Accuphase class A amps - going up the food chain from an A-48 to an A-80 or A-300?

When it comes to Accuphase products, cross-border purchasing, selling or trading don't  always make sense due to the large discrepancy in list prices between Canada and the US.  

If I were to buy new, I would want to support a Canadian Accuphase dealer, and when buying or selling used Accuphase products we have a decent used market in terms of selection and demand.

chris @ avartistry dot com.   @toronto416 

Sorry but I am unable to reply to PMs due to Audiogon wanting too much information from me to do so.

chk your pm @toronto416 

I emailed the owner Fabrice about whether one PS-1250 power supply can handle two A-300 monoblocks, and here is his reply (with English translation below):

"La PS1250 a été étudié pour supporter aisément deux A300, un C2900 ou C3900 et un lecteur SACD Dp770 voir un combo DP/DC1000.

Vous n'aurez jamais de tassement de dynamique car elle travaille comme une centrale électrique qui fabrique le courant à la demande."

Here is the English translation:

"The PS1250 has been designed to easily support two A300s, a C2900 or C3900 and a Dp770 SACD player or even a DP/DC1000 combo.

You will never have any dynamic compression because it works like a power plant that produces current on demand."

There is an Accuphase dealer in France who has most of the Accuphase line up on display and frequently posts YouTube reviews.  Even if you don't speak French, you should see the wall of products in their videos.

Here is a review of the A-300 monoblocks plugged into one PS-1250:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJVU1HaoV5I&t=9s

Apparently two A-300 monoblocks can share one PS-1250 power supply.  You would not need two PS-1250's for a pair of A-300 monoblocks.

@lanx0003 The dealers typically allow customers to test the new unit at the shop, and provide a 7-day return period. I spent a month listening to it and was confident that it will work fine afterwards, given the reputation of Accuphase products.

Given the price parity, I took a gamble as it would be painful to send the unit back for repair. The warranty period is one year.

By the way, it is a custom that the retailers there quote a price at 15% below the MSRP, even before you negotiate with them. Promotions with further discounts are common. I rarely get that in the U.S., which is a big reason I buy used or order online. Perhaps people in other areas have better experience than me..

@pinwa Thanks for the comments on the A-300 monoblocks. Will audition them along with the C-3900 preamp when I get a chance. Heard the power amps will operate in pure class A at 60 watts or under.

Another end-game option to consider is CH Precision C1.2 + M1.1, at an MSRP of $95k.

@soloaudio  Thank you for sharing your experience.  It is good to know the unit can be imported without custom charges.  Did the seller offer any warranty? If so, how is the warranty repair is handled?

@soloaudio I have heard the Accuphase A-300s with Alexia Vs and they sounded excellent.  Very musical and smooth while being detailed but not analytical.  But it is a distinctive kind of sound.  I liked them a lot but I would strongly suggest you find a way to audition them in your own system before buying them.

Dear all, I would love to hear more reviews of the A-300 monoblocks, as I may get a pair one day when I upgrade the speakers. Wondering if they work well with Sonus Faber Amati G5 or Wilson Audio Alexia V.

Off topic discussion - I happened to be in Hong Kong earlier this year for family reasons. I bought the Accuphase E-5000 integrated amp with the DAC-60 board for under US$10k. There was no sales tax. The dealer was willing to change the input voltage from 240V to 120V for free before delivery. The salesperson indicated that it's a jumper setting inside the amp. I also bought a pair of Sonus Faber Olympica Nova III speakers from them for about $7k. I spent about a month listening to the system (with a 500W step-down transformer) before shipping to the U.S. west coast. I did not border checking the price at the local retailers here, as I had bad experience with their product pricing and availability in general.

As for shipping, I paid DHL about $960 including insurance for the amplifier alone. It took several days to arrive. The custom did not charge me any fees.

A few months later, I spent another US$3.6k plus tax for a E-280 integrated amp (120V preset) from a Japanese dealer on eBay. It is a good match with my Harbeth 30.2XD in the home office. The shipping was fast and I was not charged any custom fee. Again, I did not check the price with the local retailer..

Sorry for using this thread, as I think the info may be helpful for potential Accuphase buyers..

Some models may be customized by the manufacturer to the destination voltage. If you intend to buy one from this vendor, you could make a request.  PM me to get the company information if you can not find it. 

@lanx0003 "Japanese domestic models typically come with a fixed voltage setting specifically for the Japanese market, which is 100V AC. “ correct, the same units as sold in US/EU are configured for 100V AC internally, and marked accordingly at the rear panel. So far I haven’t seen Accuphase unit which cannot be reconfigured, please let me know if you know such. 

I listen music mostly at the level below 5W, thus P4500 and A48 sound similar to me. P4500 above 5W level shows some nonlinearity, specific for AB class amp. Peak power of A48 is lower than P4500. Overpowered (not actually used for full range) amp, particularly A class, creates constant stress on house power grid, increases hum noise in other components, and generates a lot of heat. Choosing correct amp and matching it to spkrs is not trivial task.

Glad to hear the A-75 sounded fantastic - thanks for sharing.

