This has to be my dream amplifier. I love their manufacturing facility, the attention to detail etc…..I’m a fan of everything Japanese too. I own a very nice Yamaha amplifier. I just can’t afford the Accuphase right now. Thanks
I’ve owned a pair of Spendor SP9/1’s for over twenty years. I never realized the bass potential of these speakers (slam, weight, deep tones) until I replaced my Pass Aleph 5 amp with an Accuphase Class A amplifier. I didn’t play rock n roll for twenty years & now I’m making up for lost time.
I have the E-480 connected to a pair of Harbeth 7 XDs. I agree with you on the pairing of the Accuphase and British speakers. Truly outstanding and accurate sound reproduction with a wide and deep soundstage. I have not even been interested in looking at other audiophile equipment since purchasing this rig. At this point I do not think that I will ever change my rig. Thank you for the review. Your passion came through in the video. All the best from Canada.
I cannot wait ( if all goes as pretending) to go an audition an accuphase e-800 with harbeth 40.3xd . I have more amplifiers on my short list ( allnic t-2000 30th anni. , phatos kratos, mcintosh 9500 and 12000 , but I am very curious with the e-800 , just love the looks and quality )
@@MsCorbacho Interesting timing on your reply. I have an E-800 on order that is supposed to arrive next week. I wish you the best of luck sourcing your E-800. I am sure that you will love it.
I am fortunate enough to own a C2150 preamp and A48 power amp that I purchase from Signals, which Andy installed for me. Having spent many years upgrading my system, this combination finally resulted in me being very happy with my setup due to all of the qualities you mention in your video. I remember the first time I visited Signals, where my eyes were immediately drawn to the Accuphase equipment because of it’s stunning looks.
@@dittonworks Thank you. Forgot to mention I have the phono card too. Sounds really good and I like the convenience of having no power and interconnect cables. I visited Signals last Saturday for the jazz workshop. I dont normally listen to jazz but the opportunity to listen to a system costing around £265,000 was too much to resist. No Accuphase though.
Hi Kevin, your rave review of the e480 says it all. It's a matter of to own, not a matter of not to own. Desire is a good thing. Yes, at 8 grand it may not represent a good deal, but there are e480s in mint condition one can find from pre-owned market that sell for significantly less than the retail price, and you may be interested.
I owned this amp for some time. I found it to be very incisive. The presentation is pretty honest. It does not try to add anything to the tonality of your speaker. For those looking for that elusive neutrality with a hint of smoothness and warmth, this is a good choice.
Even through headphones on a compressed RUclips video, this is clearly a stellar sonic move forward in the context of your system Kev. As you know, I'm about to give a Benchmark AHB2 a try and I'm hoping for similar improvements, but at a more palatable price point. That being said, I think you get eight grands worth of sound with the E-480.
Great well presented and interesting review of the amplifier..I bought mine used (one year old) with the RIAA card already installed at a very big saving over the list price...it is (hopefully) my 'end game' amplifier upgrade from my Yamaha A-S2100..mine drives JBL HDI 3800s. I am totally delighted with it in use and my listening experiences very much mirror your own. I was previously hunting for a newer DAC and was fortunate to find a brand new Accuphase DAC 50 card at a very reasonable price to complete my amplifier. An amazing amplifier in every respect,,incidentally I read a lab test (from Poland I think) in which the E-480 produces 220 WPC into 8 ohms and over 400 WPC into 4 ohms...bottomless reserves of power in my (large room) set up and most others probably..best regards from Norway Kevin
Hi Ian, im thinking of going The same way, i own a yamaha as-2200, waths The bigest differens betwin the yamaha and The accuphase? best regards Stefan 👍
@@sella7211NB these comments apply to the experience in my system only. The Accuphase is overall less 'lively'..the treble is less forward but very detailed..the mid range is warmer without any loss of great realistic tonality.The bass control and power sounds much increased...power seems bottomless and gives authority to the overall sound...I am delighted with the change..I really liked the Yamaha but the Accuphase has revealed enjoyable qualities of my speakers that I did not know they had. 😊
That was a mega heart felt review. Completely get where your coming from. If we analyse our hifi journey it would probably in the end be cheaper to buy this rather than go through countless amp / preamp combos to finally find something that works. That's half the fun though. On the plus side this is highlighting just how good your speakers are. Speakers are with out doubt the weakest link and if your experiencing these sorts of gains with this integrated amp then your speakers are resolving and doing exactly what there ment to. What a fabulous piece of kit. Expandable and well thought out. Mega review. You still can't get it in black though 🤣🤣
Great review from the heart. I'm looking at the Accuphase E-380/Luxman L-509x/Yamaha A-S3200 for a second system (In my reference system I have a German T+A PA3000HV)... any thoughts and insights that you might have would be very much appreciated.
