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
mattmiller's avatar
mattmiller
1,497 posts
 
I drive a pair of UK made EPOS ES22’s with a ADCOM GFA 555, what really makes it sound special though is the Modwright SWL 9.0 SE pre amp. The GFP565 pre amp is good, but the tubed Modwright makes it really show me how good the GFA555 can sound. 

The GTP400 (tuner/pre amp) is one of the worst sounding pre amps Adcom made (tough to pack eveything in one box and still make it sound good,... GFP565 blows away the GTP400 in terms of SQ it has a great phono section too)


Matt M
213runnin
914 posts
 
I thought I'd update my experience with the new GFA 555SE.  Once again, my system is a Parasound Halo P5, 555SE, Schiit Bifrost Multibit, Nad cd player(C565BEE) and Totem Acoustic Rainmakers which are bookshelf speakers that can get harsh with some material.

Cables are Morrow Audio MA3 and 5 both with Eichmann silver bullets for the RCA plugs.  Tress speaker cable which is Totem's similar version of Chord Odyssey.  It's a better quality copper with silver plating.

Anyway, at the 40 hour + mark, the amp has really burned in nicely.  The imaging from the Rainmakers are jaw dropping at times and vocals have that extra sense of realism.  Bass below 80 Hz is routed to the Kef Q400 sub, and in my smaller room, it's plenty.  But the amp barely gets warm now when at first it would warm up a little.  I can't say enough about the black background to the soundstage, and dynamics and PRAT.

It's worth a listen for sure.



markinsantamonica's avatar
markinsantamonica
3 posts
 
I happen to have a pristine GFP-555 that I am willing to sell. Contact me if you are interested.
yohimey's avatar
yohimey
25 posts
 
I believe Kalali is right on the money , i have a Adcom gfa 555 mk 2 and paired it with a ss  audio research ls3  and later a rogue audio perseus magnum preamp (tubed)  retubed w/ nos holland amperex bugel boy 12au7 , and boy did that ever liquidate the music thru the adcom, also connected my  B&K 442 amp to both preamps, again the tubed preamp creamed the ss preamp in midrange up thru highs. Poor mans james bond stereo ! By the way i long ago owned a gfp 750 mosfet adcom preamp paired with 4 nad 214 amps in strap mono thru a pair of paul barton psb stratus gold spkrs, that was my first dive into uh hum high end audio, for a very poor man at the time. Had a micromega stage 5 cd player and a rotel rcd 950 , the micromega was better, but the rotel fooled me for the 1st and even 2nd listen , but the micromega just had better midrange , rotel more boom and sizzle which sounds enticing at first.
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