RTi12 AMP - Adcom Question

I am looking to pick up a pair of RTi12's from the Polk ebay store - with new 5 year warranty ($799 for the pair). My question is will my legacy Adcom 5500 AMP (200 Watt per side)/ GTP-350 Tuner pre-amp be able to maximize the performance of these speakers? This is just a 2 channel music set-up used for vinyl with a high-end turn table and reference CD player.

If not what would a recommend AMP/Pre-amp set-up be in the $2000-$2,500 range?
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Comments

  • cnh
    cnh Posts: 13,284
    edited June 2015
    Although Rti-12s can deal with even more power than that. That Adcom should do the job. There are some who run with 300-500 watts a side. But I think you'd be OK with 200 watts! A 5 year warranty is nice!
    Currently orbiting Bowie's Blackstar.!

    Polk Lsi-7s, Def Tech 8" sub, HK 3490, HK HD 990 (CDP/DAC), AKG Q701s
    [sig. changed on a monthly basis as I rotate in and out of my stash]
  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,711
    Those speakers would not be my pick for 2 channel as they are geared towards HT. Take that money and pick up a pair of the LSiM 705's.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."


    President of Club Polk

  • josephp732
    josephp732 Posts: 38
    F1nut - taking your advise - ordering either 705's or 707's - how will my Adcom 5500 do? if this old class A amp (you can keep the room warm with this amp) can't cut it- what about going with a Parasound 2250 v2 ? The Adcom leans on being a warm amp (MOSFET) which I like... If you don't like the Parasound I'm up for a recommendation. (sorry for the triple posts not sure how that happened).
  • msg
    msg Posts: 9,309
    yeah, since you already own the Adcom, maybe see how that works out for you first.
    be curious to hear how you end up, either 705's or 707's.

    how big's your room, anyway?
    I disabled signatures.
  • josephp732
    josephp732 Posts: 38
    Most likely the 705's - looking at the refurbished models at the Polk store (two year warranty) - $1,800 for 705's, $2,340 for the 707's - my room isn't very big - 17'x12' carpeted.
  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,902
    Great choice in speakers.....try the Adcom with them and see how you like it. Personally that wouldn't be my choice in an amp but who knows, you may dig it. I would choose a Parasound or a McCormack, B&k, much more musical amps than the Adcoms.

    Don't forget the cables too. Kimber or MIT is a good place to start.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
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    lsi 9's
  • josephp732
    josephp732 Posts: 38
    So .... I got the 705's - Seems I have an issue with my amp and it will need to be repaired --- next question I have been quoted a flat repair cost at $300... which I am thinking is not a good investment for a 25 year old piece of equipment.

    My next question is with a ~$1,800 budget. What amp & pre-amp or integrated amp should I be looking at?

    I started researching and see interesting reviews on:
    - NAD C 375BEE Integrated Amp
    - NAD C 275BEE Amp
    - Emotiva XPA-2 Amp
    - Emotiva SA-250 Amp (I was told better slew rate and higher secondary capacitance then the XPA-2)
    - (2) Emotiva XPA-1L Mono Block Amps
    - Adcom GFA-565se Amp

    Any how .... I guess what I am asking is for recommendations of an amp/preamp combo or integrated amp under $1,800 that will be a nice match for the 705's.






  • Nightfall
    Nightfall Posts: 10,042
    Ask dskip how much he can get the Parasound Halo Integrated for, I know it's right around there - a little more if I remember correctly.
    afterburnt wrote: »
    They didn't speak a word of English, they were from South Carolina.

    Village Idiot of Club Polk
  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,711
    Any how .... I guess what I am asking is for recommendations of an amp/preamp combo or integrated amp under $1,800 that will be a nice match for the 705's.

    Good choice on the speakers. From first hand experience Bel Canto mates very nicely with the LSIM's and if you're open to tubes, ARC. Although, I think you'd be hard pressed to find much ARC gear in your price range. Either would be a better choice than what's on your list, IMO.


    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."


    President of Club Polk

  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,902
    If Joseph likes a warmer sound, then the Emotiva brand isn't for him. The Nad would be warmer and more musical.

