Anyone familiar with the Aragon Aurum preamplifier?

Audio Components Preamplifiers
1

Hi once again -

I’d really like to know if anyone remembers or is familiar with the Aragon Aurum preamplifier.

I’d love to hear any opinion on this piece of equipment.

thanks in advance…

2

It was the top Aragon preamp which was custom designed by Dan D’Agostino of Krell for Aragon. If I recall it used an external Ingot power supply and a high end Penny & Giles volume control. It was designed with the intent of offering an exceptional value in a high end solid state preamp under the Aragon brand. Can’t really say much about the sonics since I haven’t heard it in decades, although I recall even the Krell branded preamps of that era were a bit on the dry and analytical side. Hope that helps.

  • Bill
3

I usually use a Bryston BP-26 preamp and have found my entire system to be bright, fatiguing and lacking bass

B&W 802D (1st get), Classe CAM-200 monoblocks, Bryston BP-26 preamp, Mark Levinson 5101 cd player.

I swapped out the Bryston for an Aragon Aurum preamp and found the brightness disappear and all of the bass return.

I’m trying to figure out what is going on since the Bryston BP-26 has very positive reviews

4

Positive reviews don’t mean a particular piece of gear will be satisfying in every individual personal system. Way too many variables involved. The BP 26 isn’t necessarily bad or defective because it isn’t the best match for your system. In my experience, Bryston has a brutally neutral balance that really harkens to the pro-audio side of the house where brutal neutrality is a must. If the Aurum works, stick with it and enjoy it. There are other systems where the unapologetic neutrality of the Byrston house sound can perhaps be a boon for a tad too much warmth elsewhere. That’s system synergy for you.

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5

What I may need is a preamp similar to the Aragon preamp.

The unfortunate thing about the Aragon is that it only has a manual volume knob, which at my age is difficult.

6

If the Aragon house sound works in your system, sure sounds like it does, you should know Aragon is alive and well as Indy Audio Labs and is producing a completely updated 2-channel preamp, the Tungsten. It is full featured (check with them whether it has a remote, it must). Having expressed interest in the new iridium, what I found out is Indy Audio Labs is updating all the old out of production classic products that Aragon built its reputation on by sticking closely to the original designs internally. With updates as necessary for new parts availability etc, while adding the modern features audiophiles want today. When something works and the company that designed and built it is freshly resurrected, check it out.
Aragon - Products (aragonav.com)

7

thanks for that info…

8

anyone know how the Bryston BP-26 compares to the PS audio BHK preamp?

9

Late to the game on this one but I used to own an Aragon Aurum preamp and sold it for the same reason as onehorsepony- lack of a remote (and multiple balanced inputs). It had a really nice smooth tone, loads of PRAT and just sounded great. I even had the Aragon Palladium 1K’s - no slouch either!
I sold the Palladiums to go to a stereo amp because monoblocks took up too much room…
Bottom line: you cant go wrong with the Aragon Aurum (and Palladium) soundwise!

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