March 15, 2012

  • Adcom GCD-700, Part 5

    25 years ago, when Kim Wilde's "You Keep Me Hangin' On" was released, it was an instantaneous smash hit.  The punchy, snappy sound just kicked ass!  Like most people from our generation, ACS didn't know that it was a cover.  She also did not know that it was a Holland-Dozier-Holland song.  What is really interesting is that The Supremes had already taken the song to #1.  So for Kim Wilde to do it again is quite a feat.

    In the mid-90s, ACS worked at Victoria's Secret.  Because of that, she found that, as long as she wasn't having her period, she preferred to wear thongs.  I was over at her apartment once, and spotted several bags of VS products on the floor.  It was so much, she decided to wash a load.  While we were cutting the tags off, K101 played Wilde's "You Keep Me Hangin' On."  ACS remarked, "Hey, while I was at work today, I heard that song!"

    If you flip the thongs over to the backside, you will notice that a narrow strip of fabric goes between the butt cheeks, or over the butt crack.  That strip of fabric differentiates a thong from a G-string, which, as the name implies, utilizes a thinner string.  ACSloved modeling the underwear for me, always asked for my opinion.  I always gave her an honest thumbs-up, thumbs-down, or ambivalent so-so.  And even when I couldn't verbalize my feelings, she knew from my reactions, facial expressions, and body language how I truly felt.  Of the three identical thongs above, the bronze looked best on her   OTOH, nothing looks good on me.  Anyway, you know that, when I review audio gear, I give my honest opinion. 

    Okay, so it's not the same as lingerie, but let's look at the Adcom GCD-700's rear.  It sports both fixed and variable single-ended analog outputs on RCA jacks.  Note that the RCAs are closely-spaced.  So if you have interconnects with fat-barrel RCAs (e.g., Shunyata Antares), they may not fit.  Also note that the fixed outputs are 2.5V, a bit high.  Sorry, there are no balanced XLR analog outputs.  Most audiophiles won't miss them, just as many of you thong-wearers do not miss the extra fabric.  Interestingly, the GCD-700 uses only 15W, making it "green."  I told ACS she looked great in green lingerie (and she agreed).

    The GCD-700 sports a single S/PDIF digital out, on RCA jack.  Many owners will take advantage of this, and use the GCD-700 as a killer 5-disc CD transport.