Finally heard Accuphase

either A the systems where not dialed in or B you need have your hearing checked

accuphase is fine gear

Well as a comparison, the Audio Note room blew them away. Clarity, realism, low noise floor, instruments sounding real in the room, etc.

Obviously a show situation is a tough way to evaluate components. And AN, big fan here, has really dialed in their show systems they show so often and know what they are doing. And great sounding gear of course. That said I'd love to hear some Accuphase gear at home some time just based on reputation.

I wanted to hear it at home, but I thought the show would at least impress me. 

However, in real life the chassis were impressive. I think most of your $ goes there.

Accuphase sounded fine to me at last year’s CAF.  Definitely in the big leagues. 

Most likely it was the speakers—many models of high cost but mediocre performance out there. The room and speakers account for 75%+ of the sound of most systems.

 I've only ever heard the Class A  Accuphase driving YG Audio speakers & it made me salivate like Pavlovs dog...

im a huge fan of audio note, great gear, the accuphase is as well, all I can suggest is find a dealer that has it set up properly and paired with some nice speakers but its definitely top shelf gear

I've been to lots of shows over the years. Went to the last 4 AXPONA shows. I've learned one brand can sound outstanding one year and the very next sound terrible. It's so dependent on the room, associated equipment and music they are playing. Accuphase makes very fine equipment. Stalk it off to a one time bad experience and listen to them again in the future. 

@freediver I heard Soulnotes driving the big YG. It was just ok to me. Wonder if Accuphase would have been better. (But the sound was much better than the Accuphase rooms).

@ckr1969 Well, this was CommonWave setting up one of the rooms...they are pretty picky/"opinionated" about pairings.

Accuphase is very. Good gear  , i almost bought the5000. Before I auditioned  the excellent Pathos inpole integrated amplifier,their  Class A inpole technology is unlike anything out there it has 4 vacuum tubes  the rear tubes mainly to amplify the incoming signal and the others 2 to the resistive ladder relay volume preamp section and at 85 lbs for 45wpc 8 ohms 75 into 4 ohms huge power supplies . if your speakers are around 88 db on up plenty of power in a decent sized room ,its sounds similar to a set amp with power and grip,the new inpol 2 mk2 is a fully dual mono design fully balanced  all made in Italy ,a great small boutique company making excellent equipment and a work of art to look at , I just wanted to point out there is  a lot of excellent small companies  that do not advertise much ,like Accuphase and Pathos.

Oh, just saw this video of one of the rooms I'm refering to.

https://youtu.be/OyGaklvHrVE?si=GSxGHfKmBTTwTwnn

I stayed about a minute before I got bored. Musically I could hear the information that I know was in the album, but the presentation was so flat, poor imaging and just sort of "starter level" to me. No Pratt or energy. 

It's not really _bad_ at all,but the prices.... I mean, seriously guys?

IMh...It still makes me pause when SOTA gets preferred instead of the studio gear it's recorded with and played on in spaces larger than most have.
Even if only the amps....I can recall when Crown was a 'go-to' and can still punch it's weight when used well....yes, the old ones' that haven't got cooked by overindulgence.
...and, when shopped about, won't cook the account in the process.

Yup...certified heretic....

Piega and Accuphase at THE Show 2025

I can’t bare to listen this system for a moment. At beginning AJ and people’s voices are great. So, mic works fine. Then AJ went into the room and I hear thick veiled and glare sounds which makes me a headache and blur vision. I admire people staying in the room.

ATC at THE Show 2025

This ATC sounds much better to me.  Alex/WTA

All things considered you cannot just something in one system along.  What works in one system may not sound as good (or better) in another system.  We hear this many times as we repair components.  Sometimes were a fooled by how something sounds only to hear it again in another system and it sounds better.

Happy Listening.

I have the m 1000 monoblocks they have digital and analog meters 2k into 4 ohms and nice wood on sides.classic Japan amps.synergy is the key to any combination.ive amp rolled them on magico q7, kharma grands, focal utopia and others and thie fine.best 4 k used I've spent there is not a better bargain unless it's free.have tried several pre ams as well. Enjoy the search and I tried to go to the California show but couldn't make it what a let down.where is the next big show on the west coast?