I loved the 480, unfortunately now discontinued. The E380 is a close second 👌 I can’t really comment on the other two as I’ve not really listened to them properly
I could not afford a new Accuphase so I brought a good used one [E-306] The sound is excellent . Might not be as good as a E-480 but not too far away from the E - 480
I wish I hadn’t watched this video (not in a bad way of course). I’d like to upgrade my old system and I’m looking at the NAIM and Accuphase amps. Both are expensive and both apparently truly excellent
I used to own the E-550 back in the day, and it was one of the greatest bits of kit I'd ever owned. I do keep meaning to go back to Accuphase. I'm on a Hegel hit at the moment and if you haven't tried Hegel with your spendors then i'd suggest it is worth hearing one. The H390 being the best bang for the buck.
I like the look and quality put the price ? I don't think the performance will justify the price . you can get so much sound quality now for so little money
At the price these are in Canada they should come with the DAC AND the phono stage and should not cost "extra" Otherwise these are amazing! The mark up in North America is just price gouging at this point. In Japan, these are the same price point as Luxman. The deal with the N.A. distributor must have been a doozy. One does take pause with such a deal when there seems to be not much of a reason for it other than price gouging. All that aside this is a BRILLIANT piece of gear and I do aspire to it however, McIntosh is very, very good and cheaper here than Accuphase.
Nice, but: Too many advertisments in your video and it would be much better to take more time for longer hearing sessions, also with different styles of music (pop, rock, house, hip-hop). So you know my suggestions for your next round 😃 Then the E 480 could better show us his powerful amping.
I’ve noticed your stand setup. Can you please tell me the make of stand and the unit ( damper? ) between the stand and the marble( ? ) slab on the floor?
Most Japanese and US quality amps understate their real power. Luxman, Yamaha, Denon, Mac Intosh , Krell, McCormack etc, etc. Where have you been mate?
Just sell your pre & power...that's your weak link then you can get a badass integrated. I reckon the ModWright KWH 225i would work well with your Spendors...
Front panels of Accuphase and McIntosh for that matter are too garish for premium devices. They should learn from Yamaha (e.g. a-s3200) on how to make them understated, good looking, and functional.
these types of videos are like watching real housewives on bravo... pure entertainment for mindless viewing. without blind testing and measurements, there is no useful information to someone who may be considering buying one.
I have been in this hobby since 70s & in my opinion, the brits make some of the finest & most musical hifi gears especially loudspeakers. Even today i still still prefer british loudspeakers over to any American, french, german, danish or italian loudspeakers. British loudspeakers generally are far more musical & tonally correct. Speakers like Spendor, Harbeth with deep association to the BBC sound are untouchable as far as tonal accuracy goes in my book.
www.accuphase.com
This has to be my dream amplifier. I love their manufacturing facility, the attention to detail etc…..I’m a fan of everything Japanese too. I own a very nice Yamaha amplifier. I just can’t afford the Accuphase right now. Thanks
which yamaha do you have? i had the as-2100 a while back. very pleased with it
@@philipjacobsen6550 R-N 803D….its not an accuphase but works really well.
I’ve owned a pair of Spendor SP9/1’s for over twenty years. I never realized the bass potential of these speakers (slam, weight, deep tones) until I replaced my Pass Aleph 5 amp with an Accuphase Class A amplifier. I didn’t play rock n roll for twenty years & now I’m making up for lost time.
