2. amps-preamps
  3. 132439-2291

Adcom?

Does ADCOM still make products and most importantly sell products?

I bought a amp/pre-amp combination (710 for the preamp and maybe 5300 for the stereo amp), and it was the worst electronics I have had in my house in 40 years, that is, beside NAD.
Both components started to malfunction majorly just after a few months (pre-amp volume control having a mind on its own, amplifier was discharging loud every couple minutes).
They both times promised me that they would exchange mine for new, so after agreement, I sent my gear back to them, and they sent it back to me with the same problems... we did that a couple times.... I think the tech guys were billing the department for new units, kept them for themselves, and sent me back the same crap untouched.
I could tell both times that the gear was untouched by adcom as I had marked the units on frames.

I feel like this kind of fraud is happening a lot, especially this time of the year when audio gear dealers offer "black friday deals", but in fact, they sell refurbished units thinking you won’t see anything.

Adcom, dealers selling refurbished as fresh from factory, thoughts?
128x128chrisr
mesch
3,512 posts
 
Yea it looked like a much bigger amp. Handles were cool. I owned mine for 25 years. 
jhills
615 posts
 
I have a US made Adcom GFA 5500. I picked it up used several years ago to back up my Krell that could not handle the fluctuating power issues in the area where I lived. While the Krell shut itself down every time the power spiked or dropped by a few volts, the Adcom had no problems. It may not compete sonicly with some of the much more pricey gear out there, but, with a long warm up, it sounds pretty darn good and is as tough as a tank. It's still my trusty back up and am using it now while waiting for a new set of tubes for my Rouge. I don't know how their new stuff is, but the older US made Adcom gear was some of audio's best bang for buck ever out there. Allot of my audio gear comes and goes, but two pieces I will always keep are my 35 year Audible Illusions, tubed, pre-amp and my trusty Adcom.......Jim
mesch
3,512 posts
 
Jim, I bet the Audible illusions with the Adcom amp was a great pairing. The pre likely smoothed out some of the grain in the high end of the amp.
jhills
615 posts
 
@ mesch
It does pair well very well with the Adcom. The Adcom can sound a bit edgy, especially if not given a long period of warm up. Dollar for dollar though, the Adcom sounds pretty darn good. I had the Audible Illusions paired with a friends Ayre V-5xe Evo for a couple of months and the sound was incredible - very smooth and detailed, with a beautiful large stage.
While not quite in the same league as when paired with the Ayre or the Brystons, It’s always good to know - I can count on the trusty old AI and the Adcom to keep the music flowing, if something else lets me down...Jim

mesch
3,512 posts
 
I once owned a Audible Illusions Modulus 3A. Very good preamp. I wasn't using it for it's phonostage, which I believed to be a waste of a fine stage so I sold it. Went line level. 
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