adcom gfa555II / adcom gfp550

[kjt0001]

Hi folks,

First time posting here. Lots of great info in this forum.

I finally took the dive into mid-fi and picked up an adcom gfa555II amp (200x2) and gfp surround sound pre amp. I bought them because of the solid feedback the units received on this site. I have set of JBL LX-300 bookshelf speakers running right now which I plan on upgrading shortly(leftovers from my old system).

My first impression is that is that the amp sounds a little bright (the highs are a little harsh) but the bass is nice and punchy. I plan on upgrading to floor standing speakers in the near very future. My question is: are the next set of speakers going to sound bright too? Is it a characteristic of adcom's?

Does anyone have any recommendations for a speaker manufacturer to pair up with my adcom units? My speaker budget is $500-$1000. I'm considering paradigm speakers, monitor 7's or 9's.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

KJT

[mtrycraft]

My first impression is that is that the amp sounds a little bright (the highs are a little harsh) but the bass is nice and punchy. I plan on upgrading to floor standing speakers in the near very future. My question is: are the next set of speakers going to sound bright too? Is it a characteristic of adcom's?

Does anyone have any recommendations for a speaker manufacturer to pair up with my adcom units? My speaker budget is $500-$1000. I'm considering paradigm speakers, monitor 7's or 9's.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

KJT

No, it is not the new amps causing this but perhaps your perception of them which most likely is.
The nexts speakers will sound as those speakers will sound. Speakers are the issue, not your components, other than the ability of an amp to drive the speaker load properly.
There is no special speakers to go with those amps. It is what speakers you like and can the amp drive the impedance load.

[spacedeckman]

I used to own a 545II and it was annoyingly bright. I was so excited about the bass response and punchier dynamics than my old receiver that I overlooked it for a long time. My wife, however, did not. She HATED that set-up, and when I finally commented to her about it and asked if it was a bit bright, she replied "FINALLY YOU HEAR IT, it has driven me nuts since you bought it". I wondered why she quit listening to music with me. I first thought that she resented the purchase...no, she disliked the sound. When the amp/pre was replaced she started listening again.

For now, find fronts that are a bit soft in the highs and upper mids, but not too much so. The JBLs you have are accentuating the effect, and would be a pretty "zingy" combination.

Next time around, Parasound makes some pretty good sounding amps that are readily available on the used market. Good luck.

[brigrizzme]

I have owned both the Adcom Gfa-555 and Gfp-555. It is true that they sound bright. I would like to suggest either KEF or Clements speakers. They are both very laid back speakers and will take away the harsh highs. You can get them both from either from Audiogon or eBay for a song.

[kjt0001]

Brig/Space-

Thanks for your 2c. I may try audition some KEFs or Clements if a local shop carries them. Otherwise, the brightness of the amp is a little too much for me. The amp may go to a good home on ebay.

KJT0001

[jbangelfish]

I would not be in such a hurry to can this amp, lot's of people own them and are very happy with them. I remember thinking that JBL bookshelf speakers were alittle bright and be more likely to blame them or even your music source which, I'm guessing is CD. Right? Many CD's seem bright or harsh on the high end, while missing the music that you want to hear.
Anyway, I have Parasound amps which I'm pretty happy with but some people call them bright. I think they have the ability to sound very natural but it takes a good source, whether CD or LP. Try some different speakers and see what you think of the Adcom. I would look for speakers that are rated to handle the 200wpc that you have, I'm a nut about that. You have plenty of power to drive many different speaker systems and I would audition as many as possible, bringing your amp if you can or at least comparing to another AB class amp with 200wpc.
Bill

[dvjorge]

I would not be in such a hurry to can this amp, lot's of people own them and are very happy with them. I remember thinking that JBL bookshelf speakers were alittle bright and be more likely to blame them or even your music source which, I'm guessing is CD. Right? Many CD's seem bright or harsh on the high end, while missing the music that you want to hear.
Anyway, I have Parasound amps which I'm pretty happy with but some people call them bright. I think they have the ability to sound very natural but it takes a good source, whether CD or LP. Try some different speakers and see what you think of the Adcom. I would look for speakers that are rated to handle the 200wpc that you have, I'm a nut about that. You have plenty of power to drive many different speaker systems and I would audition as many as possible, bringing your amp if you can or at least comparing to another AB class amp with 200wpc.
Bill

I am pretty sure the problem are the JBL speakers. They use titanium domes which are too bright. Replace the speakers as soon you can. Try speakers with soft domes or aluminium that are less bright than titanium.
Good Luck
Jorge.