Love that 👌
Had Cyrus, Luxman, and the Accuphase E280. Next week I get the E4000. Been waiting 3 months for them to get stock. Accuphase does vocals beautifully.
After a long 7 months wait and I finally received my E-5000 integrated and OMG… The looks and sound quality is superb!
Wow 🤩 fabulous 👍
I heard them they sounded bit thin to me
Class A, right!?
@@philipgardiner2003 yes
@@philipgardiner2003 5000 is ab, 700 and 800 are class a
I have the E-480 connected to a pair of Harbeth 7 XDs. I agree with you on the pairing of the Accuphase and British speakers. Truly outstanding and accurate sound reproduction with a wide and deep soundstage. I have not even been interested in looking at other audiophile equipment since purchasing this rig. At this point I do not think that I will ever change my rig. Thank you for the review. Your passion came through in the video. All the best from Canada.
Thanks Frederick.. I’ve been looking for a pair of Harbeth 7’s to compare to my Spendor’s.
Yes that amp is stunning 😍 I loved it.
Hi, i has C7xd as well, what speaker cables do you use? Thanks.
@@amigoz3201 Hello, the speaker cables are hand made using Oxygen free copper. For more info see GR Research.
I cannot wait ( if all goes as pretending) to go an audition an accuphase e-800 with harbeth 40.3xd .
I have more amplifiers on my short list ( allnic t-2000 30th anni. , phatos kratos, mcintosh 9500 and 12000 , but I am very curious with the e-800 , just love the looks and quality )
@@MsCorbacho Interesting timing on your reply. I have an E-800 on order that is supposed to arrive next week. I wish you the best of luck sourcing your E-800. I am sure that you will love it.
I am fortunate enough to own a C2150 preamp and A48 power amp that I purchase from Signals, which Andy installed for me. Having spent many years upgrading my system, this combination finally resulted in me being very happy with my setup due to all of the qualities you mention in your video. I remember the first time I visited Signals, where my eyes were immediately drawn to the Accuphase equipment because of it’s stunning looks.
Wow 😯 nice nice nice.. that’s some beautiful equipment you own.
Yep I do love Signals Hifi 👍
@@dittonworks Thank you. Forgot to mention I have the phono card too. Sounds really good and I like the convenience of having no power and interconnect cables. I visited Signals last Saturday for the jazz workshop. I dont normally listen to jazz but the opportunity to listen to a system costing around £265,000 was too much to resist. No Accuphase though.
@@jamesfarrow6752 I was there in the afternoon. Very enjoyable session.
Several standout moments on Chet Baker, sounded phenomenal
Hi Kevin, your rave review of the e480 says it all. It's a matter of to own, not a matter of not to own. Desire is a good thing. Yes, at 8 grand it may not represent a good deal, but there are e480s in mint condition one can find from pre-owned market that sell for significantly less than the retail price, and you may be interested.
This has got me thinking about buying the E-280, I presently have Exposure 3010 Pre & Monos
The E-380 is considerably better than E-280 but it’s still a great amplifier
I owned this amp for some time. I found it to be very incisive. The presentation is pretty honest. It does not try to add anything to the tonality of your speaker. For those looking for that elusive neutrality with a hint of smoothness and warmth, this is a good choice.
It doesn't add anything ! Warmth....
Very lucky to live in Thailand, and I bought this and a DP-450 for a combined total of £8,960, last year.
I am moving to🇹🇭 in a couple of months! What hi fi stores do you recommend in Bangkok?
Can’t wait to hear an accuphase e-800 with harbeth 40.3xd
Even through headphones on a compressed RUclips video, this is clearly a stellar sonic move forward in the context of your system Kev. As you know, I'm about to give a Benchmark AHB2 a try and I'm hoping for similar improvements, but at a more palatable price point. That being said, I think you get eight grands worth of sound with the E-480.
Beautiful set up beautiful music..
