Adcom GFA-545: The Little Amp That Could

Options
falconcry72
falconcry72 Posts: 3,580
edited January 2014 in 2 Channel Audio
I recently sold one of my GFA-545's on ebay, but before I did, I wanted to test it out to make sure it still worked. At first I was going to throw it in a secondary system with some Monitor 5B's, where it would be perfectly comfortable, but then I thought, what the frick, let's see what she can do in the main system.

So there she is, this little, dependable amp, powering my giant Magnepan 3.7's. These speakers are NOT easy to drive. 4ohms nominal with a sensitivity of only 86db.

When I first started playing music I was VERY cautious with the volume knob... gradually bringing it up to the audible spectrum. It sounded good. Little more volume. It sounded better. Little more volume... wow, this sounds really good! Next thing I know, I'm running at full-on personal reference volume, and it sounds great!

My first thought was "I can't believe how good this little $125 amp sounds!"... which was followed by "Why did I spend so much money on my BAT when a $100 amp sounds this good?!"

Well I put the BAT back in and immediately remembered why I dropped the coin on it... but needless to say, the GFA-545 was very impressive.

I will definitely be keeping at least one in the back pocket. This amp must represent the ultimate bang for the buck on the used 2-channel amp market.
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
Post edited by falconcry72 on
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • larry777
    larry777 Posts: 480
    edited January 2014
    Options
    Great info for anyone interested in the GFA-545. The used price range should be able to fit into everyone's Budget, so why wait when one comes available and you are in the market.
    Home Theatre.............

    Pioneer SC-35
    Polk RTi10's Fronts
    Polk CSiA6 Center
    RTi4 Surrounds
    SVS PB-12 Sub


    2 Channel.............................

    Yaqin MC-100B
    Energy RC-70 Speakers
    Arcam CD-192 Disc Player
    Van Den Hul Interconnects
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Toolfan66
    Toolfan66 Posts: 16,925
    edited January 2014
    Options
    I still wish I had my old 585 that I had.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • cfrizz
    cfrizz Posts: 13,415
    edited January 2014
    Options
    Did you check to see how hot it was once you were done? I gave my brother my old 50wpc Rotel amp to drive his LSI 7s and while it sounded fantastic, you could fry an egg on top of the amp by the time we were done watching a movie.
    Marantz AV-7705 PrePro, Classé 5 channel 200wpc Amp, Oppo 103 BluRay, Rotel RCD-1072 CDP, Sony XBR-49X800E TV, Polk S60 Main Speakers, Polk ES30 Center Channel, Polk S15 Surround Speakers SVS SB12-NSD x2
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • gudnoyez
    gudnoyez Posts: 8,066
    edited January 2014
    Options
    I got a 545 great little Amp, mine ran A pair of 2B's no problem, never got warm, I then got a 555II to run the 2B's and that 545 now runs a pair of CRS+s just fine. I also hooked it up to my AR58's and it also did a fine job. good thing your keeping one, I could not part with mine.
    Home Theater
    Parasound Halo A 31 OnkyoTX-NR838 Sony XBR55X850B 55" 4K RtiA9 Fronts CsiA6 Center RtiA3 Rears FxiA6 Side Surrounds Dual Psw 111's Oppo 105D Signal Ultra Speaker Cables & IC's Signal Magic Power Cable Technics SL Q300 Panamax MR4300 Audioquest Chocolate HDMI Cables Audioquest Forest USB Cable

    2 Channel
    Adcom 555II Vincent SA-T1 Marantz SA 15S2 Denon DR-M11 Clearaudio Bluemotion SDA 2.3tl's (Z) edition MIT Terminator II Speaker Cables & IC's Adcom 545II Adcom Gtp-450 Marantz CD5004 Technics M245X SDA 2B's, SDA CRS+

    Stuff for the Head
    JD LABS C5 Headphone Amplifier, Sennheiser HD 598, Polk Audio Buckle, Polk Audio Hinge, Velodyne vPulse, Bose IE2, Sennheiser CX 200 Street II, Sennheiser MX 365

    Shower & Off the beaten path Rigs
    Polk Audio Boom Swimmer, Polk Audio Urchin B)
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • boston1450
    boston1450 Posts: 7,474
    edited January 2014
    Options
    Glad you like the Adcom. Im in the market soon for another Adcom. They are very impressive & for what they tend to go for $$$ their a bang for the buck
    ..
    ..
    ..
    Randy/Maine
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • falconcry72
    falconcry72 Posts: 3,580
    edited January 2014
    Options
    boston1450 wrote: »
    Glad you like the Adcom...

