2. amps-preamps
  3. 1352603751

What is my weak est link...? Suggestions please.

So here it is: I have a budget of $4000 to upgrade one of the following:

Speakers: Hales Concept 2 (one tweeter - one 7" driver)
Pre: Adcom GFP-750 (Nelson Pass design)
Amp: Adcom 5800

My Thoughts:

Speakers are built like tanks - solid walnut & concrete. Although they lack bottom end.

Bought the Pre years ago; A/B'd them to a Krell Pre ("lower line") which I was prepared to buy. Based on my audition at that time, I picked the Adcom.

Originally, I was thinking about a McIntosh 300 watt amp to replace the Adcom. However, does anyone have any experience with the Adcom GFP-750 as compared to other pre-amps? Also, do you think $$$ would be better spent replacing the Hales with a pair of BW801? I could add a subwoofer, but I kinda like the simplicity of the two speaker set-up.

Thanks for any positive feedback! It is great to have a support community out here in iPod world...

ABP
abp689
polyglot
77 posts
 
The Adcom 5800 compares pale vs a pair of 565 mono blocks if you want to stay loyal to Adcom as a brand; staying loyal to Nelson Pass is certainly a good choice going Pass Labs. Cables and good power conditioning and cheap tweaking (read the zillon comments about footers) should help to improve the sound a lot.
Post removed 
newbee
4,778 posts
 
Viridian, Harshly stated but on point I think. :-)

Abp, Were I in your place I would focus all my attention on getting a full range speaker I had listened to and could build my system around. Speakers first, amp second, sources/pre amp, and lastly everything else, especially tweaks that result in only minor differences. Cables both IC's and speaker cables should come dead last. You can get by on some excellent and inexpense ones til you are really flush. If you have done your work in component selection in the first place you won't need the high-priced frequency response benders, and IMHO that is all most of them are.

But, by all means, get out and start listening to systems in others homes or in B&M stores and see what is possible. Even if you have to put down that book for a while. I think you will be shocked! You might even find an audio friend in your area willing to help if you were to ask.

Good luck.......
jeff1225
172 posts
 
Viridian,
Nice work, you are the perfect example of why this hobby is losing participants. How many times have we been into audio stores and had to deal with snooty and rude dealers? Congrats.

ADP689,
Good luck in your search for good sound. Hales are excellent speakers, I would experiment with room placement of the speakers, opportunities regarding wall and corner loading.
foster_9
1,638 posts
 
Jeff1225, you are absolutely right! Apb689 is new here. This is his first post, and what happens when he asks for help? He gets harshly criticized by an audiophile because his post doesn't meet a certain standard of information that the experienced audiophile would expect. Do you have to have thick skin to seek help in this audio forum? Apparently, the message is: "you better or don't post." As you said Jeff1225, the way people get treated by some of the B&M's and some audiophiles it's no wonder the number of philes continues to dwindle.
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