Adcom vs Emotiva

[ski2xblack]

I've got a Dynaco 70 clone that I hook up occasionally, sounds nice but runs out of gas pretty quick with rock. The thing is that with the 5500 cymbals have always sounded muffled and recessed way into the background. With the little Dynaco (35/40 rms maybe) they come out with ring and shimmer like they should and that's using the same Marantz prepro and cables with both. Cymbals have always sounded like crap with the 5500. What's up with that?

High output impedance amps tend to produce a result that reflects the impedance curve of the load...a bass peak at woofer resonance and extra shimmer on the highs due to rising impedance with frequency typically results. Could also include a bit of harmonic related tonal coloration. PP tubes can have a brassy edge due to audible third harmonics. This can help things like cymbals punch forward in the mix, as you noticed.

 

[slovell]

High output impedance amps tend to produce a result that reflects the impedance curve of the load...a bass peak at woofer resonance and extra shimmer on the highs due to rising impedance with frequency typically results. Could also include a bit of harmonic related tonal coloration. PP tubes can have a brassy edge due to audible third harmonics. This can help things like cymbals punch forward in the mix, as you noticed.

Now you're just showing off.

 

[jinjuku]

I've read that they're a tad bright, I have to be very careful with bright sound due to my horns. They are an interesting proposition though. Unfortunately I live in an audio wasteland, there's nowhere to go audition anything unless one considers BestBuy an audio store. I'm sorry, I can't believe I just said that, now I can't stop laughing.

What is this bright that people are speaking about. The FR response is flat on the Crown and the top end is just slightly rolled off.

The Crown is transparent and if you have some questionable recordings it will expose them.

 

[slipperybidness]

I've got a Dynaco 70 clone that I hook up occasionally, sounds nice but runs out of gas pretty quick with rock. The thing is that with the 5500 cymbals have always sounded muffled and recessed way into the background. With the little Dynaco (35/40 rms maybe) they come out with ring and shimmer like they should and that's using the same Marantz prepro and cables with both. Cymbals have always sounded like crap with the 5500. What's up with that?

To derail the thread a little.....what Dynaclone do you have? Did you build it?

I have a Bob Latino (Tubes4 hifi) clone that I built myself.

 

[KEW]

I'll add one more:

What is the last new product to come from Adcom and are they going to be around as long as H/K (parent company of Crown)?

I'll add yet another - It's designed to stand up to the abuse of a band on tour.
In pro audio, unreliability would put you out of business real quick!

 

[slipperybidness]

I'll add yet another - It's designed to stand up to the abuse of a band on tour.
In pro audio, unreliability would put you out of business real quick!

OK.....to nitpick.....those cornea-burning blue LEDs on the front......get some electrical tape

 

[slovell]

To derail the thread a little.....what Dynaclone do you have? Did you build it?

I have a Bob Latino (Tubes4 hifi) clone that I built myself.

I bought it from a guy on Audiogon.

 

[slovell]

What is this bright that people are speaking about. The FR response is flat on the Crown and the top end is just slightly rolled off.

The Crown is transparent and if you have some questionable recordings it will expose them.

A bit of amplifier forgiveness is a good thing with a Klipsch setup. With the quality of music being released nowadays most of it is questionable. LPs that pop, rumble, and crackle (but still cost out the wazoo), CDs that are compressed to the nth degree with absolutely no headroom or soundstage. It's to the point where a revealing system doesn't bring out the details it brings out the detritus. You cue up a recording and it instantly gets firewalled volume wise.

 

[slovell]

OK.....to nitpick.....those cornea-burning blue LEDs on the front......get some electrical tape

I've got a couple of headphone amps whose blue LEDs will light up a dark room. It's like they're screaming "LOOK AT ME I'M POWERED UP"!!!!!

 

[slovell]

Those are some good and proper monkey coffins.

Considering the sensitivity of your speakers and that you would never tax either of the options, it would be a sideways move IMO. If Musical Concepts is a reputable shop, I suspect re-habbing the Adcom pieces would cost far less than the new Emo amps.

Musical Concepts is reputable but a guy on another forum who used them said it was over six months before he got his amp back. Don't think I want to wait that long. Hell, at my age I might be dead by then.

 

[slovell]

I'll add one more:

What is the last new product to come from Adcom and are they going to be around as long as H/K (parent company of Crown)?

You're right that Adcom aren't doing much these days, but I just read something that said that HP are getting to lay off another 20,000 employees which is disconcerting.

 

[jinjuku]

You're right that Adcom aren't doing much these days, but I just read something that said that HP are getting to lay off another 20,000 employees which is disconcerting.

HP is Hewlett Packard and they make computers, printers, network hardware. HK is Harman / Kardon and they make, like, audio things and stuff.

 

[slovell]

I'll add yet another - It's designed to stand up to the abuse of a band on tour.
In pro audio, unreliability would put you out of business real quick!

Years ago I remember watching Hendrix on Cavett. He starting playing the intro to whatever the song was and his Marshall immediately blew up. Unphased he turns to Cavett and says " No big deal, happens all the time".

 

[slipperybidness]

I bought it from a guy on Audiogon.

Interesting!

It's definitely not Bob's design.

But, I do see some items that look to me like this is not the original ST70 design either. That design was respected, but there were several areas that could use some improvements, and it looks like the builder of this one had those considerations in mind.

The main thing that catches my eye......I don't see a rectifier tube. Is this unit SS rectification?

 

[slovell]

HP is Hewlett Packard and they make computers, printers, network hardware. HK is Harman / Kardon and they make, like, audio things and stuff.

Hey, I'm old and confused. HP/HK all looks the same to me. I've got some glasses around here somewhere.

 

[slovell]

Interesting!

It's definitely not Bob's design.

But, I do see some items that look to me like this is not the original ST70 design either. That design was respected, but there were several areas that could use some improvements, and it looks like the builder of this one had those considerations in mind.

The main thing that catches my eye......I don't see a rectifier tube. Is this unit SS rectification?

No idea.

 

[slovell]

No idea.

Now that I think about it I believe it is solid state.

 

[KEW]

Musical Concepts is reputable but a guy on another forum who used them said it was over six months before he got his amp back. Don't think I want to wait that long. Hell, at my age I might be dead by then.

If you happen to be a slender dwarf, I've got an idea on how you can save some money!

 

[KEW]

Years ago I remember watching Hendrix on Cavett. He starting playing the intro to whatever the song was and his Marshall immediately blew up. Unphased he turns to Cavett and says " No big deal, happens all the time".

I suppose we need to make exceptions for Hendrix and the Who!

 

[slipperybidness]

I suppose we need to make exceptions for Hendrix and the Who!

+Les Paul + D1ck Dale

Those guys were right there at the beginnings of electric amplified guitars, so they blew up quite a few amps!

EDIT: So, when I put "D1ck Dale" the AH censors changed it to "Lord Helmet Dale". C'mon AH, that is offensive to people named Richard or D1ck!