From 1994 April Issue of Video Magazine

By Brent Butterworth

Cynics will sneer at ADA's +$6500 amp, but one listen will turn their sneers into smiles - this has got to be the best five-channel amp made. The MPA-500 incorporates two chassis, one for the power supply, one for the five 250 watt amps. The massive cable that connects the two looks like it came off a turbine at Hoover Dan. Jumbo level meters on the amp's front give it a powerful look I love, but other staffers said they'd put electric tape over them.

The MPA-500's sound is wonderfully clear, clean and detailed, never strained. That comes as no surprise - a Lucasfilm rep told me that the ADA amp can't clip, because household wall current is limited to 20 amperes, and the MPA-500 needs more than that to reach its power ceiling. The subwoofer amp (BPA-500) offers a similarly slamming level of performance, but I wish ADA had put two sets of binding posts on it instead of one. Of course, the total system price of more than $9000 is more than most people will ever be able to afford for an amp, but hey, if I win the lottery, one of my first calls will be to ADA.

Audio Design Associates, Inc - www.ada-usa.com - 1-800-43-AUDIO or (914) 946-9595