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Accuphase

Wes

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Thanks. Beautiful gear, even if some components don't measure all that well.

Makes a good point about ergonomics too.
 
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Archsam

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I got my Yamaha A-S3000 for the same battleship-like built and obsessive detailing as the Accuphase, but for a fraction of the price.

Can't afford an Accuphase amp but will love to try it one day.
 
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TankTop

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Thanks. Beautiful gear, even if some components don't measure all that well.

Makes a good point about ergonomics too.
I’m guessing any poor measurements are well below the audible threshold, that said a Camry is a Better car but I’d drive an S500 if if I could. Also gear that measures better will be in a landfill decades before the Accuphase.
Regardless of anyone else’s opinion seeing an Accuphase instead of a Marantz in my living room would make me smile knowing I earned it.
 

Wes

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dunno - I just saw one Accuphase unit didn't do well in SINAD - I won't comment on audibility as I have nothing to go on for data w.r..t. that

S500 is a Benz I guess?
 

robwpdx

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I thought I would add to this thread an image of Jiro Kasuga in his home taken in the 1980s found on the internet. He was an engineer and the founder of Trio-Kenwood, and with his brother Nakaichi Kasuga, Kensonic Laboratories, later Accuphase.

Note the curtains and the flowers.

Acuphase Kenwood .png


More interesting early photos:

https://www.google.com/search?q=jiro+kasuga+accuphase+site%3Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.accuphase.com
 

Sokel

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I thought I would add to this thread an image of Jiro Kasuga in his home taken in the 1980s found on the internet. He was an engineer and the founder of Trio-Kenwood, and with his brother Nakaichi Kasuga, Kensonic Laboratories, later Accuphase.

Note the curtains and the flowers.

View attachment 302560

More interesting early photos:

https://www.google.com/search?q=jiro+kasuga+accuphase+site%3Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.accuphase.com
Those speakers... WOW!
Any info on those?
 

Galliardist

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I’m guessing any poor measurements are well below the audible threshold, that said a Camry is a Better car but I’d drive an S500 if if I could. Also gear that measures better will be in a landfill decades before the Accuphase.
Regardless of anyone else’s opinion seeing an Accuphase instead of a Marantz in my living room would make me smile knowing I earned it.
I bought a Marantz when I could have afforded and did look at an Accuphase, but that's just me, I guess. I'll let you know about longevity in a decade or two...
 

anmpr1

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Jiro Kasuga in his home taken in the 1980s found on the internet. He was an engineer and the founder of Trio-Kenwood, and with his brother Nakaichi Kasuga, Kensonic Laboratories, later Accuphase.

Trio/Kenwood was fairly established in the mainstream hierarchy of Japanese two-channel audio, now gone. What's left of their consumer line? Aftermarket car audio. Pioneer, Sansui, Akai, and even Sony... nothing much left, either. Yamaha remains the only serious, wide-range offering player in Japanese sourced two channel hi-fi. Why is that? Answers are not difficult to come up with.

In the heyday of Japanese consumer audio, Accuphase carved out a different niche. The gear looked not unlike Kenwood, but you could visually see (and feel) the difference. The only other Japanese company selling in that higher market (that I remember) was Stax, and they were very limited in distribution--most of their customers interested in headphones, and not their electronics, or electrostatic loudspeakers. Then, Accuphase was distributed by Teac, which had an established dealer network, along with a level of goodwill in the marketplace... I could be mistaken, but I believe Teac also imported Micro Seiki, for a while.

In gear hierarchy, Yamaha was mostly considered a 'step up' from the middle brow pack. I think that was mostly because they stayed with an established dealer franchise, which imparted a sort of 'exclusivity' to the brand, while at the same time allowing the average Joe to buy 'entry level', without breaking the bank. You could always source a Pioneer, Sansui, Kenwood, Marantz etc., for twenty to thirty percent off list at Sound Warehouse. Shipped right to your door--don't ask us about warranty information or after the sale support! Yamaha didn't allow that kind of mail-order discounting, so you always paid a few dollars more. But not 'a lot' more--, and no Yamaha product was really through the roof expensive (with a few outlier exceptions).

Cosmetically, if you liked the trad look, Yamaha had that nailed. Wood sleeves, meters, plenty of knobs, and so forth. At one time Yamaha hired noted designer--Mario Bellini, to give the goods that Ferrari visual appeal. Plus, they were backed by a parent conglomerate, which might have helped in the cash-flow department, I don't know.

Who is left? Teac is still around, selling their mini-components, but they don't appear to have much of a market presence in the US. I checked Music Direct which sells the brand-- half of the product line is 'out of stock, will ship when available'. That inspires long-term consumer confidence, for sure. For their part, Pioneer developed TAD/Exclusive in Japan-- TAD is still around but I don't know their relationship, if any, to what is now left of Pioneer, a shell of its former self in the two-channel marketplace.

Marantz and Rotel are available, and exude an exciting visual feng shui, if your taste runs to generic 'name on request' black (or sometimes silver) boxes. Denon? The same mold. Nothing against those products, but they look like they were all stamped out in the same Malaysian factory, deck chairs having been minimally rearranged. Leaving Accuphase and Lux as what's left of traditional luxury Japanese high-end. Both companies have pretty much stayed with an in-house design language for decades.

