bonaccmj
New Member
Hey everyone, I'm getting bored sitting around in quarantine, and so I'm giving some serious thought to purchasing an old (but good) solid-state power amp. I don't need one, but I'll do it just for the sake of fun and hearing something different than what I've got for a change. I'm sure most of you can relate.
Now, I've got an opportunity to buy either a Parasound HCA-1000 for about $270, or an Adcom GFA-5200 for about $180. Both of these seem to be a fairly good deal, given the prices they usually go for. Most notable about these amps are the designers: John Curl designed the Parasound, and the Adcom was designed by Nelson Pass. Both seem to be good amps to get a taste of high-end stuff without the price. That's the point; I want something inexpensive and fun that I will probably sell later.
So there's the dilemma -- should I get the Parasound, a well-regarded high-bias BJT-based amp, designed by John Curl, outputting 100wpc, OR the Adcom, a well-regarded high-bias Mosfet-based amp, designed by Nelson Pass, outputting 50wpc. By the way, whichever I choose will be driving mostly my Original Large Advents, but I'll probably also try it on my main system with my DIY speakers (8ohms, but quite inefficient). Oh, and I like DIY and mods and stuff, so for either amp I'll probably at least replace some capacitors, maybe some resistors, as well as maybe crank up the bias, and who knows what else. I don't expect a lot of people will have heard both amps, but hopefully there's someone here willing to throw in their 2 cents.
....I am leaning heavily toward the more-powerful (but more expensive) Parasound, buuuuut also I've never heard a Mosfet power amp, much less an NP design....Hmmm..........
Now, I've got an opportunity to buy either a Parasound HCA-1000 for about $270, or an Adcom GFA-5200 for about $180. Both of these seem to be a fairly good deal, given the prices they usually go for. Most notable about these amps are the designers: John Curl designed the Parasound, and the Adcom was designed by Nelson Pass. Both seem to be good amps to get a taste of high-end stuff without the price. That's the point; I want something inexpensive and fun that I will probably sell later.
So there's the dilemma -- should I get the Parasound, a well-regarded high-bias BJT-based amp, designed by John Curl, outputting 100wpc, OR the Adcom, a well-regarded high-bias Mosfet-based amp, designed by Nelson Pass, outputting 50wpc. By the way, whichever I choose will be driving mostly my Original Large Advents, but I'll probably also try it on my main system with my DIY speakers (8ohms, but quite inefficient). Oh, and I like DIY and mods and stuff, so for either amp I'll probably at least replace some capacitors, maybe some resistors, as well as maybe crank up the bias, and who knows what else. I don't expect a lot of people will have heard both amps, but hopefully there's someone here willing to throw in their 2 cents.
....I am leaning heavily toward the more-powerful (but more expensive) Parasound, buuuuut also I've never heard a Mosfet power amp, much less an NP design....Hmmm..........
