NAD 2200 or Adcom 545

ben62670 · January 2009

daboyz wrote: »

Ben, your 545 is my little baby now and I wish that you would stop coveting it, like now!!;) Having both the Marsh and the 545 I've actually come closer to selling the Marsh(except for a mishap;)) than I have the Adcom. I always thought that the Dodd and the Marsh were my two untouchables but I have never even thought of selling the 545.

I'm doing fine over here. I can't afford a full HT system now. The amps I have now are back up to factory spec. Most know about the bad run of leaking caps that plagued the 565's, and the 585's, but there are a few naughty cheap fusible resistors, and a couple caps that will bring the ones I have to a higher level:) Again I have to say thanks H9 for pointing me in the right direction to get some solid advice from the designers, and techs that actually worked on, and built these amps:)
Ben

Dawgfish · January 2009

Hey Im an Adcom fan. I have a GFA 555 in my system and like it. It's a good amp. I also have an Emotiva amp as well as a Marsh designed Monster Power amp and they all sound good and have their own merits. Sound is a personal thing, what one person likes another may not. There's nothing wrong with Adcom at all (and btw, I have a GFA 545 on the way for my two channel setup), but neither is there anythying wrong with Emotiva also. Don't take it personally. Like what you like and don't worry about the others. It works for me.

sdabeliever · January 2009

Kex wrote: »

Is that what they call "Power Drive" technology, or is that something different entirely? A fairly recent review of the T955 highlighted this feature, and I'm just curious if it's useful, or if it's useless marketing blurb.

Sorry to derail, slightly, sdabeliever.

I don't know if it's the same or not but I can tell you that from what I've seen so far the NAD is a monster.. it's no marketing blurb when it comes to the NAD.

NAD states that it will easily produce 500 watts per channel in stereo and up to 1.6 Kw in mono. I believe it after hearing the thing.

So, all you late comers... thanks for the comments but can anyone tell me about hooking a transformer into my SDA cable to make an A1? Is it ok to do with my model SDA?

heiney9 · January 2009

sdabeliever wrote: »

I can anyone tell me about hooking a transformer into my SDA cable to make an A1? Is it ok to do with my model SDA?

What model SDA's do you have? Pin/Blade or Blade/Blade SDA cable? Serial Numbers and pics would be great.

In general only the later model SDA's 4th generation (which is the last generation) can use the AI-1 (transformer) cable. But there are some exceptions.

sdabeliever · January 2009

cool I'll post some pics later. I have sda 2's from 1984

heiney9 · January 2009

sdabeliever wrote: »

cool I'll post some pics later. I have sda 2's from 1984

I can tell you right now that you can't use the AI-1 cable with those. Non-common ground amps weren't really an issue until later on. Still post the pics.

I assume there is no "A" or "B" letter designation. Do yours have external protection fuses? Only the earliest SDA's had these fuses.

Only 2B's with serial numbers on Left greater than 14115 and Right greater than 14124 can use the AI-1 interface.

Look for a common ground amp............that's your only solution.

H9

sdabeliever · January 2009

Uhm yeah. only about 12,000 numbers off :rolleyes: oh well GFA 545 here I come. Anyone want the 2200 for $275 shipped?

THANKS for all the help to all who contributed! This was a good learning experience for me.

reeltrouble1 · January 2009

Last year after patching them up I ty-dyed my 'I Love Adcom" t-shirts and ruined them. I was having a flashback and used to much puprle micro in the mix.

I did order two more but my order was returned as apparently they are no longer available. It seems sales were bad, some guy named Brock did have a long history of 20 years or so of buying them but he only ordered one per year, now I am not saying but they implied he was always calling trying to get something on the down low or a discount, they mentioned another fellow named Ben, who had called looking for a deal on used Adcom T-shirts. They did have a few but sold them on E-bay.

Anyway, they suggested some NAD T's and products.

So sorry the 2200 did not work out for you, however, you can use the 2600 or the 2700 as they are common ground.

RT1

DollarDave · January 2009

RT1,

Are the 2100 series and the 270 on up also common ground? I have a 2100, 2700, and a 270 and will swap them around if I need to. Currently, the 270 is with the CRS+'s..

ben62670 · January 2009

Those were my first SDA's:) You could have kicked me in the groin when I first listened to them, and that wouldn't have taken the grin off my face:) I was using a GFA-5400 at the time. It had plenty of power, but the GFA-555 sounded better(not just more powerful).
Enjoy.
Ben

reeltrouble1 · January 2009

Dave, I really cant remember as I moved on a few years ago and my NAD fact library has diminished over time, I owned 2600 and 2700 so I am most familiar with those.

