Adcom GFA 545 II worth upgrading?

[CheechF]

Hi. I recently bought a used Adcom GFA 545 II power amp because of a concern that my system may need more power. Source is Emotiva ERC-1 CD or Macintosh iMac and Squeezebox Touch., pre-amp section of NAD integrated 50 w/ch C320BEE, and Adcom power amp. Speakers are Dynaudio Excite X12. Room is 12 x 20 x 8. Listen at low to moderate levels. listen to singer-songwriters (girls), easy rock, older jazz, and small-scale classical.

Adcom power amp sounds good, and seems to offer better bass control. My question is whether the power amp would benefit from an upgrade. I was considering sending it out for routine service, system check, etc., but wonder if it would really benefit from an upgrade. i was thinking of something like the $349 upgrade from big Sky Audio (bigskyaudiomt.com).

Any experience with these amplifiers, or Big sky, or somewhere else? As an alternative, I could buy a used NAD power amp,but wouldn't be sure of the condition. I'd like something I could count on for the long haul. I don't continually swap out components.

Appreciate all comments. Thanks

 

[ryuuoh]

No experience with the amp or Big Sky, but for the asking price the service sounds good.

 

[SoCal Sam]

You will definitely want to take the 545 out of your system. No speaker relay is very risky for your speakers which are likely worth multiple times more than the 545.

 

[Wolverine]

I think you would be okay with the Adcom 545 depending on the volume you plan on playing the Dynaudio. I used mine to drive a pair of Magnepan MMG's. It drove them pretty well at low-moderate volume but if I took the volume up too far they would clip. I doubt the Dynaudio's are less efficient than the MMG's and which are well known for needing power. I think the musicality of the 545 is quite good so you should have no worries there.

The concern that SoCal mentions regarding the lack of speaker protection is well documented in other threads here so you can research it and decide if it is a concern for you as well. If you are worried, then perhaps the money could go towards providing some protection rather than an upgrade.