The only reason the OP (me) brought up US pricing and the discrepancy with Canadian pricing is that if it were fairer there would be more reviews and a lot more people enjoying and talking about their Accuphase gear in the US and on Audiogon.  The other reason for bringing it up is to preempt recommendations for US brands that are better value in the US but not in Canada.

“It’s interesting that the one who brought up the ’distracting’ pricing issue was the OP himself, right from the very beginning.”

Exactly! Not sure why OP cares so much about US pricing living in Canada 🙄

It’s interesting that the one who brought up the 'distracting' pricing issue was the OP himself, right from the very beginning.

Anyway, I agree with @westcoastaudiophile that the A48 should not be considered entry-level compared to the Class A Axx series, such as the A75 and A80. They share many similarities, if not identical specifications, except for wattage and slight differences in damping factor and signal-to-noise ratio. What really stands out, though, is the stable, continuous high current across load impedances. The circuit efficiency across the entire spectrum—from 8 ohms down to 1 ohm—remains at 100%, for all three models. This is the first (and possibly not the last) amplifier capable of achieving this and advertising this specification down to 1 ohm. It’s truly amazing.

The Class A/B Pxxxx series, on the other hand, is considered a step-down model from the A-series. Looking at the specifications, the circuit efficiency remains at 100% down to 4 ohms but only reaches 75% at 2 ohms. No reading is reported for 1 ohm. While this is still impressive, it reveals a significant difference in providing stable, continuous current across various load impedances.

I auditioned the A75 with Fyne speakers, which are not difficult to drive. It sounded fantastic, with transparent high frequencies and weighty, deep low-end. The midrange, particularly for female vocals, was sweet and engaging. I don’t know your speakers, but if they’re not demanding in power, the A48 could still perform admirably.

Converting Japanese spec’d units or importing from Canada are a function of overly inflated Accuphase pricing in the US, but it distracts from the original question.

Anecdotally I have heard several times from people who moved up from the A-48 to the A-80 and are very pleased that they did. The A-48 is a wonderful amp, and the A-80 apparently even more so.

As somebody once said, you always get something more in performance and refinement when you go up the Accuphase food chain.

Japanese domestic models typically come with a fixed voltage setting specifically for the Japanese market, which is 100V AC. These models often lack the multi-tap voltage options (100/117/220/240V AC) found in international versions. For those you pay shipping cost, no tax. Check with the company about the limited (typically 1-year) warranty. The total cost via this route is still less than 50% of the retail list price here.

Like OP mention, you could try to import from Canada yourself. Importing from Canada could be a viable option. You’ll need to consider factors like import duties, taxes, shipping costs, and any potential differences in warranty or support. You could call Canadian dealers to find out the list price over there and figure out the total cost. I could not find such information on line but do your homework if  interested.

The ones, new or preowned, carried on eBay may come with 120V but you need to pay for import duties, taxes and additional charges. It’s a good idea to confirm these fees beforehand to avoid surprises. eBay may provide estimated duties and tax details at checkout.

@lanx0003 all Accuphase devices I’ve seen have power transformers with taps for 100/117/220/240V AC, which allows to reconfigure it to different country w/o need of autotransformer. 

My A-48 is plugged into an Accuphase PS-530 power supply - similar in concept to a PS Audio power regenerator but without the transformer hum.  Though the Accupase PS has a huge toroidal transformer, it is dead quiet and the whole unit is built to a much higher standard - as you would expect with Accuphase.  The improvement in sound quality beats the PS Audio PP12 and the Puritan Audio PSM156.

If I were to purchase and A-80 amplifier I would plug it into an Accuphase PS-1250 power supply.  I would not buy a 100v unit and put a transformer into the circuit.

The A-300 mono blocks would each require a separate PS-1250 power supply - making that a very expensive proposition - double the price of an A-80 + PS-1250.

As I mentioned earlier, Canadian Accuphase pricing is significantly cheaper than in the US, and so there is less attraction to the 100v option.  Though there was a reduction in US Accuphase pricing last year, it is still excessive and hurting Accuphase sales compared to say Luxman which competes at a similar price point to Accuphase in the domestic Japanes market - but not in the US market.

I have an Accuphase A48 and I must say it is quite an articulate and powerful amplifier.  Build quality is impeccable.  I love it.  Going up the "food chain" to their more powerful Class-A or A/B amps or their integrated amps I don't think would get really notable performance improvements over their lower powered counterparts.  I find it disturbing that the US importer has to mark these up so much.  Getting a Japanese market unit with step-down transformer could be an option however why have to go through this when a more modest upcharge would most likely sell more of their great equipment.  

Also, there are many well regarded amplifiers and integrated's out there and personal taste prevails as to which is best.  Pass Labs, Accuphase, Bryston, Coda, Sugden, and many more are all good, reliable products. 

You could actually buy a brand-new Accuphase Japanese model with a step-down transformer here in US with limited warranty and it can indeed be a cost-effective option (less than 50% listed price here). However, there is some concern regarding the potential impacts on sound quality. Using a step-down transformer might introduce minor electrical noise or interference, especially if the transformer isn’t top-notch quality, as transformers can sometimes cause slight hums or limit the amp’s full potential under certain conditions. That said, many audiophiles report negligible or even no noticeable impact, particularly when high-quality transformers designed for audio equipment are used.

