Thread: What ever happened to adcom?

So as some of you may know I have been playing around with some older adcom's and have a gfa 535 in my setup with a gfa 545 on the way. Now these amps certainly aren't the best amps around, but they are noted for being stellar in their price catagory. Also these days you can pick up a used one for very cheap especially once you hear how they perform when compared to middle of the pack AVR's. So my question is what the hell happened?? They are still around and producing amps that appear to be animals for the price, but I don't hear of hardly anyone using them, I can't help but wonder why the hell not. I mean check this guy out for $2,400.





From stereophile

It is very hard to fault the Adcom GFA-7805. It certainly doesn't lack power, with five channels of 300 clean watts each. It certainly doesn't lack clarity or transparency, or extended, powerful, and controlled bass. If anything, the Adcom GFA-7805 was somewhat softer and more forgiving in the highs than other premium amps, but this very fault might be an asset in a brighter room and/or with a brighter system. For a two-channel system, it can be recommended to anyone looking for gobs of well-behaved power. For a multichannel system, it's hard to pass up. Like the two-channel GFA-555 in its day, the five-channel GFA-7805 offers great sound and all the power most systems can use, at a price that's remarkably low.

If I had the dough I would definitely try out the above listed amp. Damn the gfa 535 sounds great the only critic I would give is they are a bit bright but at the price point you can't even justify that statement. Funny both times I purchased used adcom gear it was from guys who had tens of thousands of dollars worth of equipment, to me that says something in it self.

I have a 535II in my rack. I use it for zone2 in the game room. I have owned it since it was a current model and it was sent back to Adcom once for repair about 10 years ago.

The Answer to your question I think is that they priced themselves into a bad spot. They used to be the poor guys high end just as NAD was in the mid 80's/90's. Now there are better options at better prices. I will take an Outlaw or Emotiva over the Adcom any day of the week. If I am going to spend Adcom prices then I am getting Parasound or something like that. Also, much like NAD did they have not kept up with current technology. No reason in the world why Adcom does not have an HT pre/pro to compete with Onkyo/Integra or Marantz feature for feature. Hell for their price of the GFA-7705 you could get an Emotiva XPA-2 and an XPA-3 and still have 700 left towards a Marantz Pre/pro. Thats a no brainer. Oh And I could be wrong but Adcom is also built now in China which is why I would go Outlaw over Adcom.

I used to love Adcom and I still love and cherish my 535II and the GFA-555II was one of my all time favorite amps, but they have not kept up and have over priced themselves and forgot the people they targeted in the first place. Emotiva and Outlaw are the NAD and Adcom of today.

Does everyone know what GFA stands for? Great fu**ing amp. Even the company called it that. I still have an old one that I don't use but it did sound great.

Originally Posted by Hi Resolution

Does everyone know what GFA stands for? Great fu**ing amp. Even the company called it that. I still have an old one that I don't use, and I'm just going to give it to GOS!

Wow - thanks man! I'll PM you my address. lmao

Too bad really as they used to be such a great company with amps that were comparable to much higher end amps at the time. Oh well at least we have emo and outlaw. Still the 7805 with 300w x 5 for $2400 seems to me like a decent price for the power you get. I gotta say for anyone into audio if you aren't running an outboard amp for at least 2.0/2.1 listening you really really need to pick up a used adcom so you can see what it is all about, or even a b&k. You really will be surprised on what an improvement it makes on the sound.

Originally Posted by audioholicjeff

I have a 535II in my rack. I use it for zone2 in the game room. I have owned it since it was a current model and it was sent back to Adcom once for repair about 10 years ago.

The Answer to your question I think is that they priced themselves into a bad spot. They used to be the poor guys high end just as NAD was in the mid 80's/90's. Now there are better options at better prices. I will take an Outlaw or Emotiva over the Adcom any day of the week. If I am going to spend Adcom prices then I am getting Parasound or something like that. Also, much like NAD did they have not kept up with current technology. No reason in the world why Adcom does not have an HT pre/pro to compete with Onkyo/Integra or Marantz feature for feature. Hell for their price of the GFA-7705 you could get an Emotiva XPA-2 and an XPA-3 and still have 700 left towards a Marantz Pre/pro. Thats a no brainer. Oh And I could be wrong but Adcom is also built now in China which is why I would go Outlaw over Adcom.

I used to love Adcom and I still love and cherish my 535II and the GFA-555II was one of my all time favorite amps, but they have not kept up and have over priced themselves and forgot the people they targeted in the first place. Emotiva and Outlaw are the NAD and Adcom of today.

I would have to agree, if I actually had that money I probably am going with Parasound, as they make some damn good amps for the money. Still can't help but wonder how a newer Adcom would compare to the like's of Parasound????

Originally Posted by MDRiggs

I think Adcom stumbled when it started to be necessary for companies that made amps also to have surround preamps in their lines.

I was getting ready to say the exact same thing. Outlaw Audio has been going through the same problem for the last couple of years. They know what needs to be done to bring a great pre/pro to market, but there's a severe learning curve in producing a pre/pro today.

Originally Posted by vläd

I was getting ready to say the exact same thing. Outlaw Audio has been going through the same problem for the last couple of years. They know what needs to be done to bring a great pre/pro to market, but there's a severe learning curve in producing a pre/pro today.

I know it sucks to see Outlaw in the spot they are right now. At one point I thought I heard they actually threw in the towel and were no longer going to be operating.

Caliber...the amp you are using ( forgive me for my ignorance). Hooked up pre AVR or Post? What I mean is would it be best to let the AVR do all it's shit and use the amp to boost the power? Is that how those work?

Originally Posted by mytime

Hooked up pre AVR or Post? What I mean is would it be best to let the AVR do all it's shit and use the amp to boost the power? Is that how those work?

Yes, the AVR is acting as a pre amp/processor. It could not work the other way around.

Originally Posted by audioholicjeff

Yes, the AVR is acting as a pre amp/processor. It could not work the other way around.

That's what I thought. Never went with anything more than an AVR but I hear that an amp makes one hell of a difference.