I thought I'd ask the experts here. A friend of mine is giving away his Adcom GFA555 MKII. I am hesitant at first to take it since I do not know how it will sound and perform in my system. Right now, what I am using is a Yamaha RXV2095 with B&W LCR600 for L,R,C,RR,RL channels plus a B&W subwoofer. I am mostly happy with the sound in HT but not so thrilled with music especially jazz and classical. As I am more into stereo music so I am wondering if connecting the Adcom to my pre-out to power my two front speaker will improve my stereo listening? The Adcom is rated at 200 wpc and my Yamaha will serve as the preamplifier for the front speakers.
Will I be able to hear a difference in the quality of sound if the Adcom is used to power my main speakers?
Opinions from the experts here are very much appreciated.
PS. Since it is being given free, I thought of getting it but I do not want to take it if it will make the sound worse. Oh and I prefer, warm rather than bright or harsh.
You have identified a problem with your system--i.e., that you aren't particularly happy with the sound for stereo listening. I would suggest that the Adcom will significantly improve your stereo listening. Your friend is a better friend than you know.
Now, Yamaha has for a number of years tuned their HT receivers to have a more exciting sound for HT, largely at the expense of stereo sound. They do this by elevating the uppper midrange (2-4 Khz) which provides a somewhat bright and detailed sound, which, with the wrong speakers, will sound bright and harsh. Now, you have not identified what speakers you have, but regardless, the Adcom is going to sound much smoother.
The Adcom, on the other hand, is considered to be one of the truly great budget amps offered in the past 20 years. Great, not only because it was a great value, but because it provided really good sound--warm and smooth as butter, but still very detailed. I went to an old review of the GFA555 done by Tony Cordesman at Stereophile, which I have copied here because I think it really sets forth the quality of that amp:
"Adcom GFA-555 power amplifier"
Anthony H. Cordesman & Various, April, 1985
"I am reluctant to call any given transistor power amplifier a "best buy" or "breakthrough." From my talks with designers and other audiophiles, it is clear that the state of the art in power amplifiers is about to change. From where I stand, the Adcom GFA-555 is the first sample of this new wave. It is so clearly superior to past amplifiers in the low- to mid-priced range--not to mention most amplifiers two to three times its price--that I can unhesitatingly recommend it for even the most demanding high end system."
Now you need to understand that Tony Cordesman simply doesn't gush about just any component--it has to be very special to get this kind of copy from him.
I think you will find that amp will go a very long way in making your stereo listening more satisfying. It will also sound better in HT applications, but you will hear more of a difference with stereo and I would be surprised if you didn't hear an immediate improvement. I can appreciate your reluctance since you don't have any knowledge of the Adcom, but this is really a no-brainer. I would get it as soon as I could, before your friend changes his mind or offers it to someone else. Get a pair of good interconnects and you are set.
Enjoy!
saboteur
Unregistered guest
Posted on
My speakers for all the 5 important channels are B&W LCR600 and a B&W Sub.
OK, I clearly misunderstood that you were using the LCR600 (very nice speaker, BTW) for all five channels. When I read your original post now, it is very clear to me, but at first glance, I just didn't get it (probably because I am used to the LCR600 only as a center speaker!).
I stand by what I wrote before. I do think those speakers have plenty of detail so that you are likely to hear an immediate difference with the Adcom. I am sure you will enjoy your music entertainment now as the Adcom is very warm, unlike the Yamaha, and is considerably smoother.
Enjoy!
saboteur
Unregistered guest
Posted on
Great, just connected tha adcom and it indeed is a big improvement in my stereo listening. In my amazement, i am planning of getting two more adcom 555mkII to take care of my rear surroung and center. Because of the big improvement in sound, i believe this will be a good upgrade for my yamaha 2095.
After having good speakers that are acoustically balanced in the room, having enough clean power that never clips (especially during loud and complex musical transients), is a great thing to have.
You could probably save some money by purchasing a 5-channel amp from Adcom with a similar (or identical) power envelope. You might even find such a thing used at audiogon.com if you want to save some more money.
Hawk gave you good advice--particularly concerning the price of the Adcom :-)
Your friend deserves a great dinner at a nice restaurant for his generosity.
Congrats on a great system. As G-Man observes, having enough clean power that never clips is a great thing to have. But even so, that Adcom is a superb amp. I am glad I could give you some good advice.
You may wish to save some money by getting the Adcom GFA-5503, which is a three channel amp to drive your front three speakers. The 555 is not a current model as it has been updated to the GFA-5500. Well, the 5503 is a three channel version of the succesor. Should match the sound of your current Adcom and save you a few bucks by having to only buy one new amp instead of two.