    Is this strictly for a music system or do you need HT capabilities ? The LSIM 705 is a fairly easy speaker to drive so you don't need gobbs of power.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
  • headrott
    headrott Posts: 5,484
    Bel Canto for the win (again)!! :D
    Relayer-Big-O-Poster.jpg
    Taken from a recent Audioholics reply regarding "Club Polk" and Polk speakers:
    "I'm yet to hear a Polk speaker that merits more than a sentence and 60 seconds discussion." :\
    My response is: If you need 60 seconds to respond in one sentence, you probably should't be evaluating Polk speakers.....


    "Green leaves reveal the heart spoken Khatru"- Jon Anderson

    "Have A Little Faith! And Everything You'll Face, Will Jump From Out Right On Into Place! Yeah! Take A Little Time! And Everything You'll Find, Will Move From Gloom Right On Into Shine!"- Arthur Lee
  • josephp732
    josephp732 Posts: 38
    This system is a dedicated 2 channel system for music. I have a complete HT system. As noted by tonyb - I do prefer a warmer sound. The Emotiva brand has a lot of power at a value price point but I was questioning whether I would like the sonic nature of the equipment - especially since the 705's are reported to be very accurate.

    The reviews on the NAD drew me in a bit because of "warmth" the listener experienced. Not the highest power rated amps through at 150 per side - and I was concerned with the 705's 88db rating.

    My Adcom was a very warm amp - it used ten MOSFETs (five pairs) in the output stage of each channel - it seems that MOSFETs sound more like tubes (compared to say bipolars) - Of course, nothing but tubes sounds like tubes, but MOSFETs are supposed to come close..... at least that what they use to say in the 90's.... I guess I am dating myself a bit....

    It is a daunting task today as there are not any retail shops around to audition gear. I will check out some of the recommendation's and really appreciate all the help from this forums members.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 7,658
    Hello,
    Usually amplifiers that use MOSFETs as the output devices won't have a series inductor between the output stage and the speaker. The series inductor isn't needed as a protection against capacitive loads at higher frequencies. Many bipolar based amplifiers will have this series inductor, which can have an effect on the sound quality.
    Less parts in the signal path usually mean better sound quality, however in areas with high amounts of RF speaker wires should be kept as short as possible with MOSFET amplifiers. Also speaker systems with large numbers of driver components that generate higher levels of back-EMF could benefit from isolation network speaker cables (i.e. MIT) with MOSFET designs.
    Cheers, Ken
  • josephp732
    josephp732 Posts: 38
    Kenneth - Thank you for the insight and explanation. My wire runs are fairly short 7 feet equal on both sides. I am assuming that if there was an issue with RF or EMF shielded cables would help solve that issue.
  • josephp732
    josephp732 Posts: 38
    What are the groups thoughts' around the NAD C 390DD? I can get it with the phono module for $2,000 - It is kind of intriguing to go digital....
  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,902
    DSkip wrote: »
    I'd say spend a little more and get a Parasound integrated. I don't like class d, at least what I've heard of it.

    I might agree with Skip, the class D designs haven't tickled my fancy either. In the 2g price range, you have options. Saw a Musical fidelity A5.5 integrated on Ebay for 1700. The Parasound Skip mentioned is also a good option. Bryston too .....and we haven't even touched on tubes yet.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
  • josephp732
    josephp732 Posts: 38
    I did find an fully warranted dealer demo Krell - S-300i (150w x2) for $1,500 (regularly $2,500) - I really love the look of the amp and the smaller size (not weight 43lbs)... thoughts?
  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,902
    The Krell certainly isn't going to be a warmer sound as you said you preferred. Has balls, but a more narrow soundstage, and a bit of a sterile sound to my ears anyway.

    Parasound, B&k, McCormack, Belles, Musical Fidelity....some brands that will give you a smooth, detailed, warmer sound without sounding muddy.

    I may put up my Butler TDB-2250 for sale at around 1700. It's a tube hybrid, google it or look it up at Butleraudio.com. It's only about 5 years old and I'm the original owner.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
  • josephp732
    josephp732 Posts: 38
    Thank tonyb - I will look into your Butler. Meanwhile the 705's arrived and now sit just waiting..... and my Adcom's I have to decide what to do with ... notice my 2.2KVA back-up in the picture...obzdnkcl24zk.jpg
    ci0w9qaktx5a.jpg
  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,902
    Pull those speaks forward a few inches pal, at least so they are flush with the front of those side cabinets. Enjoy.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
  • gimpod
    gimpod Posts: 1,793
    ^ Better yet if you can move that big honking cabinet out from between those 705's, your ears will thank you.
    “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” ~ Mark Twain
  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,902
    gimpod wrote: »
    ^ Better yet if you can move that big honking cabinet out from between those 705's, your ears will thank you.

    Very true, but his balls are going to ache from the wife kicking him so hard.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
  • gimpod
    gimpod Posts: 1,793
    LOL, No ****, dog poo or big pile of freshly expelled sticking brown stuff!
    “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” ~ Mark Twain
  • josephp732
    josephp732 Posts: 38
    Guys - they are just sitting in the living room as the final resting place is down in my finished basement and I need some help carrying them down the stairs.

    I got to listen to a few pieces of gear this afternoon at a higher end home theater store that had a few 2 channel amps hooked up to 707's.

    The NAD C 375BEE had a very nice warm sonic quality - this 150W integrated amp seems to have some decent headroom and at very nice price of $1,500 I think this is a lot of value for the money.

    The NAD C 390DD sounds a bit sterile with something lacking but couldn't put my finger on it...

    Listened to a Musical Fidelity M6si amp and loved what I heard - this amp is a bit of a beast with amazing headroom - just a bit out of my price range at $3,000 .

    Now an interesting piece was the Peachtree Audio nova220SE this Class D amp (220W) really was a bit different. First I liked the clean design of the front of the amp, the beautifully chassis, loved the ease the digital interfaces and the fact it has a very solid built-in DAC. I was amazed by the low the noise floor and capacity for resolving detail. I found the sound smooth and inviting with the tube buffer engaged but where the tube buffer was amazing was with compressed streaming music I have never heard "compressed" music with that level of smoothness it was - dare I say - incredibly. The big issue I could see with this amp is the fact it has no bass environmental management... and was maybe a wee bit bright.

    Oh well still making a decision....
  • josephp732
    josephp732 Posts: 38
    Thanks DSkip --- waiting patiently for you feedback.
  • WilliamM2
    WilliamM2 Posts: 4,708
    So you never even tried them with the Adcom amps? Why not?
  • josephp732
    josephp732 Posts: 38
    BTW ... what is the cost on the Parasound Halo? It's very nice that it has direct digital input, built in DAC and phono preamp with bass management.
  • josephp732
    josephp732 Posts: 38
    William - sorry never answered your question. My Adcom gear was in storage for a while it was used at one point to drive a 5.1 HT system. The 5500 seems to have blown outputs... very low level volume with a lot of distortion. While testing the 5500 my Adcom preamp started to have issues - the display started dimming so I think the DC power supply went out. I finished my testing with a friends NAD 3225 preamp with no better results from the 5500. Now I didn't get a chance to test the 5503 (3x200W) amp, but I will this week - I had to give the NAD back so I plan to test with the pre-amp out on my HT Onkyo TXNR906, I am just not looking forward to pulling that out with all that is connected to the back of it...

    If the 5503 is in good working condition I will just post on ebay or something as I am not very keen on running that 3 channel amp with only 2 channels.
  • josephp732
    josephp732 Posts: 38
    Thinking about this a bit more... I could use my TXNR906 as my pre-amp, using the zone 2 or 3 line out (as a stepping stone - the TXNR906 has a solid Burr Brown DAC, good source switching with internet radio) and then add a dedicated amp such as the Parasound Model 2250 v.2. This would give me a cost effective mid-term solution... again thoughts?
  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,902
    zone 2 and 3 as a stepping stone to what exactly ?

    Read your manual, depending on what you want to do with the other zones, sometimes those are analog only.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's