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New to Adcom separates, preamp question?

normdeplume

normdeplume

Pithecanthropus Erectus
Hi all,

The Denon DRA-545R in my main stack died recently. I'd been curious about upgrading to separates anyway, so this seemed like a good excuse to move up. I was looking for an Adcom GTP-450 or GTP-500, but saw an auction for a GTP-350, GFA-5200, and an older GCD unit at a really good price and couldn't pass it up.

So, two things:

The GFA-350 hasn't got a phono preamp. Coming from respectable, if not audiophile quality, phono stages in my old Denon and NAD receivers, how much am I going to lose by using something like the $22 Behringer preamp? My main TT is the A-T PL120 which does have a built-in preamp as well, which I haven't tried, but I hear a lot of complaints of hum and must assume it's not great.

Can anyone provide any feedback on the GFA-5200? I don't see much in the forums; seems like it didn't get the same exposure as other models like the 535.

Thanks!
 
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I had a 5200 and a 5300. Both were decent sounding units that I used often, and with careful speaker matching can keep you happy. I would avoid any speaker that sounds forward, bright, or leaning toward the upper end of the freq range. The Adcom also tends to do this and it would result in a glaring, harsh sound. I can't say I've been thrilled with any Adcom pre that I've heard though.
 
Adcom preamps have never been as good as their power amps with one exception (GFP-750). If the price is right I would get the Adcom stack and use the TT's built in phono preamp. It's at least as ggood as the Behringer. I would replace the GTP-350 ASAP with a decent preamp with a built in phono stage. If FM reception is important you could continue to use the tuner section of the 350.

The GFP-750 is a very good preamp by any standards. There's not a lot of them and they have no phono stage.
 
JoeESP9 said:
Adcom preamps have never been as good as their power amps with one exception (GFP-750). If the price is right I would get the Adcom stack and use the TT's built in phono preamp. It's at least as ggood as the Behringer. I would replace the GTP-350 ASAP with a decent preamp with a built in phono stage. If FM reception is important you could continue to use the tuner section of the 350.

The GFP-750 is a very good preamp by any standards. There's not a lot of them and they have no phono stage.
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I've always heard that Adcom preamps weren't so hot as well but after I lucked in to a cheap GFP-555 II and a GFP-565 I changed my tune. They are excellent bargains at market value but they are especially good bargains for what I paid.
 
My impression of the GFP-565 preamp was initially very good. It was the first true pre that I've ever owned after years of integrateds and receivers, but after comparing it to a few high end pre amps it sounded rather flat and dull. It really seemed to draw the life out of everything. It was still better than a lot out there, but as a serious pre there are better options.
 
Thanks for all the input.

The price certainly seemed right. Not "thrift store" right, but I snagged this on the big auction site and did better than I expected: $120 for the stack. I didn't really need another CDP but I'm happy to take/audition it, although past experience with some older Denon CDPs says beware of weak lasers. But if it reads discs reliably, hey, a bonus Adcom source. Otherwise, $60 ea for an Adcom pre and power amp that I was prepared to spend $300 on.

Maybe the Adcom people can answer this: would I do any better to keep an eye open for one of the higher-model preamps (GTP-450, 500) that I was looking for in the first place? These would get me the phono stage that I sorta need, but as these are all similar vintage I wonder if the rest of the componentry is any different. That is, should I expect different sonics or is the difference just a remote and blinkenlights?

I'll be interested to hear this setup drive my Boston HD8s. They're not especially laid back speakers - they're fast and have lots of presence - but the top end is rather smooth.

I used to have a pair of original Polk Monitors that I sorta wish I'd kept around for this.
 
For what you would spend on an Adcom pre I think you would be better served with a Yamaha C series or a Kenwood (also uses the C designation) pre amp. Both have pretty good phono stages and really are better all around then the Adcom GTP preamps.
 
I've got a GTP 500 and I think it sounds very sweet. I'm sure it would be a good match for the rest of your stuff... they're not too hard to find, so I don't think you'd have too much trouble finding one that meets your needs/budget etc..
 
There is no phono stage in the GTP-450. I have one in my bedroom system with a Kenwood KM-105 for power.

The GTP series are all tuner preamps. The GFP series are straight preamps. If you don't need FM I recommend the GFP-750. They were available with remote! It's considered the best preamp Adcom ever made. I've heard the GFP-555 and 565 at length. I've compared them to Krell, ARC, CJ and other preamps. IMO they are meh sounding devices. There is nothing overtly bad about them. They always come of a solid second best. Their sins are of omission rather than commission, a good thing. The one GFP-750 I heard was IMO a superb sounding unit. I also like it's looks better than other Adcom gear.
 
JoeESP9 said:
There is no phono stage in the GTP-450. I have one in my bedroom system with a Kenwood KM-105 for power.

