very powerfull

This receiver is good easy to program and calibrate best hen youo use the with ampgfa-7607 by adcom

Looks good from the outside.

Garbage components.

I did not have a good experience with the Adcom GFA-830 pre-amp. If you are in the market for a preamp processor or moving into separates, please look somewhere else. This unit is over priced and does not offer audiophile sound. I would rather have stayed with a receiver and save my money for media. This is a very noisy pre-amp processor (hisss on all channels). If you are going to buy one, please get it from a dealer that has a return policy.

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I never used anything as worse as this. Bryston SP1.7

When it worked it did a great job with all if its functions and speration of sound with DVD's.

Recovery from changing functions was slow there was some hiss, oh and of course, it only lasted a year. Probably another power supply problem. And for what it is and what it does, it's WAY over priced !! It's on the big size and the connections in the back are all clumpted together directly behind the volume control (if you were to draw a line from front to back ) pretty much just a poorly designed unit inside and out. Try agin Adcom...some day you'll understand what it takes to make a REALLY good product !

I originally had GTP-660 but within a year I dcided to upgrade to the GTP-740. It gave me a lot of control and it was just fun to listen to with all the speakers going and my house just FILLED with music it was great...but...after 1 year of owning the 740 it brokedown. I was with out it for 3-4 weeks and when I got it back all was well, for another year then back into the shop. The third time it happened Adcom installed the power unit from the GTP-760 along with DTS. That was fun for 1 year then back into the shop it went. When the 5th time came around I was told that it was out of warrenty and the Adcom wasn't going to do anything about it. So I sent an e-mail and got results very quickly. Adcom told me that they couln't fix the problems with the 740 and that they would offer me a couple of "B" line units for about half the price of a new one...it may have been even a bit less than that...anyway...not having a lot of cash to spend at the time I jumped at the chance. But I went for the GTP-860 instead of the 830. When I had the 830 on loan from Clark Music I found that for what it was supposed to be and for the price it left a lot of control out of my hands. Plus there was no 5 channel stereo like the 860 has. So I went for the 860 for the convenience of having more control over how I wanted to listen to whatever it was I was listening to. Well I was under the assumtion that even though they're "B" line models and I realize that they're not supposed to last forever I would at least expect them to last longer than a year. I mean a year to the day ! Then my 860 died. So now I have to send it back to Arizona now and be without it for about a month or so. With all fairness though, when it worked it did so very well and it was fun to listen to. Amazing with DVD's. But I'm tired of this 1 year thing then back into the shop. This'll be the sixth year that I've had to return their product back for repairs..and I've had it. Even though the GFA-7000 power amp is working flawlessly I'll never even think about owning ANYTHING from them and I would discourage anyone from buying anything from Adcom. But I won't be without a pre/pro for long. I went and bought an Outlaw Audio 950 pre/pro for less than half the price of a new GTP-860. The Outlaw gives you way more verasatility and from what I've read dependabilty which will be paramount for me. So here goes another attempt to satisfy my constant hunger for great sound and dependability. I'll let you know.

Crisp, Clean, open sound.

Odd switching. Lack of flexibility in set-up. No component video. Too inexpensive to have features like the big boys: too insistent upon good sound to be priced with the less expensive units on the market..