I think most folks who buy Yamaha (which also more or less maintains a 'trad' aesthetic) would prefer Accuphase or Luxman, but they can't (or won't) spend the required dollars. In context, the highest of the high-end Yamaha integrated amps begins at about entry level Accuphase. From there on it's goodbye Charlie.

Of course we can convince ourselves of anything, if we try hard enough. Like people who drive a VW, and rationalize that it's really not that far away from a Porsche, if they climb high enough up the corporate ladder-- then are happy contemplating all the money they saved. And lets face it, most women aren't going to know the difference between a Zales diamond and whatever comes wrapped inside the 'blue box' (it was always more greenish, to me), although I suspect that most women desire the blue box, if given the choice.

Then there are those who don't care at all about looks, --probably the majority of the ASR crowd (hell, I read somewhere that Ferdinand Piëch often drove a VW to work!). These folks know they can buy 'better numbers' cheaper from Topping, or if they want exceptional build quality and local support, there's Benchmark, for only a few dollars more. Yet, my guess is that Accuphase customers are more into rosewood veneer and gold tone panels, lovely switches and back-lit meters, instead of numbers. Unless it is numbers of dollars spent to maintain exclusivity. However each sees it, I understand both sides of the aisle, completely.
 
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Snoopy

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Owning something by luxman, Accuphase probably is like owning a nice sports car that you drive only in nice weather.. or a really nice watch... It's audio "jewelry" :).

These things will always appeal to people into vintage, luxury gear.
Made in Japan has probably to do with it as well.

Wonder if Interest in the brands would decrease if they switched to class D amps.
 
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polmuaddib

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There is something about Accuphase design that distinguishes The brand. I own P300l power amp I bought used. It has also a lot of functions for power amp alone.
That champagne color is absolutely perfect. Marantz champagne doesn’t come close to it.
But you have to give it to Accuphase for providing basic measurements with all their products in their manual.
Accuphase products are becoming a heritage pieces.
 

anmpr1

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Accuphase products are becoming a heritage pieces.

As long as the company is in business, and as long is $$ is not a prime consideration, Accuphase (like older McIntosh) can be considered a long term, maybe heritage, item. Of course.

My personal anecdote: when Accuphase arrived on the scene, I recall the integrated amp and FM tuner. I was taken aback. Thinking that these models indicated something different from Japan. Something I'd not hitherto experienced (or expected) from that country. An excellence in both construction and appearance.

To compare-- I owned (and own) Yamaha. CA-1010 from the mid '70s, and currently an AX-592 (from the mid '90s). But you can easily see the cost cutting, over time. The external appearance of the 592 is probably as good as it will ever get from a generic 'black box'. Yet it is cheap looking compared to my erstwhile 1010. Now, consider an Accuphase from the mid '70s. It will look as good if not better than anything from that era, and look better than most stuff made today. Not only that, their subsequent products (while more expensive, for sure) are even more visually, mechanically and electrically upscale.

I like those things in a company--continuously striving, never sullying their past product, and maintaining a sense of pride toward ownership. Alternately, there was a time when Lux went downmarket. The Alpine years. Luxman soon abandoned that, in favor of their storied heritage. Accuphase never went through a 'downgrade' period. It's why Yamaha is respectable, even though the company plays at a 'lower' level. They continue to honor their history in an important ways, in spite of obvious cost cutting. Always offering good value. For someone not involved in the luxury scene, someone on a limited budget who wants to experience the 'old ways', I wholehearted recommend Yamaha.

Again, if those things are not important, look elsewhere. Topping for black box buck bang. Benchmark for no nonsense QC at a higher, but not unreasonable, price. I wish I could say the same for McIntosh, but they've really become a self-parody of their former self. Not that their stuff is bad. You can't say that. But it's not the same kind of company Frank and Gordon built. I draw the line at green LEDs, and tubes, in record players! YMMV.
 
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TankTop

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I bought a Marantz when I could have afforded and did look at an Accuphase, but that's just me, I guess. I'll let you know about longevity in a decade or two...
Nothing against being frugal or shrewd with your money.
 

TonyJZX

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To me I think the high end of Yamaha, ie. the AS1200+ and the old Marantz PM11/15 type stuff is going to be "at the same level" as the Accuphase 280 or the Luxman 505 whatever... and the McIntosh 5200 etc.

you're getting to the very end of... 'science' and you're getting into jewelry.

To my aesthetics Accuphase is leaning into the gold color and the comic sans name plate and the Courier New switch font. I'm ok with it.

BUT... $6,000 usd for the base e280? you gotta want it like the similar McIntosh and for my cloth ears I bet I fail a blind test on a AS1200.

Also there's something about a niche high end product.

We know about Yamaha's infamous alloy foil covered plastic front plates. This is what they do so they can sell a $500 full size integrated.

To some folks owning a AS1200 is like owning a $70,000 Honda.... I get that too.
 
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