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

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.

@lanx0003 "Japanese domestic models typically come with a fixed voltage setting specifically for the Japanese market, which is 100V AC. “ correct, the same units as sold in US/EU are configured for 100V AC internally, and marked accordingly at the rear panel. So far I haven’t seen Accuphase unit which cannot be reconfigured, please let me know if you know such. 

I listen music mostly at the level below 5W, thus P4500 and A48 sound similar to me. P4500 above 5W level shows some nonlinearity, specific for AB class amp. Peak power of A48 is lower than P4500. Overpowered (not actually used for full range) amp, particularly A class, creates constant stress on house power grid, increases hum noise in other components, and generates a lot of heat. Choosing correct amp and matching it to spkrs is not trivial task.

Some models may be customized by the manufacturer to the destination voltage. If you intend to buy one from this vendor, you could make a request.  PM me to get the company information if you can not find it.