Yes I own the GCA 500 power amplifier. And yes, I have heard more than my share of amplifiers. From the SET pieces of art, to the "boat anchor" weighted Krell, Levinson, Classe,Burmester,Spectral and many many more in between.
The fact is, This PS Audio GCA 500 straight "re-creates the musical event" with all the clarity and effortless power of any amplifier I have ever heard. If You think You are needing just a bit more, the next transient confirms the fact that there is no need to increase the volume.
Unlike most 500 watt amplifiers,with a complex signal path that is miles long, and with fans, typically they are not quiet.
Nu-Force, Rowland, Bel Canto and others Class D variants, are the exception.
I admit after Krell and other monster sized amplifiers, initially I did not give the GCA 500 the respect it deserved.
The build quality is second to none, the speaker jacks are nearly my thumb size!I do believe I could stand on them I do believe.
My sub-conscious kept whispering, "no substitute for massive power supply", this thing is as light as my 40 pound E.S. CD player!
But the moment the first sound comes out of my speakers, I knew this was a very special kind of power amplifier, like none I have ever heard.
It does everything right IMHO, whether low volume listening which I generally do; or if You desire structural damage, by all means crank it up. At 1000w.p.c. @4ohms, I can't imagine anyone not being just Sold on the way it stays true to the Music, Jazz, Classical,Reggae, New Age or Hard Rock.
The real question should be, are Your loudspeakers up to the task? Is Your Source clean? Is Your A.C. clean?
If You can answer "Yes" to those 3 simple questions, this Amplifier should be Your Last amplifier.
IMHO that is.
My GCA 500 is my front channel amplifier.
I listen to All my old CD's that used to sound horrible, the GCA 500 manages to make everything sound better.Every tiny
little detail is cleanly and clearly heard. Even any production errors can be heard.What is on the disc is replayed completely 100%. The better the production the better the sound.
I scored mine for a sweet price on Audiogon or e-bay.
Brand New condition box,manuals and warranty.
I am so very Blessed, I never dreamed I could own a system
where I enjoy music at this level.
Patient and Blessed.
