This amp is surprisingly good. If you want to occasionally listen to good records it is ok. But it's like the DNA1 amp that was/is so popular. It's best used for background music. If you like instruments hanging in the air, and music moving around from place to place, you better try something else. It is most impressive off axis cause it is definately full range capable. But it is kinda flat sounding. But it is not bad, I could live with it, but I'd rarely use it. It performsmuch better with CD's. It does sound a little scratchy in the hi's but no big deal. For the most part it is smooth and liquid sounding. Like some good tube amps. For the money they are asking for, it is really vey good. Very clear highs.Bottom end isn't what I expected . Moving speakers closer to back wall helped alot. Like some decent tube amps.
Anyway it is a good amp especially at this price.

At that price point I'd say it is better than the 3B

ADCOM GFA5802 amplifierI have owned this unit for just over a year and two other Adcom amps before it! No,I do not think Adcom makes the best amps, but if you know how to handle a soldering iron their amps sure have a lot of potential without busting the bank! The 5802 is the first Adcom I listened to for one whole month before disemboweling!! Usually it takes two days before I do this to my audio gear. The sound of the unadulterated unit in my setup was full, good upper mid energy but lacking in top end extension. Bass definition wasn't very good but it was enjoyable as long as you didnt push it. Turn up the volume, just slightly, and a different character emerges. A cold hardness sets in to the point of unlistenability. I dont think I was using so much as 50 of its 300 watts when this trait set in. Having said this, the unit is still on the work bench where I am trying to obtain 16 matched hexfets to repair one channel which I accidently damaged. The hexfets used by Adcom are no longer being manufactured by International Rectifier. I have ordered 30 from Harris in an attempt to match 16 which the output stage of this amp uses. My advise, pick up a used 555Mk2 - This baby rocks if you know what to do to it.

Limitless power, effortless bass, price

No complaints

This is a superb amplifier at its price point, you'll have a hard time finding this much quality power at this price elsewhere. It's driven every speaker system I've ever hooked up to it absolutely effortlessly, which is especially evident in lower frequencies. Bass is punchy and mids and highs sizzle. Soundstage is solid and detailed. HT explodes into your listening space. Certainly I've heard amps with greater depth, detail, and bredth of soundstage, but none approaching the 5802's price and power combination. I recommend it without hesitation if that's what you're looking for.

Several users in their reviews here report problems with the 5802's protective circuits shutting the amp down at high volume or into difficult loads, this has never happened to me.

I bought this amp in April '98, and in July '01 one of the power supplies died. I was able to drop it off at Adcom headquarters in NJ, and they repaired it and installed several modifications, one of which should prevent the problem in the future. The work was performed free of charge even though my warranty had expired, and everyone at Adcom was very courteous and helpful. The Techs even took me into the shop and took the time to explain to me what had happened and what they had done. I've had no problems before or since. Customer service means a lot to me, and Adcom exceeded my expectations there as well.

Similar Products Used:

Adcom, McCormack, NAD, Carver, Bryston

This is one great amp. I've had it for 1.5 years now and never once thought to upgrade, very high praise in my book. Bass is very powerful and controlled, mids are transparent and the highs,ohhh! Anyway, I read some reviews here and some people talk about the amp getting hot, or hexfets like running hot(what a load of crap!), blah, blah, blah!. An amp of this caliber runs hot for one reason only, It is biased class-A for low output power(i.e.-10 watts or less). This means that the transistors are always on and therefore power is being consumed constantly, as any electric device, most of the power is turned into heat and dissipated at the heat sinks. As power is increased the amplifier switches into class-AB. If you sleep to close this amp I can see how the heat may bother you, but otherwise it'll be okay. This is a truly High end piece at an affordable price.

I bought this amp used 13 months ago. It runs for several hours every day. Has been very reliable. When this amp is first turned on, it sounds pretty bright and glassy. Let it warm up for 45 minutes, though, and it becomes very musical. Smooth, very open, and very deep 3d soundstage. It has a way of producing textures and nuances that is amazing at this price range. It has enormous power reserves. Never sounds dense, even at ludicrously loud levels that make the lights in my house blink to the music. Only complaints are the huge amounts of ac power this baby draws and the incredible heat it gives off. This is true almost all good amps, though.

I own this amp over 6 months, It is a steal for $1300.00 from dealer. I use tube preamp, balanced input to Adcom 5802. After warmup one hour, this amp produce more musical than Bryston 4BT, ARAGON 8008. This amp is hot even with low volume. Like most Class A amp, 5802 as Class A/B amp but more Class A when in low output. Check all class A amp, musical fidelity A1000, A220, Forte A4..... they are very hot. So, hot Amp is not the bad thing, I think it is design. Adcom 5802 uses HEXFET devices, they like hot. When hot, the charactestic of device is better, then more musical. Of cause, it is not tube amp, but the sound is very sweet compared other SS amp. I expericed with many kind amp, Classe, ARC, krell, Citation, Bryston, Aragon, Carver those are SS amp, Golden tube, Cary, KR,.. pure amp, and Plinius, Counterpoint Hybrid. Adcom 5802 is the best value with less cost.

Great Value, Great bass, Very clear

heat

I am a loyal Adcom buyer. I have never had any reason to dislike the products made by Adcom. Reading some of the reviews made me realize that you are never going to please some people no matter what because they have their favorites. Also keep in mind that not all speakers will sound good with just any amp. I have a pair of KEF reference model 3's and they sound absolutely incredible with my ADCOM gold plated series. The highs are clean and crisp because Kef's have that quality, so the 5802 complements that. Kef's normally don't have large bass presence but the 5802 compensates for that. I have tried out a lot of amps including KREll and I didn't particularly care for that sound with my speakers. So all that being said you can't go wrong with the 5802 for the money, and demo it with your speakers first to see how it sounds. It's all about matching when you start spending these amounts of money. Do some research by reading reviews like these.

Similar Products Used:

5300, 5500, GCD 750, GFP 750.

Power, Detail, Bass Power and Control,

None considering its price range

I was looking for an upgrade amp for my Adcom GFA-555 power amp, which I have owned since 1989. Specifically, I was looking for something with better performance into low impedance loads and more detail. The GFA-5802 is a delightful amplifier for the types of music I listen to (Jazz, R&B), and integrates well with my other audio components. My system is as follows:

Yamaha PF-800 Turntable w/Yamaha MC-705 MC cartridge
Yamaha CX-1 Pre-Amp
Yamaha T-80 Tuner
Denon DCD-1650AR CD Player
Onkyo Integra TA-2800 Cassette Deck
Adcom GFA-5802 Power Amp (450 Watts into 4 ohms)
Polk Audio SDA-1B speakers (4 ohms nominal impedance) with
modified crossover network(crossover components and
wiring replaced with premium parts)
DSR Silverline (silver coated copper wire) Interconnects
DSR Silverline (silver/copper) 8 gauge speaker cable
Speaker cable terminated with Monster X-Terminators.

I certainly could have spent way more money on audio components, but considering the sorry quality of most source material (CDs, records)I don't feel that more money is warranted (law of diminishing returns, you know). And besides, the currently predominant source material format (the CD) was never intended as a "high fidelity" medium. On the few well-recorded CDs I am fortunate to run across, I have a wide and deep soundstage with tight bass, smooth extended airy highs, and a sweet, detailed midrange, and excellent resolution. Congrats to Adcom on a fine amplifier.

Similar Products Used:

Adcom GFA-555, Sunfire, etc.