2. amps-preamps
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What's Your Take on This ?

https://www.stereophile.com/solidpoweramps/adcom_gfa-535_power_amplifier/index.html
maplegrovemusic
roxy54's avatar
roxy54
8,164 posts
 
Back when Adcom was buying a lot of full page ads, I had the opportunity to use one for two weeks in my system alternating with my Mac 2105, which was pretty old even then. I can't recall which model, but it was well over 100 watts per channel. Anyway, the sound was thin, hashy in the treble, and overall not even comparable to the Mac. It still makes me wonder where all of the praise is coming from. At the time when they were popular, they were well priced amps for people who couldn't afford a higher end, higher powered amp.

mrdecibel
3,104 posts
 
I owned an original 535 ( as well as other Adcom models ), and purchased a series 2, which had many upgrades ( circuitry ), including better rca inputs, speaker binding posts ( and eliminating the speaker switching ), and to my knowledge, heavily biased to class a for the 1st several watts. I still have the series 2 in my amp collection. Working within its limitations, it is a very good amplifier, slightly dry, but very accurate, and has always run hot. 
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
10,132 posts
 

Funny, the two amps Corey mentions at the end (Electron Kinetics Eagle 2A and PS Audio 200C) I own. The 555’s are notorious for having their power supply filter capacitors go bad (be careful about hooking one up to a pair of speakers you love), which I had happen; I don’t know if the same is true of the 535 (or 545). Anthony Cordesman (as usual attempting to get a "scoop") grossly over-rated the original 555 (dry, grainy, coarse. Okay for a sub perhaps, though not as good for that as the Eagle 2A), and was quickly put in his place by JGH and Larry Archibald.

The Eagle 2A and PS Audio 200C can be had for about the same price as a 555; both are better amplifiers.

stereo5's avatar
stereo5
6,539 posts
 
I had a 555 ii and never warmed up to it.  At higher volumes, it got thin and etched sounding.  I replaced it with a Classe 10 amp.
bigkidz
3,418 posts
 
For the price it is probably a very good deal.  His comment that "The B&K amplifiers, as I have often said, sound tube like" makes me think that he have never heard tubes before and I take that as a poor description.  IMO SS that sounds like tubes means that they sound more dark, and soft sounding unless it is First Sound.

Happy Listening.


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