Adcom GFA-5802 -vs- Parasound HCA-3500 Amps?

Funny, I just had a salesman talk to me about the Adcom 5800 and 5802 yesterday as he was giving me info for a friend; both he and another saleman agreed that the 5800 was better than the 5802. Sorry I don't have info directly to your question but thought i'd share this experience.

I've heard both. No question. Parasound HCA-3500.

I've heard both of these amps, and I'd give the edge to the Parasound 3500. The Adcom 5802 is still a good amp (and a great value at used prices), but it's a bit warmer and darker than I like in my system. Both have good dynamics, good soundstaging, and accurate timbral presentation of instruments, but I think the Parasound is more transparent and neutral than the Adcom 5802. When I auditioned these amps in my system about 2 years ago, and A-B'd the amps, I found the Parasound "disappeared" better than the Adcom.

Brian's comment about the two salesmen who preferred the Adcom 5800 over the 5802 is interesting -- the sales folks that I know have had the opposite reaction. I think that Adcom had repair problems with the 5800 (also true of the GFP-840, their first true pre/pro), and made some subsequent circuit and parts changes in the 5802.

To Sdcampbell (and others), I want to reiterate that I have never heard either, though I do trust the salesman that mentioned it to me, but I can't say anything for fact. They mentioned something like the 5802 is more power and weighs less, that alone puzzled them (or rather, spoke volumes). Anyway, sorry if I caused confussion. (He further stated that the 5800 can be nicely modified.)