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This amp sounds great. It is a MOSFET design. So not your typical bipolar amp. Yes, it runs very warm, and it does take about 10 minutes to come to full operating temperature. Worth it tho. Sounds much bigger than the 80W/ch. @ 8 ohms would suggest, and it has a lot of power depth. Sports a dual power supply, one complete one for each channel. Toroidal power transformer = fast response. Double output FET's means plenty of safe operating area, so no problem driving 4 ohm loads. I have used it driving a pair of AR 2AX's or a pair of ELAC UB52's both to great effect and satisfying levels. Amp really surprises at the detail resolved. Where are you gonna get that performance under $300? No where. (I feel this amp is a perfect match for those UB52's. The UB's are 6 ohm, so it's like a 100W amp with tons of reserve driving them. Yummy.)Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
I like this generation of Adcom MOSFET amps. I buy inexpensive ones that look to be in reasonable cosmetic condition, but need repair. As usual this had one channel out, and I replaced the outputs on that side. The output MOSFETS, IRFP240 and IRFP9240, and drviers are still available and relatively cheap. or you can buy pre-matched outputs from diy audio store and other individual providers. I also replace all the electrolytic capacitors. The main ones are 10,000uF nichicons at 85 degrees, and I can find longer-lasting higher-capacitance 15,000 or 18,000 rated at 105 degrees for about $15 each. I could buy a working model for about twice as much, but the recapping is the expensive part of the repair.
Verified purchase: Yes
This review is for folks who have never owned Adcom products. Those who have don't need any encouragement. Adcom is a solid audio company with a history of high quality components. Their amplifiers are very powerful w/ no discernible distortion. That means you can count on them to produce crisp, clean sound without putting your speakers at risk. I own the 5500 & 5300 & they are extremely reliable. I highly recommend these products.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
If you like warm rich clear sweet sound of Class A Mosfet amplifier designed by legendary audio designer Nelson Pass, Adcom GFA 5300 is your ticket. Signal path of the amp utilises Fets and cascoded current buffer to reflect Nelson Pass's design philosophy. It does not contain chips or IC's like most of amps these days. It has dual power supply design for front end and back of each channel to ensure minimal power supply distortion under heavy loads. It is biased high and operates at high temperature to run on Class A for low to mid volume levels. Mosfet amps like to run on high temperature to produce tube like valve sound. Toroidal power transformer and 8 mosfet output devices alone can worth more than the price on Ebay.
For someone who owns many hi-fi components, the 5300 delivers standard performance. Whereas other more expensive amps can sound smooth, punchy and crystal detailed, the 5300 sounds rather raw, w/ details more truncated than full but yielidng an overall solid punch, albeit not very subtle or crystal refined. If u use a same set of speakers for 2 amps, u can tell a difference. I use a pair of PSB for the 5300, compared w/ amps like acurus 80, Denon 1200, parasound hca-750, rotel RB 756, and Hafler 250. The 5300 was not pricey when I got it, yet it is not as full and crystal rich as I would like; however, for its value or purpose, it will easily fulfill a non-enthusiast ears or a surround sound part of a good home-theater system.
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