RT1

agfrost · January 2009

Some additional info on NAD amps in this thread: LINK

Jay

heiney9 · January 2009

Last year after patching them up I ty-dyed my 'I Love Adcom" t-shirts and ruined them. I was having a flashback and used to much puprle micro in the mix.

I did order two more but my order was returned as apparently they are no longer available. It seems sales were bad, some guy named Brock did have a long history of 20 years or so of buying them but he only ordered one per year, now I am not saying but they implied he was always calling trying to get something on the down low or a discount, they mentioned another fellow named Ben, who had called looking for a deal on used Adcom T-shirts. They did have a few but sold them on E-bay.

It would be cool to perhaps make a sticky with common ground amp info. for new SDA owners. Some 20 years later this an issue that wasn't necessarily so back then. As for Adcom t-shirts............mine are ruined as well

. That's what happens when you leave them in a drawer for 20 years w/o moth balls to protect them.

Now the Adcom boxers.............that's another story. Those are intact but severely faded. I can still see.......a capital I above the crotch....a red, now pinkish heart squarely on the crotch and ADCOM in big bold letters across my ****. The ladies never dug them but I did.......especially in front of a full length mirror. Ahhhhh those were the days

.

H9

shack · January 2009

DaveMuell wrote:

Are the 2100 series and the 270 on up also common ground?

The NAD C270 and NAD C272 amps (as well as the NAD C370 and NAD C372 integrated amps) are common ground.

reeltrouble1 · January 2009

heiney9 wrote: »

Now the Adcom boxers.............that's another story. Those are intact but severely faded. I can still see.......a capital I above the crotch....
H9

well it just may of been the ladies believed that "I" stood for Itty bitty........:eek:

RT1--Thanks Shack Daddy.

sdabeliever · January 2009

Well I'm keeping the NAD for a two channel system we have at our cafe and I just bought a nice 545. I really can't believe that NADs power. wow. We hooked it up to my father in laws sda srs's (without the sda cable) and it sounded better than the onkyo m504 hooked up with the sda cable.

anyway, it would be nice to have that info stickied because I had no clue.

here's a question...My father in law's SDA srs2's have a serial numbers of 2765 and 2865 are these eligible for the A1 cable swap??? we'd like to go dual mono if possible.

sdabeliever · January 2009

reeltrouble1 wrote: »

. I was having a flashback and used to much puprle micro in the mix.

RT1

haha:D

reeltrouble1 · January 2009

The SDA speakers that use the pin/blade cable can use mono blocks amplifiers if you use the AI-1 cable, your pretty much going to have to build your own though, there are a couple of threads, Darqueknight (sp) just did a very nice one that looks like the best effort so far, not cheap though.

Keeping the NAD is a good enough decision, it is a nice amp. but watch for a deal on a 2600 or 2700 they are basically the same amp then you can get the SDA and use your speakers as intended.

RT1

RT1

heiney9 · January 2009

Just to add to what Ted's saying not ALL pin/blade (most can though) can use the AI-1 and the OP's SDA's can NOT use the AI-1.

heiney9 · January 2009

sdabeliever wrote: »

here's a question...My father in law's SDA srs2's have a serial numbers of 2765 and 2865 are these eligible for the A1 cable swap??? we'd like to go dual mono if possible.

I'll check the compendium when I get home or maybe Darqueknight can comment. I know Ted already has and he's probably correct especially if they are pin/blade................but there is a serial number run that can for sure use the AI-1.

H9

sdabeliever · January 2009

that's great thanks!

Leam123 · September 2010

I hope that any of you folks out there that are using or are thinking of purchasing ADCOM eq, have a bottomless pit of MONEY to get them serviced when they fail!!! I have a pair of 8000M's on my bench with wild high freq oscillation problems. I couldn't find ANY service info, manuals or prints for these pups. My customer contacted ADCOM and all he got was useless LIP SERVICE! He was told that he'd have to ship both units from B.C. Canada, to their service dept, in Britan, for repairs. I found the failure, one 4.7 ohm/ 2 watt resistor, in each unit had gone open. I installed 3 watt pwr resistors in their place and both units now spec out as per factory. For a few $$ in parts, I saved my customer a boat load of money. I'm posting this to help others. Nothing burns my wick faster than over priced eq, and then when it comes to service, it's the customer that gets stone walled and the shaft AGAIN! If your ADCOM 8000M sounds like CRAP, I probly have the fix, feel free to email me. Cheers all !

NAD 2200 or Adcom 545

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