Capital,
The 545 is a decent amp, but the mark 2 version has the better power supplies and would be worth seeking out over the mark 1 versions.
In either case, both suffer from some grain on the top end. I have worked a number of the Adcom amps; all improve greatly with cap upgrades, bypass caps on the power supply, soft recovery bridges, etc; and in the case of the GFA 555 mk2 and others, tossing out those chrome plated steel buss bars and replacing them with copper or brass makes a huge sonic improvement.
The studio 100s are pretty open and clear on the top and will show any grain coming through from the amp. This can easily translate into listener fatigue. Same can be true with stock Parasound amps and Paradigm speakers.
As another poster pointed out, you can have musical concepts upgrade them for you, but you're likely not to get that money back if you ever sell the amps.
I would suggest doing the cap upgrades yourself; the cost of the parts will be less than 15 bucks. Just will require some of your time to install them.
It appears most of your source material is CD, so any cd graininess is increased additionally as it passes through the amp.
I modified a 545 Mk2 for a friend. Like you, he was interested in replacement options. After the upgrade was complete, he could not have been happier with the sound.
The paradigms are not difficult speakers to drive, so I would think that a pair of modified 545's might really be the ticket.
good luck.
The 545 is a decent amp, but the mark 2 version has the better power supplies and would be worth seeking out over the mark 1 versions.
In either case, both suffer from some grain on the top end. I have worked a number of the Adcom amps; all improve greatly with cap upgrades, bypass caps on the power supply, soft recovery bridges, etc; and in the case of the GFA 555 mk2 and others, tossing out those chrome plated steel buss bars and replacing them with copper or brass makes a huge sonic improvement.
The studio 100s are pretty open and clear on the top and will show any grain coming through from the amp. This can easily translate into listener fatigue. Same can be true with stock Parasound amps and Paradigm speakers.
As another poster pointed out, you can have musical concepts upgrade them for you, but you're likely not to get that money back if you ever sell the amps.
I would suggest doing the cap upgrades yourself; the cost of the parts will be less than 15 bucks. Just will require some of your time to install them.
It appears most of your source material is CD, so any cd graininess is increased additionally as it passes through the amp.
I modified a 545 Mk2 for a friend. Like you, he was interested in replacement options. After the upgrade was complete, he could not have been happier with the sound.
The paradigms are not difficult speakers to drive, so I would think that a pair of modified 545's might really be the ticket.
good luck.