I bought this to replace my Denon AV Receiver. I already had a Rotel Amp handling the output from the Denon since the Denon's Amp is weak. I use MIT speaker cables and Audioquest interconnets. First, I must state that I have been leary about investing in Adcom equipment since I have never liked the sound of their preamps and the buttons on the Adcom preamps always seemed to be designed for economy instead of ease of use. After having listened to one of their newer preamps (the GFP-750), I knew that Adcom was working to change its image some. Still I was hesitant to buy. Adcom's price point is in the low middle of the pack, but still a little rich for what you get. Finally I walked into the store the other day when my dealer was trying to unload its few remaining Adcom pieces of equipment (Audo King/Ultimate Audio will no longer carry Adcom). The unit I saw for $800 a few months earlier was now marked down to just under $500. I couldn't apss it up. Yes, I am disappointed in the ease of use of this unit (a matter further complicated by the fact that the dealer didn't have the original remote and gave me a remote from another model of Adcom). I am also disappointed about its relatively unflexible on-screen system setup. But when you go to JC Penney's to buy a suit at K-mart prices, what can you expect: Pierre Cardin? Moving beyond the issues with setup and ease of use: Once I did have the system set-up correctly (a process that nearly had me re-integrating the Denon) I discovered that the sound was much improved. I had no excess hiss or crosstalk that others here have talked about. The sound was spacious and showed a hint of effortlessness (undoubtedly I was finally able to hear the Rotel amps showing the hint of world class sound that the reviewers have talked about). The bass notes were also much cleaner and clearer. I connected my CD players to the digital inputs on the back. Unfortunately, there share the five available video inputs (instead of being individually assignable to the input of the type of equipment it is). The digital processor did a fine job of delivering signal to the amps without a lot of coloration (here again Adcom's miserly approach to adding unnecessary extra paths..like switches..resulting this time in a benefit). This will truely be a love/hate relationship. As long as the eargasms persist, I'll be in love with this odd little jewel. I'm giving this a 3 star Value rating assuming that it was purchased for around $1000 (list according to Audio King was 1199, but I've seen it maiorder for under $1000). Since I bought it at under $500, I consider it a 5 star, but that won't be true unless you can find it for that price too. 4 star overall (price independant?). Sound quality is a five star. ease of use and set-up flexibility I would rate somewhere between a 1 and a 2 star. So 4 star is generous...but it really does sound good when it is finally set up.

Similar Products Used:

Denon, Rotel, Adcom, NAD, Sony

This is a followup to previous review. as i stated, i was concern with preamp origin of build. Well it died this afternoon, The surround stopped working. also noticed noise in volume control. have returned unit to dealer and went with different manufacturer.

sound, Useful surround modes, remote fairly easy to navigate, All around seems to be decent unit so far.

digital inputs lack of selectability, Build origin, No switched AC outlets.

Bought this unit to upgrade from Denon AVR-2700. Setup is very easy on this unit. I really like the fact that they dont load up on useless soundfields for surround. I agree with others on lack of speaker size adjustments, Also not being able to select digital input method. Fixed optical or coax. Sound quality improved over first month. Still leary about finding an Adcom unit now being built in China.

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Denon, Marantz, Rotel, Nad

High quality electronic components, inexpensive, it's Adcom!

Noisy, uneasiness about the quality control of assembly (made in China!)

I will admit to being a big fan of Adcom components. Although I have owned some slightly more esoteric equipment in the past (Audio Research, Bryston, Magnepan, Rotel etc.), I find that I am always very pleased to return to my current Adcom based audio system (GFP-565, GFA-585, GFA-565's, GCD-700). They do what I want them to and they never break. Ever. I'll also admit that I am just now becoming comfortable with the idea of sharing equipment across the hallowed audio/video gap and, as a result, haven't yet had much experience with home theater.

I've only had the 830 for about a week, and thus far, have not had any problems with reliability or functionality. There are a few things that might raise some eyebrows, however.

The volume control is fairly noisy. Every detent on the stepper is clearly defined by an audible click. I have the preamp set up in a clean power environment; the same as that used for my audio only system, which is absolutely silent.

The noise floor during any listening session, HT or otherwise, can be quite annoying. During very quiet passages, a mask of discernible white noise is present that shouldn't be. Even at moderate volumes! Boo!

Adcom still hasn't dumped the dreaded "display dimmer that won't stay dimmed" from previous models. Once dimmed, the display lights up every time you press any button on the remote, prompting you for two more presses to turn the darn thing off again. Annoying, but not fatal.

The unit runs pretty warm for a solid state preamp. Not a major concern, just an observation.

OK, is it good, though? Honestly, I think it is. Overall, this is a respectable sounding unit if you can get past the above caveats. Using it for home theater is a treat. I have been duly impressed. Even watching a terrible movie like Driven became tolerable when properly decoded by the Adcom. With music it is fairly smooth, but might be a tad bright for some folks. Critical frequencies are open and airy with nice definition. Imaging was sharp and nicely focused. Not really in the ballpark with the GFP-565, but a reasonably suitable substitute.

One last thing that concerns me about the 830. Since when are Adcom components made in China? The quality control seems to be very good, but I just get a bad feeling about a company that suddenly begins shipping work out to cheap labor. Hmmm.

Those looking for an HT control center in this price range would do well to audition the Rotel RSP-976 (I'm strongly considering it myself). It has a more comprehensive set of inputs and is dead quiet. Of course, the B&K Ref 30 bests the 830 and the RSP-976 hands down. It is a better quality component, plain and simple. It also costs $1500 more than either.

