Bryston vs. Sumo vs. Classe vs. Aragon

[Kam]

So i've narrowed it down to (to drive NHT 3.3's):

Bryston 4B Pro
Sumo Andromeda II
Aragon 4004MKII
Classe Audio 10

(i've eliminated the acurus a250 and musical fidelity 3.2, i'd love a pair of McCormack DNA1s, but... a leeetle out of my range) I can get each of the above amps for around the same price ($6-700) on the used market (audiogon/'bay), so i wont get a chance to audition these until I have it at home. I'll be buying blind, so to speak, and am trying to do as much research as i can before buying.

Has anyone had any experience with these amps or would reccomend one over the other, i've been going over reviews and 'synergies' and so far have heard that the Bryston and the Aragon are the best 'synched' to NHT. But i really do like the Classe amps i have heard in the past, although i havent heard this particular one. Any help/thoughts/reccomendations would be awesome!
thanks as always
peace
k2

[Mr Peabody]

My choice would be the Bryston. I heard older Classe amps I liked but I hate the sound of their new line. The Aragon I've heard have not been impressive. My only experience with Sumo was years ago when we strapped one to an Infinity Kappa 9 and watched it go up in smoke as the 9's dropped their impedance to the basement. The Bryston sounds very good with hard bass slam.

[ECMJazz]

The Bryston 4b SST is a pro-amp used in recording studios with monitors as well as home applications. It's extremely solid with an airtight 20 year warranty. The sound is extremely accurate without any tweaking. Some listeners do not like the strong highend which may be a bit piercing depending on your speakers. Some amps roll off the highs but not Bryston. The bass on the Bryston is accurate and pile-driver strong. It's an excellent amp if you like the strong unforgiving sound. Before spending that kind of money though you need to listen to one first.

[Kam]

i know, the sst lines for bryston run a little to high for me (price-wise), but the older 4B Pro is in a much more manageable range for me (i've seen them go in the 5-600 range), the SST lines go in the 2200+ range. Is there a huge difference between the older models and the newer SST line?
most of the older 4B's i've seen (from the late-80s) still have some time left on their warranty!
thanks for the help!

[dean_martin]

Yeah, my impression of the Sumo gear from the research I've done is that even when they work it's a love it or hate it brand. I checked out a Sumo Charlie tuner that needed repair. The owner admitted that it never did work right.

The Bryston transferable warranty has already been mentioned.

Aragon/Acurus (Mondial) was bought by Klipsch. You can check with them on service of the model you're looking at if needed in the future. I think the Klipsch website has archives of some of the older Aragon amps. I sent my Acurus into Klipsch for repair after my left channel blew. Fast turnaround and it's worked well ever since.

Just an FYI from my experience. I bought the Acurus amp used. The left channel blew as soon as I hooked it up. It took out the midrange driver in my left speaker. The speakers were purshased new from audiolab.com. The speaker was repaired under warranty. I had to pay for the amp to be repaired. Lesson: Not many people have an EXTRA pair of speakers to test used amplifiers, but you should really test a used amp with something other than your favorites (3.3s) first.

[Kam]

Yeah, my impression of the Sumo gear from the research I've done is that even when they work it's a love it or hate it brand. I checked out a Sumo Charlie tuner that needed repair. The owner admitted that it never did work right.

The Bryston transferable warranty has already been mentioned.

Aragon/Acurus (Mondial) was bought by Klipsch. You can check with them on service of the model you're looking at if needed in the future. I think the Klipsch website has archives of some of the older Aragon amps. I sent my Acurus into Klipsch for repair after my left channel blew. Fast turnaround and it's worked well ever since.

Just an FYI from my experience. I bought the Acurus amp used. The left channel blew as soon as I hooked it up. It took out the midrange driver in my left speaker. The speakers were purshased new from audiolab.com. The speaker was repaired under warranty. I had to pay for the amp to be repaired. Lesson: Not many people have an EXTRA pair of speakers to test used amplifiers, but you should really test a used amp with something other than your favorites (3.3s) first.

that's a great idea deano, thanks for the suggestion! i still have the 2.5's so will test out the amp on those before hooking it up to the 3.3s. I'm pretty much trying to decide now between the aragon and the bryston. there's an aragon 4004mk2 for 575 and a bryston 4b for 600 right now, so am scrambling to make the choice. although i guess i could always just turn around and sell it and go with the other if i dont care for it... but am leaning towards bryston... ya gotta respect a company that puts a 20 year warranty on their products...

[ECMJazz]

i know, the sst lines for bryston run a little to high for me (price-wise), but the older 4B Pro is in a much more manageable range for me (i've seen them go in the 5-600 range), the SST lines go in the 2200+ range. Is there a huge difference between the older models and the newer SST line?
most of the older 4B's i've seen (from the late-80s) still have some time left on their warranty!
thanks for the help!

I have not heard the older Bryston 4B models. I understand they are considered grainy in comparison with the newer 'SST' line. The slightly older 'ST' line is also considered a step grainer then the 'SST' line as well. The thing to keep in mind with Bryston is that they are considered pro-amps and are often used in studio applications. They are unforgivingly accurate....period. They have a lot of punch in the bass and laser highs. Be sure your speakers match up well.