tom b. 57 Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 Is an Adcom amp GFA-545 II, worth $195.00. How well does it match up with Conwalls or any other Klipsch for that matter. There is one that has been offered on Craigslist now a few different times. Is the seller asking too much? I am curious about the quality of sound and the reliability of this amp. Anyone have any experience with this amp? Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stormin Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 IMHO the GFA 545 II is one of the better sounding amplifiers from Adcom. You will find folks on this forum that think they sound great with Klipsch and others that think otherwise. I am in the latter camp. I had Adcom in my system for quite a few years and many different models. I find them to be a very forward and bright sounding amplifier. Now to put that in perspective I have heard Adcom only on Chorus II's. There are some folks that think the Tractrix of the Quartet,Forte II and Chorus II is a forward sounding horn. I myself find it to be a very smooth horn that when throttled gets smoother as you move up in quality power. Alot of folks have had great success with tube gear and Klipsch of all models. Some will say grab a Scott for a couple hundred and have Craig of NosValves do his magic and you will have a dream sound with ample bass for little investment. Honestly that may be your best direction. But if you want to stay quality SS for pennies on the dollar I would say buy a QSC. Aragon would be my next choice but then again I find Aragon to have a weak midbass with a peak in the upper mids that gets hard at higher volumes. But then again just my opinion with Chorus II's. Actually Chorus II's may be alot harder to get enjoyment out of than a pair of Cornwalls do to being so picky with associated gear. I will tell ya this I would take a Marantz 2325 twice today and 3 times tomorrow over Adcom. So there is another great option with horns. Goodluck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrestonTom Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 That amp is fine. The original 5x5 series was designed by Nelson Pass. The one you mention is the 100 watt version. I have listened to the larger (555) and smaller (535) versions on K-Horns and Cornwalls and they do fine. The price is reasonable (a little better than most, actually). The reliability of the Adcom stuff is good. If it is within your "comfort level" there are some inexpensive & simple mods that can be done to improve the sound. I have not done these but they are described and recommended by "DJK" over on the AA forum (you can do a search to find out). They are basically bypass caps on the power supply. He claims it will improve the bass. He seems to be a technically knowlegeable guy so I would go with his advice. I will disagree with the previous poster in that if you are trying to "equalize" the sound of your speaker then an amp is a poor way to accomplish that. Also, the Adcom is a good value for the money so I am skeptical about the QSC amps. The issue of using tubes is a religious one and I am of a different denomination. Good Luck, -Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duke Spinner Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 I am skeptical about the QSC amps. -Tom Tom ...!!!! Skeptical ..??? your goin' to have ... WHO, MAS, DeanG, Stormin', ... 'an ..Me .. ... and god know's how many other's .. after You for that post ..!!! [] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrestonTom Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 Duke, I just checked and the QSC (eg plx1202) is comparatively priced. Although I do not understand why one needs 200 watts (32 dB gain) for efficient speakers (heck, why not ...) What is the noise floor like on these guys? -Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duke Spinner Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 no .. noise floor .. an' .... lotsa A$$ ... right .. Stormin' ...?? [] Actually ... I'd bet you would be shocked .. to see what a couple hundred clean watt's in reserve .. actually ...Sound's like ......[:|] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom b. 57 Posted May 28, 2007 Author Share Posted May 28, 2007 no .. noise floor .. an' .... lotsa A$$ ... right .. Stormin' ...?? [] Actually ... I'd bet you would be shocked .. to see what a couple hundred clean watt's in reserve .. actually ...Sound's like ......[:|] Duke, tell me more about these QSC amps. Are they pro amps? Any info. would be appreciated. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duke Spinner Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 let somma our QSC guy's chime in here .. all I got are Crown's .... [] unless, ya wanna K model ...[] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duke Spinner Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 Actually .. I think our Forum is split ... there are those that have to have a Hi-Fi , Anal Approved amp ....Stereophile 'A" component an' then ... those that know .. Pro amps ... give 20x bang for the buck ... [] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stormin Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 I will disagree with the previous poster in that if you are trying to "equalize" the sound of your speaker then an amp is a poor way to accomplish that. Also, the Adcom is a good value for the money so I am skeptical about the QSC amps. The issue of using tubes is a religious one and I am of a different denomination. Good Luck, -Tom Disagreeing is great. We all have our preferences.But truthfully I have had both brands in my listening room for extended times so I am comparing 2 amps I have actually heard. I like to start with the speakers and build around them for sound some folks do it the other way. But again this is just from my own personal experiences with both brands of amplification. IMHO there isn't anything an Adcom can do to hold a candle to a QSC amp. We aren't talking minor differences here. QSC actually has weight and that is not to be takin literally. And I know if your an adcom fan that statement says it all. But to give Adcom a fair shake I do believe they are or should I say were a descent bang for the buck back in the day. But IMHO just not for horns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stormin Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 Tom b.57, Yes, they are pro amps. These things have about a zero noise floor. I've not had an amp that even at full gain when I put my ear up to the horn throat there is zero noise. No hum,hiss buzz nothing notta.These QSC's have a black background. And none of those thumps and bumps from powering on and off (sorry for the dig adcom fans). There are alot of great amplifiers on the market. QSC just happens to be a great bang for the buck for "HORNS". Oh and as an added bonus, if you like to rock out from time to time these things will knock the wind out of ya[] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oscarsear Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 I ran Khorns with an Adcom GFA 535II amp for many years. It did quite well. Not familiar with QSC so cannot comment. But my little 535 was dead silent using the ultra sensitive Khorns. I still have the amp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z4! Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 Which QSC amps (series) would perform best with Klipsch Heritage speakers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark1101 Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 I noticed the PLX 1104 and 1802 are the only ones in the PLX line that have class A/B amps. The others all have class H. Anyone know the differences in sound one could expect? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stormin Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 SRA, PLX or Powerlight. All would perform beyond expectations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stormin Posted May 28, 2007 Share Posted May 28, 2007 I noticed the PLX 1104 and 1802 are the only ones in the PLX line that have class A/B amps. The others all have class H. Anyone know the differences in sound one could expect? Mark, I tried to answer this for you before but I think you may have overlooked it in a long winded thread. Almost all clubs, theatres and other professional venues which utilize QSC are class H designs. They perform fantastic in a large venue and I personally find them to perform exceptional in a small venue as in the home envrionment. http://mixonline.com/products/review/audio_qsc_audio_sra/ There is a small review of the 2422 which is class H. Many forums have folks that have used both and actually find no difference in the sound signature besides the power. On this forum we have folks that own both designs and have heard nothing but good results with horn speakers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom b. 57 Posted May 28, 2007 Author Share Posted May 28, 2007 Tom b.57, Yes, they are pro amps. These things have about a zero noise floor. I've not had an amp that even at full gain when I put my ear up to the horn throat there is zero noise. No hum,hiss buzz nothing notta.These QSC's have a black background. And none of those thumps and bumps from powering on and off (sorry for the dig adcom fans). There are alot of great amplifiers on the market. QSC just happens to be a great bang for the buck for "HORNS". Oh and as an added bonus, if you like to rock out from time to time these things will knock the wind out of ya[] I'm kinda lookin' to get the wind knocked out of me from time to time. My concerns with them being pro amps is, 1) do I need special cables or cords to hook them up to a preamp? 2) Will my McIntosh C-26 or my Phase Linear 3000 II work well as preamps? 3) I have 12 and 14 gauge speaker wire with no connectors on the ends, will this be fine? 4) What is a good price for a 200wpc unit 5) what model should I be keeping my eye out for? Thanks, Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark1101 Posted May 29, 2007 Share Posted May 29, 2007 I noticed the PLX 1104 and 1802 are the only ones in the PLX line that have class A/B amps. The others all have class H. Anyone know the differences in sound one could expect? Mark, I tried to answer this for you before but I think you may have overlooked it in a long winded thread. Almost all clubs, theatres and other professional venues which utilize QSC are class H designs. They perform fantastic in a large venue and I personally find them to perform exceptional in a small venue as in the home envrionment. http://mixonline.com/products/review/audio_qsc_audio_sra/ There is a small review of the 2422 which is class H. Many forums have folks that have used both and actually find no difference in the sound signature besides the power. On this forum we have folks that own both designs and have heard nothing but good results with horn speakers. Thanks for this info. I'd like to hear any one of these QSCs to see what the buzz is all about. Lots of people really like them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Def Leper Posted May 29, 2007 Share Posted May 29, 2007 I have an Adcom system running with my Cornwall I's--- GFA 5500 amp (200w/ch), GTP 450 preamp/tuner, and GCD 600 CD Player. I also have a Scott tube integrated amp that was purchased from a forum member, which was rebuilt and then retuned again later by Craig of NOSvalves. The Adcom amp is a thumper (turn on/off transients) so I have an Adcom 3-speaker selector switch in the system that allows me to disconnect the speakers from the system when turning it on of off. Cheap and very easy to use. I have no issue other than the transients with the Adcom system. The amp has more than enough power to overdrive the Cornwalls and has a very clean sound. Frankly, I found the Scott tube amp to be underwhelming. While it sounds good at lower volume levels, I found it running out of steam at moderate to high levels and then the bass would become muddy. It also produces hiss as you'd expect with older analog equipment. Not a bad amp, but my total cost was a little over $500 and can't beat or even match my $100 garage sale Adcom power amp and preamp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stormin Posted May 29, 2007 Share Posted May 29, 2007 I have an Adcom system running with my Cornwall I's--- GFA 5500 amp (200w/ch), GTP 450 preamp/tuner, and GCD 600 CD Player. I also have a Scott tube integrated amp that was purchased from a forum member, which was rebuilt and then retuned again later by Craig of NOSvalves. The Adcom amp is a thumper (turn on/off transients) so I have an Adcom 3-speaker selector switch in the system that allows me to disconnect the speakers from the system when turning it on of off. Cheap and very easy to use. I have no issue other than the transients with the Adcom system. The amp has more than enough power to overdrive the Cornwalls and has a very clean sound. Frankly, I found the Scott tube amp to be underwhelming. While it sounds good at lower volume levels, I found it running out of steam at moderate to high levels and then the bass would become muddy. It also produces hiss as you'd expect with older analog equipment. Not a bad amp, but my total cost was a little over $500 and can't beat or even match my $100 garage sale Adcom power amp and preamp. Awesome! Let me make this clear that I am not intending to bash Adcom. I've used them for years trouble free. I just always found myself being fatigued. There is alot of wow factor going on with all the details you hear from Adcom gear. But after time they would ware me out. I like a more even sound top to bottom thats all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.