Rotel Rb-1050 or ADCOM GFA5400?

Hey all!

I'm doing a u-turn with my setup, moving from SET + Open Baffle to SS + ML. What I will get from selling my amp + speakers is around 2k-2,5k Canadian, and I wouldn't like going I'm thinking about going with a lower-budget clean but not extravagant SS power with maybe a tube pre, along with either a pair of Ascents, Claritys or Aerius.

Someone put some power amps for sale near my place : ADCOM GFA5400 for 300CDN (240USD) and Rotel Rb-1050 for 250CDN (200USD). The rotel is 75W in 8 ohms, and the ADCOM 125W into 8ohms and 200W into 4 ohms.

Should I pull the trigger on either of them, or wait for something better to pop up?

Don't know about the Rotel. But I had a Adcom 5503 running Stylos fronts and Logos center for 10 years. The Adcom was very nice, ran a little warm when driving the MLs at higher levels, but even after 10 years I sold it for $600 USD so I would say the Adcom amp reputation is a good one. I would guess on either amp you could always get out of them what you put in to them, assuming they work and are not abused. Good Luck.

Can anyone please me some more info? The amplifiers are both for sale, and they will probably fly away soon so I must choose as soon as possible.

Have you made a speaker choice yet ??

If you feel you 'must' have one of the two amps you mentioned, assuming they are of equal quality / condition I'd vote for the Adcom.

FWIW, there is a general consensus in the group here that Sunfire amps match quite well with Logans when one is attempting to put a system together without beaking the bank.

Yes - here is a sunfire slappy post.... Check out the prices - I did a direct a/b on a sunfire/rotel - and the sunfire whipped it - and that was hooked to paradigm studio 100s....not the Logans - which I think would cause the differences to be even greater. I had never heard that LARGE of a difference when comparing amps before.... Never heard the Adcom...

budget amps

There is a pair of Ascents (not the I version) for sale close to my place for 2k CDN (about 1600 USD), and I think this might be my best bet (the only other thing I can see is a pair of Claritys for 200$ less, so I would take the advents and upgrade my amp later on). The room I will put them into is 15' x 12' with a 9' ceiling. Is also has two wall-bound wardrobes behind the speakers so it adds a virtual 3' before the sound waves hit a solid wall, and I found out it really helps for bass tightness.

As for the amps, from what I see on Agon and other audio-related sites, they seem out of my budget for now.

I had an RB 1050 for about two years that I used for the center rear channels in a 7.1 setup. Not bad for that purpose, but like most Rotel amps it is a tad grainy has a rounded top end because it was voiced on screechy B&W speakers.

The only Adcom I would consider is the GFA-5802, which is the fan-less one designed by Nelson Pass (but I'm a snob that way). I also see half-decent Acuruses, Brystons, B&Ks, and Parasounds go through audiogon.

You need to buy a loudspeaker first, which doesn't sound easy given the big range of choices you're considering. Why not put a wanted ad on audiogon? (I would hold out for an Ascent i.)

papomaster said:

There is a pair of Ascents (not the I version) for sale close to my place for 2k CDN (about 1600 USD), and I think this might be my best bet (the only other thing I can see is a pair of Claritys for 200$ less, so I would take the advents and upgrade my amp later on). The room I will put them into is 15' x 12' with a 9' ceiling. Is also has two wall-bound wardrobes behind the speakers so it adds a virtual 3' before the sound waves hit a solid wall, and I found out it really helps for bass tightness.

As for the amps, from what I see on Agon and other audio-related sites, they seem out of my budget for now.

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definitely get the best speaker you can first.... I used to build my system the other way around... not any more.... you get a lot more bang for your buck with your speakers - then build around them IMHO.... The speakers, of course will do better with better electronics - but hey, gotta start somewhere and most of us don't have as much disposable income as we would like!!

Exactly!

In fact, that's exactly what happened to me : I bought some Monitor Audio RS5s last april, then had a magic deal on the ASL 1010dt I have right now in september. After having bought the amp, I didn't have that much money left so I only traded my MAs for the open baffles I have right now (Hemp audio fr8 drivers inside First Octave audio Angelica cabinets). So, if you estimate their value somewhere between 700 and 1000$ canadian, and the amp is 3000 USD + tax + shipping + tubes, you get:

- 15% on speakers
- 85% on amp

That, of course, is in raw new value, but with used prices they go more like

-25% speakers
-75% amp

I'll try to go the other way around this time.

Anyway, I live in Montreal, so dealing local is way preferred for me as shipping and taxes are quite horrific from outside the border, and shipping tends to destroy everything... I'll keep it local. Also, I have to sell my amp first as I don't have extra money to spend before I sell it.

My Rotel sounds decent...with power conditioning & warm up...

Hi Papomaster:

I have a low-power Rotel amp (read bottom of the line) in my bedroom system. I don't know the amp's model number but it is about 6 months old, is about 4 inches tall and has those purely decorative fins. The Rotel sounded fair when cold and marginally better once warmed up.

Power in my house is lousy so I connected a power conditioner; this made a big difference. With clean power and adequate warm up, the Rotel sounded surprisingly good with my monitors. While the Rotel should not be confused with Lamm, it can be enjoyable in the right environment (e.g. my bedroom at low to moderate volumes).

I picked up an APC unit for about $150 but have seen them for $100; interestingly Rotel sells a power conditioner that look suspiciously identical to the APC (with Rotel's decorative fins) for something like $500:

http://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=91071

papomaster said:

In fact, that's exactly what happened to me : I bought some Monitor Audio RS5s last april, then had a magic deal on the ASL 1010dt I have right now in september. After having bought the amp, I didn't have that much money left so I only traded my MAs for the open baffles I have right now (Hemp audio fr8 drivers inside First Octave audio Angelica cabinets). So, if you estimate their value somewhere between 700 and 1000$ canadian, and the amp is 3000 USD + tax + shipping + tubes, you get:

- 15% on speakers
- 85% on amp

That, of course, is in raw new value, but with used prices they go more like

-25% speakers
-75% amp

I'll try to go the other way around this time.

Anyway, I live in Montreal, so dealing local is way preferred for me as shipping and taxes are quite horrific from outside the border, and shipping tends to destroy everything... I'll keep it local. Also, I have to sell my amp first as I don't have extra money to spend before I sell it.

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Yeah - that is a butt-kicker...you are not alone... I realized what I was doing after I heard my brother's ascents.... In my opinion - amps/pre/source become nice differences and can make a lousy speaker sound way better - maybe a 10-20% difference... but to me your speakers are going to determine about 70-80% of your sound....

Btw, sorry to hear about your hockey team..... Let me guess - If my Red Wings play the Canucks in the second round - you will be rooting for the Wings...right????