Upgrade Pre-amp to an Adcom GFP-565??
naturallight
Posts: 689
I'm looking to upgrade stuff by the end of the year. A newer pre-amp would be nice. Right now i have an Adcom GTP-400. Now this is not the most respected pre, but it is not bad at all, has worked 100% since new. I'm thinking of going with a GFP-565. There pretty easy to get and the prices are about 250-350. The reason for that is i'm looking for a pre with a good phono section. I don't want to have the extra phonopre sitting in the rack, nor pay the money for it. Now "Stereophile mag" really liked this pre, and the Phono section. They said it was the best Phono section and overall pre they had heard in the 1K range (and thats in 1990 dollars..LOL) Now the only better pre then this (from Adcom) would be of course the 750. BUT, you not going to get that for $350, and it has no Phono section.
Now i'm probably going to pull the SL-1600 TT out of the closet, and go back to listening to some LP's. Now i am NOT jumping down the rabbit hole on this. I'll need a new cartridge, but it's going to be in 100-150 range, thats it. Plus all new cleaning supplies. I have probably 1000 records sitting in milk crates (what else..LOL) It is mostly rock in one form or another from the 70's on up. BUT..these have all been over played, and no amount of cleaning or applications of "Last" is going to fix them that much. Most will be playable, some just will not be. There is just music in there that you can't find anymore. Which is why i would do this.
I am NOT going to throw massive money at this. You can only fix these records to a point. You can't get rid of the scratches, pops, whatever. It's really there, so when you want to hear old stuff that you can't find anyplace else, you can put on the record and hopefully not drive yourself nuts trying to listen to it...
If you have any Pre-amps you think can beat the GFP-565 for a better phono section, and over all,i would love to know about them. KEEP in mind the Dollar limit. I may go up to $450 on this,but not much more.
Thanks.
Now i'm probably going to pull the SL-1600 TT out of the closet, and go back to listening to some LP's. Now i am NOT jumping down the rabbit hole on this. I'll need a new cartridge, but it's going to be in 100-150 range, thats it. Plus all new cleaning supplies. I have probably 1000 records sitting in milk crates (what else..LOL) It is mostly rock in one form or another from the 70's on up. BUT..these have all been over played, and no amount of cleaning or applications of "Last" is going to fix them that much. Most will be playable, some just will not be. There is just music in there that you can't find anymore. Which is why i would do this.
I am NOT going to throw massive money at this. You can only fix these records to a point. You can't get rid of the scratches, pops, whatever. It's really there, so when you want to hear old stuff that you can't find anyplace else, you can put on the record and hopefully not drive yourself nuts trying to listen to it...
If you have any Pre-amps you think can beat the GFP-565 for a better phono section, and over all,i would love to know about them. KEEP in mind the Dollar limit. I may go up to $450 on this,but not much more.
Thanks.
Post edited by naturallight on
Comments
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The B&K PRO10MC Sonata and MC-101 Sonata are both great preamps with very good phono section, adjustable loading, and external power supply. Both models have identical circuitry except that the MC-101 has tone controls, while the PRO10MC does not. Both can be found in your price range. I have owned both models at different times.Main System: Denon DP-59L | Audio-Technica AT33EV | Marantz SA-11S2 | Classe DR-10 | Classe CA-300 | Classe RC-1 | PSB Stratus Gold i's | DIY Balanced AC Power Conditioner | Acoustic Zen and NeoTech cables | Oyaide and Furutech power connectors | Dedicated 20A isolated ground line.
Home Theater: Toshiba D-VR5SU | Laptop #1 |Outlaw Audio OAW3 wireless audio system | Marantz SR-19 | Phase Linear 400 Series 2, modified | AudioSource 10.1 EQ (for subs) | Axiom M3 v3’s | Axiom VP150 | Optimus PRO-X55AVs | Dayton 12” powered subs (x2) | Belkin PureAV PF-60 line conditioner.
Party System: Laptop #2 | Audioquest Dragonfly USB DAC | Technics SU-A6 | Acurus A-250 | Radio Shack 15-band EQ | Pioneer SR-9 reverb | Cerwin Vega DX9's | Dayton 100° x 60° horns with titanium HF/MF compression drivers. -
One of the best pre-amps of the it's day and one I'd look for is a Nakamichi CA-5. Superb phono section and built really, really well.
H9"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! -
565 is a great sounding pre and the phono stage is top notch. I had one for awhile and only sold it because of no remote capabilities.
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The 565 is pretty average. There are others in the same price range that can do better. But if the OP is really wanting one or it's a great deal/convenient, they certainly are solid and sound good. Not top of their class, but certainly not dragging the bottom either.
H9"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! -
Onkyo M 504 if yer into older...very clean phono pre.
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The M504 is a power amp.......--Gary--
Onkyo Integra M504, Bottlehead Foreplay III, Denon SACD, Thiel CS2.3, NHT VT-2, VT-3 and Evolution T6, Infinity RSIIIa, SDA1C and a few dozen other speakers around the house I change in and out. -
He must have meant the Onkyo P304.Main System: Denon DP-59L | Audio-Technica AT33EV | Marantz SA-11S2 | Classe DR-10 | Classe CA-300 | Classe RC-1 | PSB Stratus Gold i's | DIY Balanced AC Power Conditioner | Acoustic Zen and NeoTech cables | Oyaide and Furutech power connectors | Dedicated 20A isolated ground line.
Home Theater: Toshiba D-VR5SU | Laptop #1 |Outlaw Audio OAW3 wireless audio system | Marantz SR-19 | Phase Linear 400 Series 2, modified | AudioSource 10.1 EQ (for subs) | Axiom M3 v3’s | Axiom VP150 | Optimus PRO-X55AVs | Dayton 12” powered subs (x2) | Belkin PureAV PF-60 line conditioner.
Party System: Laptop #2 | Audioquest Dragonfly USB DAC | Technics SU-A6 | Acurus A-250 | Radio Shack 15-band EQ | Pioneer SR-9 reverb | Cerwin Vega DX9's | Dayton 100° x 60° horns with titanium HF/MF compression drivers. -
I'd suggest the OP get a reasonably priced record cleaning machine. They can not perform miracles but dirt causes some of the pops & "mud" on older recordings. You can spend thousands but I've had presentable results with a $80 Spinclean. There may be others, I'm no expert on the subject. Doesn't make sense to buy equipment with an eye towards LPs & not try get the most you can out of discs. Others may disagree.....
