Official(?) Adcom Owner's Thread

[talstarone]

Well I had the oppertunity and took it.I am now the Proud Owner of a Pair of Adcom Amps.Though the newest addition is a newer model.

Got a Good Deal on an Adcom GFA 5300.I wasn't 100% sure.But after asking some questions and talking to the owner,I decided it was a good choice.He represented the Amp well and you could tell he took care of it.

Without me asking certain questions.A few statements he made let me know that he took care of his gear.And that seems to be the Magic Formula.

The GFA 5300 I imagine will get here about mid week.Since it is traveling across Country.
It will be interesting to have two different looking Adcoms.As the 5300 has the Round Power Button and the slightly more modern styling.

Still,though,not the combination Silver and Black Chasis the newer Adcoms Have.
And while I Love the Classic Models.I would be more then happy to own a Brand New Adcom,at some point in time.

I wasn't aware of the age of the Def Techs you are auditioning.I would look very good at the drivers.Make sure the surrounds dont look old and at a point where they may begin to tear slightly.And that the cones still feel like they have a good stiffness to them.

I dont know if you have already made a commitment or not.But I would think about that a little more(Especially if the Energy Speakers are not as old and still perform well.)

If so maybe go for 7 channel sound or put the money that was going to go into the BP10's into another part of your HT/Audio System.

I will say,for a start up thread for Adcom Owners,its been nice talking to different members that own Adcom Amps.Learning some things,and starting to see,Adcom has a bigger owner and fan base on the Forum; then I thought may find the thread and post.

Good Move and Good Call on starting it up arrt.

[arrt vandelay]

Originally Posted by talstarone

Well I had the oppertunity and took it.I am now the Proud Owner of a Pair of Adcom Amps.Though the newest addition is a newer model.

Got a Good Deal on an Adcom GFA 5300.I wasn't 100% sure.But after asking some questions and talking to the owner,I decided it was a good choice.He represented the Amp well and you could tell he took care of it.

Without me asking certain questions.A few statements he made let me know that he took care of his gear.And that seems to be the Magic Formula.

The GFA 5300 I imagine will get here about mid week.Since it is traveling across Country.
It will be interesting to have two different looking Adcoms.As the 5300 has the Round Power Button and the slightly more modern styling.

Still,though,not the combination Silver and Black Chasis the newer Adcoms Have.
And while I Love the Classic Models.I would be more then happy to own a Brand New Adcom,at some point in time.

I wasn't aware of the age of the Def Techs you are auditioning.I would look very good at the drivers.Make sure the surrounds dont look old and at a point where they may begin to tear slightly.And that the cones still feel like they have a good stiffness to them.

I dont know if you have already made a commitment or not.But I would think about that a little more(Especially if the Energy Speakers are not as old and still perform well.)

If so maybe go for 7 channel sound or put the money that was going to go into the BP10's into another part of your HT/Audio System.

I will say,for a start up thread for Adcom Owners,its been nice talking to different members that own Adcom Amps.Learning some things,and starting to see,Adcom has a bigger owner and fan base on the Forum; then I thought may find the thread and post.

Good Move and Good Call on starting it up arrt.

the deftechs are in great condition still. i mean i only have $250 invested in them. that's just a drop in the upgrade bucket, really. i'm also pretty sure i could re-coup every bit of that if i decide i don't like them. what i'm really thinking about is saving up for the matching ctr, and then really giving it them a critical listen. all the while my energy set-up would be in the background ready to come back if need be. i may have set my sights on some deftech supertowers now anyway, so who knows what may happen.
the only constants in my current set-up will be my yammy and my adcom. everything else could change pretty quickly if the right deal/circumstances came along.

where'd you find the gfa 5300? that's the newer version of the gfa 535, right? i think it puts out like 70/80 wpc into 8ohms?

[talstarone]

Originally Posted by arrt vandelay

the deftechs are in great condition still. i mean i only have $250 invested in them. that's just a drop in the upgrade bucket, really. i'm also pretty sure i could re-coup every bit of that if i decide i don't like them. what i'm really thinking about is saving up for the matching ctr, and then really giving it them a critical listen. all the while my energy set-up would be in the background ready to come back if need be. i may have set my sights on some deftech supertowers now anyway, so who knows what may happen.
the only constants in my current set-up will be my yammy and my adcom. everything else could change pretty quickly if the right deal/circumstances came along.

where'd you find the gfa 5300? that's the newer version of the gfa 535, right? i think it puts out like 70/80 wpc into 8ohms?

