adcom equipment.....

OP

 I just got done reading about the new Adcom line of amps and from what I could see their design is a far cry from the minimalist approach of the original GFA"s.  I have a modified 555 from yesteryear which I tried several months ago when I sent my reference amp in for a rebuild (20 year mark).  Unfortunately, even after giving  the old Adcom a few weeks to settle in, the music just was Blah.  I boxed it back up and went to headphones and Spotify till may SMc amp returned.

I would be very curious to listen to the new line. I would imagine that many component improvements that have occurred over time are implemented in the new amps.  I would be sure to get an extended audition at the local audio emporium or better yet in your system to be sure the Adcom is up to the performance of your other gear.

Good luck!

hifiman, 
I talked with adcom a while back and was told this was based on the old design with some mod and upgrade to the overall design.  I just brought my daughter an adcom redone by the seller. don't sound to bad.  a little thin in the bass though....

tim, 
 I have conrad Johnson gear for me and my wife, was just curious for my other daughter.....

I have an Adcom amp coming in next week. It is the least expensive 6602 amp. It is a temporary amp until my main amp is finished being rebuilt (Forte' Model 3). The price was right, but I am also curious as to what my reaction might be. I didn't want to buy an older amp just because of the 'wear' issue. Likely, this amp will be used in my garage system, unless it surprises me greatly. Go with your ears.

4 krow
let me know how that turns out for you...…
jafant
my wife has,
conrad Johnson 2300a recently redone by hamad at amp surgery
conrad Johnson pv10l
alon II’s
nad 546bee
my old technics turntable
and I switched her to tara labs interconnects from audio art for a more open sound, I made the speaker wire from bulk axiom wire.

mine,
again conrad Johnson
2500a amp
pv 12 pre, recently redone by hamad at amp surgery (sounds like the classic now)
alon IV’s
oppo 203, (had to give up on my beloved rotel 975)
acoustic zen interconnects cable, (personally from, I call him dr zen,(Robert lee), more open forceful sound, gave my tara labs to my wife.
I make my own speaker cables...….. holidays over jafant.

Let's see,  I mostly use CD's, so it usually starts with a Rega Apollo, then moves on to a Vincent SA-31 MK pre-amp. From there, one output goes to a NuTube headphone amp that I built and really dig.  When the amp arrives (Adcom 6602) it will power up a set of Decware ZOB speakers (Zen Open Baffle). I am pretty picky about power, so I use a BPT isolation transformer that produces balanced power from six separate secondary windings. Power cords vary, but PS Audio Preludes, Pangea AC14 SE, and one from BPT as well. Speaker cable has been Maple Shade basic twisted cable, which I have always liked, and interconnects are Nordost Blue Heaven from the CD player, and one Audio Magic from the pre-amp to the headphone amp, and then Straight Wire from  the TV to the Pre-amp as well. I occasionally use a dedicated a small laptop set up just for sound reproduction by a friend of mine, and it is amazing. That's about it.

kennesawjet
Very nice systems and cool that you make your own SP wire.

Happy Listening!

I would beg to differ with hifiman's assertion that he's read up on the new Adcom lines.  There is almost nothing to read up on regarding them or at least their design.  One can read the manual of each model on line, or read up on a few owner's impressions here and there, but there is no analysis of new vs old design, spec, sound, etc. that I can find anywhere.

That said, I bought the 555SE a year ago and the 6002 a few months back.  The 555 is a gem for the money.  Clear, open, dynamic but not bright or harsh sounding, or at least with decent cabling.  Great soundstage too.  I may actually be holding it back somewhat with the preamp, a P5 from Parasound.  it's a decent pre but employs mostly op amps instead of the preferred discrete circuitry.  Still, I have been able to get a soundstage with depth at times, 

The 6002 is a budget amp and though not the equal of the 555, has lots of power for its size.  It actually has more features than the 555SE, which may be due to the 555's minimalist design with no 12 volt trigger or input gain knobs.

As to the OP's curiousity towards the 575SE, I'd be curious too.  At 81 lbs, I'd suggest it's not for the faint of heart!  The 565 intrigues me too at their sale prices, but I've got to lay off the amp upgrades for a while.

hey thanks 213rinnin,
that's what I figured, it was a great line in its day, I don't see why it don't work now...…….

