Excellent power reserves and stability along with excellent
sound and value. It's low end control is a winner!

It's depth and extreme top end although very good has room
to make improvements.

I've spent quite a bit of successful time with this Mondial
product. The series One came on to the market when true low
impedence drive was necessary to many of the panel type speakers hitting the market. Three of the previous amplifiers I owned and tried literally fried trying to handle this load until the final recommendation from my high end store was order an Aragon amp. I was hesitant but after giving it a try I wasn't dissappointed. Power and drive, no problem for the Carvers and Apogees although I was
not overly thrilled with the top end out of the box. (I had replaced a pair of mono-blocks of which the top end I LOVED but the current wasn't there when pushed.)
Six months to a year later (and much listening!) I realized this wasn't the same sounding amplifier I originally bought. A smoothness came about through the middle and the top end a little more pristine. After sending it in for the upgrade to MKII the above just got better. I've since became so pleased I bought another 4004II and I'm using them as vertical bi-wired amps to the Apogees. (Carver's moved to home theater driven my ACURUS 200X3 (MONDIAL AGAIN!))The second amp cost me even less and to this day the Aragon 4004 I consider one of the best values with great sound to hit the audio market. I plan to keep them even if relegated to different use's as my system
ideals grow. I was at one time going to consider the 8008 units that came out later but for me at it's price point and sound the 4004II give me most of what the 8008 can do. My future amp purchase will be what I call my dream unit which probably will also mean considerable more $$$$. But
surely the Aragon's have pushed that envelope of excellence
in hi-fidelity!

Similar Products Used:

Audio Research (Sp9III), Carver Amazing and Apogee Duettas,
Proceed PDP/PCD III, SCE Audio Harmonic Recovery,REL Storm III,Symo and XLO Cables, and Tice A/C box and Acoustats Electro's.

Powerful, wellbuilt, bulletproof, with plenty of punch, drives any load, can be used bridged, attractive, seems as if it will last forever

scratches easily, not every model is identical electrically or cosmetically, upper midrange is a little bright, occasional minor electrical failures resulting in one channel not coming on properly but not expensive to fix, difficult to ship properly unless double boxed well!

Good to great product overall
Highly recommended
will drive virtually any load
Can be bridged for mono operation
Lots of power and punch
Upper midrange is a little bright
Well constructed
Has been known to develop occasional failures that usually result in one channel not going on properly but repair is usually less than $200 and rare at best.
Would not hesitate to buy one.
Would not hesitate to recommend one.
Not for tube freaks though.
Definately a solid state product.
And one of the best values for the money.

Similar Products Used:

Aragon 4004 Mk I, Aragon 2004, Adcom GFA-555, Hafler DH-200, Hafler DH-220

clean, detailed, powerful sounding, drives my old celestion d66's with ease (Blew Both tweeters) Large power supply

8008BB sounds better overall, in all fairness cables, interconnects, and lack of pre-amp is a greater weakness than the 4004 Mk2.

I purchased the 4004 Mk2 (used) for $1600 Canada Dollars in Feb 1996. It's a bargain cuz a better amp costs $4000 . It's a pig on power, which is good for4 sound. It takes 24 hrs to warm up, so I leave it on all the time. I like it, I think it's good......eh.

Similar Products Used:

Aragon 8008BB

Tight, powerful bass. This amp takes control of your speaker. Nice High-end. Definitely well built.

I also had a problem with one channel occasionally not working but I was able to fix it quite easilly.

I am very please with this amp. I don't I will need to upgrade any time soon except maybe an Aragon 8008X3 for surround sound. Currently I am also using two acurus 100x3 biamping center and rears.

Similar Products Used:

Acurus A100, Aragon 4004 MK I

Enormous power reserves: I use it to drive a pair of Infinity 9 Kappa loudspeakers (see the reviews to find out how hard these speakers are to drive); dead quiet operation; supple midrange and natural (*not* analytical) top-end; ample muscle in the low-end.

Aesthetics leave something to be desired (they've got a crappy stamped metal cover), and -- unlike the newer 8008 BB -- their heatsinks are mounted internally.

I love my little 4004 mk II. I bought it used from an accommodating physician in Kentucky (who very much enjoyed it as well) and -- even though I could almost have purchased a brand new 200 WPC solid-state power amp for its fetching price of $800 -- I still like to think that it was *I* who got a peach of a deal.

I use it to drive a pair of Infinity 9 Kappa Reference Standard loudspeakers in my secondary system. If you know anything about hard-to-drive loudspeakers, you may have heard of the 9 Kappas: Not only can they handle oodles and oodles of power, but their impedance curve dips below 2 Ohms throughout much of their bottom end -- which means that they can punish even hearty high-current power amplifiers. I also use it to drive a pair of Infinity Renaissance 90 loudspeakers in the same system (yes, I like vintage Infinity speakers), which aren't all that much easier to power, by the way. In both such applications, the 4004 mk II acquits itself admirably: It muscles a loudspeaker when a firm hand is required (it's mantra in this regard is "Don't spare the rod"), but it's fully capable of gently massaging a loudspeaker during more subdued passages, as well.

[Additionally, the 4004 mk II comes very close to being an ideal voltage source (by doubling its output power in relation to a commensurable halving of impedance): It'll deliver 200 watts RMS into 8 Ohms, 400 watts RMS into 4 Ohms and 700 watts RMS into 2 Ohms. Most impressive indeed!]

As far as it's sound is concerned, I think that the 4004 mk II is overwhelmingly neutral. It's not cold or quasi-analytical (as I've found a lot of solid state gear to be), it's not overly bright (there's actually a touch of dryness in the top-end), and it packs some solid oomph on the low-end. It's less solid-state-sounding than most power amplifiers, but it certainly won't make you forget your tubes.

Because it commonly goes for around $600-$800 on the used market, the 4004 mk II is an absolute steal as far as I'm concerned. It can drive virtually any regular production loudspeaker ever made, it's suitable for most listening environment and it's ideal for just about any conceiveable type of music. I've got an 8008BB in my main system that I hardly miss (if at all) when listening to the 4004 mk II in my secondary system.

Similar Products Used:

Adcom GFA-555II, Adcom GFA-5802, Aragon 8008 BB, Plinius SA-250 mkIV