Ask any home theater enthusiast for a list of “bang-for-buck” manufacturers and I’ll wager Adcom will be near the top. Known for their no-nonsense design and affordable quality, Adcom quickly became a people’s favorite when the entered the audio scene back in the late 70’s. Reviews of their first amp, the GFA-1, as well as the later GFA-555, were impressive for such a new company and almost always included comparisons to the (much) more expensive competition.

Today’s deal - the GFR-700 AV Home Theater Receiver - is another example of the company’s “simple elegance” mantra. While audiophiles often demand the separation of amp and pre-amp, a large(er) portion of the home theater population dream of a simpler life where one box can replace 2, 3, or even 4, without sacrificing performance. Of course this receiver won’t stand up to the top end rigs of your crazy neighbor’s basement mega-theater, but it will get you significant street cred with anyone that appreciates getting the best equipment on a budget, and sound great in the process.

The specs: the 700 gives you 145 Watts Per Channel, a large Linear Toroidal Transformer (yeah, I had to read up on that too), 7.1 Surround Processing, HDMI Video Switching, Independent Room 2 Out w/ advanced equalization, and a Audiophile Bypass Mode for those inclined. It decodes Dolby Digital EX, DTS ES and Prologic IIx and is upgradable via its serial port. Tack on the digital AM/FM Tuner and bang, it’s a receiver. An “excellent” (according to reviews) backlit remote is also included.

Sale price: $1,549.95

Deal ends: unknown

Buy now: www.universallcd.com