fletcherkane Posted March 7, 2006 Share Posted March 7, 2006 Hi guys, I am looking at purchasing an Adcom 555 Mark II on ebay. This would be my first outboard amp, and it would be used to operate my Forte mains in my HT, leaving my Pioneer 1015tx to power the rest of my channels. Do you guys have any experience with ADcom? It looks like a pretty solid amp, and has plenty of power to go around. I am just curious if anyone here has paired Klipsch with Adcom and your thoughts on the matchup. I'd like to work up to a full Pre Pro combo for my HT. Is this a decent amp? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Matthews Posted March 7, 2006 Share Posted March 7, 2006 Adcom is supposed to be. My friend has one. It's been years since I heard it, but it sounded very good. He had some issues with the power supply going out alot, but my guess is that issue was resolved many years ago. As far as sound, it does well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rplace Posted March 7, 2006 Share Posted March 7, 2006 I don't remember the exact models I auditioned back in the early 90s, but I seem to remember them all having three numbers like 444 and 555. Is this from that era? If so, my advice would be to keep looking. At the time I was looking for separates for my Forte II. I ended up with a Carver TFM-25. The few Adcoms I listened to sounded metallic - gave me the feeling of chewing on aluminum foil. [] FWIW, I still have, and use regularly, the Carver TFM. If the amp in question is not a 100-300 watt solid state version from the late 80s early 90s I could be all wrong on the sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Posted March 7, 2006 Share Posted March 7, 2006 Recent Adcoms sound pretty good with Klipsch,the 555/II were good amps but a just a little harsh to me,only imo.The 5500 I had sounded ok with Klipsch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flason Posted March 7, 2006 Share Posted March 7, 2006 I have a 555 Mk II that I interchange with an Onkyo M504 and a Scott 299C. I think I like the Adcom with it's matched pre a little more then the Onkyo with it's matched pre although it is very hard to do an A\B test. I still have the Onkyo hooked up due to both laziness and the fact that it has a few more inputs than the Adcom and it really is a close call between the 2. I listen through a pair of Klipschorns and to me, there is no harshness at all. I've had the Carver TFM 35x and it too was a very nice amp but my pre at the time was an HK730 and not a dedicated matching piece. If you can get the 555 for a good price, I'd say go for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedball Posted March 7, 2006 Share Posted March 7, 2006 Never heard them BUT, our local dealer said that the 555 MK-II is the one to get if I go that route. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicago_Pete Posted March 7, 2006 Share Posted March 7, 2006 Had a 555 paired with Klipsch Chorus. Drove me out of the room with brightness. Sounded much better with my JBL L100's. Just my opinion, people seem to like Adcom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stormin Posted March 7, 2006 Share Posted March 7, 2006 I believe adcom makes some very reliable equipment. I've had the 555MKII and the 565 monos. Both were on the bright side for me as well. Not bad equipment at all but paired with horns i would keep looking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marems Posted March 7, 2006 Share Posted March 7, 2006 Agreed, Adcom amps can be bright, My 7700 can drive you from the room if its pushed too hard, Try some Transparent music links with the adcom gear, it'll tame the harshness some what. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrestonTom Posted March 7, 2006 Share Posted March 7, 2006 They are certainly a good amp. The signal is very clean and they are able to deliver large amounts of current and drive low impedance loads. These last two features are not an issue for Klipsch speakers however. Good luck -Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rigma Posted March 7, 2006 Share Posted March 7, 2006 I Bought a Brand New 555, Listened to it for a month with Klipschorns, couldn't stand it, sold it on ebay for half what I paid for it, but was glad to be rid of it. Went with Crown, much better, and no I don't have any more Crowns for sale. Hope this doesn't burst your bubble. rigma Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Posted March 7, 2006 Share Posted March 7, 2006 what is their THD at .001 watt? at .01 watt? at .1 watt? 1 watt, 2, 3? That is where horns need quality power...and why tubes do so well.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fletcherkane Posted March 7, 2006 Author Share Posted March 7, 2006 Thanks for the thoughts guys. I think I will probably keep looking. More brightness is definitely not what I am looking for. In the budget of $500 for a 2 channel amp, what would you guys reccommend? I am not interested in getting into tubes at the present time. I have heard good things about Crown. Do they sell a Home Audio line of amps, or do you just use the prosound models? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theplummer Posted March 7, 2006 Share Posted March 7, 2006 I've got to agree, I've had a GFA6000 for many years. always thought it was an excellent amp, but could never understand why I was unable to get the bass to respond on my Chorus I's. Then I bought a Sunfire Signature amp. WOW this woke those Choruses up. Cost about a grand more though. Hate to say it, but keep looking, IMHO their just not right for Klipsch. Bye the way anyone interested in an excellent ADCOM GFA-6000 amp? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrestonTom Posted March 7, 2006 Share Posted March 7, 2006 Ahh, now you are talking. With a budget of 500 for an amp (I assume 2 channel). There is quite a bit out there. Amps can be idiosyncratic with Klipsch speakers (due to their sensitivity). So what may sound good with other speakers, can be problematic with speakers that are so revealing. In short, try to demo the amp at home before you buy it. Some stereo shops with consignment units will do this. Otherwise other arrangemnts will need to be made. The good news is that you do not need a large amp (you need a clean one however). Rather than simply naming the ones that I have at home, let me cast a large net of stuff from the 1970s-1980sMcIntosh (may not be in the price range, unless......)Luxman NADHaflerOnkyoDennonRotelthe list goes onGood luck,-Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Def Leper Posted March 7, 2006 Share Posted March 7, 2006 My Adcom stuff sounds great with my Cornwalls. Note that my preamp doesn't have a phono preamp, so I'm running an aftermarket outboard preamp, so I can't vouch for their phono preamps. I don't like my amp's turn on and turn off transients, so I unplug the speakers when turning it on or off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j-malotky Posted March 8, 2006 Share Posted March 8, 2006 I never liked Adcom amps. If your looking for a good low cost warm sounding SS amp, the McIntosh 250 is always a good choice. Usually can be found in the $300 range. JM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve Posted March 8, 2006 Share Posted March 8, 2006 I've owned many Adcom amps, and I must say, they do sound a tad bright with KHorns..BUT! I really liked their preamp, the GFP-565..it was a nice unit for solid state..I have A/B'd it with my McIntosh C2200, and the C2200 isn't 5 times better by any means! (it cost 5 times more when both were purchased new) The tube pre is smoother..but again, for the price, the Adcom SS pre was a great deal! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
el jopez Posted March 8, 2006 Share Posted March 8, 2006 My .02 cents. I am currently running a pair of RF 35's on a 5 channel adcom amp, a 7605 to be exact. Its rated at 125 wpc with a B&K pre pro. It sounds great to me. It does not sound harsh or bight. On the contrary I find the sound to be very neutral and extremely relaxed which on horns is a big plus imo. I think it is a great bang for your buck amp and I highly reccomend it to anyone even as an entry starting SS amp. Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironwoods Posted March 8, 2006 Share Posted March 8, 2006 I've a friend that's had a 555 II powering kg 2.5's for some years now, and likes it. I just picked up a B&K ST-140(105w) for the rear channels. They also have a good reputation and following. I think either one would be a good choice, especially in an HT application, where some brightness can usually be remedied with tone controls. [:|] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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