A qualifier for anyone wanting to give an opinion should be actually having owned an A80 or A300 in a complete Accuphase system.  Im afraid you wont find that here.

@toronto416 damping factor increase for heavier SKUs - yes, S/N ratio - not. S/N ratio measured against highest power, thus the same or lil higher noise floor for heavy brother will show higher SNR. Damping factor increase over 200 will not benefit much system with long speaker cable, and high passive spkr crossover components ESR (low freq. driver ckt etc). For example: low freq. driver inductor ESR is in a range of 100..500mOhms, which introduces DF (damping factor) of 80 (if inductor ESR=100mOhms) limit even if amps is oo DF spec. 

I think that as you move up from the A-48 to A-80 to A-300 amps you are getting more than just increasing power (45W, 65W, 125W), but also improved performance.  For example increasing damping factor (800, 1000, 1000) and signal-to-noise-ratio (117dB, 123dB, 130dB) impact sound quality.

It makes sense that a preamp would sound better going up the chain but to me amps are a different cup of tea. Especially Class A amps so assuming you don't need the extra wattage it is entirely possible the A-48 will sound as good and possibly better than the A-80 or A-300.

@ckr1969 - My ire was directed at the old distributor who I understood was steadfast in their pricing. Is there a new distributor? That is good news! 

@bluethinker  how you figure, the new distributor dropped prices drastically when they bought axiss

So CAN $ 27,999 = US $ 20,251

 

@toronto416, any idea what the US Customs rate is for Made in Japan electronics?  I've been watching a few used Accuphase items for sale in Canada, but I assume there will be an additional custom cost to bring it into the US, unlike say a Bryston.

Accuphase’s USA distributor is a disservice to Accuphase. The jacked up mark up is ridiculous. He’s a pirate. 

Accuphase P4500/P4600/A48 are not entry level amps in any sense, rather lower max power brothers of the same family! All above amps use the same fist stage amp circuitry as high power A80/!00/300. As of P4600, it has a bit more class-A-region power range vs P4500, and somewhat higher damping factor.

It looks like P-4600 is the class AB 'fraternal twin' of the class A A-48.  They are not really entry level as they build on a whole ladder of integrated amps below them, but they are the 'entry level' separates.

.  In my experience you always get more performance when you move up the food chain with Accuphase as I have experienced with the E-260, E-380, A-48, C-2450, and C-2900.

So I am wondering about the A-80 or A-300...

Totally agree. Entry level is subjective but for Accuphase I believe the P-4600 is their entry level power amp together with the A-48 class a. From those lines it just goes up in price but I don't know how much better could be in sound quality vs price point.

Entry Level is a subjective term. IME, every model in a brand lineup has that ‘house’ sound. Generally speaking, when you move up in the line, you get more of everything due to more freedom with implementation and parts selection. I own a Accuphase E-650, Class A - 30wpc which has been a game changer for me. When funds permits, I may move up to E-800 or separates like A-80 and C-2900.

Only you as an end user can decide whether moving up in a line up at a considerable expense is worth your investment. I know when I am ready to move up within Accuphase line up, I would want to audition those components before committing my $$$$.

@miguelderivero

I’m sure you mean the sound of the P4600 is a combination of sold state and tube and not that it is a hybrid. But I agree it sounded better to me than the MacIntosh SS sound although the M462 which is a fine amp less expensive but more than 50% heavier. Also I would not call the P4600 Entry Level at $14k. Accuphase only offers two A/B amplifiers. The 4600 (150W per channel) and the 7500 (300W per channel). Both of equal quality and performance except per channel watts.

I also own an Accuphase P-4600, their entry level power amp and I can say this amplifier produce a beautiful sound. Part solid state and part tubes. Lots of detail. Comparing with my McIntosh MC1502 and MC611, this P-4600 is as good if not better than my Mcintosh. Unfortunately I still don't have experience going higher on the chain but probably I will move to all Accuphase. 

@toronto416 

I own an Accuphase P4600 Power Amp and can strongly recommend this component. Plenty of power and runs cool. Beautifully made. Beautiful sound. 

@Toronto416, thanks for the heads-up!

chk your PM @toronto416 

US pricing did go down last year, but it is still NOT on par with Canada.

For example take the A-80:

US list 26,575

Canadian list 27,999

So if those numbers look on par you have to consider that they are in two different currencies that are NOT on par as 1 CAN $ = 0.72 US $.

So CAN $ 27,999 = US $ 20,251

The A-80 costs US $ 6,324 more in the US than in Canada. That is still a big discrepancy!

Equivalent Accuphase and Luxman products are similarly priced in Canada and they compete with each other, but not in the US. Accuphase could benefit from following Luxman’s example in the US market.

“BTW Accuphase pricing in Canada is significantly better than in the US”

FYI - US Pricing is now on par with Canadian market. This was rectified as of late last year.