comments on Adcom's 5503 3 x 200 amp??? (1 Viewer)

[Rachael B]

In my quest for a new 3 channel amp this one appeared on the horizon. Any comments would be appreciated!

 

[John A. Casler]

Hi Rachael,

As a consultant/dealer for many brands, I would have to say the ADCOM is a very good unit, but have you also considered the 3 channel CineNova?

It has more power,(300wpc) good specs, and probably a better street price.

All the best,

John

 

[Rachael B]

John, I wouldn't consider an amp that big. 150-200 watts per would be huge for the Atlantic Technology 250 speakers I will be using. 100 would suffice well. It's tempting to bump my Rotel 993 out of my bigger system and maybe add the Cinenova or other brut to my bigger system. The reality is that I really don't want to spend an arm and a leg on this amp, hmnnnn.....Thanks!

 

[Gabriel_Lam]

John,

Is that the Earthquake CineNova Grande 3? The 5503 is just over $1k. Do you know where we can get the CineNova under this price?

 

[John A. Casler]

Hi Rachael,

You are correct, it is a little overkill, but the price is similar if you go by street prices.

If I were you (and with all your LD knowledge, sometimes I wish I were) I would move the Rotel down the ladder.

Gabriel,

You are almost in my back yard. E-mail me privatley and I can help you.

John

 

[Rachael B]

John, I'll find out if there is CineNova dealer over in Nashville. I'd like to look at their products. I can see Adcom at a dealer there that I like alot. The number of brands that I can see locally has steadily shrunk in recent years. It's depressing! Best wishes and happy Thanksgiving!

 

[Dan Coughlin]

Hi Rachael,

I have a 5503 and it really is a good amp. What it has going for it most is reserve power, it is definitely a quick & lively amp. It's got great depth but can get a little harsh in the mids & highs at volume. From what I read here you have smaller speakers (I don't know the Atlantics at all) so I would recommend a smaller power-rating amp like the Marantz MM9000. They street for anywhere from 750-1250 depending on how gray-market you don't mind buying (check out the shopping section of yahoo). I've A/B'd the MM9000 and my 5503 on my setup. The 9000 is a smoother, more musical amp but doesn't have the guts of the 5503.

Good luck!

Dan

 

[Raine Linton]

I'm using a 5503 to run my fronts and I really like the smooth warm sounds for theater and music. It's a little more power than I need but I like being able to play movies and music they way I like to hear them and not break a sweat. If the price is right..go for it.
Raine

 

[Alex F.]

I've found our 5503 (in combination with a Denon AVP-8000, Adcom GFA-5400, and Dahlquist Preludes, and later with Polk LSi-25s) to be exceptionally smooth, detailed, and quiet. I am particularly enamored by its liquidity, and lack of grain and harshness in the midrange through treble--I prefer tube components for my music-only system, so these qualities are important to me. As a result of these qualities, it is one of the few solid-state amps that I can listen to for long periods of time without fatigue.

Tonally it is neutral to slightly warm. In our system I have found that it also provides enormous power, dynamic range, and ease at any output level. It seems relaxed no matter how loud or bombastic the music or film.

Recently, while shopping for components for our new den, I had a difficult time finding a better sounding solid-state stereo power amp than the 5503 that was priced under about $2000 (I didn't need three amplifier channels for this system). Not until I auditioned McIntosh components were my ears satisfied. The McIntosh units provide even more of the desired qualities of tube sound in their solid-state designs. I ended up purchasing the MA-6500 integrated amplifier. I doubt I'll be upgrading this component before a very long time.

For both music and movies, I highly recommend the Adcom MOSFET amps. They are a great value. The GFA-5503 is worth a try in your system.

Happy listening!

 

[Rachael B]

Alex, I'm going over to Nashville to listen to the Adcom in the coming month. There is no longer a dealer here. There's no Marantz dealer here either and I'm going to look at the 8300 combi-player. Thanks for the commentary and advice!

 

[Alex F.]

Rachael:

Should you be so inclined, an alternative source for Adcom amplifiers is Audioadvisor.com. Their 30-day home-trial policy is handy, too. Good luck.

 

[Lee-c]

Rachael: I have an Adcom 5500, the 5503 is the three channel version of the 5500, amplifier
and I am extremely happy with it. You get 350 watts per channel continuous power into
4 ohm speakers, with peak power around 500 watts. These amps have plenty of power and
sound great when hooked up to a decent set of speakers. I don't find the sound fatiguing even
when at high volumes. You'll find having the extra power reserve very nice when playing
demanding music or watching a movie with intense action.
Since the 5503 is a 5500 with an extra channel added to the case (all channels same as
in 5500 as far as I know), I can highly recommend getting a 5503 amp. And they can be had
for reasonable prices.