One hell of an amp. Buil to last. Not to look pretty. But, still looks good. Extremely powerful. Lots of dynamic headroom. I here people complaining about the fan noise. NOTE this amp was designed to be in a amp rack, and probably in a hot closet. And not sitting in your theatre room. It is built to take an extreme beating. And last a long time. This is your Volvo of amps. And not some Hyundai. Also doesn't have fancy cheep binding posts. It has commercial banana posts. Cool led display. Which can be turned off. No excessive equalization circuitry. Just a pure soundpath. Huge capacitors , and plenty of standby power on demand. Yes costs more than other amps. But you get something that is built to last. Been pushing this amp hard for years. And it never gave me a problem. If you have a chance to get one? Snag it. You won't be disappointed.

Yes loud fan. But, made to be in a rack, or audio closet. No gain control for each ch.

REVIEW OF ADA MPA-501 POWER AMP:

Price Paid: $1000.00 from private party and my Marantz SR-14EX receiver in trade.

There was no listing, because this is a discontinued item. The 501 later became the ADA MPA-502 power amp, which is ADA's current flagship power amp. I posted my review here, as the 501 is sort of like the current 6150.

This unit is massive and comes in two pieces, the power supply and the power amp. The supply comes with a non-removable power cord and the amp is powered via a cable, which is about 30" long and 1" thick from the power supply.

Both units are about W 17" x D 17 x H 5" and each weighs over 50 lbs! They have internal fans built into them, though mine have yet to come on. I was reading the fans are variable by the amount of heat, but I will be checking with ADA to see if they should be on all the time when the unit is on?

These units come with handles on the front for rack mounting or without handle, as mine did.

I had previously used a Marantz SR-14EX receiver, but switched to the ADA power amp and an Anthem D2 audio/video processor in one day, so it is a bit hard to determine how much of each of these two components contributed to the betterment of the overall sound of my home theatre system, but let's just say it was significant!

On the audio front my sound stage increased both in height, depth and width. It was as if a bunch more layers were unveiled to the true sound of the actual recordings. Music was clearer, detailed and even more natural sounding and I could tell there was much more authority to the sound.

For movie soundtracks it was much easier to distinguish what people were saying, even in passages where people were whispering. Voices were clearer and I could even hear the room ambiance as well. It also felt that I was actually in the recording studio, as I could feel the thumb of the bass drums, something I didn't experience with my Marantz SR-14 before.

Strengths: Natural sounding detail and clarity with tons of power. THX certified

Weaknesses: Did not come wit XLR inputs like the current 502 model, power cord was not removable and it runs hot, because the fan hasn't come on.

Similar Products Used: Marantz SR-14EX & SR-18 receivers.

detailed and powerful

some consider bannana output only to be a weakness but if you can afford this amp buying bannana connectors should not be a stretch.

I have owned both the 6150 and the 8150 and they sound the same. Very detailed and powerful. I used them with M&K s100b's and proved to be a wonderful match. This amp would be rated much higher if some people did not give it a 1 because they dont like NY attitudes. I know some did not work but that is not how the unit works or sounds. I have owned a cinepro 3k6 also and they are very close but the cinepro is a little more detailed only due to the fact that it has double the power. I would love to hear the ada 450 watt amp. I have heard many different amps and ada is there right near the top.

Similar Products Used:

behringer ep 2500, ada 8150, ada 650, cinepro 3k6.

- Great full bandwidth power.. highs and lows. Best amp I have heard in my listening room. I compared to Parasound, Krell, and my starter amp... Carver. - I love the display. I turn it on when in the mood for music , and turn it off when watching movies. - Build Quality. Rivals my other favorite, Parasound. - Stable to 2 ohms. Will power pretty much anything you connect to it. Sounds great with my Martin Logans. - Easy maintenance. If you rack your gear, and need to remove you amp when you do upgrades, then you will understand the beauty of the banana connectors on the rear and the rack handles up front. - Made in the USA like many other high end manufacturers. If you don't see the benefit of making gear here in the states, then move to China... enjoy your rice as you work for $5 a day.

