Adcom Amps

Lego1
Lego1 Posts: 62
edited December 2011 in Electronics
I know the Adcom 535 is conservatively labeled with 60wpc but actually does around 80wpc. Are the 545 and 555 the same way? The 545 is labeled 100wpc and the 555 is 200wpc. Do they actually put out more than that or is the 535 the only one that is a true bimono design which puts out more? I currently have an Adcom 535 but found a good deal on a 545. If the 545 only puts out 100wpc, it's not worth buying for me, but if it is also conservatively labeled and will put out 120wpc or so, then it's a better buy. Opinions please. Thanks!
Post edited by Lego1 on

Comments

  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,576
    edited December 2011
    You're not going to hear a difference of 20 watts so it doesn't matter.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
  • falconcry72
    falconcry72 Posts: 3,580
    edited December 2011
    I believe there are differences between those two models that go beyond WPC numbers.
    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
  • Dawgfish
    Dawgfish Posts: 2,554
    edited December 2011
    If you found a good deal on the 545 and like the Adcom house sound, I say go for it. I've owned both the GFA 545 and 555 before, and the 545 is the best of the 500 series line-up in my opinion. It gives you most of the performance of the 555 and was a little smoother to my ears (I found the 555 to be a tad harsh, but I'm a tube guy).
  • Lego1
    Lego1 Posts: 62
    edited December 2011
    Is the difference between the 545 and 555 in power noticeable or does the 545 actually put out more than 100wpc?
  • comfortablycurt
    comfortablycurt Posts: 6,745
    edited December 2011
    I can't compare it to the 535, but I love my 545. I've compared it to a 555 side by side, and found their sonic signatures to be very similar. The 545 doesn't have quite the max volume and headroom, or dynamic capabilities of the 555...but it's a very capable amp. It can drive my SDA 2A's to levels louder than I ever care to listen to without breaking a sweat. Whenever I upgrade my amp though, I'll probably move on to something other than Adcom. Possibly a Parasound.
    The nirvana inducer-
    APC H10 Power Conditioner
    Marantz UD5005 universal player
    Parasound Halo P5 preamp
    Parasound HCA-1200II power amp
    PolkAudio LSi9's/PolkAudio SDA 2A's/PolkAudio Monitor 7A's
    Audioquest Speaker Cables and IC's
  • leftwinger57
    leftwinger57 Posts: 2,917
    edited December 2011
    I'm sort of a novice on this but for my experience w/ the 555 it's such a worthy and powerful 2-chl ss amp.Going from 60 to 100 probably won't matter much but once in in the heavy hitter area of 200 wpc you can do pretty much anything you want sonically and pushing any speaker system around if you wanted to.I always wanted the ability of not having to turn the amp all the way up to either clip it or to distort the sound so dramatically,w/ gfa555 half way and my walls are shakeing.
    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