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Does Adcom make good Amps ?

keystone said:
Not trying to change the subject but does anyone know where to find a speaker terminal for my GFA 545. When it arrived by mail the black terminal was broken. Thanks
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Welcome to AK!
Congrats on getting a 545!
Parts Express should have what you need.
 
hifitommy said:
the amps are GREAT. the preamps not so much.
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When compared to how Adcom amps compared to higher end amps in their day and the entirety of the Adcom pre amp line up I understand that perception.

However there is an exception to every rule and I would say that the GFP-565 and the Nelson Pass designed GFP-750 would qualify. They received some very positive reviews in their time.
 
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My experience with a GTP500 and a 545II weren't all entirely positive. I had the controller board on the preamp blow twice. Adcom fixed it both times with a little intervention. The amp was well built and generally sounded good, but there was a peak in the upper midrange/lower treble that eventually got on my last nerve. They went down the road, followed by the Maggie 2.5Rs I was driving with them. There have been dozens of combos since then, with years of stability. Always came back to my core.
 
i had the gfp565 for years and then i got a used audio research SP3a1 and when i put it in place of the 565, my mandible dropped to the floor. the 565 NEVER went back into the system. gary galo was dead wrong about the adcom pre. to mention it in the same breath as arc as he did is blasphemy.

the amp is good enough to stay in place as it passed the clean, clear beauty of the arc and did not prompt me to look for a new amp.
 
Yes Adcom make some good amps. Yes i enjoy the gfp565 ,i also enjoy the trebel/bass controls,some people do not. I also believe a Adcom gfp-565 is excellent value at used prices,you can see them 150.00 - 300.00 used. Doubt you can find anything much better for that. You surely cannot see a ar3 for that.
 
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I avoid all Adcom. I manage to find better gear at less cost – less famous, with less ad-spend, but clearly better performance. The only time I sprang for an Adcom unit was a DAC – GDA-700 – which was compared favorably in Stereophile to the Mark Levinson model at 7-times the cost. It was in perfect condition, at GoodWill for $7. I figured I could waste $7... but I didn't, it sounded OK.
 
bimasta said:
I avoid all Adcom. I manage to find better gear at less cost – less famous, with less ad-spend, but clearly better performance. The only time I sprang for an Adcom unit was a DAC – GDA-700 – which was compared favorably in Stereophile to the Mark Levinson model at 7-times the cost. It was in perfect condition, at GoodWill for $7. I figured I could waste $7... but I didn't, it sounded OK.
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Interesting posting with absolutely no experience in what you are bashing!
 
Leaving an amplifier on all the time is just a waste of electricity, especially with class A power amps. Preamps, not so much. After perhaps a half hour of on-time, circuitry should have completely stabilized. As for reliability, there might be a very modest benefit to leaving the amp on due to minimizing exposure to turn-on inrush current cycles, but that can be problematic if there is a temporary outage or other electrical power disturbance, like surges. It's easy to design in inrush limiting. Components like electrolytic caps dry out faster the longer they are kept at elevated temperature. I see no benefit to leaving an amp or preamp on all the time. The so-called benefits, beyond possible reliability increase, are imaginary. Turn you equipment on, get a beer, and by time that one's gone, it will sound as good as it gets.
 
I wonder if you realize that anything with a remote turn on capability is never actually turned off?

My Emotiva gear has a separate true power switch on the back. Using that switch is the only way they can really be turned off.

In any case, an amplifier that's not Class A uses very little electricity when idling. This is even more so with Class D amplifiers.

I leave my SS gear on all the time. My tubed gear gets turned of when I go to bed and turned on when I get up.
 
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