- I love to have the display on. Would be great if there was a brightness control. - I am not even going to mention the fan. - Weight - this is a beast.

Hard to believe an amp can generate so many differing opinions! Let me lend my viewpoint to the reviews. a) The FAN: ADA makes equipment for rich people who can afford racks of equipment in closets/rooms adjoining their media centers. They don't care how noisy the fan is, because they can't hear them. See any amps sitting out in those photos in Audio Video Interiors magazine? Don't think so. This equipment is fan cooled and rack mounted by design. The fan cools the hardware. Why does it run hot? Because the design provides the best audio possible in a small form factor. Why don't other manufacturers have hot amps? Because people who can't afford racks, place them in the listening room and hate the noise so they develop a different design that produces less heat. The fan allows this amp to run continuously for years. ADA equipment is typically racked and left on. And this fan is no cheap Chinese stuff. I cleaned mine recently, and this fan is solid metal... made in germany, will probably outlast me. Recommendation: If you don't rack mount your gear, keep it in a closet, or keep it behind glass then the fan may bother you. If you can afford a home theater, with a rack room then definitely look at this amp. b) Build Quality: This amp is built like a tank. Drop this amp at over 60lbs, and it will most likely be unaffected. Is the case pretty? No. Did they add decorative binding posts. No. Is this going to match the beauty of a Theta or Krell? No. This is a no nonsense design with steel, screws and bolts holding it together. It is a great design for maintenance and cleaning. This amp was not built for a museum, it was built for a rack. It is built to stay on. The front plate has screen printed lettering. Nothing fancy. I personally find the appearance to be very cool and minimalist. Recommendation: If you want pretty amps go elsewhere. If you want a rugged amp that will last years then definitely look at this amp. c) Binding Posts: The typical owners of this amp will never see the rear. The installer follows the one connection provided by the manufacturer, bananas. I imagine that since they've been in business for over 25 years, they might know if a different connector provided a better, more durable and maintainable connection. Recommendation: If you think that somehow spades or pins or some other connection provides some sort of magical audio enhancement, then spend your money elsewhere. D) Service: I have had interactions with ADA directly with none of the issues that the other reviewer had. I found them quick, professional and totally concerned about their equipment. In fact, once I moved the amp, reconnected it, and got no audio. The ADA tech helped me realize the directional cables were installed backwards. E) Form Factor: When comparing this amp, consider size, watts and ohms. ADA packs alot of power into a small form factor that is stable to 2 ohms. Sure there are amps that produce similar power, but they are typically larger due to the heat sinks. And try to find one stable to 2 ohms. Comparable amps for this 3 rack unit size are the Lexicon LX and the Krell Showcase. Both cost much more, and interally look pretty wimpy compared to the ADA. The ADA has 10+ huge capacitors inside... the Krell... 4. This amp is made to be rack mounted. You need no clearance above or below the unit. All other air cooled amps will require the addition of... surpise...a fan.. when rack mounted. f) Reviews: I don't subscribe to conspiracy theories. Sure it's possible that all audio magazines pick winners and promote brands... and it's possible that your $50 APEX Circuit City DVD player plays video like a Lexicon RT-10. Both are highly doubtful. Facts are that ADA equipment gets great reviews and they typically are on the leading edge of what can be done with custom installed equipment.

Similar Products Used:

Amps: - Parasound HCA-806 - Parasound HCA-2205A - Krell Showcase 5 - AudioControl Model 700 - Madrigal AudioAccess - Elan HDA 1000 & 2000 - Russound AP-48

NONE

Everything one could think of.

