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Adcom re-cap. Good idea or can of worms?

RVT1K

RVT1K

Super Member
I've got two Adcom GFA555 II's and have been very happy with them.

I've only recently joined but have been a fan of audio stuff since I was a kid. One thing I've noticed lots of talk about is re-capping various items like speakers and amps.

I just found a kit on ebay specifically put together for my amps.

I'm a skilled tech so I have no issues with doing the work but I also like to prescribe to "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".

But...I will be moving in the spring and finding parts will be extraordinarily difficult after that. I've never had any issues with any of my stuff but I know electrolytics don't last for ever.

So would be re-capping the amps be a good preemptive strike or opening a can of worms?
 
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It's a keeper. It's also coming up on 30 years old.

Are you moving out of North America? Are you taking it with you? It's heavy and not that valuable in the grand scheme of things.

Tough decision. I would say if you plan on keeping it, and procuring parts (or new gear) may be difficult where you will live, do it before you move (or buy a new piece of gear that will last 20-30 years).

FWIW - I have a pair of updated and restored GFA 565 mono-blocs running in my system. Dead quiet and will drive any speakers I could conceivably find (800 watts into 2 ohms).

There were some serious issues with electrolytic caps back in the day. The GFA 365 was definitely one of the models that got the garbage caps. They needed new driver boards once the caps start to go. They were used quite a bit in the era. I don't know if the GFA 555 ii was made after that or not. You may want to research that.

Good luck on your journey.
 
You have to take them well apart to do so, alllllll those outputs have to come out and it might scare people. and you have to drain the ever loving crap outta the big caps or you can blast out some well matched outputs just by removing them.

But any and all bass response from the amp is dependent on that 47uF cap which seems to go, every 3-5 years. In that one respect, Papa messed up...the amp sounds messed up without you digging deep into it to solder in a $1 cap from Nichion....per side.
 
Ross6860 said:
It's a keeper. It's also coming up on 30 years old.

Are you moving out of North America? Are you taking it with you? It's heavy and not that valuable in the grand scheme of things.

Tough decision. I would say if you plan on keeping it, and procuring parts (or new gear) may be difficult where you will live, do it before you move (or buy a new piece of gear that will last 20-30 years).

FWIW - I have a pair of updated and restored GFA 565 mono-blocs running in my system. Dead quiet and will drive any speakers I could conceivably find (800 watts into 2 ohms).

There were some serious issues with electrolytic caps back in the day. The GFA 365 was definitely one of the models that got the garbage caps. They needed new driver boards once the caps start to go. They were used quite a bit in the era. I don't know if the GFA 555 ii was made after that or not. You may want to research that.

Good luck on your journey.
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Yup, moving to Belize. Finding anything in-country will be an exercise in futility and importing will be time consuming and expensive, on top of shipping there will be an import duty. So I'll be bringing the whole system down. My main concern, after reading quite a few posts, is the potential of electrolytic caps dying and leaking.

My wife can listen to a 2" speaker mounted in a soup can but I can't.
 
Belize? I'm jealous. Are they 120/240 Vac 60 Hz?

Work or retirement?

You may want to buy a newer integrated to reduce the amount of gear and shipping expense (and get factory packaging). Maybe an Outlaw reciever?

Good luck on your adventure.
 
Ross6860 said:
Belize? I'm jealous. Are they 120/240 Vac 60 Hz?

Work or retirement?

You may want to buy a newer integrated to reduce the amount of gear and shipping expense (and get factory packaging). Maybe an Outlaw reciever?

Good luck on your adventure.
Click to expand...

Yup, 120V-60Hz. Despite being a British colony (British Honduras) until the 80's, they drive on the proper, American side of the road.

I just retired (early), we've been planning for several years now and after considering places like Panama and the Dominican Republic, we found that we really like Corozal, Belize. I bought an acre of land and we're going to have a small home built on it.

I plan on shipping much of the contents of my garage -2 big cabinets, hand tools, power tools, etc.- I don't think the stereo is a major factor compared to the other stuff.

Thank you. It certainly will be an adventure and I tell people that I am equal parts excited and horrified...
 
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