Technics sr u 1000 ... vs Accuphase e-480


Two different animals, yes... two different approaches... two different aesthetics... 

I get all that.  

A new Technics 1000 costs about the same as a used Accuphase e-480... 

My thoughts - and questions - revolve around the Technics as having more advanced technology and possibly at least as good of sound quality (?) warm-side-of-neutral perhaps for a cheaper price than the more old-school Accu... the Tech can even monitor and customize the output to individual speakers' impedances... 

but the Accu is such jewelry and has the nice old-school touches like actual knobs for bass/treble and such, plus a modular DAC (although supposedly the internal dacs of the Technics are superb).  That said, the Technics is pretty nice to look at as well.

I'm less concerned about phono playback, btw, although supposedly the Tech already has a great phono section built in and the Accu would require a further purchase of a modular phone section as well as the further purchase if desire a dac for it... 

Thoughts? 

curtdr

Loved the SU-R1000 enough to haul one back from Japan. 
Saved enough to pay for air ticket and many many fancy meals. 
 

@johnsonwu 

Interesting!  A new Accuphase could be had in this manner too... and yes, that SU-R1000 as well which I hadn't even thought of.  I've never been to Japan, so it might make for a nice trip...

But, isn't the voltage different for Japan models than for American?  What did you do about that issue?  I've read up on it and have gotten conflicting reports: a. don't bother pony up buy an American version from the get go. b. have it modified by a competent shop, a simple rewire apparently in the Accu anyway.  c. use an external voltage modifier (and , of course like all things audio, conflicting claims of "affects the sound" vs. "totally indiscernible affect."   How did you handle it?  

I’m sure some people here will start firing torpedoes but as far as I know this amp has a switching power supply that takes up less than 60W and I see no difference in heat or sound whether I plug it into the wall straight for through $70 Amazon step down 100V which doesn’t vibrate or heat up after weeks of continuous up time For other Japanese imports I have I would never do that.

btw I am of the step up step down “absolutely affects the sound” camp for traditional class A or AB amps that draw some few hundred watts and dim your room lights when powering on.   But not for something that draws less than an Alienware computer. 

You plug your laptop when you’re at a hotel overseas don’t you?

 

Japan is 110V, 60 Hz west of the Fujigawa river and 110V, 50Hz, east of the river. Go figure. You can basically operate anything made in the US over in Japan without dire consequences but the same doesn't hold for the other way 'round. 

Having said that, any decent step down transformer should be able to handle something like the Technics SU-R1000. I wish johnsonwu the best of luck with his new Technics, and I envy the discount he got. 😄

All the best,
Nonoise

I came across this, this morning:

2022 Golden Ear: Technics SU-R1000 Reference Class Integrated Amplifier

 

  • by Anthony Cordesman

 

Technics SU-R1000 Integrated Amplifier

Technics SU-R1000 Reference Class Integrated Amplifier

$9499

Having said this, my final selection is the Technics SU-R100. Its phono cartridge optimizer is another demonstration of what digital correction and processing can do—even to the front-end component that most audiophiles treat as anti-digital. I think it does a very good job of getting the best out of a given cartridge, even though its “English” instructions have their limits. More broadly, it has one of the best-sounding digital amplifiers I’ve encountered and a very-good-sounding set of digital coax and optical inputs. Neutral rather than warm, it has lots of detail and really good dynamics for a unit of 150Wpc (8 ohms) to 300Wpc (4 ohms) output power. Also, it is a compact solution that offers the capabilities that normally require three separate components—no need to invest in interconnects between such components—and it is priced at a very affordable level for a design this advanced. 

Maybe this can help narrow down any decisions.

All the best,
Nonoise