    I've known that I liked the 545 for some time now; I've used them very successfully with vintage Monitors, SDAs, LSis, etc.... I just never knew how good they could sound as a part of a higher-fi system.
    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
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Loud & Clear
    Loud & Clear Posts: 1,538
    edited January 2014
    Options
    I bought a 545 not too long ago. I turned it on and it didn't work. So I returned it. #debbiedowner

    Two Channel Setup:

    Speakers: Wharfedale Opus 2-3
    Integrated Amp: Krell S-300i
    DAC: Arcam irDac
    Source: iMac
    Remote Control: iPad Mini

    3.2 Home Theater Setup:

    Fronts: Klipsch RP-160M
    Center: Klipsch RP-160M
    Subwoofer: SVS PB12NSD (X 2)
    AVR: Yamaha Aventage RX-A2030
    Blu Ray: Sony BDP-S790
    TV Source: DirecTV Genie
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • falconcry72
    falconcry72 Posts: 3,580
    edited January 2014
    Options
    Loud & Clear wrote: »
    I bought a 545 not too long ago. I turned it on and it didn't work. So I returned it. #debbiedowner

    Want another one? I got one more to get rid of... only keeping one for myslef.
    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
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Loud & Clear
    Loud & Clear Posts: 1,538
    edited January 2014
    Options
    No thank you, sir. I think I've had my fill.

    By the way, you've got some really nice gear. Your systems are very well put together.

    Two Channel Setup:

    Speakers: Wharfedale Opus 2-3
    Integrated Amp: Krell S-300i
    DAC: Arcam irDac
    Source: iMac
    Remote Control: iPad Mini

    3.2 Home Theater Setup:

    Fronts: Klipsch RP-160M
    Center: Klipsch RP-160M
    Subwoofer: SVS PB12NSD (X 2)
    AVR: Yamaha Aventage RX-A2030
    Blu Ray: Sony BDP-S790
    TV Source: DirecTV Genie
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • falconcry72
    falconcry72 Posts: 3,580
    edited January 2014
    Options
    Loud & Clear wrote: »
    By the way, you've got some really nice gear. Your systems are very well put together.

    Thanks, man. I've experimented with A LOT of speakers and components over the last few years, and I'm pretty happy with the synergy in both systems right now. If I were to make any immediate changes, it would be:

    - 2-channel: Replace DAC & USB > SPDIF converter with a better DAC that has USB built-in.
    - HT: Replace Pre/Pro with one that has Audyssey XT-32. I got to hear XT-32 in my system recently, and it's dramatically better... especially with dual subs.
    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
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • trav0810
    trav0810 Posts: 1,056
    edited January 2014
    Options
    I just sold the 545 I had...back to the person I bought it from, for $125 as well! I have to agree, for that little bit of cash, that %$% is an overachiever!
    The difference between genius and stupidity is; genius has its limits.” -Albert Einstein

    Sony Playstation 3 for CD and Streaming
    Thorens TD320
    Modified Carver C-1
    Carver TFM 42 and 45 Amplifiers
    Polk RTA15TL Speakers w/Decato mods
    White Lightning Moonshine DIY Speaker Cables and Interconnects
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,082
    edited January 2014
    Options
    Yeah, I LOVED my 545, I had it for 12 years before the Aleph 30. I think they sound better than the 555's tonally. It's a mighty little amp. When I sold audio back in the late 80's it would trounce the 300 wpc Yamaha's of the day running difficult loads. In fact the 535 played cleaner and louder on a difficult load than the 200 wpc Yamaha amps of the same vintage. Never did nor do I now understand why those old Yammy's are so coveted. Average at best.

    GFA - Great F#*king Amp.....LOL.

    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!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • cnh
    cnh Posts: 13,284
    edited January 2014
    Options
    I alternate using the NAD below or an Adcom GFA-545. The Adcom has a bit more detail and oomph. The NAD is a tad warmer. You really can't beat those 545s for what they go for. Real giant killers in their day.

