I have an old Adcom Surround Receiver that got hit by a power surge. I still have My pre-amp tuner, 2 Adcom 5500s, & my GFA 5503. My buddy owns a stereo store that carries Denon (which is what he is pushing) and NAD. I am looking to spend $500-$1100 on a new receiver. I don't have to buy from him. But... What would you guys do?
Anonymous
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Sorry guys I just looked and the 3/4 channel amp is a Adcom GFA-2535. The Denon he is pushing is the 3803. Thanks, I am trying to check this every hour to see what ya all have to say on this.
Steven
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I have Denon AVR-3802 and it is going great guns!Definitely 3803 is an upgraded version...
Hawk
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I have the 3803 and it sucks. If you are used to the sound of an Adcom, I guarantee you will regret it if you buy the Denon. I know I do. It sounds like a typical Japanese mass market receiver, which it is.
Get the NAD. Heck, I have auditioned the bottom of the line NAD 742 and it sounds better than my Denon, which cost twice as much. For the kind of money it costs to get the 3803, you could afford the 762, which is easily the best receiver available for under $2K. I have tried over a dozen different speakers since I got the Denon and I still can't get quality sound commesurate with the cost of this thing.
If you still aren't sure, look at the thread above by Marilyn about her Denon 3803 that is always clipping.
Anonymous
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As much as I have read on this site I see that you, HAWK, do your research very well. I have a couple of ?ns for you. The first is should I just pick up another used Adcom 5500 and plug every thing in to my Amps? Second is does the Nad have full video switching and stuff so that when I get a good tv there is only one cable running to it? And third what is the TV I can buy for $2000 and where. Thanks, and I am trusting what you said about the Denon. Anyone else care to jump in? Have a good one and I will be checking back later today(I Hope!)
Derek
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Just for your informtion I have the Adcom GFA-2535 and two Denon 1800 series receivers. Below clipping they sound the same. So if you don't like Denon's sound you wont like the Adcom's sound. Try it though and give a listen to the NADs Hawk recommends.
Anonymous
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Thank you Derek, right now I am still pulling my hair out trying to decide which way to go. Any advice is being taken to my heart. Are you saying though that the Denon sounds better than the Adcom?
Anonymous
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Denon & Adcom sounds flat and dull. Try McIntosh or Krell and you'll hear huge difference.
Derek
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Anonymous 2, I wouldn't say that. Sometimes the source is flat and dull and the amp is accurately reproducing what is put into it. Occasionally a piece of music will come around that will require a highly accurate reproduction chain. That's when these amps can be appreciated.
I have a PS Audio Elite Plus that can make any music sound lively and exciting but I've learned long ago that I may be missing something. For instance the PS Audio doesn't image well. Besides Krell and McIntosh are VERY expensive.
Try this - Go to a Car Stereo store and turn off the fake bass, the fake imaging, the subs, the EQs and set the trebble and bass to 0 and listen to music. It will sound terribly flat. The problem in this case is the speakers not the head unit.
Anonymous
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Once again I find myself on this page looking to see what opinions everyone has. And every thing put on here is great. Although I do not have the net at home I am checking this site from work and my parents place. I checked on the Krell and McIntosh amps and they are WAY out of my spending range. I did read the reviews of people on the NAD and have not really found anything negative. SO I am thinking that as long as it has the video switching that I need I am going to go that way. I only get to buy anything now-a-days when I am replacing something. When I bought the original Adcom stuff I was kidless. Now 2 kids later I am also a home owner so $$$ is used on the kids. Thanks so much everyone for your help. I will be checking back again. Later, roc2it