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A longtime audiophile, I bought out of curiosity, temporarily replacing my (balanced) Levinson 23.5, feeding the 545 from RCAs on a cello palette preamp, driving ultra honest Magnaplanar IIIas. Post warm-up, I was surprised how good this amp is, if not as smooth as the lovely, tube-like, $7000 Levinson. I found source material made the most difference, particularly regarding reported graininess. I quickly discovered pleasing/rewarding equalization settings on the cello, which changed little despite my varietal selections. Piano and female vocals can be the most challenging to audio gear; the Adcom doing a very admirable job with both. Soundstage could be large, with depth, if neither as detailed or deep as the 23.5. The low noise floor allowed the sparkle of triangles to emerge; the timbre of guitar very sweet. Often, I play gear loudly to ascertain if my ears will be offended, longterm. The music got louder and louder, me singing along and tapping my foot as the audition stretched into CDs unheard for a while. I was enjoying the music and noted only one illumination of the 545's clipping lights. This oft under appreciated, conservatively power rated 545 took total command of the large panels. I wondered just how good it could sound with aftermarket upgrades, but will employ it au natural' in another system, knowing the may never improve for anywhere near this cost.Read full review
This is nice and well built of vintage power amplifier, it has nice built of separate two channels board , so it is easy to work on if a repair may need, it contains four power supply caps 63v 10000 uf, and a nice big power supply. So if you are looking for vintage two channels stereo power amp with lots of guts....this is the one for you !
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
I've had my 545 II for 25 years now! After packing it up for a Parasound 2125, I took it out of cold storage again to power a pair of KEF Q55.2 that I acquired in a game of chance. (similar to my current mains, Q65) So, in auditioning these superb speakers I also had a chance to revisit the Adcom too. Guess what happened? I'm writing a review on an old beater amp with a missing top and no resale value...it sounds great! I'm pretty sure a 535 would power most modest speaker for most people, but if a 545 is available for the same money and your speakers can deal with a shot of robust power, get the 545. The other reviews here sounded valid to me. I've spend 1000s of hours in major recording studios....and likewise people in the industry ALWAYS commented on my home system (w/Adcom) when they heard it. Another thing to note, lots of people swear they need a sub or two, when all their system needs is a real power amp. It made the difference with these modest Q55.2, they only have two 6.5 drivers, and could still suck up lots of clean power. To each their own. I have a small studio mixer controlling mine, a $75 Mackie Mix 8, and it's a pretty cool set-up. A good tip for people who don't have a proper pre amp to control a power amp.Read full review
Verified purchase: No
Everything, right down to the packing, was as great. The unit has a good history - I used to sell Adcom products and knew what to expect...I was not disappointed! I have an ever-changing sound system and I wanted to unify the amplification stage of the system. I had purchased a Crown DC-300A seriesII last year from ebay...it was more amp than I needed for my system which is actually a mixing console. A Rane mixer, the heart of the system, was an ebay purchase from last year. It mates nicely with the 545. Two days later I purchased a gfa-535 to run another bank of speakers. (The Rane has dual zone outputs. The final purchase will be a Subwoofer, probably a Velodyne & probable from ebay. I am a happy ebayer and am constantly finding great stuff! copyright1951.
I love the simplicity and old school high end audio. I found out unit has 4 internal fuses after one blew when changing gear around. Some owners have scrapped these units thinking something is wrong when its just a simple fuse. Its very easy to hook up and its the perfect simple unit that works fantastic. The more I crank it my speakers come to life and the sound is pleasing and instrument separation makes my music sound new and better than before.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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