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.
This amp has a nice clean sound and plenty of power. It's a heavy amp, which for me is a sign of big heat sinks which tend to make amps last longer.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Having many Adcom amps, I definetely approve of this amp. The low end of this amp is adequate, mids and highs- great! This amp is used as a zone amp to push 4-6" ceiling speakers. Yes, this amp is overkill, it does a great job making them sound great. I tried this amp with a pair of Klipsch Heresy's, and it did a great job, not as tight as the 5400 though, but quite good still. The best use for this amp? I'd say a 6" bookshelf monitor, top end for a bi-amp situation, or a zone amp. Would I purchase another one of these Adcom 5300's? Yes, and as a bookshelf monitor amp!
The Adcom 5200, 5300, 5400, 5500 and 5802 are all MOSFET designs by Nelson Pass. Their circuits have 3 gains stages vs. 5 that are often used in conventional designs. I own a 5300, 5500 and several 5802s. The 5802 does have the best inner detailed and low level information. That is likely attributable to it running very hot and in class A mode for the first 25 watts or so. The 5300 is a very smooth sounding amplifier with good detail,image depth and and a smooth extended high frequency response. Bottom line is these are excellent amps and bargains in the used market. Many modern amps and receivers leverage class D modules for their output. These units can sound fine and are highly efficient, but to my ears, truncate detail. I'm still a fan of class AB1 circuits.
Verified purchase: No
Got here safe, excellent packing. Pristine quality! Sounds good at low power, can't wait to open it up!!
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
After full re-cap and PSU full upgrade, become one of biggest bargain on Hi-End amplifiers. Better than any $2,500.00 PA in the market nowadays.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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