Good preamp match for ADCOM 545ii

[Old Driver]

I have an ADCOM GFA 545ii amplifier. I’m looking for a relatively inexpensive (vintage or new okay) preamp to pair with it.
I originally, had it paired to an ADCOM GTP 450. The combo of the two sounded just lousy.
I swapped it with a McIntosh C37 and it really smoothed out the sharp brittle highs of the ADCOM 545ii. I have recently swapped the ADCOM 545ii with a McIntosh MC 7300 paired to the C37 for my main system. Sound perfection!
So now, I’d like to repurpose the ADCOM 545ii in my office but, I have the same pesky issue of what is a suitable preamp again!
Honestly, the ADCOM 545ii has proven to be an okay amplifier but, ADCOM makes some pretty crappy preamps IMHO. The 545ii amp is very thin and shrill by itself. I hooked a source directly up to it without a preamp and it sounds like a cheap Chi-fi Class D amp. The McIntosh C37 preamp paired to the 545ii combo sounded pretty presentable though.
I don’t want to sell the ADCOM 545ii as I do have a home for it but………how do I find a relatively inexpensive preamp to tame the ADCOM’s shrill tendencies? Or, is this a hopeless quest and should I just list it for sale on eBay?
Please no wise guy advice telling me to buy $$$$ another McIntosh preamp to go with it. My wife has finally started talking to me again after my last McIntosh purchase.
I’d welcome your thoughts.

 

[Wolverine]

I am a long time and current Adcom owner who has owned several of their preamps to match up with the 5xx series amps. My current preamp is a GFP 565 that is used to bi-amp my rebuilt GFA-555’s. The GTP’s will do in a pinch but tend to develop issues over time. The GFP 555 is a solid preamp for general use but if you play a lot of vinyl but do not have a separate phono preamp then the GFP-565 is the way to go. If you are on a budget the 555 can be found at reasonable prices (around $250) whereas you can figure to pay at least 2-3 times the price of a 555 for a good working 565.

BTW - If your 545 amp is sounding shrill then you may want to have it checked out. I have owned both the 545 and 545ii amps and would not describe them as shrill. The general criticism of Adcom amps is that some find them overly neutral.

 

[rickb119]

You might consider one of the China made preamps. Fosi, Douk and Aiyima are available cheap, with some being tube models.

The Schiit Sage 2 would be another option, albeit at a bit higher price.

All of the above are available on Amazon, so returns would be easy.

Another option would be to sell the Adcom, and buy one of the China amps and preamps. I use the Fosi V3 for my TV system, and find that it works very well. It's paired with a China tube pre, that's no longer available. Even if it was, the cost was probably more than what you'd want to spend (approx. $360). I also have a second pre (same model) that's paired with my Forte model 3 that produces excellent sound.

I have an Adcom GFA 545 (kept as strictly a backup) that I paired with one of the above preamps. Unfortunately, it did not tame the brightness. Had I known how good the Fosi was, I would not have bought the Adcom; and may end up selling it, and buying another Fosi.

If you do go the Fosi route, be sure to get the 48v power supply. It's not that much more, and does produce better sound.