eikm

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Visitors rate this review
3.00 of 5, 2.00 votes

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
This amp can jam! I exploded a drinking glass once. no kidding. Sounds great

caesar148

Overall Rating
 1 of 5

Value Rating
 1 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
1.00 of 5, 2.00 votes

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
II bought this amp new based on the good reviews from previous Adcom amps and the reputation Adcom had. This amp uses MOSFET drivers which they called HEXFETs, as opposed to bipolar transistor in the majority of other amplifiers. I wanted a tube like sound with the bass control of solid state amplifier and the Adcom GFA-5800 provided the best of both worlds - so I thought.

Well, I was disappointed. The sound was poorly defined with total lack of clarity. I was using the Mission 753 speakers which are not difficult to drive so I can't point the finger on the speaker as a contributing factor. It sounded like I was listening to it behind a thick curtain. No imaging, music sounded dead. I compared it to the Sony TA-N77ES amp and the sound was miles apart. The Sony amp was clear, defined, a little bit harsh but much more involving. The Onkyo M-508 was even better. The bass for well controlled and the mid range has good imaging I used the Adcom amp for two years hoping it would break in with time but it never did improved.

It has been a while since I last heard it but the bad experience remains vividly etched in my mind and I feel compelled to write this review. This product gets a 1 star from me.

Strengths:
None. There is no strength I can vote for.

Weaknesses:
Poor definition. Lack of clarity. Weak muddy bass

Similar Products Used:
Sony TA-N77ES, Onkyo M-508, Parasound HCA-2200II

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Ray H

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 4.00 votes

Price Paid:  $1500.00 from Good Guys

Summary:
Dunno what all the fuss is about from the naysayers. I've used my 5800 since 1997 without any probs. (Oh, it "bumps" momentarily at turn on - big deal...) It's now 2005. Mine's driving a pair of VMPS Tower IIs. Yes, it would be nice to have the fan-less 5802, but my 5800's fans never intrude - just a soft whisper right at the amp. (Might have something to do with the Tower IIs 92 dB/watt efficiency and an impedence curve that never drops below 4 ohms - I doubt my 5800 has ever shifted out of Class A mode.)

Strengths:
Rock solid build quality and reliability. Great sonics (It's NOT "steely".) Best bang for the buck. Period.

Weaknesses:
It doesn't do windows or feed the cat.

Price Paid:  $580.00 from echohifi.com

Summary:
You either have to love or hate this product. When I first bought this thing I hated it. Using this thing to power full range speakers ,with the exception of Energy and possibly Martin Logan Speakers, can be an exercise in frustration. Highs are as clear as steel and become quite grating and annoying after 5 or ten minutes. However this thing is perfect for use in a biamplified setup with a set of midranges, alone. After a while I took that system apart and sent the Adcom to my home theater system were it was banished to surround sound duty. Although the Adcom proved to be acceptable in this role the grating highs proved to be quite annoying. However fate came calling one day when the Adcom was asked to join the parasound in HCA 2200 II in stereo system. At last the Adcom has found its place "under the sun". Instead of being the unwanted step child ,that was about to be traded for something else, the Adcom and the Parasound operate together to in create "beautiful music. As a stand alone midrange amplifier the Adcom is powerful and detailed. Norah Jones is conveyed in all her detail and grace. It's not just a matter of listening to music I can truly experience it, that's how well the Adcom does it's job as a midrange amp. Note only is the detail incredible the dynamic power is unreal. Compared to the Citation 7.1 that it replaced the Adcom and the Parasound can produce high volume music with a minimum of fuss or distortion.

Strengths:
As a midrange amp or with the proper speakers the Adcom is both a powerful and detailed amplifier.

Weaknesses:
With the wrong set of speakers the Adcom can be absolutely intolerable. It gets rather hot.

Similar Products Used:
Citation 7.1

Price Paid:  $700.00 from Audiogon

Summary:
I just got the GFA-5800 and hooked it up yesterday. The first thing I noticed was how it opened up all of my favorite albums (yes, vinyl), CD's, SACD's, and DVD-A's. The soundstage was wider, more precise and more coherent. This amp gave a new sense of pace, snap and rhythm to my music as well as presenting a deeper soundstage with well-recorded music (such as Reference Recordings Pomp and Pipes). Probably has to do with this amp running in Class A all the way up to 10 watts. I don't get any fan noise and this thing runs pretty cool. I think I am going to buy another one so that I can bi-amp my speakers.

Strengths:
Wide, deep and detailed soundstage. Super quiet

Weaknesses:
None found

Similar Products Used:
Other Adcom amps, Yamaha, Parasound