Help me choose a power amp between adcom, parasound and vincent

anm -- Mon, 06/01/2009 - 15:05

Hi,
I live in India and I have option to buy one of 3 used amps
1. adcom 555 mk2 - $300+
2. parasound hca-1200 - $300+
3. vincent sp331 - twice as costly as other two. Around $550
I am planning to use a tube pre amp lync made by a company called Lyrita.
Speakers I have currently are JBL N38 towers. Which one of these amps would you recommend? My problem is - I do not have an option to audition on these, so I will buy based on recommendation.
I will upgrade my speakers too later, but not at this moment.
regards

JOSEPH (not verified) -- Sun, 06/14/2009 - 04:52

I have owned Parasound High Current Amps since 1990 and highly reccommend them. I have a 1200 running now which I have had since 1992 and it has never given me a problem.
I am not familiar with the Vincent Amp but I do believe the Adcom is nothing but junk

Steve A -- Tue, 06/16/2009 - 05:18

Hi
I'm using the Vincent SP-331. I haven't heard the Adcom or the parasound but for the money, I don't think anything can touch the Vincent. Allow a good two weeks or so for break in, I don't think you will be disappointed

Amir Kessner (not verified) -- Tue, 06/16/2009 - 12:10

Hello, anm!

Just to balance the picture :-)

I bought a second-hand Adcom GFA-5503 3-channel power amp (3 x 200W) a few years ago.
It sounds pretty good. I use it as a surround amp (with B&W Nautilus 802s, mind you), and when my front monoblocks gave me trouble, I used the Adcom as the primary amp. It has nothing to be ashamed of, as far from "nothing but junk" as any. Also, touch wood, it hasn't given me any trouble.

Seems you're more or less back in square 1, with each owner praising his own purchase and some throwing junk at the others :-)

I believe that if you have to gamble anyway, it might be a better idea to gamble on a lower cost amp. By the information you currently have, you can't reliably tell if the Vincent justifies the additional price, Moreover, you have been told you have little to lose by choosing the alternatives.

Good luck and enjoy whatever you choose!
Amir