i bought this preamp in 91, along with a gfa 555 mark 2 and im still using it today in my music only system, i have anthem home theatre in other room with high end blu-ray plyer 2 subs and so on. but for 2 channel music, i still prefer listening to my adcom combo, even though the anthem sounds awsome, the adcom is a lot less fuss to use, ive swapped this preamp out a couple times with rotel, nad, pioneer and kenwood to compare, the adcom wins everytime. the only complaint is no remote, no xlr outputs and the function/rec out knobs are a little cheesy but i value the inside more anyways, no its not a bryston or krell or a goldmund or levinson, but for the 750.00 price new (then) it offers alot. not grainy or thin or artifical, have a denon 2900 hooked to it with epos interconnects with infinity reference spkers (old kappas). great entry level preamp, but i am a bryston fan!

I'm not in possession of this preamp yet but was looking for some insight on the following setup I'm putting together. I was given a pair of VERY nice Paragon Jubilee/JEMS which ,despite my best efforts, demand reasonably upscale components to drive them. After doing some blind research I decided on the the Adcom 555mk II and the 565 preamp. These speakers are horribly ineffecient and the idea is to add another 555mkII and bridge them to each channel. Has anyone run this setup and could provide some insight. I've read where bridging amps can result in a horrible sound.

Clean, clean, clean.

Awesome phono stage.

For a two channel amp, plenty of ins and outs.

Good value used.

Not real solidly built.

Revealing nature doesn't always play nice with other components.

When beloved Lux integrated blew up second time I had originally intended on launching my foray into seperates with a GFP555mkII tied to as powerful a B&K amp as I could afford. Bases on reviews here, and elsewhere, chose the 565 instead.

Build quality not rocking my world - with age rotary controls developing a certain amount of play, but all circuit board lay out and aluminum bottom plate show interesting design touches. Pretty much all the ins and outs that I need, especially being a two channel kind of guy. Love the various direct output options.

This unit is very revealing. I've now paired it with probably a dozen different CD player and interconnect options, finally settling on a fellow Adcom 575, and Kimber Kable PBJs as the only listenable combination for me. The BIG selling point of this preamp is its phono stage. It is so quiet, detailed, and revealing! I briefly switched to a vintage (solid state) MacIntosh for short term entertainment, but that units phono stage was virtually Flintstone in comparison.

Customer Service

Adcom site great for downloading manual.

Similar Products Used:

Luxman, NAD, MacIntosh, Marantz.

Build quality is outstanding. It's really built more like a Sherman tank. You don't find that very often today. It also has an almost vinyl warmth to it. Which, is very refreshing to those of us who still remember what good vinyl actually sounded like.
And, of course, a phono pre-amp connection which my Aragon does not have.

A great pre amp to start out with if you are new to or, just beginning to appreciated the finer qualities of good audio reproduction.

The only real weakness falls within the pre amps ability to provide deep detail with todays digital recordings. But if you are a beginner to experiencing hi-fi then this is a minor flaw that can be overlooked.

I purchased the Adcom 565 pre-amp back in 1991. It was my first adventure into real hi-fi. I paired it with the Adcom 545 power amp and a pair of ADS L8e speakers. I enjoyed many years of outstanding quality from my purchase.

I found the 565 to be very warm sounding with excellent sound stage presentation. Many of my friends who had the opportunity to experience my system commented very positively. Several even went out and made their own purchases of Adcom equipement. The 565 has also proven to be a well constructed. I have never had to do any real maintenance to it other than keep it clean. During a 10 year period the only updates that I made to my system were new cd player and interconnects.

Only until recently has my 565 managed to not keep up with the digital age. About three years ago I updated my entire system with Aragon / Parasound / Paradigm and Rotel. I still have my 565 and recently hooked it back up just to see how it would sound. Much to my surprise it sounded very good with only a few weaknesses.

Similar Products Used:

Adcom 545 power amp.
Pioneer PA200 integrated amp.
Marantz receiver.
Panasonic receiver

Bang for the Buck, galore! Deep, solid bass. Clean, open, sweet, detailed mids and highs. Quiet. Very nice, ultra-quiet, phono section. Nice soundstaging and imaging. Easy on the ears (No fatigue). Makes you want to listen to music........ a lot!

Not the prsettiest thing you ever layed eyes on.

Weeknesses other than that? For about $300, surely can't be seirious? (I am serious...and don't call me Shirley.)

Hello music lovers,

Several years ago, after about 2 years of searching, I bought a pair of Zingali Overture 4b's, an Italian-made high effeciency horn-loaded floorstander that will shock most with it's ballance and realism, particularly in the mid- and upper-freqs. With my budget, owning such an amazing pair of speakers seemed unlikely, but got them realitively cheap as a trade in from someone who upgraded to a higher-end Zingali. However, my associated equipment was (and still is) in a far lower league than the Zingalis and budgetary constraints will probably keep it that way for some time to come. Sure, I feel a little guilty for not pairing more worthy equipment with these speakers, but what can I do? I'm just a blue-collar guy with a great pair of speakers and a love for music.