Great well presented and interesting review of the amplifier..I bought mine used (one year old) with the RIAA card already installed at a very big saving over the list price...it is (hopefully) my 'end game' amplifier upgrade from my Yamaha A-S2100..mine drives JBL HDI 3800s. I am totally delighted with it in use and my listening experiences very much mirror your own. I was previously hunting for a newer DAC and was fortunate to find a brand new Accuphase DAC 50 card at a very reasonable price to complete my amplifier. An amazing amplifier in every respect,,incidentally I read a lab test (from Poland I think) in which the E-480 produces 220 WPC into 8 ohms and over 400 WPC into 4 ohms...bottomless reserves of power in my (large room) set up and most others probably..best regards from Norway Kevin
Congratulations on your terrific purchase..
Thanks for watching
Hi Ian, im thinking of going The same way, i own a yamaha as-2200, waths The bigest differens betwin the yamaha and The accuphase? best regards Stefan 👍
@@sella7211NB these comments apply to the experience in my system only. The Accuphase is overall less 'lively'..the treble is less forward but very detailed..the mid range is warmer without any loss of great realistic tonality.The bass control and power sounds much increased...power seems bottomless and gives authority to the overall sound...I am delighted with the change..I really liked the Yamaha but the Accuphase has revealed enjoyable qualities of my speakers that I did not know they had. 😊
That was a mega heart felt review. Completely get where your coming from. If we analyse our hifi journey it would probably in the end be cheaper to buy this rather than go through countless amp / preamp combos to finally find something that works. That's half the fun though. On the plus side this is highlighting just how good your speakers are. Speakers are with out doubt the weakest link and if your experiencing these sorts of gains with this integrated amp then your speakers are resolving and doing exactly what there ment to. What a fabulous piece of kit. Expandable and well thought out. Mega review. You still can't get it in black though 🤣🤣
Haha You could spray it!!
Thanks mate
Woooooow i love music bonansa sound track and amplifier intergrated
At $8k, I'd guess it sounds really good. My dac was $100, preamp was $200 (a/b) and amp was $300 (a/b 100wpc).
Lol! Wonderful segue, and wonderfully comprehensive review. I’ve been educated. And now am lusting after this kit 🙏🏼
Thank you. 👍
This second time i watch your explain about this beaty i m gona to buy one second hand
Great review from the heart. I'm looking at the Accuphase E-380/Luxman L-509x/Yamaha A-S3200 for a second system (In my reference system I have a German T+A PA3000HV)... any thoughts and insights that you might have would be very much appreciated.
I loved the 480, unfortunately now discontinued. The E380 is a close second 👌
I can’t really comment on the other two as I’ve not really listened to them properly
I could not afford a new Accuphase so I brought a good used one [E-306] The sound is excellent . Might not be as good as a E-480 but not too far away from the E - 480
I bet it sounds fantastic 👍👍
Merci beaucoup pour se beau morceau de légende du western
Sounds great what's it like going back to your old sound and system 👍
I just didn’t use it for a few days. When I did I played unknown tracks and actually really enjoyed the listen.
I wish I hadn’t watched this video (not in a bad way of course).
I’d like to upgrade my old system and I’m looking at the NAIM and Accuphase amps. Both are expensive and both apparently truly excellent
Magnificent.
Damn bro , I so wished we were near and I could check out your main kit. Much luv frm Chicago usa.
Thanks 😊
Amazing intro and review! How do you compare this one against Hegel H390?
Great video! 👏Which DAC/Streamer would you recommend for Accuphase E-480?
Check out Auralic.. they seem to work well.
love a amp with the VU meters . I also think this amp makes your teaters sound better 😂 Great review 👍
I used to own the E-550 back in the day, and it was one of the greatest bits of kit I'd ever owned. I do keep meaning to go back to Accuphase. I'm on a Hegel hit at the moment and if you haven't tried Hegel with your spendors then i'd suggest it is worth hearing one. The H390 being the best bang for the buck.