Similar Products Used:

Rotel RSP-976, B&K Ref 30

Beautiful Front panel
Sounds great when at normal listening level

Noise Floor
Radio pickup in audio channels

I owned this processor for about 2 weeks. I also purchased the Adcom 7500 amp as well. I am no audiophile, but there are many things about this processor I found unacceptable. This was my first medium-high-end unit. I got this, the amp, as well as Klipsh RB5-II speakers. I had all Z series monster cable.

The biggest problem was the noise in the speakers. If the volume was at zero, there was no noise as expected. As soon as I went up one notch, a noticable hiss came through. It wouldn't change volume with the volume control, but could be heard at moderate listening levels if you know what to listen for.

I also picked up radio stations when I shouldn't have been. I concluded that the line outputs closest to the FM antenna connection picked up a radio station. the line output to my amp that was furthest from the antenna connection didn't pick up any radio signal. I reduced the problem by using a section of coax cable to get away from the unit before hooking up the antenna. If you hook the antenna that comes with it right to the unit, it picks up radio bad.

The only other complaint I had was the lack of options for speaker setup. I could only have all large speakers, or all small speakers, and one other setup. I found this very restricting as my system is a work in progress.

Besides that the reciever sounded great, and was easy to use, but I just couldn't get past the noise floor thing. I returned it and purchased a B&K avr307 for about $700 more then it cost me to get the processor, amp, and cables. If you are going to purchase this reciever, keep the above problems in mind.

Similar Products Used:

B&K AVR307

Adcom name and reputation, Remote Control, Front Panel Layout

Should have more digital source inputs on the back of the unit. You can detect a slight white noise through the speakers when volume is 00db. But you need to put your ear right up to the speaker to notice it.

So far so good. I am upgrading my entire AV system. The GTP-830 was purchased with an Adcom GFA-7500 THX 5 channel amp.
I let everything burn in for a good month before this review. I did notice a sound quality immediately. The digital 5.1 and DTS 6.1 capability of this unit is fantastic. Compare to that of my last Yamaha 2092 DSP based system. The surround modes are only limited to three choices Pro-logic, Dolby Digital 5.1 and 6.1 DTS, and a Hall mode. I originally thought that this would be a weakness but it is not. My old Yamaha 2092 DSP system had terrible two channel stereo reproduction and the DSP modes were good in its time but the Adcom is far superior in any mode.

The sound imaging that the GTP-830 produces is smooth and focused. It moves noticeably, and seamlessly from speaker to speaker the way it is supposed to, and front to rear is the same.

The two channel stereo reproduction is clear and precise, very detailed for a A/V unit.

I am still experimenting with IC Cables. I was using Tributaries SCA-300's and I am know using the SCA-100's and this upgrade alone made a difference. These two Adcom components are very fussy about the quality of IC cables being used. The monster 1000 series were terrible, lacking depth and detail. The SCA-300 were bright and grainy but very detailed, the SCA-100's are alittle less bright and very open and detailed.

The on screen menu for this unit is poor. It could be much better. The Yamaha, Pioneer and Sony units put this unit to shame for on screen programability. Sometimes simple is good, but not in this case.

The Remote Control is about the easiest learning remote I have ever used. Easy to program and easy to use. The back lighting is a nice touch also.

My unit made no clicking sounds when the volume was lowered or raised, at all, as mentioned by the previous reviewer. It was dead silent.

The dynamic impact of this unit works extremely well with the GFA-7500. The two compliment each other well.

The tuner section needs a strong FM antenna source or amplifier but worked very well. The RDS ability is a plus.

Overall this unit so far has impressed me and with further break in of all the new components it should get even better.

My system:

Adcom GTP-830 A/V Pre/amp
Adcom GFA-7500 THX AMP
Adcom ACE-615 Surg/line enhancer
Paradigm Studio Ref 100's V2
Paradigm Studio Ref. CC
Paradigm Studio Ref ADP surrounds
Paradigm Servo-15 Sub
Sony CDP-XA20ES CD Player
Sony DVP-S7700 DVD player
Sony KV36-XBR400 Wega
Kimber 4TC and 8TC speaker wire
Tributaries IC interconnects

Similar Products Used:

Yamaha, Sony, Pioneer, Nad, Rotel