So, bang for the buck upstream gear will be necessary for a while.

Before, I was using a borrowed HItachi A/V pre with a fairly decent Sony N80ES power amp (200wpc, totally unnecessarry for the 94db rated Zingali's, but it's what I could afford). Still, I got to enjoy listening to music, but I knew these speakers were just waiting to show me more of what they had.

I fist started by getting a pair of SignalCable's Silver Resolution bi-wired speaker cables, which for a reasonable price showed a marked improvement over the generic 12ga copper stuff I had previously.

After breaking these in and listening for a while longer, I decided that a new dedicated two-channel pre would help, so I began the research process, which for me always lasts a very long time, due to my wanting the best I can get for my money. I've always been a somewhat obsessive researcher.

After reading many favorable reviews on this sight and other audio forums, I found a used ADCOM GFP 565 on eBay for about $250. It showed up clean and in quite nice condition. After hooking it up a played several well-recorded pieces through it I was instantly impressed. I played several tracks from FOURPLAY's first CD, several from Diana Krall's "LIve From Paris", some from Casandra Wilson's "Blue LIght 'Til Dawn" and "New Moon Daughter", some from Lyle Lovett's "Joshua Judges Ruth" and a few other Jazz tracks from various well recorded collections, wanting to put the system though it's paces.

The ADCOM sounded wonderful (grin). The soundstage expanded in all directiions, airy yet realistic, with good imaging showing increased instrument seperation and a nicely focused center image. The mid and top end was sweet and warm, but still maintained decent clarity, detail and air. The ADCOM's bass was a very distinct improvement from the HItachi's. It was deep and tight with good extension. After extended listening I almost felt there was perhaps too much bass, maybe a touch of artificial bloat added to satisfy those fond of such a presentation. I was concerned that it might be affecting the mids, preventing some vocal clairity from being revealed.

So, I replaced the interconnects between the ADCOM and my amp with a very nice pair of silver/copper hybrids. A fairly new company, AudioArt Cables, came to my attention via AudioGon one day. Their line of cables is manufactured to their specs for them by DH Labs and have prices as good as I've seen. Rob Fritz, the CEO of AudioArt Cables even hand-signed a thank you note on my invoice when the IC3 cables showed up and we have exchanged e-mails several times since the purchase--excellent product, customer service and ridiculously fast shipping times.

Anyway, after the IC3's considerable break-in period (200hrs, and well worth the wait...just read the reviews!) the system had undergone more changes, all of which were for the better. The ADCOM now, while still sweet and pleasant in the mid and hi freqs., revealed so much more...a veribable plethura of detail and space. The earlier bass bloat I was hearing with my RadioShack level copper I.C.'s was long gone. The bass is now even deeper and more articulate, quick and tight and solid without sounding overblown. I used to think my Zingali's bass response was just a little slow and overly thick (or thin depending on upstream components)--the speaker's only weakness, but I'm a moron! This speaker doesn't have any. My associated equipment was the only holding them back. The overall sound is so clean, natural, revealing and ballanced, a guy could cry.

Even without pairing these stunning Zingali's with valves (as the manufacturer recommends), my little system sounds borderline spactacular. The ADCOM and some nice cables have really transformed this system into a fatigue-free, open, airy, ballanced, detailed, dynamic soul-mover.

"Perhaps I'm just vain?" you ask....just impressed due of the simple fact that it's mine? I suppose that is a possibility, though I generally consider myself a skeptic and a picky person where sound quality is concerned. Being a long-time musician, I cannot bear hearing music that sounds cheap and cheesy (I don't mean inexpensive, mind you, just sub-par...you know, harsh, muddy, veiled, etc...).

Granted, with the exception of the Zingalis, non of my equipment is what could be considered "high end". Mid-fi, I believe is the going descriptive. I guess I'm finding that even inexpensive components, carefully mated with each other can produce a truely wonderful result.

Could my system be better...yep!

But do I bask in luxurous, engaging, lump-in-the-throat generating music reproduction that sometimes makes my hair stand on end and even periodically moves me to tears despite the fact that my car still costs more than my stereo system?

Yes I do!

Admittedly, I attribute the majority of this joy to the Zingalis themselves. No question, they are wonderful and in a league with few peers at their, or dare I say most, price- points.

But the ADCOM is a diamond in the rough. For thier going used price... come on! Sure, I don't have much to base my opinion on, I'm still a budding audiophile. I'm doing my homework and paying my dues though, getting Stereophile, reading lots, listening to everything I can and talking to those in the know. Still, I've heard enough to conclude that this ADCOM 565 is well worth even it's original MSRP. I can't really find much to complain about with this piece. It looks like an ADCOM--to some that's bad. If your eyes are closed when the music is playing, who cares? Admittedly, I too enjoy merely looking at stereo gear...somehow just knowing what it's for makes this stuff beautiful in one way or another. But really, it's liking what you hear that ultimately matters.