A little more balanced perspective is due here. My experience was quite negative with this component and even worse with the support from the manufacturer. Purchased new at retail cost, the amp worked fine for only three days. Then 2 separate channels started exhibiting an audible hiss that was irritating. I isolated this problem to the amplifier. Contacting the authorized dealer, they promptly refused to replace the amp and referred me to the manufacturer! The ADA sales manager called me and insisted the amp should be sent in for repair which would take a minimum of 3 weeks, and of which I would be charged for all shipping costs! WAIT! That's $1550.00 for a so called quality amp, $37.19 shipping times two and no home theater for at least three weeks????? I promptly returned this piece of junk to the dealer and paid a 20% restocking charge for this 'BROKEN' amplifier. After all this I wrote the president of the company and expressed my dismay. I requested an explanation of these terrible practices and NEVER received a response! Think about it, would any reputable manufacturer treat its customers in this fashion? Maybe, but most likely not. Sound quality was good while it worked, but easily topped with a set of used Crowns. The fan NOISE from the ADA was terrible. Parasound comes very close and has better service and quality. B&K blows ADA away in all respects. Ever had a problem with a Crown, Parasound or B&K? Their customer service is awesome. The point is, many manufacturers offer superior products and much better service. ADA is one of the absolute WORST choices one could make.

Similar Products Used:

Crown, Parasound, B&K, Lexicon

nice 5 way binding posts that you would expect in an amp this costly. The sound is thin, dry, al biet the bass is good (it''s SS after all).

Cheaply built, poor quality parts, expensive, and bad customer service (major New York attitude!).Noisy Fan!! (major Negitive)

I had purchased this amp in mid 1999 when I was just getting into audio. At that time the objective was to own a good quality amp that could function for home theatre and 2-channel audio. I bought this amp without ever listening to it (mistake #1) based primarily on the glowing reviews from Home Theatre Magazine (which at that time I thought was an honest magazine). Was I naive and mistaken. In the last three years I have advanced at a lightening speed, much to my wife''s dismay, in the understanding of audio, the audio industry and "good sound". During this evolutionary and costly process I have gone through the ADA PTM 6150, the Bel Canto Evo 200.2, the CLasse CAV 150, the Classe CAV 180, the Chiro amps, and other demos such as as Sime Audio, Adcom, etc. I have ended up with SET tube amps now, so you can see that I have taken quite a journey. I have also learned to make my own DIY speaker cables, power cords and ICs ( not bad for a guy who bought the Proceed AVP and the ADA amp based on the Audio press reviews only? Don''t you think?..Enough about my evolutionary learning process, which has also been revolutionary. If I knew then what I know now.....Ummm...only if! Well, as it turns out, fellow audiophiles and music enthusiasts, magazines like Home Theatre, Stereophile, Absolute Sound, etc, lie, perid! They are scum bags like politicians and as far as the ADA PTM 6150 is concerned, at first I thought this was an incredible amp...wow, those 6 moving green LED lights were hypnotic...what an amp, I thought , for the first 6 months or so. As my understanding of amps and "good sound" improved, I slowly but surely realized what a peace of utter crap this amp really was. I mean for a retail price of $2200 there are lots of better amps out there. This company makes interesting looking products, but they are overpriced,cloaked in red, white and blue at the cost of quality and they are built like a cheap Mustang (and i don''t mean a 67'' Mustang!) The amp is a cheap thrill like a dumb blond on a cheap date. Why so negitive you ask? Well, the amp is noisy; I can not believe that the designers of this thing actually put in fans to cool the amp instead of some quality heat sinks (that would have been too expensive). It''s built cheap with cheap material that looks it. The binding post are crap....once again cheap parts and thoroughly compromised. They are RCA jacks, no

Similar Products Used:

as above

Tight, accurate power, and lots of it...

None (other than I got a hernia lifting it)

While this amp is not the size of a cinder-block, it sure weighs enough to be one. I use the PTM-6150 with the Lexicon DC-1 (v.4, with DD and DTS) and M&K S-125s and M&K sub. This is one fabulous amplifier. No regrets. The sound is effortless, tight, and performs flawlessly at any volume level. Highly recommended!

