Would it surprise anyone if I said I thought an Adcom GFA-545 sounded nicer than a SAE 2401 amp?

[thurber]

I may have an underperforming SAE 2401, but first impression on trying one out, I want to go back to the Adcom. Does this surprise anyone?

 

[The Fuxtor]

Synergy!??

 

[Wolverine]

Not me but I'm pretty biased towards Adcom since I own a 545, a pair of 555's and a 535.

There will be plenty of opinions coming along soon enough but what counts in the end is your opinion.

 

[trinhsman]

Not at all. I remember reading a review in one of the audio magazines years ago saying just how amazing that amp was.

 

[W9TR]

My SAE 2600 looked much better than it sounded.

 

[avionic]

I may have an underperforming SAE 2401, but first impression on trying one out, I want to go back to the Adcom. Does this surprise anyone?

Maybe ear wax...

 

[heyraz]

Nope, not surprised.
I've heard them both. Adcom gear is very natural sounding.

 

[DogWallop]

I may have an underperforming SAE 2401, but first impression on trying one out, I want to go back to the Adcom. Does this surprise anyone?

I found a 555 in a thrift shop, sitting on the floor with it's cover off. They gave it to me for free, figuring it was broken; it turned out that it matched the sound quality of my Onkyo Integra power amp, which weighed 70 pounds more, and cost me a lot more (actually, I got the Onkyo for a great price, used, with a bunch of other stuff, but that's another story). So, no surprises here - Adcom is one of the great unsung heroes of audio IMHO.

 

[Metamodern]

Had a GFA-545 II myself. Loved the ooomph factor it had going on the lower end, but it really really struggled resolving higher frequencies. No experience with SAE gear though.

 

[Pio1980]

Had a GFA-545 II myself. Loved the ooomph factor it had going on the lower end, but it really really struggled resolving higher frequencies. No experience with SAE gear though.

I keep one around as a workhorse amp, good build quality and decent sound tho I don't use it for critical listening.

 

[jimbo2k]

I use a Pair of Adcom 535's in the main system, and have owned a pair od 555's. Love em.

 

[JarredCrowe]

I like adcom a lot but now am curious what you are pairing it with? I'm a big believer in system synergy.

 

[RichPA]

That wouldn't surprise me at all. Given the choice of those two amps, I'd absolutely go for the Adcom.

 

[fernarias]

Not all amps age the same. Some are used more (played more hours) so a comparison of two used old amps is pretty meaningless. If they were both new or if both were refurbished to like new conditions then and only then could a fair comparison be made.

 

[tube-a-lou]

Nope, they made great stuff back in the day. Alway's high quality.

 

[thurber]

I use a Pair of Adcom 535's in the main system, and have owned a pair od 555's. Love em.

I am a relative noob to the power amp side of things, and wanted to clarify - when you say you use a pair of 535's, do you use them as pseudo-monoblocks? You split the rca cable - one into each and dedicate one to each speaker? This is a common practice, right? Also was curious if I had say, two identical receivers, could I do the same thing and dedicate one to each speaker?

I like adcom a lot but now am curious what you are pairing it with? I'm a big believer in system synergy.

Well I have had the Adcom about a week. Initially I had it powering some ADS L810, but yesterday I picked up the SAE amp and a pair of Speakerlab 7's (I had to construct a dolly out of some scrap wood to get them across the floor, they're so freaking heavy!). Tried the SAE with the L810's and my impression was that the amp was very clear & powerful of course, but didn't have the character of the Adcom. I also noticed it made the vocals seem very upfront & present with the L810, and so there was less of a balanced sound. I don't have anything impressive going on as far as a preamp, so it could be that the SAE would be great if I had a nice/killer preamp going into it. It didn't seem to have the more laidback sound of the Adcom. I haven't tried the SAE yet with the Speakerlabs.

As for the Speakerlabs, I was first underwhelmed (actually more accurately I was probably overwhelmed) by the sound when listening to some Grateful Dead and modern rock stuff. They sound freaking fantastic with the more acoustic 'Warm' album by Jeff Tweedy, as well as with Jim Hall & Joe Pass. This speaker seemed to have a rep as the ultimate rock speaker, but so far, jazz is where it really seems to shine (though I have only spent a couple hours with them so far - the bass is definitely very nice but beat by KLH 12 I think).


Thanks everyone for all the replies, by the way.

 

[Metamodern]

What amp worked better that let you know the Adcom wasn't perfect?

Had a Phillips Labs AH380 after. Also a Sansui AU-517 previously. The Adcom just got scratchy in the highs. Could be my unit was in need of repair I don't know.