Adcom GFA-545II vs. Rotel RB 981 vs Parasound HCA-1000A

Shicks18
Shicks18 Posts: 397
edited July 2008 in Electronics
This will be paired with LSi9s, prices are all the exact same on the 3 amps, just looking for the best fit.

Adcom GFA-545II Specs:
100x2 WPC in 8ohms
150x2 WPC in 4 Ohms

Rotel RB 981 Specs:
130x2 WPC in 8ohms

Parasound HCA-1000A Specs:
125x2 WPC in 8 ohms
200x2 WPC in 4 ohms


Thanks for your help, I know in a previous search everyone preferred the Parasound over the Adcom, but that was a while back.
TV: LG 55LW5600
Pre: Marantz SR6001
Front Amp: Parasound HCA-1000A
Center Amp: Marantz MA500
Mains: Polk LSi9
Center: Polk LSiC
Sub: HSU VTF-3 MK-2
Games: Xbox360 and PS3
Post edited by Shicks18 on
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Comments

  • phuz
    phuz Posts: 2,372
    edited July 2008
    All great amps.

    I'm partial to Rotel, Parasound second.
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  • george daniel
    george daniel Posts: 12,096
    edited July 2008
    Para,,Rotel,,Adcom in that order
    JC approves....he told me so. (F-1 nut)
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  • ben62670
    ben62670 Posts: 15,969
    edited July 2008
    george daniel wrote: »
    Para,,Rotel,,Adcom in that order

    For those models price being equal I fully agree.
    Please. Please contact me a ben62670 @ yahoo.com. Make sure to include who you are, and you are from Polk so I don't delete your email. Also I am now physically unable to work on any projects. If you need help let these guys know. There are many people who will help if you let them know where you are.
    Thanks
    Ben
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  • candyliquor35m
    candyliquor35m Posts: 2,267
    edited July 2008
    I would wait and get a carver.
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  • Shicks18
    Shicks18 Posts: 397
    edited July 2008
    The Parasound was atop my list as well, only thing is that I have read where the Parasound can struggle powering 4ohm speakers even though its rated 200wpc? Anyone else have this problem, or is that something that really isn't an issue?
    TV: LG 55LW5600
    Pre: Marantz SR6001
    Front Amp: Parasound HCA-1000A
    Center Amp: Marantz MA500
    Mains: Polk LSi9
    Center: Polk LSiC
    Sub: HSU VTF-3 MK-2
    Games: Xbox360 and PS3
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  • ben62670
    ben62670 Posts: 15,969
    edited July 2008
    Not an issue. As with all amps let it breath. Bridged mono they are not designed to handle 4ohms.
    Please. Please contact me a ben62670 @ yahoo.com. Make sure to include who you are, and you are from Polk so I don't delete your email. Also I am now physically unable to work on any projects. If you need help let these guys know. There are many people who will help if you let them know where you are.
    Thanks
    Ben
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,545
    edited July 2008
    With the Parasounds 200w capability at 4ohms, and Lsi9's--that would be my choice.
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Source: Rotel CD14MkII CD Player - Speakers: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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  • dkg999
    dkg999 Posts: 5,647
    edited July 2008
    The Parasound is the only amp with the required 200 wpc, therefore it must be the correct choice ;)

    CFRIZZ will be along to smack me down :p

    What pre-amp are you going to be using?
    DKG999
    HT System: LSi9, LSiCx2, LSiFX, LSi7, SVS 20-39 PC+, B&K 507.s2 AVR, B&K Ref 125.2, Tripplite LCR-2400, Cambridge 650BD, Signal Cable PC/SC, BJC IC, Samsung 55" LED

    Music System: Magnepan 1.6QR, SVS SB12+, ARC pre, Parasound HCA1500 vertically bi-amped, Jolida CDP, Pro-Ject RM5.1SE TT, Pro-Ject TubeBox SE phono pre, SBT, PS Audio DLIII DAC
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  • PSOVLSK
    PSOVLSK Posts: 5,372
    edited July 2008
    I own the Adcom 545 and love it, but all at the same price I'd buy the Parasound.

    Why? Just seems to me to be the best bang for your buck deal.
    Things work out best for those who make the best of the way things work out.-John Wooden
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  • ben62670
    ben62670 Posts: 15,969
    edited July 2008
    dkg999 wrote: »
    The Parasound is the only amp with the required 200 wpc, therefore it must be the correct choice ;)

    CFRIZZ will be along to smack me down :p

    What pre-amp are you going to be using?

