Why the lack of interest in Accuphase?

Japanese companies have had a tough time establishing credibility in the high end since so much of what is designed in Japan has been horrible mass-market stuff. I'm guessing 'philes think twice about parting with large sums of money given this bias. I know there has been some great stuff from the land of the rising sun: Nak tape decks, TEAC transports, and the recent crop of SACD gear.
As for Accuphase gear, I've seen it at a recent audio show (it wasn't plugged in at the time); I don't care for the look of Accuphase, the champagne color brings back memories of the Marantz stuff from the early eighties (very mid-fi) and would not blend in with other gear which tends to be black or silver. Accuphase stuff is very expensive and has plenty of competition by some very well known and respected North American and European manufacturers. I've read some threads here on AudioGon, seems those who own Accuphase are very happy campers. Given the bias noted above, the esthetics, and the lofty price you'll need to be patient, the right buyer will come along.

I agree both with 'prince' and 'john', that even though high quality integrated Accuphase is still 'integrated'. And for the price, used market is saturated with equaly high
quality separates.

Hello
I was looking to purchase a high end CD player and the Accuphase was one I was considering. Then I found out several thing.

There are so many gray market units being sold that you have no way of knowing what you will end up with. They are direct fron Japan and has had a voltage Mod done to them after leaving the factory. They carry no warranty even if purchased new. These units are selling real cheap in Japan.

Then a big thing is Accuphase is droping the 75V and 65V and replacing them with improved units. Both of which will play standard CD, and SACD and are better units than the current models and will be lower in cost.

The next thing is that accourding to a person I spoke with in the recording business, starting real soon all future SACD'S will be master in multi-channel format ONLY. That means that they will have to down converted to 2 channel. The word is that is going to cause them to sound like crap. So the only 2 channel SACD that you are going to find is the limited stuff available now. So watch 2 channel SACD players take a nose dive in price. May be hard to almost give them away.

So if you purchase the 85V you are going to be stuck with a standard format CD player at a high price.

They knew some time back in Japan that Accuphase was dropping the 65V and 75V and replaceing them and started dumping these gray model units on the WEB. It is hard to know what is gray market and what is not. Plus you will get Accuphase quality at lower price and current models for less price soon. From what I am hearing it will be lower than current used prices for the new models. Then we will really see prices drop on the current used units or none moving.

I lucked out, a made a person what I knew to be a fair price for a 75V and he turned me down so I was still looking when I found all this. But now it is becoming a lot more well known, that Accuphase is making changes. The dealers are even telling people, as Accuphase is not shipping them any more 65V and 75V. Then the Nulti-Channel SACD format as the only SACD format being mastered in the future is killing the 85V.

If a person does not move these older units quickly, I think it is going to get a lot worse. When the adds hit the WEB it is going to be way to late.

No matter how much a person does not care about SACD, they are going to care that they are getting a better / new model Accuphase, can buy us model with warranty and new for less. Then as a bonus it will play SACD should they ever want to. If they arrive as Multi-Channel SACD as well then it will even be worse for anyone still holding the 85V, 75V and 65V.

I have heard that they will arrive as Multi-Channel. That is why they a late getting them to market.

Any way good luck. But I think that you will find, that the high number of GREY market units out there has people worried. Then with new models with lower prices and state, side warranty coming to a store near you soon, means that people simply will not spend the high dollar cost to purchase a current used unit, that is going to take a nose dive in price soon.

It is going to be interesting to see if the new models are Multi-Channel, or if they are going to be a blow out item soon as well. If this person from the recording studio is correct and Accuphase did not pick up on it, there new SACD models will soon be even lower priced than the already lower retail price, of the new units. But I have heard they will be Multi-Channel. Either way it will be a good thing for a person looking to purchase a Accuphase, and hard on sellers.

Aknorth- Some good points made, however there is no DP-85v, it is simply a DP-85 -not a big error but could be misleading.

On the topic at hand, I had my accuphase pre for sale here and it sat a lot longer then I was expecting, it did sell. God forbid someone pays retail for this stuff your going to take a huge hit on the used market. There are no luke warm feelings about its styling either, love it or leave it to most -as stated above. I looked at your ad as well, you gotta remember that maybe it is a great unit and a fair price, but for 3k+ there are MANY choices, accuphase is a very nihce market, again as stated above, be patient; or keep it :)

~Tim

I have an Accuphase tuner that a friend (now deceased) gave me. It is up there with the best McIntosh, esp. after Don Scott did his magic to it. I agree with Aknorth there is a lot of grey market stuff out there. My inquiries to ebay A'phase amp sellers about the importer and voltage were met with silence. Audiodynamo, I would stress the provenance of your goods - no grey market stuff here on A'gon please. The best foreign sellers clearly state the status/voltage.