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Accuphase 480 dac 50 vs Benchmark AHB2 dac 3 L for Harbeth 30.2

Pjetrof

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All,
Which would you choose and why.
Only between those two pls, no recommendations for others.
Price is similar for me.
My speakers Harbeth 30.2.
Room open plan living room.
Rectangular 9 meters by 5 meters.
Speakers on long wall 2 meters apart, 3 meters to listening position.
Concrete building. Heavy curtains and carpet and seats and sofa’s.
Music everything except hard rock, metal etc.
thx in advance.
 
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Pjetrof

Pjetrof

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And heavier and more powefull, don’t know how it scores here,
only thing i see, the accuphase e270 is second ab after a lot off D class amplifiers sinad.
 

GDK

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And heavier and more powefull, don’t know how it scores here,
only thing i see, the accuphase e270 is second ab after a lot off D class amplifiers sinad.
I would be concerned that the Benchmark is not powerful enough. It’s a great amp, but if I didn’t own the E-480, I would get a more powerful Purifi build instead.
 
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Pjetrof

Pjetrof

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I would be concerned that the Benchmark is not powerful enough. It’s a great amp, but if I didn’t own the E-480, I would get a more powerful Purifi build instead.

Thats why i asked the question here.
The accu will be powefull enough, the Bench will be borderline.
If i go D class, then concerning this website, and my personal opinion would be the DIY Hypex NC400, still after all those measurements the
second best. But after reading they use now cheaper components i m not sure anymore. I have no clue which components purifi use or will be using in the future.
Benchmark use good components, accuphase only use the best components.
Benchmark bridged is an option but what does that do to distortion and Sinad?
i suppose concerning accuphase plenty to find on the net.
I know the e270 was not recommended but if you watch the list after al those test, it still is the second class ab after Benchmark, what basically is also not a regular class ab.
 
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Pjetrof

Pjetrof

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I would be concerned that the Benchmark is not powerful enough. It’s a great amp, but if I didn’t own the E-480, I would get a more powerful Purifi build instead.

Maybe i m biased i had the accuphase e650 before my Behringer a800 and Quad stack. The build quality, the pride of ownership, makes the music soumd better. Only when i was really honest it was underpowered for my Harbeth and listening conditions. I never had a brand that gave me that feeling.

maybe we have to accept that it aint not only listening to music is, but also the chase after other components in our system Is, what we enjoy in this hobby?
 

GDK

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Benchmark bridged is an option but what does that do to distortion and Sinad?
Honestly, I doubt that one can hear the difference between an amp with a SINAD of 112dB and one with 90+dB, particularly when you consider the rest of your system, including your speakers and your room. The good thing about the Accuphase is that it is effectively a lifetime purchase.
 

Wes

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Maybe i m biased i had the accuphase e650 before my Behringer a800 and Quad stack. The build quality, the pride of ownership, makes the music soumd better. Only when i was really honest it was underpowered for my Harbeth and listening conditions. I never had a brand that gave me that feeling.

maybe we have to accept that it aint not only listening to music is, but also the chase after other components in our system Is, what we enjoy in this hobby?

Esthetics (looks)
Ergonomics
- the above are 2 biggies for me
You list:
build quality
pride of ownership

But pride of ownership can be achieved by searching and finding the low cost yet high SQ item. Perhaps derived from whatever genes drove the canny hunter among cavemen?

Or you could buy whichever one best represents which of the 3 pieces of Belgium you grew up in.

Or buy both, try them out for looks & feel - even do a DBT if you think there is possibly a difference in SQ, then sell the one you liked least.
 

HammerSandwich

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Look into service/support for each, because Belgium/USA/Japan. If one company can repair without international shipping, that would make my decision.

Apart from that, I'd lean to Benchmark, because I prefer separates. But the Accuphase is gorgeous!
 
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Pjetrof

Pjetrof

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Look into service/support for each, because Belgium/USA/Japan. If one company can repair without international shipping, that would make my decision.

Apart from that, I'd lean to Benchmark, because I prefer separates. But the Accuphase is gorgeous!

you. Re right bench usa accuphase jpn, there is an other contender AVM 6.2 ME or the ovaotion sa8 stereo amp for similar prices To me.
thats german factory 1 hour drive apparanteley good company.

https://www.google.be/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwiAn_DKzKHwAhXxwAIHHdjoBlMQFjAFegQICxAD&url=https://www.hifinews.com/content/avm-ovation-pa-82sa-82-prepower-amplifier&usg=AOvVaw1y2MydBrCnsIsWU22l0dEz
 

jokan

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I've heard the Accuphase you mentioned in person paired to a variety of loudspeakers at my local shop in Tokyo. It's a very versatile amplifier with plenty of damping factor which is ultra important to control the reverse pistonic movement of a loudspeaker. The build quality is typical Accuphase as in built like a tank. I also compared it to SPEC Corp, a japanese exotic class D amplifier whose design goal is to sound like a powerful triode in which they have succeeded. Link: https://spec-corp.jp/index.html Their top model has a upwards of 98% efficiency from the AC mains to output power! They also use a design to control the speakers reverse cone movement to achieve a controlled sound of authority.

The Harbeth's you are running is a traditional design with modern drivers, I'm not certain if they still use bitumen for internal damping of the panels, but it's a fairly benign load for the amplifier. If you are unhappy with the amplifier, I would start to point fingers at the speakers over the amplifier.

I would urge you to find a SPEC Corp dealer. https://www.widescreenaudio.be/product-category/audio/brands/ bring a record or any audio file, and give them a comparison. SPEC doesn't use Ncore/hypex/puri-fi amplification. They use a chip from International Rectifier Company, that has a smaller internal company called infeneon. They don't sound like class-d. Class D is a switching PWM amplifier, not digital. They use an awful lot of intelligent, interesting designs and bespoke parts on the insides to achieve the sound that they produce.

Either way you go, I don't think you can go wrong. Especially if you listen to anything with real instruments!

Enjoy your future purchase. You will not be unhappy no matter which direction you go.
 

ahofer

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I have Harbeth SHL5+ and use one of these, which can be had for less than $US1,000. Plenty of power, audibly indistinguishable from much more expensive amps. Do yourself a favor and blind test something in this price range against the more expensive stuff.

https://www.marchaudio.com/p252-hypex-ncore-amplifier
 
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Pjetrof

Pjetrof

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I have Harbeth SHL5+ and use one of these, which can be had for less than $US1,000. Plenty of power, audibly indistinguishable from much more expensive amps. Do yourself a favor and blind test something in this price range against the more expensive stuff.

https://www.marchaudio.com/p252-hypex-ncore-amplifier

Basically you are right.
But I don’t like to sell my gear to private people, i say this wrong, I don’t like to many people at house to see people I don’t know.
Class D amps, like March like Apollon and Boxem to name three. I m very interested. But only buy direct, so budget wise need to sell my gear privately, what I don’t like. If they do part exchange then it would become more intrested.
Brands sold in shops i can do part exchange.
Budgetwise for nearly simular price of the class d i mentioned (nc1200 or purifi) i could buy the accuphase, benchmark plus all the cables and dac3, avm integrated ovolution 6.2 me, avm ovolution 8.2 poweramp, waiting price on demo pass labs x250.8
 
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