2. amps-preamps
  3. 1218151387

Preamp or A/V receiver???

Hi. I posted a similar question recently but didn't receive the response I thought I would. I'm wondering if a decent A/V receiver is inferior/superior to a tuner/preamp unit such as the Adcom GTP-500II. I currently use my Onkyo Integra DTR 6.3 home theater receiver as my tuner and preamp. I run my Arcam 8SE hdcd/cd player through the A/V receiver, using GlowPower ZYXT interconnects, to my Adcom GFA-555 amp (200 wpc @ 8 ohms). I use solid Audioquest Hyperlitz speaker cables to connect to my KEF Reference 103/4 tower speakers (4 ohm). To my ears the system sounds excellent, but I can never seem to be satisfied. Because I thought the A/V receiver was likely inferior due to the extra electronics (internal DAC, surround sound components, DTS effects, etc), I purchased a nice Adcom GTP-500II tuner/preamp (with remote) on ebay. Both the Onkyo and the Adcom use gold-plated rca connections, and both offer phono inputs. The Onkyo Integra is Malasyian made (surprisingly), while the Adcom is of course a US product. I haven't received the Adcom preamp yet, but I'm wondering if I made the right decision. Any thoughts??
klipschking
klipschking OP
83 posts
 
Muzikat: Ah, but I can easily put the horse back in the barn! I only paid $120.00 for the GTP-500II, and I haven't sold my Onkyo yet. If the Adcom was a poor purchase, I can re-list it with little or no loss. Experts, what do you think??
cruz123
586 posts
 
You've answered your own question. Since you've already bought the Adcom, it doesn't matter what we think. Listen to both, keep the one you like and sell the other.
sufentanil's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
sufentanil
782 posts
 
I agree with the other posters. What we tell you should have no impact on your decision, because you'll have the ultimate test available to you. Just listen to both and keep the one you like best.

Michael
klipschking OP
83 posts
 
OK, OK, I get it. Although I've been listening to music for 40+ years, I have only recently moved from the "big box" products to what you might consider entry-level audiophile gear. I do trust my ears, but I also want to benefit from the experience of others who are more familiar with separates, and higher-end audio equipment in general. Even though the Onkyo A/V receiver sounds good with my system, it didn't seem to make sense to use it as a tuner/pre-amp from what little I know about electronics. For what its worth, the published "specs" for the Adcom are slightly better than the Onkyo, but I'll post when I make the comparison.
ait
480 posts
 
Gold-plated connectors are meaningless as an indicator of quality, they are everywhere these days. A good preamp will kill an A/V receiver every time, but I'm not sure that the Adcom qualifies as a good preamp - as a tuner/preamp, it is more like a receiver than a stand-alone preamp. As the others said, you listen and make your decision.
More to discover