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
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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amyandbills
4 posts
 
IMHO upgrading your speaker would be the best move. Your Adcom 750 preamp is still to this day one of the best and the 5800 is a very decent amp.
krell_man
827 posts
 

I guess you have to decide if you want to get into the higher end and, if you do, how you want to get there.

What I was trying to say in my earlier post was that you don't know how good or lacking your speakers are until you get an amp that will grab the speakers and tell them exactly what to do.

For $4000.00, you can get yourself a really good high end amp that will do that. I don't see one listed here, but call Mark at Reno HiFi. I think that you might be able to get a Pass X250.5 demo or refurbished in that price range.

If your electronics aren't up to the task of really controlling your speakers, you'll never know how good or lacking any speakers you get will be.

Then again, they always say to choose your speakers first. If you're going to do that, make sure that you're hearing them in as good of quality system as you can so that you can hear their full potential.

Chuck
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jstroh
1 posts
 
The full system approach, which includes the room and any treatments, power conditioners, interconnects and speaker wire, is called for if one is to get credible assistance on such an open question.

That said, many of us are drawn to the component-by-component approach because it's easier [minimal research] and it's doable NOW. It may be a shame that many people in this hobby think this way, but that's life. I've been guilty of it, too.

And that said, I wouldn't try to give advice on this question without knowing the sources being used and the type of music preferred.

Just my take. Joe
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