Aaron Millenium No.3 power amp

[Effem]

FOOKIN' HELL

 

[bommer]

Effem wrote:

FOOKIN' HELL

fookin' hell its shit or

fookin' hell its great

 

[Effem]

If it was crap I wouldn't bother writing anything at all about it

 

[Dik Dolan]

Effem wrote:

If it was crap I wouldn't bother writing anything at all about it

Sounds like a hifi plush review

 

[Guest]

Always liked the looks nice to hear a positive on the sound:dude:

 

[Guest]

Dik Dolan wrote:

Effem wrote:

If it was crap I wouldn't bother writing anything at all about it

Sounds like a hifi plush review

nah!! not gushy enough, and no mention of a nordost cable loom (I allways thought cable looms were all together, not seperate like what hifi wires are)

 

[Effem]

This is one of those amps I have been curious about for quite some time. Information about itis very scant indeed, technical specs even lessand despite searching the net I haven't managed to find any reviews, so effectively it has been a blind buy of a little known brand.

While looking at this example on eBay, Aaron were listing a refurbished one at the same time so I decided to read all of the feedback comments that were given for previous transactions which were pretty much consistent in their praiseand one in particular caught my eye: "Great ampr;drives B&W 801 S3 & Maggie MG 3.3/R perfectly, better than Pass X-250" This told me that someone had been doing some direct comparisons with other high end kit and formedsome sort of conclusion about what this amp is capable of, rather than just the usual comments about delivery, commsand service.

Build quality is really love it hate it; not so much inthe execution of the materials it's made from,but the quirky design of the on/off knob in a conical shape and the plaque stuck on the top which says "Handcrafted for the friends of fine music" which is a bit whimsical in a Teutonic wayto say the least.

Stone cold out of the box when it was delivered and withinthe first bar of music it saidsomething wasrather special. Immense spaciousness and clarity with huge power and weight in the bassfrom the veryfirst opening bars of "Calling Elvis" which did please me. It was the bass control that wasparticularlysought after, as those who came to my recent bakeoff had commented about the bass being a tad loose and being exacerbated by the awful listening room of mine, so it was this factor that determined whether or not the Aaron was a keeper or just another transient bit of kit which was fun to play with for a while. That of course was stone cold straight out the box, so left it on for about half an hour before listening began again.

This amp is very revealing; if there is any tape hiss in the recording then this baby reproduces it faithfully warts and all. With an extended top end like that you would also expect it to have a 'bright' tonal balance but not so. Midband is very clear and free of any wheezes or chestiness. Bass output is as good as the recording allows it to be and when I listened to Jeff Buckley's "Grace" album thekick drum really was felt as much as heard. Talking of which,some tracks on this same album can sound rather rawand unrefined, but with the Aaron it all soundscoherent and listenable with no fatigue no matter how loud it gets. Put a live recorded album on and theaudience noise is hundreds of individually pinpointed individuals clapping and cheering,not just a loud indistinct roar as most amps seem to convey across.

Priced at £1800new from the factory it isn't exactly cheap. Many appear regularly on eBay and seem to fetch around the £500 mark which is a real bargain considering the level of performance it buys. Visit the Aaron website and music seems to be the emphasis within their marketing thrust rather than specs and flowery bullshit, so in that respect Aaron really have hit the nail on the head with this one because I agree entirely.

 

[musicbox]

What's the specs on power and input sensitivity? sounds interesting....

 

[Guest]

http://aaron.hifi.net/

Info is scarce on the website but you can e-mail them to find out more

 

[Effem]

musicbox wrote:

What's the specs on power and input sensitivity? sounds interesting....

With regard to input sensitivity my Array pre-amp cranks it quite a bitlouder than other poweramps that have gone before, even the Michi which was designed to be partnered with a passive pre.

In terms of sheer musicality speed and dynamics it leaves the PS Audio and Rotel Michi floundering way, way behind it, so the 100 watts per channel paper specs are probably on the conservative side.

As the website says:

"Power, control and precision – those are the virtues of this new High End stereo power amplifier. Experience your favourite music, with the impressive dynamics and natural feel of a live concert. Whether for small ensembles, such as chamber music, jazz etc, or for large orchestra and rock events – with this amplifier, you will be transported into every type of music experience."

and I couldn't say anything that would contradict what is says

 

[musicbox]

So what's next?

 

[Effem]

One boxamp that's why this and the Array are leaving. Gotta be summat very good to get me to part with what I have now.

Gonna keep schtum about it tho until the deal is sealed

 

[Good Vibes]

Effem,

I mightbe in the market for the Aaron Amp if you decide to move it on!

I see you got it for a really good price off the bay, please keep me in mind if you decide to sell in the near future...

Mark

 

[Effem]

Tis being moved on now

http://www.hifiwigwam.com/forum5/6028.html

Also currently selling a Rotel Michi power amp and if that sells first I might keep the Aaron and lock it away in a cupboardbecause it really is a cracker.