Warm Replacement for Adcom GFA 545 II

Hello Hugol: Jolida makes the 1000P power amp that puts out 100 wpc of tube power, and if your Adcom drove your Dalines ok, then I would expect this amp to do as well but with a smoother, more neutral and detailed sound. I have a 545II also, and while it is one hell for strong amp, my 200 wpc Jolida 3000A mono-blocs are much smoother, more refined, and detailed. Hope this helps some.

System:
Audio Alchemy ACD II
Lite Dac AH!
Jolida 3000B preamp
Musical Design SP1 preamp
Crown Straight Line I preamp
ME XM-9 3 way x-over
Musical Design D-75 solid state: subwoofer amp
Adcom GFA 545 II
Jolida 3000A 200 wpc mono-blocs: monitor amps
Sound Dynamics 300Ti's: 3 way monitors

I think changing amps to compliment cables is altogether backwards.

^^^

truly.

Talk about bassackwards.

Unsound makes a good point, but I suspect that the Adcom is not quite up to the level of the other equipment you have. The Marantz integrateds with the HDAM module are good sounding, and I've found used Luxman or McIntosh power amps to be reliable and neutral.

07-01-12: Unsound
I think changing amps to compliment cables is altogether backwards.

That's not what he's doing. The upgraded cables improved signal transfer and in doing so revealed the shortcomings in the Adcom. Adcoms from that era are good so far as it goes (price/performance/reliability 20 yrs ago), but they only go so far before the unrefined treble gets to you.

Anyway, just about any reputable amp from the last decade will be an improvement over the 545 II. Look into something from Parasound, such as their Halo A23 , Classic 2125, or if 75 wpc will do, the Classic 275.

Thanks very much for the input. Johnnyb53 makes the point better than I did. Since the Adcom is now worh less than the speaker cable, it seemed time to upgrade. The Parasound Halo gets excellent reviews and seems reasonably priced. Would it work well with Jolida 5t? I have also seen the Marantz PM-15 S2 available still in my price range but twice the price of the Parasound. Which might be a better fit? The Luxman would be great but it's out of my price range.

The Marantz amps with the HDAM module are fantastic and perform above their price range. I heard a demo rig at a local store that had a Marantz PM8004 integrated amp ($999, their lowest price amp with HDAM) powering a $12,500 pair of Sonus Faber Cremona Ms. You would *never* have guessed that the sound from the Cremonas was powered by a <$1K amp. The Marantz HDAM amps are fast, clean, linear, neutral, with great control over the speakers, yet not a hint of edginess or clinical coldness. They also have a signal-to-noise ratio around 125 dB. which makes for excellent low level and inner detail. I heard some music I was very familiar with sound bigger, lusher, and more fully fleshed out than I'd ever heard it before.

I moved from Adcom to Odyssey. If you want to continue the theme of a burly SS amp, the Stratos is a thought. I'm not sure I'd call it warm, but it is definitely not brittle like the Adcom; I'm definitely sensetive to fatiguing highs, and I happily lived with a Stratos for five years. A nice amp, and a definite step up from Adcom, with good values (and continued manufacturer support) on used pieces.

Best,

John

I would have still waited to upgrade cables, until after everything else was decided upon.

I use speakers of a similar impedance (Silverline Preludes) with AQ Type 8 speaker cables...also a couple of pairs of Diamondbacks and a 60 wpc Jolida JD502P amp that is inexpensive, sounds amazing, and has plenty of power. A very even tone all around, and I found the Diamondbacks to be a really neutral well made cable.

Keep in mind that many listeners find the Diamondbacks to be somewhat bright/harsh.