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
qdrone
1,039 posts
 
I’ve owned the Adcom 555 since it was first made,bought it used. After reading a favorable review of a Musical Concepts Modified 555 in Absolute Sound I sent it too them and I had it modified. Very impressed with the results,gone was the grain in the treble and the bass had more slam and tighter. They made it dual mono too. I still have it in storage and I hard wired a Card as power chord into it.
I just got my Adcom 750 pre amp,a Nelson Pass design,back from Musical Concepts last month after having it modified to the Elite level and it sounds Uber. Sounds tube like with detail and warmth,very holographic with separation of instruments. I had owned the 750 since buying it from the first run with the Blue circuit board and Stereophile rated the 750 Class A.
Adcom was my first foray into affordable high end and holds a warm place in my heart.

mcate
1 posts
 
My 1st post here. I've owned an Adcom GTP-400, & GFA 545 II since new around 1990. Thinking about upgrading the preamp & I'd like to stick with Adcom. Used GFP 555's seem to be around $350'ish, & 565's are $500 - $600. Adcom's site has their new GFP 815 for $399, but aside from a couple of threads on here I can't seem to find any reviews on it. Does anyone know much about this preamp?
edlchiang62
17 posts
 
https://www.amazon.com/Adcom-GFP-815-Stereo-Preamplifier/dp/B005Q36WXU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=15...

The reviews seemed to be mixed.  I was told by Adcom that another preamp model is coming out this spring.
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.



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