Sure, no problem.  Being that I've owned both Parasound and Adcom previously, I compared some of the specs of the 555SE and the Parasound 2250 V2.  They retail for about the same...

The Adcom has comparable SNR and better damping factor(900 to 150), better THD and better frequency response, which is down to 10 Hz vs a -3 db of 20 Hz for the Parasound.  The 555 also doesn't need a 2 ohm switch to be stable at 2 ohms.  I can't find cap values for the 2250, but comparing photos, the Adcom's at 60,000 micro farads seem quite large compared to the Parasound.

One more thing.  The 2250 achieves unity power at 1 volt, which is the typical max voltage output for receivers, but not preamps.  The Adcom achieves full power at 1.75 volts, which would give more range on the volume dial.

To be fair, the Parasound has more features, consumes less power at rest, and has 275 wpc on tap vs the 200 wpc for the 555.  The new improved Halo amps look much better for more money, though.

 I got the 6002 in yesterday. Two things stuck out immediately. First, I was right about the better damping factor helping out the bass response compared to my old tube amp. No surprise there, but I do like an accurate bass. Secondly, the amp has a harshness to it that I am hoping will go away with a few hours of use. In general, it is an honest sounding amp to my ears, so it would be worth using for the time being, until my Forte' amp is rebuilt. 

That's an interesting result, the harshness I mean.  I found it not harsh with Totem Rainmakers( a somewhat forward/open sounding speaker), but perhaps the Halo P5 had something to say about that.  Then too, my definition of harsh may be different than yours.  My cabling differs too, but let's not get into that!

I suppose it is a budget amp after all, you can only get so much SQ at the price point.  

4krow,
how is the ummp factor, I had one rebuilt (555) and its clear as hell but a little lacking in the bottom end.  im thinking that will go away at break in as well..

 Guys, both of you make good points. Mostly, I know that what I am hearing is really due more to the combination with my speakers than the amp itself. I am referring to the single driver speakers that I am using from Decware Audio. So many things I like about these drivers, 'but' there has always been a certain frequency that shouts (in the midrange). With tube equipment, it was tolerable, but now that SS has the floor, there is less forgiveness. After pointing that out, I am willing to say that this little amp is well worth the money. Like I said, the damping factor improved the bass to my ears, and overall, I find a good open presentation. The ummp factor can be had, but mostly at higher volumes. Maybe a bit more break in is to be considered. Only a few hours on the amp so far.
 I must point out one feature of the amp that is cool. It can be set to standby mode, and then if a signal is sensed, it will turn on. No need for a trigger, although that can be used as well. Small thing, but appreciated
 I will be moving on in a couple of months when the larger amp is rebuilt, and that is where I hang my hopes.

Been listening to the amp for a bit now, and I like what I hear. For my ears the sound is more transparent. I wouldn't put it heads and shoulders above the previous tube amp that I had, but it does more things right than wrong. As for the harsh sound I first heard, I have determined that the speakers are more at fault than the amp. The solution was unusual but it works. I had another driver that was being used for bass, being fed by another amp. I disconnected it, and then wired it in series with the original driver. I am now listening to the set up and so far, I like it. The harshness is practically gone. It will take a bit more experimentation, but I feel that the speaker idea is on the right track.

It's a couple of weeks later, and I've sold a few things and acquired a pair of Totem Hawks, as I've mentioned elsewhere on this forum.  I bring it up here because I've currently got the 6002 driving them, and it seems to be doing fine which somewhat surprises me.

The Hawks are apparently a difficult load, and I had the 555SE running them, but was concerned about the driver movement at higher volumes so swapped in the 6002.  It's a fun little amp, though not quite the equal of the 555 SQ wise.  Love the Hawks, btw, I'm going to sell the Rainmakers.

 I have to agree about this little amp. I too, am surprised at the amount it does right. Yes, of course, I have owned better amps and combinations of gear. The real point here is that I have no reservations in the meantime of getting the new amp project that I am in the middle of, done ASAP so I don't have to listen to the small Adcom anymore. I may even keep it around for a garage system. That's not a slam either. It would be great to have something decent for shop time.