[kjt0001]

dvjorge/jbangelfish

Thanks for the insight. I guess I expected the amp/preamp to sound perfect, even with the jbl bookshelf speakers I was using. I will definitely audition several pairs of speaks before I make a decision on what to do with the amp/preamp.

KJT0001

[thepogue]

if you ever get the notion...I'm looking for another Adcom 555 II to run....pm me or email me....thanks....

[hifitommy]

kjt,

its not the amp. my friend uses adcoms on his martin logan electrostatics and they are NOT bright. i also suggest its the speaker, just as has mtry.

i own a 555II and have used it with numerous speakers over the last 13 years and never had one sound bright. also, it will drive ANY impedance down to 1 ohm. this is a high current amp and youre unlikely to run out of power, especially with speakers in the 90db sensitivity range such as yours.

another cause of brightness could be having a live room, that is, with little or no softer surfaces. rugs, furninture, curtains, and wall hangings all have an effect on the sound. hard surfaces such as bare wood flooring and large glass windows/doors will make the room sound bright.

if the JBL has a tweeter level control, try turning it down until you reach a natural balance. i looked at the JBL site and could not tell if your speaker has a tweeter level control.

another thing to try is to take your speakers to a dealer and have them hook them up and compare other speakers to them. with 6.5" woofers, they must be easy enough to carry around. put them in their boxes for protection in transit.

compare with other speakers like psb, energy, polk, etc. youll see if your speakers are bright or not in comparison.

hey pogue, are you gonna bridge the 555IIs? you know that yields 600wpc!!! i've often thought of doing that, with my 84db sensitive spendor s3/5s, it might just do the job.

http://cgi.audioasylum.com/systems/588.html is my system.

[thepogue]

Thats me plan to bridge the 555II...some day....not that i need it...i just want it!! i seem always to be in the market for another 555II...in fact I have Carvers in another room and at some point I just might swap one for another Adcom....


BTW HAPPY NEW YEAR me brudda!!

[vlady_zch]

Does anyone has some pictures from inside Adcom GFA 555ll?

[blackraven]

If your looking at floor standers, consider Monitor Audio RS6's or S6's. www.saturdayaudio.com has them for huge discounts in the beech color. They will not sound bright but the Paradigms certainly will.
I have a pair of Monitor Audio S1's and I can tell you the tweeters are not bright. The speakers have a neutral to slightly warmer sound with nice deep punchy bass for a book shelf speaker.

Also consider NHT speakers. They have a nice rich warm sound especially compared to Paradigm. I had a chance to compare Paradigm and NHT's head to head at a dealer here in Minneapolis.
Look around, you can find the NHT Classic 4's on sale for about $1,100.

Also, what CD player are you using? Consider a Marantz CD player. They tend to be on the warmer side as with all Marantz CD players. Your Audio source can make a big impact on the tone of your system.

[frenchmon]

For what its worth, I have the Adcom GFA 5400 amp paired with Paradigm floor standers. While the high end is not suttle, its in no way bright. I would say paired with Paradigm, the sound is very detailed at best. I'm sure the Marantz processing may have something to do with the nice smooth detailed sound.

frenchmon

[blackraven]

I forgot to mention the NHT Classic Three's. They are a 3 way bookshelf and are my choice for a Bookshelf under $1k. They list for about $850pr but can be found for around $650pr. They are a very smooth sounding warmer speaker with good midrange and bass. Being a 3way bookshelf they dont sound strained because the midrange driver is taking the load off the woofer and tweeter. Check out the reviews at www.stereophile.com

[bipper]

Had the same bright problem with my adcom gfa 555 with psb speakers

played around with a few types of rca interconnects and it made a excellent difference

I highly recommend DH Labs air matrix interconnects. If you have time make them your self.
good luck.

[vlady_zch]

I just recieved my 555II two days ago and i'm using it on Infinity K8 speakers and they sound too bright too but not very hars and the bass is mot so deep as my Parasound HCA 1000 but it's 0k.