The GTP series are all tuner preamps. The GFP series are straight preamps. If you don't need FM I recommend the GFP-750. They were available with remote! It's considered the best preamp Adcom ever made. I've heard the GFP-555 and 565 at length. I've compared them to Krell, ARC, CJ and other preamps. IMO they are meh sounding devices. There is nothing overtly bad about them. They always come of a solid second best. Their sins are of omission rather than commission, a good thing. The one GFP-750 I heard was IMO a superb sounding unit. I also like it's looks better than other Adcom gear.
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Yikes! Thanks for pointing that out before I got trigger happy.

The 750 sounds great but waaaay out of my range. I probably don't have more than $1k in my two systems, and it's prudent to keep it that way for now. :)
 
You're correct on both counts. I forgot to mention lack of phono. As for cost; I have to remind myself that to me $750 for a preamp is a very reasonable amount. Even so, were I the OP I'd stick with what I have until I can afford an upgrade and not just a lateral move.

Whether it's the one in the TT or an inexpensive addition he'll need a phono preamp to use with the GTP-450 anyway. Adding a GFP-750 wouldn't change that. It may serve as an incentive to upgrade the entire phono section (TT/cartridge & phono preamp).

IMO the GFP-750 is a good enough preamp that everything else will need serious upgrading to be in the same league.

In the meantime norm, enjoy what you have. Listen to things for a while. Then let us know what you think.
 
Best bet: Spend the $25 on an AK subscription. That gets you access to the 'Bartertown' section where members sell/trade all sorts of gear. You'll get an honest description, very fair (or often way below avg) prices and can get all the info you want before you buy. It's the best $25 you'll ever spend in this hobby.
 
JoeESP9 said:
You're correct on both counts. I forgot to mention lack of phono. As for cost; I have to remind myself that to me $750 for a preamp is a very reasonable amount. Even so, were I the OP I'd stick with what I have until I can afford an upgrade and not just a lateral move.

Whether it's the one in the TT or an inexpensive addition he'll need a phono preamp to use with the GTP-450 anyway. Adding a GFP-750 wouldn't change that. It may serve as an incentive to upgrade the entire phono section (TT/cartridge & phono preamp).

IMO the GFP-750 is a good enough preamp that everything else will need serious upgrading to be in the same league.

In the meantime norm, enjoy what you have. Listen to things for a while. Then let us know what you think.
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Yup, will do. I expect the GTP-350 should be a modest upgrade, or at least different enough, from what I'd been using to keep me interested for a while. I'm not that ambitious anyway - I'm not sure that I'd truly appreciate legit audiophile gear without some incremental steps up. With that said, I do (well, did) hear problems in the Denon rig.

While something like the 750 is out of the question, more modest pre's may not be, so I'm just curious if it's worth jockeying around a bit before I settle in to one setup. Any time I've made significant changes, it's taken me a while to really understand the new character in what I'm hearing.

The tuner doesn't matter much to me at all. I guess I'm citing the GTP series as there seem to be more of them cheap, available, and reviewed.
 
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prisoners said:
Best bet: Spend the $25 on an AK subscription. That gets you access to the 'Bartertown' section where members sell/trade all sorts of gear. You'll get an honest description, very fair (or often way below avg) prices and can get all the info you want before you buy. It's the best $25 you'll ever spend in this hobby.
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:yes: Hard to argue that one!
 
For the price of the GFP 555 and 565, I find them to be superb values. IME, the 750 is clearly better, but at 4-5x the cost, I wouldn't assume it's within reach of someone looking at GTP series pre/tuners.

If it is, by all means, try to get a chance to hear one.
 
I'm still waiting on my Adcom gear to arrive. In the mean time, I did order the Behringer phono preamp from Amazon, based on crummy reviews of the built-in one in my AT table. And, hey, it's $22.

For giggles, I decided to A-B (quick, dirty) the two using a line input on my working Denon receiver. The AT's preamp sucks. I didn't hear the ground-loop hum that everyone complains about, but it just didn't sound as pleasant as either the Behringer or the Denon's phono stage. Too much presence, almost sounded compressed. The Behringer sounded very similar to the Denon, although the listening I did was anything but critical. I can't comment on imaging or any finer points - I didn't give it enough time, and the test track was Eddie Harris.

So I'll hang on the to the little Behringer, won't make plans to flip the GTP-350, and be happy 'til I get bored. :)

I did snag a cheap used pair of Polk TSi100s that I'll audition with the Adcom, also. I've had M5jr's and M30s in the past and really liked them. The BA HD8s I have now are nice but feel uptight to me sometimes and made me wish for the Polks' transparency. We'll see how they sound now that I'm used to "big" sealed speakers.
 
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