researched the hell out of many of those you mentioned though. You have some great options listed. My estimate is that you will notice a difference in soundstage (size increase and better seperation of instruments) and more grunt in the bottom end (with also more control). Good luck!

mantis

larry777 wrote: »

Hi,I would like your thoughts on the following amplifiers for 2 channel audio. Speakers are Energy RC-70's and a Sansui Au 717 will be used as a Preamp,if I decide to purchase a seperate power amp. Would their be a noticable difference compared to running the Sansui Au 717 alone ?????

1 Bryston 4B St
2 Aragon 8008
3 Anthem MCA 20
4 Parasound Halo A 21

I am gathering information and thought this forum would be the best place for comments from experienced users...or those who researched these amps. Used
price ranges would also be helpful for these amps. Thanks for the help.

They are all excellent choices , I have experience with all of them. Personally I like the Bryston 4b the best. We have one on the showroom floor and it's so damn punchy and strong. it doesn't matter what we put on it , it' rocks no matter what. Sound quality is top notch. My least favorite on your list would be the Anthem , we are also a dealer and as good as they are the Bryton in my opinion is so much better.
With your setup You really can't go wrong , it would be nice to have them all and listen , the Parasound A21 is very nice , I like that amp and looks sexy 2.Aragon I have done with B&W speakers and sounded crazy amazing. I really enjoyed that combo.

larry777

Thanks for the updates. I am starting to get a more varity of comments which can only be helpful. Any Idea of reasonable used prices would also help. Keep the comments comming as the more the better,Thanks.

megasat16

Agrees with what everyone said above! I have heard them all and they are all very nice amps. You need to match with your speaker and preamp to get the better out of them. That means it's better if you can try out each amp in your room and pick the best one you like most.

SanSui is a little laid back and softer sounding preamp in my opinion. For that sense alone, I would pick Aragon.

Anthem, Parasound, Bryston are on a natural side. Aragon might have a tad warmer sounding than the others. But the choice is hard and your likings and mine may not be the same. So, try to listen to all of them if possible.

Otherwise, you'll be buying a new preamp for your new amp and it's never ending circle.

As for the pricing goes, this is just some info from what I've seen and not absolute and price depends on several conditions.

4B ST (around 1000, SST costs a lot more)
8008 (800-1000)
MCA20 (don't know)
A21 (1200-1500)

Good Luck with your amp selection!

sm88

An MCA20 is roughly $400-600 used; as such I would put it at the best bang for the buck on the list, but likely not the best sounding. That said, I have owned the MCA20 and MCA50 and enjoyed them quite a bit, they are somewhat neutral to my ears, compared to some of the older series Parasound amps which I found to be warmer in the low end but perhaps less detailed. Did not find the amp overly bright, it had plenty of power for my Usher BE-718's which need lots of juice, but that combo wasn't perfect (though I can't attribute this to the amp).

Cost no object, i'm a fan of the Bryston, though I haven't heard / owned that particular one. But the Anthem is a good deal considering the price, there isn't much better out there at over 200w for $500.

larry777

Thanks for the comments. The Bryston seems to be rising to the top and they offer a 20 year warranty on all models.....even if you buy used. The price range for used seems fair. Feedback from other members would also be helpful....and are welcomed. Any comments from some of the longer term members who must know something about these amps ?

larry777

The 20 year warranty mentioned above for the Bryston would be helpful in that some warranty may be left available on a used unit. Example if the Amp was 10 yrs old when purchased then the new owner would have 10 more years of warranty left....a great selling feature. The Aragon being a good match for the Sansui Preamp is also a strong selling feature for that amp.

FTGV

The 4B ST is a solid choice IMO.

Beetlebum

I've heard good things about the Bryston too, and they seem to last forever. There's a good used market if you don't require a new unit.

larry777

I am leaning towards Bryston at this point, and will also look for a good used amp with a few years warranty left rather than new. Second choice would be the Aragon 8008 especially the BB model. With the Aragon I see that at times a matching Preamp will go with the Power Amp...and in the $1200-$1500 range combined for both pieces. Both these brands seem to show up on Audiogon and Canuck Audio Mart fairly often. Another Amp that I have been researching is the McCormack units ( DNA-1 and DNA 225 ) which also have excellent reviews and in the price range I expect to pay. Any thoughts on the McCormack Amps ?

W WALDECKER

larry777 wrote: »

I am leaning towards Bryston at this point, and will also look for a good used amp with a few years warranty left rather than new. Second choice would be the Aragon 8008 especially the BB model. With the Aragon I see that at times a matching Preamp will go with the Power Amp...and in the $1200-$1500 range combined for both pieces. Both these brands seem to show up on Audiogon and Canuck Audio Mart fairly often. Another Amp that I have been researching is the McCormack units ( DNA-1 and DNA 225 ) which also have excellent reviews and in the price range I expect to pay. Any thoughts on the McCormack Amps ?

the McCormack amps in my opinion sound better than anything on your list as do Classe, Belles etc.... the A 21 is in my opinion the best sounding amp on your list.

headrott

I have only heard the Parasound and Aragon out of the 4 you listed. I own the Aragon and would recommend it. I have not heard the other components in your system, except I have heard a nummber of Sansui components, just not the one you listed. I can whole heartedly recommend the Aragon 8008(bb) as it's a fantastic SS amp. Powerful and rock solid performance and sound.

Greg

del44

I've been running a Bryston 4B St in my system for awhile. My speakers sensitivity is 87 and 6 ohms. Not the easiest speakers to drive, but the Bryston doesn't have any trouble.

Hawkeye

Del, I've heard a Bryston twice on Martin Logans. How would you describe the tonal nature of the Bryston on your gear? I ask this to help the OP get a feel for different amps.

I personally thought the Bryston with an ESL a bit to sterile and dry for my taste, but I haven't had the chance to hear them on cones. Thoughts?

Gordon

del44

Hawkeye wrote: »

Del, I've heard a Bryston twice on Martin Logans. How would you describe the tonal nature of the Bryston on your gear? I ask this to help the OP get a feel for different amps.

I personally thought the Bryston with an ESL a bit to sterile and dry for my taste, but I haven't had the chance to hear them on cones. Thoughts?

Gordon

I'm not much into giving reviews. Hard to describe into words from what I hear. That being said, before I got the Bryston, I was using a Rotel. While the Rotel is a really good amp, I felt that the Bryston provided more punch and better detail in the mid/upper. Also, my speakers have titanium dome mids and aluminum alloy tweets. I really didn't want an amp that was too bright sounding. While I would like to say that the Bryston is a neutral amp, I haven't compared it to many others. It definitly has enough power though. My list of amps to try are Mcintosh, Krell and Classe.