    If you heard the 150 watts that Adcom puts out you would probably laugh at the 200wpc "requirement. While I do agree with Cathy's general recommendation it is all about currant. The difference between 150 watts, and 200 is only 1 db. You have to double the power to get just 3 db;) Its all about currant:)
    Ben
    Please. Please contact me a ben62670 @ yahoo.com. Make sure to include who you are, and you are from Polk so I don't delete your email. Also I am now physically unable to work on any projects. If you need help let these guys know. There are many people who will help if you let them know where you are.
    Thanks
    Ben
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  • dkg999
    dkg999 Posts: 5,647
    edited July 2008
    ben62670 wrote: »
    If you heard the 150 watts that Adcom puts out you would probably laugh at the 200wpc "requirement. While I do agree with Cathy's general recommendation it is all about currant. The difference between 150 watts, and 200 is only 1 db. You have to double the power to get just 3 db;) Its all about currant:)
    Ben

    Obviously you missed the sarcasm in my comments. I'll try to note it more clearly next time.
    DKG999
    HT System: LSi9, LSiCx2, LSiFX, LSi7, SVS 20-39 PC+, B&K 507.s2 AVR, B&K Ref 125.2, Tripplite LCR-2400, Cambridge 650BD, Signal Cable PC/SC, BJC IC, Samsung 55" LED

    Music System: Magnepan 1.6QR, SVS SB12+, ARC pre, Parasound HCA1500 vertically bi-amped, Jolida CDP, Pro-Ject RM5.1SE TT, Pro-Ject TubeBox SE phono pre, SBT, PS Audio DLIII DAC
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  • audiobliss
    audiobliss Posts: 12,518
    edited July 2008
    I certainly enjoy the authority of my Parasound HCA-1000A. However, I'm definitely not running 4ohm speakers on it, either.
    George Grand wrote: »
    Jstas wrote: »
    Simple question. If you had a cool million bucks, what would you do with it?
    Wonder WTF happened to the rest of my money.
    In Use
    PS3, Yamaha CDR-HD1300, Plex, Amazon Fire TV Gen 2
    Pioneer Elite VSX-52, Parasound HCA-1000A
    Klipsch RF-82ii, RC-62ii, RS-42ii, RW-10d
    Epson 8700UB
    In Storage
    [Home Audio]
    Rotel RCD-02, Yamaha KX-W900U, Sony ST-S500ES, Denon DP-7F
    Pro-Ject Phono Box MKII, Parasound P/HP-850, ASL Wave 20 monoblocks
    Klipsch RF-35, RB-51ii
    [Car Audio]
    Pioneer Premier DEH-P860MP, Memphis 16-MCA3004, Boston Acoustic RC520
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  • ben62670
    ben62670 Posts: 15,969
    edited July 2008
    dkg999 wrote: »
    Obviously you missed the sarcasm in my comments. I'll try to note it more clearly next time.

    Sorry. Two kids, and the 2 1/2 YO kept me up till 5:30:( I will sleep like a baby tonight for sure.
    Please. Please contact me a ben62670 @ yahoo.com. Make sure to include who you are, and you are from Polk so I don't delete your email. Also I am now physically unable to work on any projects. If you need help let these guys know. There are many people who will help if you let them know where you are.
    Thanks
    Ben
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,545
    edited July 2008
    I've run the Lsi9's with an HCA-1500A (205 watts/ 8 ohms), he needs every watt he can get.
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Source: Rotel CD14MkII CD Player - Speakers: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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  • ben62670
    ben62670 Posts: 15,969
    edited July 2008
    Damn I'm slow today. The Adcom will drive the low low ohms that the nines dip to in the bass region. They actually use 2 4ohm drivers that dip to 2 ohms.
    Please. Please contact me a ben62670 @ yahoo.com. Make sure to include who you are, and you are from Polk so I don't delete your email. Also I am now physically unable to work on any projects. If you need help let these guys know. There are many people who will help if you let them know where you are.
    Thanks
    Ben
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,421
    edited July 2008
    FWIW,

    I've owned an Adcom GFA 545 for 20 years (since new in about 1987). It has been flawless and sounds great. I've compared it to Outlaw, Parasound, Carver, Sunfire and I keep coming back to the little 100wpc amp that could.

    I've used it to drive RTA-11's, LSi 9's and now my 1C's. It has great current capacity ad will play relatively loud in a medium sized room with hungry speakers hooked up.

    I lean towards the Adcom only because I know what it's capable of but the other (2) choices are excellent as well.

    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 | Puritan Audio PSM136 Pwr Condtioner & Classic PC's | Legend L600 | Roon Nucleus 1 w/LPS - Tubes add soul!
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,545
    edited July 2008
    Nines are brutal, thats why I suggested the higher head-room (@4 ohms) Parasound. Keeping in mind I have a fairly large listening room (18 x 36) I pushed the Lsi9's hard, and they began to collapse the soundstage--I still don't know if the Parasound was losing steam, or if the speakers were simply compressing at high volume--I suspect a little bit of both.
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Source: Rotel CD14MkII CD Player - Speakers: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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  • Mike Reeter
    Mike Reeter Posts: 4,315
    edited July 2008
    I have an Adcom 5400 and a Parasound HCA-1000A

    They are VERY close in performance.

    If you could swing it,I'd wait and pick up an HCA-1500A,it will trump both of them.
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