Anthem vs adcom

Midnite Mick

Okay everybody here we go again. Everytime I go shopping for something somebody wants to sell me something different. This is becoming to big a part of my life lately.

Went looking for a preamp here in my hometown. One of my thoughts on what I have currently set up is that the sound is on the cold side. adcom 5503 and lsi15's. The sales people who also carry the adcom were promoting anthem to me, as a warmer alernative. They were telling me how the anthem blows the adcom away. The price range is similiar, however the anthems do have lower power ratings. They were telling me how much power is overrated. I know many of you would roll your eyes at that statement.

Need "real" peoples opinions that have probably gone through this kind of thing long before I came around.............adcom vs anthem? Please help...will I ever be happy?

dorokusai

Anthem. No, you should entertain the thought of a killing spree soon.

The power ratings of either company are solid and it unfortunately sounds like they are trying to "steer" you instead of help and educate you.

I would still pick the Anthem.

Midnite Mick

actually when I said that power is overated. I meant power does not play an important role. Did not mean that either of these companies exagerrated the power ratings.

audiobliss

Well, the power rating is definitely not as important as current, which is still not nearly as important as what it sounds like.

I would vote Anthem, too. A million times over.

aaharvel

i would vote Anthem just b/c Adcoms are freakin' everywhere.
If Anthems do have a warmer sound then I like 'em already..

wingnut4772

From what I have read, I would say Anthem. I have heard that the Adcoms are kinda bright but I have not heard either one. I just hate bright.

aaharvel

me too. I wouldn't put a non-mosfet adcom onto anything but the center and surrounds. That's just me.

polkatese

I have Adcom and heard Anthem. Difference performance class. Anthem get my vote, if I get to choose between the two.

heiney9

Listen to them both in your system if you can, that's the best way. As far as Anthem "blowing the Adcom away" doubt it. As far as Adcom being bright I've never noticed it. But we can all give you our advice based on owning/reading/prefering but we cannot decide for you. Adcom and Anthem are both very good companies who make very solid gear, it's up to you to decide which fits your audio puzzle best.

If it's a dealer and he's so sure the Anthem will blow the Adcom away he should have no problem letting you listen to them both in your home. Also if things sound a bit harsh as you say, don't forget the source is equally if not more important than the amp and the pre-amp makes a huge difference as well. Are you still using an AVR for a pre? If so that may be most of the problem. Adcom w/Lsi should not sound cold...oops that's my opinion .

H9

aaharvel

makes me wonder if my h/k is bad as a pre-amp..
an authentic pre-amp just costs so..much..money..

Frank Z

As far as Anthem "blowing the Adcom away" doubt it.

Better get your believer fixed....

Midnite Mick

heiney9 wrote:

Listen to them both in your system if you can, that's the best way. As far as Anthem "blowing the Adcom away" doubt it. As far as Adcom being bright I've never noticed it. But we can all give you our advice based on owning/reading/prefering but we cannot decide for you. Adcom and Anthem are both very good companies who make very solid gear, it's up to you to decide which fits your audio puzzle best.

If it's a dealer and he's so sure the Anthem will blow the Adcom away he should have no problem letting you listen to them both in your home. Also if things sound a bit harsh as you say, don't forget the source is equally if not more important than the amp and the pre-amp makes a huge difference as well. Are you still using an AVR for a pre? If so that may be most of the problem. Adcom w/Lsi should not sound cold...oops that's my opinion .

H9

Yes Heiney I am still using the avr. Thats why I was looking for pre processors and then they go and spring this on me. Maybe I will try and bring the anthem home and compare, but would the avr pre skew that comparison. I have to decide soon while I can hopefully still return some components if necessary. Man this is killing me, not to mention the damage done to my bank account. But I am sure that I am not alone! Thanks for feedback all!

shack

Anthem...better...period! (IMO)

Tour2ma

aaharvel wrote:

an authentic pre-amp just costs so..much..money..

Nah, no more than an imitation receiver...

I just love "I haven't heard them, but..." replies...

Mike Reeter

I've never experienced an Anthem amp. but I have had an Adcom 5300...This is Adcoms worst sounding amp,very harsh,very bright...

I sold ours and picked up a 5400,big difference in every way...I'm not saying stay with Adcom,just that the 5300 is not in the same league.

heiney9

Mike Reeter wrote:

I've never experienced an Anthem amp. but I have had an Adcom 5300...This is Adcoms worst sounding amp,very harsh,very bright...

I sold ours and picked up a 5400,big difference in every way...I'm not saying stay with Adcom,just that the 5300 is not in the same league.

Ok, I know, I play the Adcom defender around here....I'm happy with their stuff and try to make sure they get a fair shake. I don't care what brand amp you have/get their shouldn't be that much of a difference between two similiar models. I'm guessing, perhaps, the 5300 you had may have had some problems. Was it new or used? There really isn't much difference design wise between the 5300 vs. 5400 to make such a dramatic difference. When you jump to the 5500 that's a different animal. Just throwing it out there.

FWIW

H9

Midnite Mick

heiney9 wrote:

Ok, I know, I play the Adcom defender around here....I'm happy with their stuff and try to make sure they get a fair shake. I don't care what brand amp you have/get their shouldn't be that much of a difference between two similiar models. I'm guessing, perhaps, the 5300 you had may have had some problems. Was it new or used? There really isn't much difference design wise between the 5300 vs. 5400 to make such a dramatic difference. When you jump to the 5500 that's a different animal. Just throwing it out there.

FWIW

H9

Hey heiney, since you are the adcom defender you probably have a lot of experience with their products. I am very new to this whole stereo/home theatre thing and have been relying on information primarily off the net of various forums such as this, professional reviews, and consumer reviews on the various products in my price range. Do you think that there are so many Adcom bashers because people are judging by the lower level, older, non-mosfet Adcoms. Is there a big difference between the lower level ones and the upper level ones. I am asking this because most people here don't like them. However, the professional reviews that I have read are quite good, Having said that, I know that there are "business" issues involved in professional reviews. I don't think that I even found a professional reviewer of any product that gave an unfavourable review. Just curious of your thoughts on this. Others as well. Thank you!

Frank Z

I don't thik anyone is bad-mouthing Adcom. Your original post was Adcom vs. Anthem and the majority of people have told you Anthem would be their choice. There's nothing wrong with Adcom, lots of people here have or still do own Adcom amps and pre-amps. Is Adcom on par with Anthem....very simply, No. Is it a quality product that can perform well, sure.

heiney9

Midnite Mick wrote:

Hey heiney, since you are the adcom defender you probably have a lot of experience with their products. I am very new to this whole stereo/home theatre thing and have been relying on information primarily off the net of various forums such as this, professional reviews, and consumer reviews on the various products in my price range. Do you think that there are so many Adcom bashers because people are judging by the lower level, older, non-mosfet Adcoms. Is there a big difference between the lower level ones and the upper level ones. I am asking this because most people here don't like them. However, the professional reviews that I have read are quite good, Having said that, I know that there are "business" issues involved in professional reviews. I don't think that I even found a professional reviewer of any product that gave an unfavourable review. Just curious of your thoughts on this. Others as well. Thank you!

Since you asked I'm more than willing to give my POV. Some will respond with short 1 sentence negative responses and never explain why. First off there is a lot of great gear out there, and Adcom is NOT the end all of amplifiers. There are many brands just as good, but just different. I sold Adcom products in the late 80's early 90's along side Luxman, Yamaha, Onkyo, Denon, Nakamichi, ADS, B & O, JVC, Kenwood (Basic and regular),Technics, Pioneer (Elite and regular). At the time I didn't have hardly any experience with the "British" audio companies like Rotel, Cambridge, others that escape me right now.

I felt back then that Adcom in most instances was the best choice based on musicality, ability to drive any load, price vs. performance, reliability. Luxman and Nakamichi I considered to be a small step above in some areas. That was then.

I personally like the older, simpler, Bi-polar designs which are the GFA-5xx series. The Gfa-555 was the amp that put Adcom on the radar and it got rave reviews back then (but somehow today, especially in this forum, those reviews are completely disregarded as myth). Many feel the Gfa-535 is the best sounding of the series. I pefer the Gfa-545 becasue it sounds just as good as the 535 only with more power reserves. They appeal to me because of the simplicity of only 3 gain stages, direct coupled instead of capacitor coupled, no current limiting circuit, and no circuit muting on power up (less is more approach). The inside uses torrodial power supply, larger than normal (for the time 20 years ago) ps caps. Very rugged precsion paired out-put tranny's. I really like the crisp sound and hefty bottom end the older bi-polar amps give. I also like the fact to a great degree Nelson Pass was involved with the original series of amps. The newer generations he's wasn't as involved if at all (other than the GFA-5802).

Many say they are grainy and harsh, personally I don't hear it and if I do (occasionally) it's more than likely source related as the cd's in my collection that are recorded well sound excellent, open and grain free.

I've had limited seat time withe newer GFA-5xxx series which use Mosfet's in all stages (Hexfet's on the input stage which are a variation of Mosfet's). For me they lack that last degree of sparkle to the music that bi-polars give. Really splitting hairs there though becasue they do sound very good.

Now Adcom is nothing revolutionary in it's design. Many other amps use the same components etc, but for the cost they are a soild choice and you could spend a lot more $$$ and get just as good an amp and in a lot of cases get a lesser amp. It all comes down to what you pair it with and what your preference is. Many many here like Rotel amps...personally I don't like that laid back sound. Would I ever bash Rotel and say it's junk? NO, I just don't prefer that kind of sound.

Adcom is solid, well built, reliable gear that performs well beyond its price point.

Ironically, I have to defend Polk speakers all the time in other forums as they get the same treatment there as Adcom gets here. Personally I'd take a professional review over a consumer review because even though many think it's all tied to the almighty advertising dollar atleast they are in the field, have a lot of experience, and can provide a consistent testing ground for all products.

YMMV

H9

p.s. I'm sure others will chime in and tell what crappy, grainy, harsh POS they are. Only you can decide. Right now I'd look for a good dedicated pre-amp, try borrowing one from the dealer if you can. Auditioning is the only way to decide.

heiney9

Also for the record the Anthem is probably the better choice, originally I took issue with the dealer saying it will blow the Adcom away. FWIW, we all take the meaning of blow it away differently. Again only you can decide by auditioning both with a good pre-amp.

H9

MrBuhl

Midnite Mick wrote:

adcom vs anthem? Please help...will I ever be happy?

No... audio is like anything else, there is always something...better... different... more expensive... more clean... more simple... warmer... more accurate... the list is endless. It's a journey, not a destination.

At least that's what I've learned throughout speaker/equipment changes.

scottyf

You can also modify your adcom amps. A friend of mine did this for his 555's. The mods tamed the excessive (I thought) bite on the top end and made them more liquid than the original amps with better control in the bass. Back in the mid '90s he used them to power a pair of the big SRS's.

They definitely sounded better to me -- nearly as good a Threshold amp he was auditing at the time (close enough that he didn't purchase the Thresh). However, I was finding that I was definitely a tube man and the Moscode 600 was my amp of choice.

Based on these mods, I purchased a modified Pioneer cd player from John Hillig -- my first cd player (go vinyl!) It took until 2001 before I heard anything that sounded significantly better and two more years after that to actually pull the trigger on a new cd player (my Pioneer AX-10). My brother in law is still using that cd player and he loves it.

I added a link for you to check it out.

http://musicalconcepts.com/adcom.htm

Mike Reeter

heiney9 wrote:

Ok, I know, I play the Adcom defender around here....I'm happy with their stuff and try to make sure they get a fair shake. I don't care what brand amp you have/get their shouldn't be that much of a difference between two similiar models. I'm guessing, perhaps, the 5300 you had may have had some problems. Was it new or used? There really isn't much difference design wise between the 5300 vs. 5400 to make such a dramatic difference. When you jump to the 5500 that's a different animal. Just throwing it out there.

FWIW
I misread the original post thinking it was referring to a 5300...

I bought the 5300 used,don't think it had problems,all the reviews i had read stated Adcom had released two versions of the 5300. One with a fixed power cord,one with a removable cord.

The later was the best performer of the two...mine had a fixed power cord...

aaharvel

the 7300 and especially 5300's are very picky. I hooked it up to a yamaha, then a sony es and used the same speakers. brittle and unpleasant. the h/k tamed the amps alot. I think the two brands go well together. I've been quite pleased with mine.

i have hte fixed cord as well. I've never seen a removable cord on either 300 models unless they were modified.

heiney9

aaharvel wrote:

the 7300 and especially 5300's are very picky. I hooked it up to a yamaha, then a sony es and used the same speakers. brittle and unpleasant. the h/k tamed the amps alot. I think the two brands go well together. I've been quite pleased with mine.

i have hte fixed cord as well. I've never seen a removable cord on either 300 models unless they were modified.

You are refering to them being picky with pre-amp selections ?? Don't under estimate the importance of an excellent pre. Many times I think deficiency's in sound get blamed on the amp or interconnects when a better more capable pre-amp is in order.

Yes, they did make some models with removeable power cords. I haven't been able to figure out what years they did this or how long they were offered. I have seen the 5300, 5400, 5500 with removeable power cords, not very often however. So my guess is, it was for a short time.

IMO, in your case (Mike) a removeable PC shouldn't have made such a profound difference. I guess it's a bit of a mystery why the 5400 would sound so much better than the 5300, I believe you, just puzzled as to why.

H9

aaharvel

same here.
yup H9- pre-amps.