HT Hot Ticket, Yes it is. I recently returned my ADCOM GFA 7500 for the second time. It was a great sounding piece when it worked. I had enough and decided to step up and go for more quality and I got better sound and performance in the process. The ADA amplifier is a six channel amp, Dolby Digital EX anyone.
The PTM-6150 is amazing it produces power and clarity I have not heard in an under $5000 amplifier. For about $2200 it is worth the money and then some. I highly reccomend this amplifier to anyone looking. I am getting sound and clarity / definition out of my Proceed AVP Pre/Pro I did not know I was not hearing until I hooked it up to the PTM-6150. As for the fans, they are silent. I am a fan of amplifiers with both heat syncs and fans. I have a friend whos $5000 amplifier fried from heat because of lack of ventilation. Rack mounting in a small space is not a problem for this piece.

The LEDs for those of us who like meters can only be described as cool. They dance to music, and are a blast during action scenes from a DVD. For those who do not like meters you can turn them off.

Current Component List:

Proceed AVP
ADA PTM-6150
Pioneer DVD 414
Yamaha CD Carousel
Sony VCRs
RCA Sat. Receivers
B&W 805's Mains
B&W 602 S2s Surrounds
Infinity Center Channel (Next Upgrade)

Solid construction, clean, effortless, rich sound reproduction

louder than expected fan noise (being very picky)

This is my first installation of a separate amp. All I can say is that this amp really makes you believe in the benefits of separate components. I picked up this unit used from a reputable dealer - and I haven't looked back since.

This is one solid piece of gear - and physically very large. The unit is designed for a standard 19" rack, but it's depth surprised me as it required access holes in the back of my cabinet to plug in the cables. The banana plugs for the speaker wires come out the back of my cabinet. If you have limited depth in your cabinet, I would measure very carefully and allow for the banana plugs...rack mount systems shouldn't be a big problem.

The sound difference is nothing short of stunning over my old Yamaha receiver set up. Perhaps the biggest difference I've noticed is the increase in volume difference on movies. The quiet parts are very clear and the louder parts are stunning (U-571 depth charge scenes and SuperSpeedway Mach 2 edition).

The fan noise is not really a problem - you notice it more when you turn the unit off and realize how much noise went away - but it has yet to be even noticed while enjoying a movie or one of our DVD audio disks.

In short, this has been a very welcome addition to our home theater set up - and even my wife has commented on the enourmous improvement. Even though I bought it for less than retail (used), even the price new would warrant a great review. I have never owned another amp, but I spent six months shopping for this one and listened to as many as I could - the ADA won my business based on performance alone.

Our System:
ADA PTM-6150
Adcom GTP-830 Preamp/processor
Paradigm Studio Reference 60v2 mains
Paradigm Studio Reference CC center
Paradigm Studio Reference ADP surrounds
Paradigm Servo 15 sub
Toshiba SD-5700 DVD
Hitachi 43FDX01B HDTV
Bettercables.com interconnects throughout

Similar Products Used:

none

I recently switched from a DSP-A1 to a new (in my opinion) Power combo.The Sony TA-E9000ES (1.10C) and this ADA PTM 6150.

I had the chance to try the sony first with the amps fom the DSP-A1 the Sony out performed the Yamaha with Ease.

But It really shined with the PTM-6150.

I love this amp. It's clean, fast and has a tremendous bass and mid.
My DTS discs sound better than ever more open and more "airy".

I can really advice anyone to buy his ADA, it rocks !!!

(PS I'm trying the new 6.1 ADA soon, so the 6 channel comes in handy)
If you are not using the sixth channel you should try connecting your sub woofer to it (in passive mode offcourse) You WILL be pleased.

No go out and buy it.

(not connected to ADA in anyway.

www.hometheater.nl