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Faulty Accuphase?

I've just bought a used Accuphase E-212 (2005). It was supposed to have been fully tested by the hifi dealer I bought it from (online). Visually, it looks perfect, not a scratch anywhere. To my astonishment, it sounds really, really bad, which makes me think that, perhaps, there's something wrong with it. By all accounts it is supposed to be a warm amplifier. There is not even a hint of warmth in the sound. It sounds terribly shrill, thin and not high end at all. Bass is muddy and weak. It is a 90w amp but I had to turn it up a lot more that my HK 430 for it to sound anything. The overall sound characteristic is really dull and lifeless. While the headphones sounded a tad better, it was still the same really cold and unengaging sound. To your experience, should it really sound like that? I understand that better cables and associated equipment can enhance a thing or two but not the entire sound profile, surely. What am I to do? I refuse to believe that this is the sound half world is lusting after and pays €3000 for the displeasure.

I tested it with Castle Ricmond 3i, some Sommercable bi-wire speaker cables, a Thorens turntable (with Nano phono) and Denon TU-400. Granted, not high end gear but the fundamental tonality of the Accu should be evident. My HK 430 sounds incredible with the same gear.
 
Can you return it to the dealer for a full refund? There's no point hanging onto it, attempting to find a solution if you are so vehemently disappointed with the sound.
If you can return it, wait till we're out of lockdown and go and listen to some amps.
 
Everything from Accuphase either sounds very good or great if not awesome so there is surely something wrong with your unit.
 
Thanks! I suspect that too. It's not just slightly cold tonality. It's unlistenable nails on the chalkboard, really. As if it does not operate fully. Bass is really weak and soundstage quite muddy overall. Both channels work but music sounds quite distant in general.
 
I've just bought a used Accuphase E-212 (2005). It was supposed to have been fully tested by the hifi dealer I bought it from (online). Visually, it looks perfect, not a scratch anywhere. To my astonishment, it sounds really, really bad, which makes me think that, perhaps, there's something wrong with it. By all accounts it is supposed to be a warm amplifier. There is not even a hint of warmth in the sound. It sounds terribly shrill, thin and not high end at all. Bass is muddy and weak. It is a 90w amp but I had to turn it up a lot more that my HK 430 for it to sound anything. The overall sound characteristic is really dull and lifeless. While the headphones sounded a tad better, it was still the same really cold and unengaging sound. To your experience, should it really sound like that? I understand that better cables and associated equipment can enhance a thing or two but not the entire sound profile, surely. What am I to do? I refuse to believe that this is the sound half world is lusting after and pays €3000 for the displeasure.

I tested it with Castle Ricmond 3i, some Sommercable bi-wire speaker cables, a Thorens turntable (with Nano phono) and Denon TU-400. Granted, not high end gear but the fundamental tonality of the Accu should be evident. My HK 430 sounds incredible with the same gear.


(Nice to meet someone who has read The Magic Mountain. Are there really 42 other Hans Castorps?)

I’m sorry you find yourself with this little nightmare to deal with!

Does it sound equally bad on both channels and on all inputs?

On HifiWigWam there’s an Accuphase user group. Maybe if you post there with a picture of the innards of the amp someone will be able to say whether they spot anything fishy. If it were me I’d also email a picture of the insides to Accuphase, you never know, they may reply.)
 
Thanks! I teach literature at university :) Yes, all imputs (three RCA ones) sound the same. Also the headphone out. There is some detail, I can't deny that, but it just sounds cold and weak. And distinctly not hi-fi.
 
I'm a big Accuphase fan, but I don't know that model, does it have tone controls?... apologies if this is a stupid question, but if so, have you tried playing around with them?
Where did you buy it from?
Mac
 
Something is wrong there somewhere. I have an Accuphase and it sounds superb. Send it back for a refund.

I hope you didn't pay EUR3000 for it? I would expect to pay around GBP1400-1500 for a fully working good condition E-212 model, in the UK.
 
Good heavens, no! I paid around your suggested figure. The dealer has not replied yet. Mind you, it would invole shipping it back to Lisbon from a rather distant Northern country.
 
Something really sounds off, as others have said.

As I commented in the other thread, Accuphase integrateds have a pretty high gain, so with average sources and average sensitivity speakers you should already get a pretty solid volume with the volume knob at 9:00, yet you write "[...] I had to turn it up a lot more that my HK 430 for it to sound anything."

Unfortunately (as you may know) Accuphase makes it difficult with the repairs, i.e. an Accuphase component sold in Portugal can only be repaired by Accuphase Portugal, which is really daft and I wonder if it is even legal WRT European law.
 
Whilst it's not impossible it is very unlikely that there is a fault. Other than faults with a shared aspect of power supply somewhere, it is virtually unheard of for both channels to develop the same fault at the same time. It is also extremely rare for a fault to leave an amplifier ostensibly all working correctly but just "sounding a bit off". 99 times out of a hundred it will not work at all with a SS amp.
 
Thanks! Yes, I have read about this predicament with the repairs. If I am going to send it back, it will never come back. I would lose money anyway on shipping and insurance (once again). I have voiced all my concerns to the dealer, who said that he would discuss these with the technician who cleared it perfectly fine last year and then we'll decide the next steps. Maybe something happened during the shipping? I don't know much about these things but couldn't there be something like a broken fuse or contact that governs some part of the amp and prevents it from working? It does sound like a major part of it is not even doing anything. Very clinical, distant, muddy, imageless voice just flows through ot, rather than amp is doing anything with it.
 
Whilst it's not impossible it is very unlikely that there is a fault. Other than faults with a shared aspect of power supply somewhere, it is virtually unheard of for both channels to develop the same fault at the same time. It is also extremely rare for a fault to leave an amplifier ostensibly all working correctly but just "sounding a bit off". 99 times out of a hundred it will not work at all with a SS amp.
It may well be a power supply issue. Anything a layman could check?
 
No. Like I say it probably isn't faulty if both channels are working and there is no very obvious distortion.

While I have somebody with technical knowledge: maybe something happened during the shipping? I don't know much about these things but couldn't there be something like a broken fuse or contact that governs some part of the amp and prevents it from working? It does sound like a major part of it is not even doing anything. Very clinical, distant, muddy, imageless voice just flows through it, rather than is doing anything with it.
 
I would take some internal pics if possible. It could be a ringer? Is it set to the right voltage?

Don’t think I’ve ever heard a bad thing about Accuphase sonically.

Best of luck.
 
In any case, I am going to do some more testing tomorrow at friend's place with his speakers, cables, everything. Since the Accuphase was positively unlistenable, I have disconnected it and put HK 430 back. Beautiful bliss restored.
I would take some internal pics if possible. It could be a ringer? Is it set to the right voltage?

Don’t think I’ve ever heard a bad thing about Accuphase sonically.

Best of luck.

I don't know what a ringer is, I am afraid. The voltage should be fine as it same in Europe, isn't it?
 


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