Adcom 555 mk1 "Needs capacitors" worth buying?

[Dudeman258]

Hey folks!

Well I stumbled upon this Adcom GFA-555 Mk1 amp on craigslist, which usually sells for around $350.

This one is for $240 and the seller claims:

"These are great amps. This one was my Dad's and just stopped working one day. He had it tested and was told that it needs capacitors. There are a number of places on the web that service and upgrade these amps for as little as $185. I would be happy to ship it to the service facility of the buyers choosing if that is preferred. I would have it fixed and use it but I have no use for it in any of my systems and Dad opted for another amp not wanting to wait for this one to be serviced. For the price of a used unit that has not been serviced or upgraded you can have a fully serviced and upgraded unit. Don't hesitate to make an offer as this unit needs to find a good home."

This seems like it could be a fairly easy project to fix up and use. However how often do caps just stop working? I was under the impression they slowly went over time until things started to sound terrible...

Any thoughts? Thanks so much.

Walker

[VictoriaGuy]

$350-$200 for rebuild is $150,not $240.

If it were me, I'd offer $100...

[WithTarragon]

Beware!
The upgrade services are for working amps, not amps that are not working. If the problem was "capacitors", that is not very specific, nor does it tell you the extent of the problem.
If the symptoms are a hum, but it still works otherwise, then you might be on safer ground.

These are good amps. I would get a working one and have it refreshed. Getting a broken one is problematic and the tech's time will be expensive.

[6L6]

The repair will cost at least $200, quite possible more.

Offer $100, have it fixed for $200 and you are in the ballpark of what a good working one should cost...

[Dudeman258]

I just bought it for $175 plus shipping.

The average price for working on abay is $325

So this will be about $100 under.

I plan to try and get it working myself. Wish me luck.

Walker

[WithTarragon]

Originally Posted by 6L6

The repair will cost at least $200, quite possible more.

Offer $100, have it fixed for $200 and you are in the ballpark of what a good working one should cost...

------------
Actually, we have no idea what the problem is with the amp. The diagnosis of "capacitors" is pretty vague and a bit suspicious. This is the world of Craigslist - buyer beware.

I hope it works out for the OP.

BTW there are copies of the service manual / schematic available on the Web (Adcom does not provide them for free anymore). Also, Apex jr may have PS caps avalaible (OEM) at a discount, if that is the problem. First, we still need a real diagnosis.

[Dudeman258]

Thank you for your reply. I agree the capacitors being the culprit doesn't really seem valid.

I would call this purchase a stupid risk, however that is one of the reasons I love dealing with this stuff.

The likelihood of a large cap failing is next to nothing, and the smaller caps on this board did not have the leaking problem like the 565 and 585. So hopefully I will luck out. I am trusting the seller would have told me if it had blown his dads speakers. Thus if it didn't I am assuming (gambling) the problem is not too major.


Shipping on Monday so expect photos and my findings in about one week.

Until then,

Walker