Adcom GFA-565 monoblock power amplifier TJN's Associated Equipment

Sidebar 2: TJN's Associated Equipment

Associated equipment used in auditioning the Adcom amplifier consisted of the Oracle Delphi Mk.IV turntable with SME V tonearm and Dynavector XX-1L cartridge, Sony CDP-X77ES CD player, Wadia WT-3200 transport and DigiMaster X-64.4 D/A converter, and Rowland Consonance preamplifier. Loudspeakers were the Apogee Stages, B&W 801 Matrix Series 2s, and Snell C/IVs. Both amplifiers were also briefly auditioned through the Nestorovic Type 5AS Mk.IIIs.

Interconnects were AudioQuest Lapis and Cardas Hexlink (the latter from preamplifier to amplifier); loudspeaker cables were AudioQuest Clear with the Snells, 801s, and PSBs, early Symo with the Stages, and Cardas Hexlink with the Nestorovics. All loudspeakers were bi-wired except for the Nestorovics, which are not configured for bi-wiring. I did most of my listening to the Adcoms in unbalanced mode, since the balanced input is an extra-cost option and also since it was to be compared with the Sumo (also used unbalanced because it lacks an XLR input for its balanced mode).—Thomas J. Norton

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