Sounds like you did get a Good Deal on the Def Tech BP10's.
At the way you are moving.A couple of speakers,a small receiver and you have a Second System for the Bedroom,or a spare room that may not get used.

And if you go the used route for the Def Tech Center it wouldn't cost too much total,you are right,there.So the moves you are making look to be good ones as far as What and How Much are concerned.

As far as the GFA 5300, I believe thats right.The replacement for the 535(80 watts X 2 @ 8ohms) Think it was 1996 or around then when that model started selling at the Audio Stores.Its since been replaced by one of the sweet looking black and silver year 2000 and newer models.

I found it on E-Bay.Started by asking a couple of questions about it.Then the seller and I started E-mailing each other and talking about HT,Audio,and Components.Turns out to be a really nice guy.

Got shipped out today.So sometime next week,I should have Fed-Ex making a delivery.Its coming from Cali though.So I imagine it will be late in the week to get all the way to the Atlantic(or about 2 hours shy of the Ocean).

[talstarone]

Just saying Good Morning to all the Adcom Owners and previous owners on the Forum.

Hope you All are having a Wonderful Weekend.


EDIT:
Wanted to say,maybe we can get some of the Adcom Owners to Post a Pic or Two; Showing their Adcoms to the Forum.

[arrt vandelay]

added some a pic of my new adcom and the mess of wires behind it...

[JasonR]

Hey Art.

Curious....

I have seen you say several times that you could go without and amp and have thought about getting rid of yours. Do you still feel that way? And if so, why purchase a new one?

[arrt vandelay]

Originally Posted by JasonR

Hey Art.

Curious....

I have seen you say several times that you could go without and amp and have thought about getting rid of yours. Do you still feel that way? And if so, why purchase a new one?

i still feel that way, but like everyone on this board i suffer from a sickness. my initial plan was to just get a more powerful receiver and be done w/ it, but after realizing my yamaha has everything i want and sound pretty good, i decided to stick with it. i got bid happy on ebay over a 3 channel rotel amp that was damaged in shipping, and my new 5 channel adcom just kinda fell on my lap for a really good price.

while i was waiting for the amps to be shipped. i was running everything off of my receiver and it sounded great. my speakers are easy to drive and get loud w/ little juice. i don't need the amp, like i don't need 2 subwoofers, but i still have them i guess. i also have in the back of my head that some day soon i will be doing a pretty extensive speaker upgrade so i will actually need the amp, so in a way it's kind of future proofing.

i still think that 99% of people do not need amps. the majority of ht set ups will have pretty efficient, 8ohm speakers that most receivers will power to ear-numbing levels. it's the 1% that is always searching for that one thing to add, and the 1% that have the sickness...

[talstarone]

Originally Posted by arrt vandelay

added some a pic of my new adcom and the mess of wires behind it...

Like the new pic of the New Adcom 5-Channel Amp. Of mine,I am sure one Adcom looks really familiar to you.And so far its the only amp I have added to my system.It has added a wonderful new depth,clarity,and level of detail to my system(Especially musically).I need to add the Parasound,but I will completely disconnect and start my cable organization when I do that.So,it may be another day or two before I begin.But eventually I have to get it taken care of.

Here are some pics of my Adcom GSP-560:Combination Surround Sound Processor and 3-Channel Amp.

[talstarone]

Well,the Fed-Ex Site says :"Out For Delivery".

So the Second of the Adcom Amps(GFA 5300)Will Be Arriving Today.
I will be very curious to see how much they sound alike,or sound different.

The GFA 545 II doesn't mention being a Mosfet Design(At least not that I have noticed)But the GFA 5300 is a Mosfet Design.So,may result in a Different Sound.

Not Sure,but I do know this.The GFA 545 II, that arrt sold me(In Person Transaction)Always a Pleasure to meet another Forum Member.
But with all the confusion with me trying to make sure I had a ride to meet him,and all the calls I made.I wouldn't blame arrt for thinking I am a slight bit odd(I think it of myself already).

But the GFA 545 II Amp arrt sold me, has been a sheer Pleasure in terms of Sound Quality.Extremely Impressive Indeed.