I like the look and quality put the price ? I don't think the performance will justify the price . you can get so much sound quality now for so little money
You need to finish up those speakers of yours and head down soon mate complete with you library of cd's for a weekend of listening 😇
At the price these are in Canada they should come with the DAC AND the phono stage and should not cost "extra" Otherwise these are amazing! The mark up in North America is just price gouging at this point. In Japan, these are the same price point as Luxman. The deal with the N.A. distributor must have been a doozy. One does take pause with such a deal when there seems to be not much of a reason for it other than price gouging. All that aside this is a BRILLIANT piece of gear and I do aspire to it however, McIntosh is very, very good and cheaper here than Accuphase.
How the E-280 does compared to this one if driving efficient speakers at reasonable level ?
The E-380 is closer to
Nice, but: Too many advertisments in your video and it would be much better to take more time for longer hearing sessions, also with different styles of music (pop, rock, house, hip-hop). So you know my suggestions for your next round 😃 Then the E 480 could better show us his powerful amping.
Have you gotten it yet? 😉 If I was as taken with it, I would whip out the plastic and get the E-380. It’s a bargain once you’ve heard the 480/4000.
8k is lot of money but compare to british linn naim is still a bargain safeup friend this is the last amp you need happy listening
I like analogue VU meters.
I’ve noticed your stand setup. Can you please tell me the make of stand and the unit ( damper? ) between the stand and the marble( ? ) slab on the floor?
Hifi Racks Fortis stands and Iso Acoustics Gaia isolation feet
Very nice review sir. Then Is that a classic 3/1 spendor at your back? Thanks and more power!
Close, Spendor Classic 2/3
Thank you
@@rega1039 no worries..
I’m looking for Harbeth next 👍
Excellent. This amp must be some amp by the sounds of it.
It’s fantastic mate
Most Japanese and US quality amps understate their real power. Luxman, Yamaha, Denon, Mac Intosh , Krell, McCormack etc, etc. Where have you been mate?
Been busy making videos for people to post comments on 😉
Just sell your pre & power...that's your weak link then you can get a badass integrated. I reckon the ModWright KWH 225i would work well with your Spendors...
Na… I’ll just get the Accuphase 😂
Thanks for watching.👍
@@dittonworks Do it then! You can't undo what you've experienced so until you pull the trigger it will always be on your mind...
@@Kowinaida I’ll abide my time buddy..
Besides I’m throughly enjoying a passive pre amp as I type..👍
@@dittonworks I forgot you have the Music First pre...in that case just get a tube power.
Front panels of Accuphase and McIntosh for that matter are too garish for premium devices. They should learn from Yamaha (e.g. a-s3200) on how to make them understated, good looking, and functional.
Great review
how it compares to quad artera combo?
Hi 👋
The Quad combo is very good for the money.
The Accuphase is a whole different league.
But look at the price difference..
Many thanks! Thinking in upgrading audioresearch sp16/McCormack 125
It does, as with all Accuphase amplifiers, sound better with the display turned off.
Oh wow really? So the electronics of the screen imparts noticeable distortion upon the sound? Is there a switch to turn the display off?
@@phetmoz yes
Isn’t this 12,000 bucks in the us?
Might be..
Hi , the hifi rack , which brand it is ? Thanks
Naim Fraim 👍
99900 SEK in Sweden about 10000 $. Is it worth it? I'm not a billionaire . A 500 $ Amplifier is good for me.
For non billionaires it’s totally worth it. 👍
these types of videos are like watching real housewives on bravo... pure entertainment for mindless viewing. without blind testing and measurements, there is no useful information to someone who may be considering buying one.
Ok 👍
He vient de m apercevoir que vous posséder une platine cd teac
Without hat you look very handsome my dear!
Should have gone to Specksavers lol
$16,000 is fucking expensive
Amp for life 👌
signals.uk.com
British audio equipment sucks.
Pretty sure our speakers don’t
Not Sugden
Not Rega
I have been in this hobby since 70s & in my opinion, the brits make some of the finest & most musical hifi gears especially loudspeakers. Even today i still still prefer british loudspeakers over to any American, french, german, danish or italian loudspeakers. British loudspeakers generally are far more musical & tonally correct. Speakers like Spendor, Harbeth with deep association to the BBC sound are untouchable as far as tonal accuracy goes in my book.
@@ganck1147 100% 👍
Play the speakers!