Is an Adcom 5802 worth double a 555???

falconcry72
falconcry72 Posts: 3,580
edited November 2011 in 2 Channel Audio
Title says it all. Is a GFA-5802 at 750-800 bucks worth the extra money over a GFA-555 at 350-400 bucks?

This would be used to power a multitude of speaker designs, from maggies to SDA's to small monitors.

Side-note: I haven't posted in a while, as motorcycling has had my focus for the last 6 months, and I have a very one-tracked mind. Unfortunately a recent accident has put me smack back into hifi... it's much safer. :biggrin:
2-Channel: PC > Schiit Eitr > Audio Research DAC-8 > Audio Research LS-26 > Pass Labs X-250.5 > Magnepan 3.7's

Living Room: PC > Marantz AV-7703 > Emotiva XPA-5 > Sonus Faber Liuto Towers, Sonus Faber Liuto Center, Sonus Faber Liuto Bookshelves > Dual SVS PC12-Pluses

Office: Phone/Tablet > AudioEngine B1 > McIntosh D100 > Bryston 4B-ST > Polk Audio LSiM-703's
Post edited by falconcry72 on
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Comments

  • nwohlford
    nwohlford Posts: 700
    edited July 2011
    I think there is a premium to any of the gfa-5802, gcd-750, and gfp-750 since they are the top of the line for Adcom at its peak. Does it sound better than the gfa-555? Probably. Is it worth the difference? Probably only if you really like the idea of having a gfa-5802.
    Then again a fixed pair of gfa-565s or gfa-585 (which are probably the more appropriate Nelson Pass comparison to the gfa-5802) also tend to fetch a pretty penny when they go up for sale. Here though the capacitor issue has likely made them rarer.
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  • Toolfan66
    Toolfan66 Posts: 17,243
    edited July 2011
    Yes it is!!!
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  • leroyjr1
    leroyjr1 Posts: 8,785
    edited July 2011
    What's wrong with the Parasound 2200ii that you're currently using? Since you're running all Parasound gear I'd stick with what you have unless you're upgrading to the Halo series.
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  • falconcry72
    falconcry72 Posts: 3,580
    edited July 2011
    leroyjr1 wrote: »
    What's wrong with the Parasound 2200ii that you're currently using? Since you're running all Parasound gear I'd stick with what you have.

    The Parasound gear is running strong!:biggrin:

    The Adcom is for my dad. I've gotten him back into 2-channel over the last few months.

    The only change to the 2200ii I'm thinking about is sending to Big Sky audio for a new caps etc.
    2-Channel: PC > Schiit Eitr > Audio Research DAC-8 > Audio Research LS-26 > Pass Labs X-250.5 > Magnepan 3.7's

    Living Room: PC > Marantz AV-7703 > Emotiva XPA-5 > Sonus Faber Liuto Towers, Sonus Faber Liuto Center, Sonus Faber Liuto Bookshelves > Dual SVS PC12-Pluses

    Office: Phone/Tablet > AudioEngine B1 > McIntosh D100 > Bryston 4B-ST > Polk Audio LSiM-703's
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  • cstmar01
    cstmar01 Posts: 4,424
    edited July 2011
    I have both a parasound 2200 and adcom 5802. Both are great amps and I would say the parasound does tend to be a little warmer sounding than my adcom. That said I do like the 5802 and it's jus an awesome amp and has handled anything I've done to it. There is better but at it's price point it's awesome. I would say it's better than the 555 to me.
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,165
    edited July 2011
    Yes, Period!
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • Joe08867
    Joe08867 Posts: 3,919
    edited July 2011
    Yes. Besides build the sound is much smoother and just better.
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  • leftwinger57
    leftwinger57 Posts: 2,917
    edited July 2011
    So is it the amp that is warmer or the pre that your running it through. This I could never figure out.I'm shure i'll get a multitude of answers both pro and con which for me does not help at all. I myself is a ss guy and have no knowledge of tube rolling or the ridiculous warm up times so I will stay w/ what I know. To those whose passion is tubes and the enginerring behind them I do applaud you but at some point a tube must sound like another once burnt in ....lw
    2chl- Adcom GFA- 555-Onkyo P-3150v pre/amp- JVC-QL-A200 tt- Denon 1940 ci cdp- Adcom GFS-6 -Modded '87 SDA 2Bs - Dynamat Ext.- BH-5- X-Overs VR-3, RDO-194 tweeters, Larry's Rings, Speakon/Neutrik I/C- Cherry stain tops Advent Maestros,Ohm model E

    H/T- Toshiba au40" flat- Yamaha RX- V665 avr- YSD-11 Dock- I-Pod- Klipsch #400HD Speaker set-

    Bdrm- Nikko 6065 receiver- JBL -G-200s--Pioneer 305 headphones--Sony CE375-5 disc
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  • mdaudioguy
    mdaudioguy Posts: 5,165
    edited July 2011
    leftwinger57 wrote: »
    So is it the amp that is warmer or the pre that your running it through. This I could never figure out.I'm shure i'll get a multitude of answers both pro and con which for me does not help at all. I myself is a ss guy and have no knowledge of tube rolling or the ridiculous warm up times so I will stay w/ what I know. To those whose passion is tubes and the enginerring behind them I do applaud you but at some point a tube must sound like another once burnt in ....lw

    Who said you were allowed out of your own thread??? :confused::tongue:
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  • falconcry72
    falconcry72 Posts: 3,580
    edited July 2011
    Well we ended up getting the 5802, and I'm glad we spent the extra money. The amp sounds great. We paired it with a GFP-750 and did a shootout between the ultimate adcom and ultimate parasound gear of their day.

    Both setups sounded great, and neither was a clear winner, though when I put the 750 on the parasound amp, I really liked it so now I'm in the market for a new pre. I'll probably start another thread later about that...
    2-Channel: PC > Schiit Eitr > Audio Research DAC-8 > Audio Research LS-26 > Pass Labs X-250.5 > Magnepan 3.7's

    Living Room: PC > Marantz AV-7703 > Emotiva XPA-5 > Sonus Faber Liuto Towers, Sonus Faber Liuto Center, Sonus Faber Liuto Bookshelves > Dual SVS PC12-Pluses

    Office: Phone/Tablet > AudioEngine B1 > McIntosh D100 > Bryston 4B-ST > Polk Audio LSiM-703's
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  • RickTfromAZ
    RickTfromAZ Posts: 122
    edited November 2011
    Good choice on the amp. I also have the 5802 and the GFP 750.
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  • inspiredsports
    inspiredsports Posts: 5,501
    edited November 2011
    Concerning the Parasound 2200II's mentioned above, I'm interested if anyone knows of one that's available.
    VTL ST50 w/mods / RCA6L6GC / TlfnknECC801S
    Conrad Johnson PV-5 w/mods
    TT Conrad Johnson Sonographe SG3 Oak / Sumiko LMT / Grado Woodbody Platinum / Sumiko PIB2 / The Clamp
    Musical Fidelity A1 CDPro/ Bada DD-22 Tube CDP / Conrad Johnson SD-22 CDP
    Tuners w/mods Kenwood KT5020 / Fisher KM60
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    Herbies Ti-9 / Vibrapods / MIT Shotgun AC1 IEC's / MIT Shotgun 2 IC's / MIT Shotgun 2 Speaker Cables
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    Walnut SDA 2B TL /Oak SDA SRS II TL (Sonicaps/Mills/Cardas/Custom SDA ICs / Dynamat Extreme / Larry's Rings/ FSB-2 Spikes
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