Here is Hopeing the GFA 5300 Follows in the Tracks of the 545 II.

[arrt vandelay]

Originally Posted by talstarone

Well,the Fed-Ex Site says :"Out For Delivery".

So the Second of the Adcom Amps(GFA 5300)Will Be Arriving Today.
I will be very curious to see how much they sound alike,or sound different.

The GFA 545 II doesn't mention being a Mosfet Design(At least not that I have noticed)But the GFA 5300 is a Mosfet Design.So,may result in a Different Sound.

Not Sure,but I do know this.The GFA 545 II, that arrt sold me(In Person Transaction)Always a Pleasure to meet another Forum Member.
But with all the confusion with me trying to make sure I had a ride to meet him,and all the calls I made.I wouldn't blame arrt for thinking I am a slight bit odd(I think it of myself already).

But the GFA 545 II Amp arrt sold me, has been a sheer Pleasure in terms of Sound Quality.Extremely Impressive Indeed.

Here is Hopeing the GFA 5300 Follows in the Tracks of the 545 II.

i hope that the gfa 5300 does live up to the 545 II. i remember reading somewhere about the subtle change in electronics from the 545 series to the 5400 series and so on. i don't recall exactly what the changes were, but I do recall that the general consensus was that the older designs sounded a tad better. i do have to admit that i do think my system sounded a little better in 2 channel with the gfa 545II powering the fronts as opposed to the gfa 7400. all things being equal though, i'm still very pleased w/ my gfa 7400, and i'm glad i upgraded from 2 channels to 5 channels.

now if only i could make up my mind on speakers...

[talstarone]

It seems that the change to the newer series was a step to a MOSFET Design.Or at least I haven't found any info on the older models being of a MOSFET Design.

I hooked it up and ran it for about and hour and 15 minutes.
From my Power Conditioner I see it draws more current then the GFA 545II.It also runs warmer then the prior line.

Soundwise I am Happy with the GFA 5300's Sound Quality.Though you did hear what I heard arrt.There is a subtle change to the overall sound of the amp.

The GFA 5300 is a little brighter in the upermost registers.Not quite as smooth in the highest frequencies as the 545 II.But its not bad sounding in any way,just brighter.

With a soft dome tweeter and laid back speaker or cable the sound would actually surpass the 545 II.

But on the good side,there is more of a Low End and overall Fullness of Sound with the 5300.So,it has a different sound but not a sound thats bad,lacking,or a step back from the earlier models.It just sacrifices the top most registers for a more balanced and fuller sound.

I certainly like it and am happy to have it in my system.For now it will power my side surrounds.The 545 II will be bi-amped to power my Center.(And the Parasound will get Front Speaker Duties)

Now I need one more amp for my rear surround,and I can move from my AVR to a Dedicated Pre/Pro.

But I think the newer GFA 5300 represents the Adcom name and tradition extremely well.

[Yeha-Noha]

Adcom, YES!

I love my Adcom 545II that bought in 1993. It's still kickin' @ss too. I used it back in the early 90s to drive a pair of Kef 101.2s. Those Kefs weren't my cup of tea however because they sounded far too bright to my liking. I sold them and bought a pair of Tannoy 6.9s which just blew them away. The Tannoys went higher in the highs without sounding bright. My Adcom 545 II and preamp drove them for years until I got interested in HT and DVD movies. I bought Infinity speakers for my first surround sound system. The Adcom gear and Tannoys got placed in our study so my wife could listen to her opera CDs. Then my wife discovered opera on DVD and thus used the HT system to watch them. The Adcom 545 II sat around after that in storage for about 5 or 6 years.