I won't try to argue that the Accuphase didn't sound bad at the show, and maybe Accuphase isn't the sound profile you like, but I bought a pair of A300s 6 months ago after an in home demo with my Rockport Cygnus speakers. My amp ownership journey has been  Krell KSA150 to Naim DR300 NAP to Parasound JC1+ to  Luxman M900u to ARC 160Ms to Gryphon Antilleon EVO(Home trial of the Westminster REIs) to the A300s. Resolution with the A300s is still there but it's not in your face. I have evolved to a place where I don't want to listen to resolution without musical engagement. I can't easily afford amps that do both extreme resolution and extreme musicality/engagement, as that's where I have found the highest price is paid, but the A300 are as much of that sound as I can afford.  I can turn my system up high and not have fatigue. Shure, like Victor S. said in his Stereophile review you can find amps that can do this or that better, but the A300s make you want to listen to "just one more song". Farnsworth Audio provided the home demo of the A300s. Shipping is expensive but there is no substitute for trying components in your own room. I also used to think I could read reviews and put together a winning system. I learned the expensive way that rooms and the rest of the components have a huge effect on the sound. So an amp may be perfect for me but it might be sub-optimal in your system. Try everything you can in your own system/room. Good luck.

Based on my experience of hearing Accuphase and Audio Note down through the years, they both make fine sounding components but, of course, they're not for everyone.  Show conditions aren't the ideal place to make a final judgement call on the sound quality of components or speakers etc., although exhibitors at the shows usually find a way to get their systems to sound pretty doggone good.     Happy listening.    

@mihorn 

"I hear thick veiled and glare sounds which makes me a headache and blur vision."

Exactly how it was for me IRL. Extremely veiled. 

And in the gryphon room, the guy says, "I'll play this sax solo that sounds really good" and it was so horrendous, the glare was scorching my ears and I had to walk out after seconds. Some of this stuff is worse than sound we encounter in daily life, PA systems, movies theaters bluetooth speakers etc but at astronomic prices.

I've always thought DIY and boutique companies are better than the big names. This show confirmed it.

I went to the last Washington audio show and the Accuphase amps I heard did not sound to me. They were just OK. Now I own 6 integrated, one being an Accuphase 380. In my system it sound very neutral with a hint of warmth in the midrange. It just sounds like it’s name, accurate. I enjoy it very much.

@clustrocasual I agree with you regarding the gryphon room. Something was definitely off there. 

The various Accuphase rooms went from just OK to pretty darn good. 

The Audio Note room was a disappointment, but it may have been the room. Hard to tell.

Almost everything at THE Show was underwhelming. I did like some of the electrostatic rooms, but not all. I do prefer the electrostatic presentation.

The Chesky room was amazing, considering the value. I am looking to buy a pair of the speakers for my son. Add a subwoofer and an entry level audiophile system is ready to go.

@thriftyaudio what did you find disappointing about the AN room? The Snell box designs are certainly very different from electrostatics. 

I've heard accuphase at Axpona, accurate but wasn't musical but again this was a show condition. Didn't stay for more than 2 songs but just did nothing for me. Now Airtight that was very special.

@clustrocasual So much at this show was speaker focused. I was unable to compare equipment due to the layout. Probably more my issue, because this was my first show and I had high expectations.

I had trouble staying in the Audio Note room for more than two songs. I was in the room for all three days, although the third day was essentially a walk in, don't like it, walk out experience. The sound was boring, missing soul, just blah.

I did make a nice show price purchase on a piece of equipment, so overall it was worth my time. Met a couple of vendors/manufacturers that I will keep in touch with and maybe buy from in the future.

@thriftyaudio By the way, I heard AN at a private dealer. I compared these field coils from the show ($65k) with their lowest end speakers of the same shape. I found the lower end ones (around $7k I think) to sound more emotional and soulful. The bass was looser but it just made things more enjoyable and lively. The wood cabinet seemed to vibe a bit more as well.

I thought their field coil was sonically denser but not as lively. That might have been what you were hearing.

Guess, my ears are very different, to me Accuphase and AN are end game setups. Both sound wonderful to me. 

AN to me is a bit overpriced, the gear look bland. Accuphase while also being overpriced, at least looks cool. I will say Accuphase tends to be more on the mellow side, everything tends to be more subtle. 

I read where some people say Accuphase is over priced. I just do not see it that way. Or should I say, I do not hear it that way. They compare to the same level of other high end integrated amps in that price point range. Its possible people are using Yahama and maybe others pricing as a baseline. May not be a fair analysis. I’m a super fan of Yahama as a company that puts out high quality products and can produce excellent HIFI equipment. Accuphase business model is purely laser focused on high end audio gear. Also maybe a thought that Japanese HIFI products are mass produced consumer products and are not producers of serious HIFI equipment. Accuphase, Esoteric, TAD, Luxman and others dispels that notion.

My point of reference are Marantz Model 30, Yahama A-S3200, Accuphase E-4000, Pass Labs amps.

I was at the show too and heard the accuphase line as presented by commonwealth Hifi. I will Not say that they sound bad, BUT it did not sound phenomenal. IMO, they sound as same as most of the vendors at the show. YUP, it does have a steep price. I also tend to agree that i also am enamored by the Audio note line. I guess accuphase as a house sound does not capture me by its performance. I heard accuphase electronics at the the Vendors facility early this year as i was auditioning Devore speakers. The Accuphase amps are very very good gear, but in for me, not my liking.  I am a Pass Lab guy, owning a couple of their amps today. For me, the best sounding are the Gryphon room and the Audio Note room. 

Keep in mind most of whats in AN is japanese. Accuphase won't use as high end japanese components inside their gear. I think AN looks amazing with the lid off. 

Solid state with tons of capacitance power tanks will always sound flat and no energy or prat. I also never found Devore speakers to engage me. I wonder how pass labs sounds compared to Accuphase. I never heard it.

Every one likes different equipment per their hearing and preference of sound. None wrong or right.

I enjoy my Accuphase E5000 immensely. I sit back and just enjoy music, too me it’s the most natural sounding amp I’ve had and in 45 years there have been a few.

best, bob

I recently acquired an Accuphase A-80 class A amp, which I’m comparing against my long term stablemate Vitus SS-101 as well as Audio Research REF 250 mono blocks. To my ears, in my system, and given my musical preferences, the A-80 checks all the boxes. Accuphase engineers have voiced this amp in a very specific way where they have focused on harmonics and inner details. This is not an amp that craves for your attention in a crowded audio show. If you’re looking for the ’hey-look-at-me-throw-everything-in your-face-to-get-your-attention’ type of sound, then you should cross this brand off of your list. It is not a forward sounding amp.

Having said that, this is the most musical and engaging amplifier I have owned. The way it creates music and engages you is unlike anything I’ve heard before. For the first time, I don’t miss tubes. I get all the tubey goodness -- the glow from within quality, inner details, holographic imaging (maybe not to the level of the best SET amps though), seductive midrange, and slight warmth. But, at the same time, it has all the strengths of a solid state class A amp -- i.e., sparkling details, hefty yet nuanced bass, and complete control over the woofers thanks to a damping factor of over 1000. 

Plus 10 Arafiq,

My son was up for Father’s Day this weekend and he heard everything you described in spades.

He could not believe the layering of instruments etc. He just said you lay back and enjoy the music and detail without it be in your face.

He has very nice ML speakers as I had them for years also. 
 

Be well,

Bob

@clustrocasual 

Comments like “I was pretty shocked at how bad they were” happen because everyone has a different opinion on how something sounds. When people ask questions on Audiogon about equipment, the answers can vary widely. Ultimately, the only correct answer is how it sounds to you personally.

Based on my audio show experience, I believe you cannot judge ANY audio equipment at an audio show.  There are way too many variables that interfere with hearing the real sound.   Everyone on Audiogon knows, the only way to judge a piece of equipment is to hear it in YOUR home and existing equipment.

"I was pretty shocked at how bad they were” 

OP is really bad, unethical! just move on and buy what you really like!

@westcoastaudiophile What do you mean "unethical"? I'm anonymous and everyone has a right to their own opinion. 

I'm grateful to hear the responses here. Some people agreed and others provided insight.

@hgeifman 

Correct. I said all this in my original post if you read it carefully. 

@fratbob Thanks for pointing out the incredible and layered soundstage depth produced by the Accuphase amps. While it's not the only amp that can show you layers, but IMO it is very special in the way it does it. This company has found the right balance between uncovering all the minute details while simultaneously being very musical and potent.