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Adcom - A Good Value?? Auctions risky??

I really have 2 questions.

First, There is a lot of discussuion here and elsewhere that make Adcom sound pretty bad. I am looking for a good amp with 200+/chanel and good down to 4ohms, without breaking the bank. The old 555 may have been rough, but how about the 5500, 5800, and 5802?? The 5800 would appear to be a pretty good deal on the surface, at around $600 used. But some have raised concerns about mechanical noise and noisy fans. Has this been a significant problem for any users?? The 5500 and 5802 are current models and seem to sell about $900 and $1400 new. I have seen the 5500 at about $600 or so used. This is no less than a used 5800, which would seem to be a better value, unless noise is a common problem. It appears the 5500 and 5802 have no fans. Do they have no noise problems? If the 5802 is the best of these might it be best to wait for the next generation to come out so the 5802 will then drop to say $800?

Second question is how risky is buying an amp over audiogon or ebay classifieds? If you get a DOA or even a hummer you have little recourse but complaining. I am sure there are horror stories. Is the experience generally good, or is this just a gamble?

Thanks in advance for thoughtful reactions!!!!

Steveg
steveg

Showing 2 responses by sean

sean
6,231 posts
 
Can't speak for the 5500, but the 5802 is MUCH better than the 5800. All of these amps are relatively brawny and will make a lot of sound for the money spent, but I wouldn't call any of these amps "musical".

As to buying used or on an auction, take a look at the seller's feedback ( if they have any ). People that have good feedback are typically good to deal. As such, most wouldn't want to risk their otherwise good reputation just to make a quick buck by posting misleading / incomplete info in their listing. Like anything else though, you could be the one out of the whole bunch that ends up getting "shafted". My suggestion is to find out who you are dealing with and as much info about what you are buying BEFORE bidding or finalizing any transaction. Sean
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sean
6,231 posts
 
Kirk, i think that you and a few others bring up a very valid point. Since many folks that are looking at Adcom, NAD, B&K and other like products are probably not very well versed in gear, they are still pretty reliant on product specs. This is not to say that specs are completely meaningless or that these are bad products, but that one should NOT rely on "advertising claims" that manufacturers provide you with.

As such, anyone that has played around with a half dozen different amps can tell you that Brand X watts are not the same as Brand Z's watts ( even though they are supposedly measured the same way ). It is not so much how "powerful" an amplifier is, it is really how well it interacts with the rest of the electronics and the speakers. I am talking about both the ability to drive the load AND sound good doing it at a wide volume range.

With that in mind, most of us have all run into "smaller" amps that seemed to perform with a LOT more "gusto" than other "big" or supposedly "beefier" amps. Since Classe' was also mentioned, i'll use them as an example. At one point in time, I had a Classe' 70 ( 75 wpc @ 8, 150 wpc @ 4, 300 wpc @ 2 and 3 dB's of headroom ). While i did not particularly care for the tonal balance of this particular amp, it actually drove some low impedance / low sensitivity speakers that i had better than a "much bigger" Bryston 4B ( 250 wpc @ 8 / 400 wpc @ 4 ). Not only did the "little" Classe amp sound cleaner, clearer and less strained at volume, it cost less money. If the sonics would have matched what i was looking for, it surely would have ranked ( in my book ) as a "giant killer" given its' low power rating and reasonable cost. Since others have different systems and different preferences, it very well MIGHT be a giant killer and a bargain to them. Sean
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