What's the Sonic Character of Accuphase Amps?

bwhite: yeah, i like tim's humor, too. the a-50v should drive your speakers quite easily. it runs warm but does not heat up like a behemoth tube amp. if you want additional information, send me a private email and i'll put you in touch with a real expert on accuphase products. -kelly

Hi Bwhite, my impressions follow: stereo A-50V playing with C-290V/dp75v/Klipsch: a touch pronounced at around the +12kHz mark BUT not unpleasantly so (to my ears). The same system but a with Goldmund 7.5 pre inlieu of C-290: softer, but, more extended in the upper register. Bridged A-50Vx2, cat Ultimate pre, same cdp, Genesis V speakers: softer highs still but fully extended and, amazingly, the most convincing tonal balance and microdynamics.
Overall: as per Kelly, for "warm / neutral" also regarding the to drive the 3ohms. Extension and speed (for class A) were first rate and, adding an emotional touch, the amp(s) was(were) very "confidence inspiring" with a "can-do personality".

Pls note that I listen mostly to, and judge by, classical; bar the Genesis, I have *not* lived with the equipment mentioned. So, impressions rather than experience!
Cheers

Bryan I can report on the P450 with good authority as I recently bought one to go with its mate (the C275) which I also bought early this spring.
I had been searching for the past 4 years, looking for a combo to better my beloved Luxman Ultimate components when the amp failed unrepairably in '97. I'd tried a number of other lines: Krell, Classe, Conrad Johnson, Ayre, McCormack, Marsh, Perreaux, Sonic Frontiers, Golden Tube; some were more or less satisfying than others, but all left something lacking musically despite the minimalist design approach. I even considered Luxman again but their "product support" scared me away. Looking toward other full-featured products I then discovered the Accuphase line, & bought the preamp sound-unheard. Wow: now I was finally getting somewhere! Resolution & musicality all in one package with every feature that I could ever hope to use. Hopelessly addicted now, I had to have the C275's mate & again bought sound unheard. Wham; this is THE one! Talk about involving!
You've just got to get ahold of one of these amps. Resolution & warm musicality are offered within a very neutral sounding envelope, as Kelly also attests, and it's still affordable. If you have deep enough pockets then I would definitely consider an audition of the A50, which Kelly really likes with his Avalon's & a Tara The One AC cord. My own lineup includes much of Synergistic's better cabling with the active shielding center, and MIT's better speaker cables driving a pair of vintage Belle Klipsch. This 200 watts per channel driving horns is so incredibly dynamic (incredibly crazy too I'm told: hee hee) with an HDCD or an analog front end either way it's just amazing. Another charactaristic of the sound is "completely in control" so much moreso than anything else I've tried. WAY recommended!

Bob! Thank you for the reply. I get a feeling you really enjoy the Accuphase equipment you've purchased. I am leaning toward the P450 simply because I am unsure about the pros & cons about Class A (lower wattage) vs. Class A/B (higher wattage). My ultimate goal is to find an amplifier capable of producing the micro-dynamics of music with delicacy and finesse while at the same time being able to produce music's wide dynamic swings with ease. I could be wrong but to do this well, I figure power is a big factor - and requires more than the 50 watts provided by the A50V.

Now, my purchasing decision becomes one based on quantity of distortion produced by the amp vs. the dynamic headroom provided.

Perhaps this should be for another thread.
Someone explained this to me once and it is my understanding that speaker efficiency vs. power required is generally based on the following:

0 db is a power ratio of 1. Records and tape have dynamic ranges of 30-40db. To achieve a 30db dynamic range requires a power ratio of 1,000:1 and 40 db requires 10,000:1. So if you assign 1 watt of power to a speaker yielding 90db SPL, you need 1000 watts to deliver a true 30db dynamic range. With digital material we find dynamic ranges of 60-70db requiring power ratios of 1,000,000:1 & 10,000,000:1 respectively. Power amps of 1-10 million watts are not feasible today but the point is, more power offers more dynamic realism. Forget power vs. loudness because that really is not a factor in the overall scheme.

I really hope that "math" is incorrect.

Thoughts?

bwhite: i don't know whether the figures in your quoted piece are correct or not, but i can tell you this: tho the a-50v has a rated output of 50w/channel (into 8 ohms), it drives my eidolons to damn near the same levels as my jrdg 8ti, which has a rated power output of 250w/channel(also into 8 ohms). both of these amps produce high current and provide peak power far exceeding their rated output figures. i don't know what speakers you're using but the a-50v is specifically designed to remain stable with loads as low as 1 ohm. -cfb