    cnh
    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]
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • RR09SS
    RR09SS Posts: 32
    edited January 2014
    Options
    Don't mean to threadjack, but what do you guys think about the GFA-5500? Got one not too long ago and kind of curious what the consensus is on it.
    Receiver: Yamaha RX-V667
    Fronts: Polk LS90 / Polk SDA-2
    Center: Polk CS350-LS
    Rear: Polk M3 II
    Sub: Polk DSW MP3K / Velodyne DEQ-10R
    Amp: Adcom GFA-5500 (Strapped for SDA's)
    Interconnect: Kimber Tonik
    Speaker Wire: Kimber 4PR
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • chucho
    chucho Posts: 2
    Options
    UN AMPLIFICADOR DE PODER JEFF ROWLAND MODEL 1 SE ME AVERIO, PRONTO ME LO ENTREGARAN NUEVAMENTE, Y PARA PODER SEGUIR ESCUCHANDO MUSICA ADQUIRI UN ADCOM 545 PARA TRABAJARLO CON EL HERMANO DEL PODER, UN PREAMPLIFICADOR CONSONANCE, EL RESULTADO NO ME LO ESPERABA PUES A PESAR DE QUE EL ROWLAND SI SUPERA EN ALGUNOS ASPECTOS AL ADCOM, SINCERAMENTE PENSE QUE EXTRAÑARIA MUCHO MI ROWLAND Y MUY A MI PESAR NO ES ASI, CLARO TAMBIEN TIENE QUE VER QUE CABLES SE USEN, LOS ALTAVOCES, LA FUENTE DIGITAL Y ANALOGICA, LOS ACCESORIOS ETC. MIS RESPETOS PARA ADCOM, A PESAR DE LOS AÑOS TRANSCURRIDOS, PERO NO M EXTRAÑA, DESPUES DE TODO ES UN DISEÑO CREADO POR EL GENIAL NELSON PASS. PUNTO.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • CH46E
    CH46E Posts: 3,557
    Options
    Wow, that's an old thread. Not sure what all that means up there. But wanted to add to the Adcom 545 being a fantastic bang for the buck. The 545 MKII was my first separate amp. Hooked it to my then Pioneer VSXD912K as the pre amp. It gave me chills the first time I heard it. Again, was my first real amplifier. Was a great amp. One I wished I had kept but easily available for a couple hundred bucks these days. Would not mind grabbing another to see it it still has the magic. I honestly feel like I've been chasing that same feeling, when hooking up a new component to the system. Not necessarily the Adcom's sound, but more the emotion it invoked.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,052
    Options
    One of my first amps... 20 years ago... And it was 20 years old then... So these amps are now almost 40 years old lol wow time flies
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • PSOVLSK
    PSOVLSK Posts: 5,064
    Options
    My first separate amp as well. While I enjoyed it and agree that’s a great bang for buck amp, it’s not a piece I miss or long to have again. To be fair, I was using an H/K 7300 before I got the Adcom, so probably why I wasn’t blown away by the Adcom.
    Things work out best for those who make the best of the way things work out.-John Wooden
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,585
    Options
    chucho wrote: »
    UN AMPLIFICADOR DE PODER JEFF ROWLAND MODEL 1 SE ME AVERIO, PRONTO ME LO ENTREGARAN NUEVAMENTE, Y PARA PODER SEGUIR ESCUCHANDO MUSICA ADQUIRI UN ADCOM 545 PARA TRABAJARLO CON EL HERMANO DEL PODER, UN PREAMPLIFICADOR CONSONANCE, EL RESULTADO NO ME LO ESPERABA PUES A PESAR DE QUE EL ROWLAND SI SUPERA EN ALGUNOS ASPECTOS AL ADCOM, SINCERAMENTE PENSE QUE EXTRAÑARIA MUCHO MI ROWLAND Y MUY A MI PESAR NO ES ASI, CLARO TAMBIEN TIENE QUE VER QUE CABLES SE USEN, LOS ALTAVOCES, LA FUENTE DIGITAL Y ANALOGICA, LOS ACCESORIOS ETC. MIS RESPETOS PARA ADCOM, A PESAR DE LOS AÑOS TRANSCURRIDOS, PERO NO M EXTRAÑA, DESPUES DE TODO ES UN DISEÑO CREADO POR EL GENIAL NELSON PASS. PUNTO.

    Translation:

    A JEFF ROWLAND MODEL 1 POWER AMPLIFIER BROKE DOWN, SOON IT WILL BE DELIVERED TO ME AGAIN, AND TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE LISTENING TO MUSIC I ACQUIRED AN ADCOM 545 TO WORK WITH THE BROTHER OF POWER, A CONSONANCE PREAMPLIFIER, THE RESULT I DID NOT EXPECT BECAUSE ALTHOUGH THE ROWLAND DOES SURPASS THE ADCOM IN SOME ASPECTS, I HONESTLY THOUGHT THAT I WOULD MISS MY ROWLAND A LOT AND MUCH TO MY REGRET IT IS NOT SO, OF COURSE IT ALSO HAS TO DO WITH WHAT CABLES ARE USED, THE SPEAKERS, THE DIGITAL AND ANALOG SOURCE, THE ACCESSORIES ETC. MY RESPECTS TO ADCOM, DESPITE THE YEARS THAT HAVE PASSED, BUT I AM NOT SURPRISED, AFTER ALL IT IS A DESIGN CREATED BY THE GREAT NELSON PASS. POINT.


    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,102
    Options
    Nelson Pass es un truco.
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • SeleniumFalcon
    SeleniumFalcon Posts: 3,508
    Options
    I always liked the GFA535 amp.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • invalid
    invalid Posts: 1,279
    edited March 13
    Options
    SeleniumFalcon wrote: »
    I always liked the GFA535 amp.

    I've never heard one, but the consensus is that one is the best sounding out of the 555 series.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,052
    Options
    The original 535, not the II is definitely the best sounding of the bunch.
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • CH46E
    CH46E Posts: 3,557
    Options
    VR3 wrote: »
    The original 535, not the II is definitely the best sounding of the bunch.

    Phs ..... What ever. Lol 🤣.
    If I see one local tomme pop up for sale I may grab it. Either one.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter