Hi Guys,
Time to update on an upgrade i made a few days ago. Wanted to post earlier but had too much on my plate.
Am sure this comes as no surprise to my friends as they had predicted this six months ago when we all heard the 450 together!!!! Others like Neo will surely say 'I told u so' Hahaha. Nirav i am following your advice!!!
My lovely Accuphase amplifier E 350 has gone to my friend and in its place comes the E 450. The 450 is 180 WPC as against the 100 WPC of the 350. Sonically they are similar with the 450 a wee bit more dynamic, smooth and neutral. If u do an A/B (we did) the 350 will appear to be more lively. My friend will pair it with his Dyna Contour 1.3 SE and he claims its 'heaven'.
I have barely heard the 450 a couple of hours and it sounds reasonably good. Will give it a long run on one of these holidays. I feel the first 10/15 hours of play sees the most radical improvement in the accuphase and then its a seriously slow improvement (if at all).
A few of my thoughts on the brand :-
Its one of the best built amps out there. Attention to detail is superb.
Even the packing is great (as a young friend commented 'It should be it f....g costs as much as a good car') Sadly it does cost a fair bit but so did my Bryston Pre/power and the condition of the packing suggested the amp had been in a conflict zone!!!!!!!
If opting for an Accuphase please stay away from the E250. There is a HUGE difference in the 250 and the 350. I am not on the 10 WPC more as thats ir relevant frankly. The amp to demo is the 350 and onwards.
If u have sensitive speakers and you like your music smooth then do hear the 550. It will amaze u. I hear it often at a friends and i always come back with the sound lingering sweetly in my thoughts. Truly phenomenal. BUT ITS NO ALLROUNDER. I did consider it but that would severely restrict my choice of speakers and more importantly MY MUSIC. The class A/B in comparison has a certain 'rawness' if u get what i mean. The 450 has tremendous attack and superb bass, while being as delicate as any Accu in the upper/mids. If i move to a larger apartment and expect tp get a decent SPL with a level of control, i would have a problem with the 30 watt class A integrated.
If u have a larger budget (than me for sure) the pre powers are truly superb. A doctor friend recently bought the pre power and the basic cdp to drive his avalons and the combo is definately two steps above what i have. The Avalons are good for sure but they did not sound that great with the simaudio gear that i first heard them with.
Most guys who have these amps tend to keep them for ages and i hope this remains with me for a very long time.
Wishing all of u a happy diwali and all the best in the year ahead.
Rgds
Dinyaar
Time to update on an upgrade i made a few days ago. Wanted to post earlier but had too much on my plate.
Am sure this comes as no surprise to my friends as they had predicted this six months ago when we all heard the 450 together!!!! Others like Neo will surely say 'I told u so' Hahaha. Nirav i am following your advice!!!
My lovely Accuphase amplifier E 350 has gone to my friend and in its place comes the E 450. The 450 is 180 WPC as against the 100 WPC of the 350. Sonically they are similar with the 450 a wee bit more dynamic, smooth and neutral. If u do an A/B (we did) the 350 will appear to be more lively. My friend will pair it with his Dyna Contour 1.3 SE and he claims its 'heaven'.
I have barely heard the 450 a couple of hours and it sounds reasonably good. Will give it a long run on one of these holidays. I feel the first 10/15 hours of play sees the most radical improvement in the accuphase and then its a seriously slow improvement (if at all).
A few of my thoughts on the brand :-
Its one of the best built amps out there. Attention to detail is superb.
Even the packing is great (as a young friend commented 'It should be it f....g costs as much as a good car') Sadly it does cost a fair bit but so did my Bryston Pre/power and the condition of the packing suggested the amp had been in a conflict zone!!!!!!!
If opting for an Accuphase please stay away from the E250. There is a HUGE difference in the 250 and the 350. I am not on the 10 WPC more as thats ir relevant frankly. The amp to demo is the 350 and onwards.
If u have sensitive speakers and you like your music smooth then do hear the 550. It will amaze u. I hear it often at a friends and i always come back with the sound lingering sweetly in my thoughts. Truly phenomenal. BUT ITS NO ALLROUNDER. I did consider it but that would severely restrict my choice of speakers and more importantly MY MUSIC. The class A/B in comparison has a certain 'rawness' if u get what i mean. The 450 has tremendous attack and superb bass, while being as delicate as any Accu in the upper/mids. If i move to a larger apartment and expect tp get a decent SPL with a level of control, i would have a problem with the 30 watt class A integrated.
If u have a larger budget (than me for sure) the pre powers are truly superb. A doctor friend recently bought the pre power and the basic cdp to drive his avalons and the combo is definately two steps above what i have. The Avalons are good for sure but they did not sound that great with the simaudio gear that i first heard them with.
Most guys who have these amps tend to keep them for ages and i hope this remains with me for a very long time.
Wishing all of u a happy diwali and all the best in the year ahead.
Rgds
Dinyaar
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