With the ADCOM GFP 565, I unreservedly do. 'nuf said.

Similar Products Used:

AMC, SoundSource, B&K, auditioned some nice tube pre's (AudioNote, wow!), but I can't afford anything like that yet.

Manufactured form late 80s to late 90s virtually unchanged...which speaks for itself...very good peformance that borders on the best...

No remote

Wow...purchased this as a "band-aid" approach until I upgrade to a ARC Ls3 or otherwise...and all i can say...this is a very impressive unit...granted it doesnt rival a hi-end tube preamp...but few do...for what it is....a very quiet,reliable,flexible ss preamp...it performs very well...great black background and transparency and soundstaging are extremely good regardless of price...few nitpicks...headphone amp is average(high floor noise) and build is not Bryston quality(surprise!)...at any rate...a solid performer at a very reasonable price...and a must buy on the used market...I am keeping this for my 2nd system! Also...the general consensus is that Adcom products sound bright...in my system this is the opposite...this preamp sounds a bit soft in the highs and recessed in the mids...a nice, relaxed sound...and very open...however...in the wrong system I can bet this might sound sterile and bit "dark"...

Sound, sound, sound. Through all my searches for various pieces of equipment, I have yet to find anything that significantly improves upon this preamp for a reasonable sum of money.

No remote. Lots of buttons given that I only use it for volume control (hey, I'm a minimalist).

I have been using this preamp for a little over a year with marvelous results. After auditioning many preamp/amp setups, I settled on this one, primarily due to its warm, voluptuous sound. To my ears, it imparts no discernable flavor on the music, and sounds wonderfully smooth. Prior to using this guy, I had never experienced a soundstage as large or well-defined. Live performances are breathtaking with their realism. Instruments and vocalists are warm and full-bodied. Individual instruments/performers are well defined, and really seem to distance themselves well from others. The range of dynamics is incredible, especially with full orchestra pieces. Smaller ensembles come together marvelously, and well-recorded/performed rock has true feeling. I bypass all tone controls, and use the Adcom purely for volume control. I can not comment on the phono section, or other features. I would have, however, preferred a remote.

Similar Products Used:

Rotel 930AX, auditioned many others.

You hardly notice it's there. Dead quiet. Flexible architecture with tape & sound processor loops. Can bi-amp or even tri-amp with this unit.

It's not a McIntosh.

I wasn't really looking for this pre-amp .. it sorta fell in my lap. But for me, a happy piece of serendipity. The system as it stands : various sources Yamaha AX-596 integrated amp Magnepan MMG's (2) AR powered subwoofer 108PSB (2) good but not unobtanium-level cabling To me, this is the low end of high-end. But quite adequate. Emotionally involving, low-fatigue, will rattle the plaster if required. I'm not looking for spiritual rectification thru high-priced toys, if you know what I mean. To the Adcom : it produced no drastic revolutionary change. But it is a clear subtle improvement on the Yamaha's pre-amp section. I'm running out the bypass output, into CD-in .. the amp as well lets you also bypass all tone controls, filters, etc. A straight path for sound. It's just a good synergistic combination of elements. I can only echo other positive comments below. Phono the most notable upgrade for me (& I much prefer vinyl) .. very dynamic & true-to-life. Should you need it, the owner's manual is available in PDF form from Adcom's excellent website.

Similar Products Used:

Call me for my tome on the subject.

Dynamics, clarity, frequency extension. Flexible in/out puts. A great phono stage for MM cartridges.

Discontinued is the worst thing.

Well, I have several preamps, all tube, except for this one. The little Adcom GFP565 is a very good pre for the money. It is very clean and dynamic, never intruding on the music. If anything, it may be just a tad bright, but with all my equipment it sounds fine. The 2 reasons I really like this preamp are, first the phono section. It is a great Moving Magnet phono stage, with excellent dynamics. It really made my Shure V15VMR come alive. Second, I need a preamp with a tape out. Highly recommended for any one on a budget. It can also be modded by several of the modifcation gurus who offer such services.

Similar Products Used:

ARC LS7, Musical Fidelity X-Pre, Dared SL2000

Clean, pure signal path when by-passing the tone controls. Plenty of line-level inputs and a highly regarded phono stage in one box.

I really have no complaints.

Not sure on the date-no desire to crawl behind the rack. This is my first dedicated pre-amp, I bought it based mostly on these reviews. As such I can only compare it to the several int. amps that I've owned. I am most impressed by the "openess" and expanded sound that this produces. Using only the direct signal outputs, everything from strings to kettle drums sounds "bigger" for lack of a better word. Voice projection and stereo soundstaging is impressive, it sounds like the singer is sitting between the speakers. Maybe ANY dedicated pre-amp would be a big step up from most integrateds, but for the current used price of around $300 you can't lose.

Similar Products Used:

many integrateds from Marantz, Denon, vintage Pioneer. Now using this with a NAD 541i CD player, NAD 533 turntable, and a Marantz 4060 amp.