Accuphase class A amps - going up the food chain from an A-48 to an A-80 or A-300?

Japanese domestic models typically come with a fixed voltage setting specifically for the Japanese market, which is 100V AC. These models often lack the multi-tap voltage options (100/117/220/240V AC) found in international versions. For those you pay shipping cost, no tax. Check with the company about the limited (typically 1-year) warranty. The total cost via this route is still less than 50% of the retail list price here.

Like OP mention, you could try to import from Canada yourself. Importing from Canada could be a viable option. You’ll need to consider factors like import duties, taxes, shipping costs, and any potential differences in warranty or support. You could call Canadian dealers to find out the list price over there and figure out the total cost. I could not find such information on line but do your homework if  interested.

The ones, new or preowned, carried on eBay may come with 120V but you need to pay for import duties, taxes and additional charges. It’s a good idea to confirm these fees beforehand to avoid surprises. eBay may provide estimated duties and tax details at checkout.

Converting Japanese spec’d units or importing from Canada are a function of overly inflated Accuphase pricing in the US, but it distracts from the original question.

Anecdotally I have heard several times from people who moved up from the A-48 to the A-80 and are very pleased that they did. The A-48 is a wonderful amp, and the A-80 apparently even more so.

As somebody once said, you always get something more in performance and refinement when you go up the Accuphase food chain.

It’s interesting that the one who brought up the 'distracting' pricing issue was the OP himself, right from the very beginning.

Anyway, I agree with @westcoastaudiophile that the A48 should not be considered entry-level compared to the Class A Axx series, such as the A75 and A80. They share many similarities, if not identical specifications, except for wattage and slight differences in damping factor and signal-to-noise ratio. What really stands out, though, is the stable, continuous high current across load impedances. The circuit efficiency across the entire spectrum—from 8 ohms down to 1 ohm—remains at 100%, for all three models. This is the first (and possibly not the last) amplifier capable of achieving this and advertising this specification down to 1 ohm. It’s truly amazing.

The Class A/B Pxxxx series, on the other hand, is considered a step-down model from the A-series. Looking at the specifications, the circuit efficiency remains at 100% down to 4 ohms but only reaches 75% at 2 ohms. No reading is reported for 1 ohm. While this is still impressive, it reveals a significant difference in providing stable, continuous current across various load impedances.

I auditioned the A75 with Fyne speakers, which are not difficult to drive. It sounded fantastic, with transparent high frequencies and weighty, deep low-end. The midrange, particularly for female vocals, was sweet and engaging. I don’t know your speakers, but if they’re not demanding in power, the A48 could still perform admirably.

“It’s interesting that the one who brought up the ’distracting’ pricing issue was the OP himself, right from the very beginning.”

Exactly! Not sure why OP cares so much about US pricing living in Canada 🙄

Glad to hear the A-75 sounded fantastic - thanks for sharing.

The only reason the OP (me) brought up US pricing and the discrepancy with Canadian pricing is that if it were fairer there would be more reviews and a lot more people enjoying and talking about their Accuphase gear in the US and on Audiogon.  The other reason for bringing it up is to preempt recommendations for US brands that are better value in the US but not in Canada.