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kenwood basic M2 V.S adcom GFA 5500

rselby

rselby

Active Member
okay I am currently running the kenwood basic M2 to drive my mains...have an adcom gfa 5500 too, but the adcom ( I think needs some service) so when these two amps are in good health...which is the better of the two of them...any opinions!
 
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You already know about Adcom's lack of speaker relay. IMO, that puts your speakers at risk which is easily avoided by staying with your M2.
 
yeah heard about that...but If I use it it will be after its been serviced, and my speakers have fuses(I guess that shoul save them)...but only a few had had problems with that and thisone will be healthy again...so other that this how do they compare
 
I once upon a time I had an amp, which was under one year old and brand new, well reviewed, well respected; (not an Adcom, I love the 535 amp, I still have two of them as back up) which lacked a speaker relay.

Well it was a dark and stormy night (we go .10 inches of rain as I recall) and well to cut to the chase my beloved Spendor BC1 speakers (may they rest in peace) went to rock and roll heaven (well they aren’t rock and roll speakers, but you get the point).

That was 20 years ago, it happened only once, has never happened again. I insist all the amps I buy now have a speaker relays. I was even using a way too cheap, way too old surge protector. One I had bought from Fry’s for 10 dollars 10 years’ prior, which turned out to be a glorified extension cord. I was thinking ya this will protect my speakers, all my gear is in good shape and well maintained. But the deity is in the details.

I hear the speaker relay on my Yamaha M4 and it’s such a wonderful sound to my ears. I know there is a God or at least I know there is ‘Intelligent Design’ somewhere in this universe.

I sure many people roll their eyes every time SoCal Sam talks about speaker relays, but I smile and say the guy really knows what he is talking about. What a winner don’t know a loser understands.

I also have a Kenwood M2a, nice amp but the Yamaha M4 is just so sweet, IMHO.
 
MudSlideSlim said:
I once upon a time I had an amp, which was under one year old and brand new, well reviewed, well respected; (not an Adcom, I love the 535 amp, I still have two of them as back up) which lacked a speaker relay.

Well it was a dark and stormy night (we go .10 inches of rain as I recall) and well to cut to the chase my beloved Spendor BC1 speakers (may they rest in peace) went to rock and roll heaven (well they aren’t rock and roll speakers, but you get the point).

That was 20 years ago, it happened only once, has never happened again. I insist all the amps I buy now have a speaker relays. I was even using a way too cheap, way too old surge protector. One I had bought from Fry’s for 10 dollars 10 years’ prior, which turned out to be a glorified extension cord. I was thinking ya this will protect my speakers, all my gear is in good shape and well maintained. But the deity is in the details.

I hear the speaker relay on my Yamaha M4 and it’s such a wonderful sound to my ears. I know there is a God or at least I know there is ‘Intelligent Design’ somewhere in this universe.

I sure many people roll their eyes every time SoCal Sam talks about speaker relays, but I smile and say the guy really knows what he is talking about. What a winner don’t know a loser understands.

I also have a Kenwood M2a, nice amp but the Yamaha M4 is just so sweet, IMHO.
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There you go, another beloved speaker lost to an Adcom.
 
MudSlideSlim said:
I once upon a time I had an amp, which was under one year old and brand new, well reviewed, well respected; (not an Adcom, I love the 535 amp, I still have two of them as back up) which lacked a speaker relay.
Click to expand...

SoCal Sam said:
There you go, another beloved speaker lost to an Adcom.
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But your point about a need for speaker protection in an amplifier is reinforced by this second brand not having protection and taking out a pair of speakers.
 
Blue Shadow said:
But your point about a need for speaker protection in an amplifier is reinforced by this second brand not having protection and taking out a pair of speakers.
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It's been a while since I had a Kenwood M2 so if there is no relay, the risk would be the same as the Adcom.
 
Kenwoods Basic series amps all have speaker relays. I have an M2 that I absolutely love. I have heard a few Adcom amps and never cared for their sound. I found it a little grainy. If I had the choice the M2 would be the one I'd use.
 
so other than the hang ups some people have about speaker relays....( which Im not really concerned with) which of the 2 amps is the better...excluding the whole relay thing.
 
rselby said:
so other than the hang ups some people have about speaker relays....( which Im not really concerned with) which of the 2 amps is the better...excluding the whole relay thing.
Click to expand...

If you're not worried about your speakers getting toasted then the better amp is what ever one sounds better to you. I prefer my M2 over all the adcoms I have heards
 
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