I bought an HD TV and redid my entire HT system in 2006. I bought Energy speakers for the sound system (C-series) which were a big step up from the Infinitys. I was really pleased with the sound. About two years later after browsing around on Blu-ray.com I came across posts made by those who were using their Yamaha V663s as a pre/processor to drive external power amps. Since I owned a V663, I thought I'd give that a try too. OMG, the sound of the new C-300 towers that I had just bought sounded so much better driven by the Adcom 545II power amp instead of using the Yamaha 663. The V663 just lacked the oomph to drive the C-300s the way they were meant to be heard. Another critical speaker that really sucks up the power is the C-C100 center. I bought a 250 watt monoblock power amp for $100 used to drive the C-C100 to cleanup the sound of the center channel. Again the V663 miserably failed to really drive that speaker to perfection. I might add in retrospect that the bad reputation of the vintage 2006 Energy C-series and why they flopped is due to people using cheap AVRs to drive them. The Yamaha V663 seems to do an adequate job driving the side and back surrounds though. However, I wouldn't pass up another Adcom 545 to drive those if I found one at a good price ($150 or less) otherwise I might as well get an Emotiva UPA 2. I have made a vow that I will never buy another AVR since those are crap as far as the power amps go. In fact, I am waiting for a 3 D compatible pre/pro separate unit to come out on the market for my next major upgrade. I am not considering the Emotiva UMC-1 because it isn't 3 D compatible. Perhaps in a year or so one will come out after 3D Blu-ray gets better established.

[gcchifi]

I own the GFA-7607. It has a good neutral sound to it but it has a tendency to run hot. Then again I am running them with an Onkyo 805 in bi-amping a suite of Polk LSis that are 4 ohms. It's just solid all-around...

[arrt vandelay]

Originally Posted by rwojtalewicz

Adcom, YES!

I love my Adcom 545II that bought in 1993. It's still kickin' @ss too. I used it back in the early 90s to drive a pair of Kef 101.2s. Those Kefs weren't my cup of tea however because they sounded far too bright to my liking. I sold them and bought a pair of Tannoy 6.9s which just blew them away. The Tannoys went higher in the highs without sounding bright. My Adcom 545 II and preamp drove them for years until I got interested in HT and DVD movies. I bought Infinity speakers for my first surround sound system. The Adcom gear and Tannoys got placed in our study so my wife could listen to her opera CDs. Then my wife discovered opera on DVD and thus used the HT system to watch them. The Adcom 545 II sat around after that in storage for about 5 or 6 years.

I bought an HD TV and redid my entire HT system in 2006. I bought Energy speakers for the sound system (C-series) which were a big step up from the Infinitys. I was really pleased with the sound. About two years later after browsing around on Blu-ray.com I came across posts made by those who were using their Yamaha V663s as a pre/processor to drive external power amps. Since I owned a V663, I thought I'd give that a try too. OMG, the sound of the new C-300 towers that I had just bought sounded so much better driven by the Adcom 545II power amp instead of using the Yamaha 663. The V663 just lacked the oomph to drive the C-300s the way they were meant to be heard. Another critical speaker that really sucks up the power is the C-C100 center. I bought a 250 watt monoblock power amp for $100 used to drive the C-C100 to cleanup the sound of the center channel. Again the V663 miserably failed to really drive that speaker to perfection. I might add in retrospect that the bad reputation of the vintage 2006 Energy C-series and why they flopped is due to people using cheap AVRs to drive them. The Yamaha V663 seems to do an adequate job driving the side and back surrounds though. However, I wouldn't pass up another Adcom 545 to drive those if I found one at a good price ($150 or less) otherwise I might as well get an Emotiva UPA 2. I have made a vow that I will never buy another AVR since those are crap as far as the power amps go. In fact, I am waiting for a 3 D compatible pre/pro separate unit to come out on the market for my next major upgrade. I am not considering the Emotiva UMC-1 because it isn't 3 D compatible. Perhaps in a year or so one will come out after 3D Blu-ray gets better established.

i had the gfa 545II driving my c-500s for about a yr. it really did a great job, especially for music applications. i've now moved on from the 545II and c-500s, but there is still an adcom powering all channels now. i'm pretty sure my 10 yr old or so gfa 7400 will last another 10 to 20 yrs...

[Yeha-Noha]

The GFA 7400 sounds great. It's like having 2 1/2 GFA 545 IIs, isn't it? I have a 7.2 system. The GFA 7400 would do great for 5 of the channels and the GFA 545II for the remaining 2.

Why did you go from Energy to Def Tech?

[arrt vandelay]

Originally Posted by rwojtalewicz

The GFA 7400 sounds great. It's like having 2 1/2 GFA 545 IIs, isn't it? I have a 7.2 system. The GFA 7400 would do great for 5 of the channels and the GFA 545II for the remaining 2.

