jod670

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
Read my review last.........

As others have noted this preamp does not switch HDMI or COMP video.......why would anyone place anything between a source and display, no matter the quality of the switch? Get a universal remote if you want ease of use.

I've had some good quality surround sound proccessors. I have since found that a good two channel system is superior to a great 5.1/7.1 system. Too many room variables and only one "sweet spot".

"Sounds poor with bad cables."..... Come on,..... really? Thank you Captain Obvious..

"Tube like", what he means is warm and nearly transparent. That it is. I play this through a Soundsource amp "true 100 watts per" and Klipsch Heresy II's. The Klipsch will sound hollow, tinny, or shrill with most non-tube preamp/amp models. Not here. Voices and sound effects are natural and smooth.

The reomte is so-so (again, get a universal). Volumn jumps are large. I cured this by turning down my amp inputs. Even at 1/2 Vol my neighbors complain. Besides, this preamp is so clean that when pegged out (full Vol) it does not introduce ANY noise.

To find a better two channel preamp you'll pay ten times the price.

mr._bowtie

Overall Rating
 2 of 5

Value Rating
 2 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Price Paid:  $225.00 from eBay

Summary:
Excellent Audio, Horrible Video. Thats it in a nutshell....

Strengths:
The audio end of all these preamps worked flawlessly and sounded terrific, super clean sound. It just flowed out of this preamp very tube like sound. I was running a Crown CE-1000 amp, and a Adcom GCD-700 CD player. If you plan on just using this preamp for its audio end then go for it.

Weaknesses:
I have gone through 3 of these Adcom GTP-600's and have had the same problem with all three of them. The video side is junk. Anytime a very bright color comes on the screen such as a bright orange, red, yellow etc. Those colors will change into a neon pink. Beyond that the last one of these I tried the video would get lines across the top of the screen, then every once in a while the video would just flat stop. Then pop back on. Very disapointing for a A/V preamp that was supposed to be a higher line piece.

Price Paid:  $300.00 from Audio-One Canada

Summary:
I have used this with 3 different power amps and then I switched back to the Preamp section of Yamaha RXV-850. Wow the real contrast is the preamp level. The Adcom sound is fantastic. I even measured insitu SPL with several test frequencies to try an verify what my ears told me in respect to how flat the frequency response is with the Adcom. The Yamaha's preamp section left huge dips and peaks all over the map. The power amps were hard to compare when using the Adcom preamp on the front end. They all sounded very good. I would not have beleived that it was making such a large difference if I hadn't done all the listens tests with all the combinations myself. The power amps used were the Bryston 2b, Yamaha P2200, and the power section of the RXV850 Yamaha. The speakers used were Magnepan MG12's with a Dalqhist powered sub woofer brought in at < 40 hz (The lower cut off of the MG12's)

Strengths:
Very flat, very clean, very transparent

Weaknesses:
One channel of ever record output is distorted (major compnent failure), not mains out or sub out signals. Needs repair. Therefore 4 stars instead of 5

Price Paid:  $200.00 from Flanners A/V Brookfield, WI

Summary:
I picked this up as a customer trade in with OBM and not a single scratch for $200 about 1 1/2 years ago, and have been overall very happy with this unit. Although there seem to be a lot of reviewers who knock the lack of 5.1, or the ability to switch between SVideo and RCA inputs, for my RCA-based needs this has never been a problem. (Although it will be soon as I am currently looking at upgrades) The tuner is unbelievably clean and pulls in stations no other unit I've owned can (I live in the boonies) and it's nice to have a clean, 2-channel option for listening to music. The only real thing I've noticed with this unit is that it requires high-quality cabling between the preamp and source components or it sounds really thin and washed out. The learning remote is VERY nice...I guess the only thing I would add to a component of this type in this price range would be a variable Sub crossover, the factory setting seems to either be set too high or rolls off too slowly for my tastes (easily fixed with an active crossover). For value, I will give this a 5 star PROVIDED you bick one up for say $350 or less (not a problem on Ebay or Audioshopper.com) and for overall, considering the price range again, the same 5 stars. My "Mid-Fi" system:

ADCOM GTP600 Preamp
CARVER TFM25 (250W/ch) Mains
CARVER TFM15 (Bridged) Center
ADCOM GFA545II (100W/ch)Rears
CUTEC 2250 (250W/ch) Subs

KLIPSCH KLF30's (Mains)
KLIPSCH KLF C7 (center)
KLIPSCH KLF20's (Rears)
EMINENCE PS150 (2X 15" Transmission-line cabs) Subs (2)

ALESIS MEQ-230 EQ's (Mains and Rears)
CUTEC EQ-31 EQ (Center)
Sony 200disc changer (Seperate D/A converter coming soon...)
JVC DVD Player (Soon to be changed also)
ADCOM ACE power conditioner

Strengths:
Ease of use, low cost, great tuner

Weaknesses:
Can sound poor w/ bad cables, no 5.1

Similar Products Used:
None (First Dolby preamp) - Plenty of 2-channel stuff

Summary:
I have used this product for almost half a year, and I have to say I am getting a lot in return for what I have shelled out for this product. Although it is said to produce ~60W per channel, but it seems to be more powerful than that.
I have teamed it with the Adcom GFA 7300, Adcom GDD-1, Energy eXL26 (Front), eXL center, eXL Rears, Velodyne CT-120, and a Rotel 971 CD player (hooked with Kimber Kable Hero interconnect, and Monster Cables & connections (12 gauge)for speakers).
Guess what, I find myself rushing home these few days to listen to all my CD's again. It is surely relaxing to hear Joni Mitchell singing "Both sides now" in surround, and equally fun and exciting to hear the bullet cases in "Matrix" and "Saving Pri. Ryan". I strongly reccommend this system to people who want quality "mid-fi" music but the wife is nagging at your back about its cost.

Strengths:
Nice look, learning remote, & its cost

Weaknesses:
Remote is handle backwards a lot (maybe its me).