Why did you go from Energy to Def Tech?

too many trips to magnolia to listen to some bp7004 and bp7006s did the energy set up in. i really liked the energys, but the room-filling sound and built in subs of the def techs really do shine for ht. for music listening, the energys probably have the def techs beat, but the def techs aren't that far behind. also, i found some bp10s for really cheap on craigslist and my older bp2004tls were a really great price also. basically my energy c-500s and c-c100 financed my new deftechs. i'm still saving for the def tech ctr though...

the gfa7400 does have a great sound. i do miss the gfa 545II in some music applications though. i didn't get to a/b the 545II vs the 7400 w/ my new deftechs, but i did w/ the c-500s. the gfa545II seemed to have a more "musical" sound if that makes any sense, maybe a tad "warmer." 2 channel on the deftech supertowers is still great though b/c of the built in 10" subs...

[Yeha-Noha]

Thanks Arrt! Those are nice speakers with a great frackin amp (gfa) driving them. You should get some great sound from them.

How did you hook up the 7400 to those speakers. They already have built in power amps. The ones I saw on ebay for $159/pair did. Do they come with a bypass switch so you can connect an external power amp?

[arrt vandelay]

Originally Posted by rwojtalewicz

Thanks Arrt! Those are nice speakers with a great frackin amp (gfa) driving them. You should get some great sound from them.

How did you hook up the 7400 to those speakers. They already have built in power amps. The ones I saw on ebay for $159/pair did. Do they come with a bypass switch so you can connect an external power amp?

if there's some on there for just $159, i need to get in on that!...i think i just saw the auction...i'll have to watch that one...

my bp2004tls are just hooked up via speaker wire and set to "large." they're built w/ 250w amps each just for the 10" subs. there's an internal crossover that splits out the signal to the 2 5 1/4" mids and 2 1" tweets. i'm not sure what that cross over is set at though. they also have lfe inputs, if you wanted to set the crossover yourself, but deftech recommends just using speaker wire. the lfe inputs are just for tweakers really. i'll probably try it one day, but they sound pretty good to me now...

the 7400 does a great job w/ everything, especially for the price i paid...just $275! the only thing i would change is the turn on "pop/thump", but this seems to be common w/ all adcoms. my speakers are fine; i'm just anal about it...

[Yeha-Noha]

Originally Posted by arrt vandelay

if there's some on there for just $159, i need to get in on that!...i think i just saw the auction...i'll have to watch that one...

my bp2004tls are just hooked up via speaker wire and set to "large." they're built w/ 250w amps each just for the 10" subs. there's an internal crossover that splits out the signal to the 2 5 1/4" mids and 2 1" tweets. i'm not sure what that cross over is set at though. they also have lfe inputs, if you wanted to set the crossover yourself, but deftech recommends just using speaker wire. the lfe inputs are just for tweakers really. i'll probably try it one day, but they sound pretty good to me now...

the 7400 does a great job w/ everything, especially for the price i paid...just $275! the only thing i would change is the turn on "pop/thump", but this seems to be common w/ all adcoms. my speakers are fine; i'm just anal about it...

Sorry Arrt, the info I gave you on them was wrong. I just noticed that he's selling only the bare cabinets for $159/pair. What a bummer!

Those are still nice speakers though even if they cost two or more times that much.

My GFA 545II doesn't make my C-300s thump when I turn it on. Did you try turning your 7400 on in a different order say last instead of first or vice versa, or some other sequence other than what you would normally do to see it that eliminates the thump? I see you have a power conditioner though so it probably doesn't matter what order you do it but might be worth a try.

[arrt vandelay]

Originally Posted by rwojtalewicz

Sorry Arrt, the info I gave you on them was wrong. I just noticed that he's selling only the bare cabinets for $159/pair. What a bummer!

Those are still nice speakers though even if they cost two or more times that much.

My GFA 545II doesn't make my C-300s thump when I turn it on. Did you try turning your 7400 on in a different order say last instead of first or vice versa, or some other sequence other than what you would normally do to see it that eliminates the thump? I see you have a power conditioner though so it probably doesn't matter what order you do it but might be worth a try.

it turns on via 12v trigger from my yammy receiver. they guy i bought it from said he it had a turn on "thump" as well that was less pronounced w/ certain speakers. it's just a slight annoyance really. if you do a google search for adcom turn on thump, there's a lot of info about it. the adcom website even has some info about in their faqs. i've thought about just leaving it on all the time, but have never really done that for extended periods. as long as no damage is done...whatever i guess...