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Luxman/Accuphase/Yamaha - Quality?

I do think tastes change as you get older; probably down to high frequency loss in hearing? Mid band is becoming more important than ‘slam’?
 
Crimean said:
I own several Accuphase power and integrated amps. My new heavily modded Texas Instruments TPA3255 amp sounds so much better, it's like 2 different galaxies. All Acuphases sound soooooo slooooooow in comparison, they are also sound styled or sounded and lightyears away from neutral. But somehow smooth on the ear with big upper bass and body. Leads to a rather large gestalt. But honestly, the TPA3255 is out of this world class, ultra deep and fruity bass but still totally detailed like nothing else and in comparison razor sharp fast. Much much more detail, space, attack. The music sounds so much more attractive and pure. Accuphase sounds like sleep pills.... My Sansui AU-517 & 719 are also much more neutral and faster and more fun. Sorry, but thats my honest opinion.
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Crimean said:
You are right. The new Accus sound different. I own the first power amp P-300 (1974) till 1986 models and the T-101 Tuner.
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I think the second quote attests to the build quality and longevity. I also think it suggests that the findings in the first quote should not really be applied to modern era product, though.
 
If you want sexy, smooth and solid, look no further than Accuphase, the champaign gold not for everyone though, but they do run completely silent

Mac
 
I will never get that "sexy" thing for anything other then a human being. I never thought about kissing or fu..... an amplifier.
 
maccar said:
If you want sexy, smooth and solid, look no further than Accuphase, the champaign gold not for everyone though, but they do run completely silent
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I hope the Accuphase shade of champagne is more consistent that Naim's varying hues of olive.
 
Cereal Killer said:
Agreed - you really can't knock Naim for build quality.. if looked after they will last a lifetime.
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Naim quality is very high. I own both a Luxman 590AXII and a lot of Naim kit (300DR, NDS, ....), some about 15 years old. The Luxman seems more polished but both style are so very different that it is not easy to compare directly.
 
booja30 said:
Don't worry, it will always look a little 80's no matter what shade of champagne it is.
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That's cool. Accuphase will fit right into the (literally) golden age of hifi for perpetuity. All the more reason for an anachronist like me to consider Accuphase quite seriously at some stage.
 
James said:
That's cool. Accuphase will fit right into the (literally) golden age of hifi for perpetuity. All the more reason for an anachronist like me to consider Accuphase quite seriously at some stage.
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I shouldn't make fun. My old Sony TA-F3000ES goes between silver and champagne depending on the lighting. When I was looking for one online I thought there must have been two different colors offered. But no, it's just the one.
 
Crimean said:
Absolutely!

When my friends visited me I put the tiny TPA3255 case (15cm x 10cm and 5cm height) on top of the Accuphase P-300X..... wow.... high-tech chocolate box from Texas vs the Imperial Japanese HighEnd Fleet Heavy Battleship Accuphase. 500gr vs 23kg. No one liked the Accuphase in comparison, it was bloated, sloooow, muddy, undetailed, big picture but with diminished room/ambience information. The TPA was really merciless - it was a slaughter. Steinway on Accuphase sounded like a Bösendorfer with 50kg Scottish sheep's wool on it. Transient response? There is no transient response with the Accuphase! Outclassed by a very large margin. The Accu sounded really laughable, it was hopeless...

Maybe you still can say that its a matter of taste, but at least in the bass region its brutally obvious how wrong all tube & transistor amps sound. Bass was the main reason I got away from my 300B monos and changed to D-Amps. TPA sounds so much more exciting. I hear things on records never heard before.
Conventional amp that come close to a modded TPA3255 is Sansui.
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Ouch ! :eek:
I also know that some ridiculously low priced Chinese DAC beat some legacy brands that costs ten times more.
That’s what I would call quick technology evolution.
 
I've just been looking for a small amp, and looked at a fully finished TPA3255 (prices varied for what looked like the same amp $60-$110, but decided to go with the Topping PA3 with it being from a 'known' brand, although I think the TPA3255's could be under the Nobsound umbrella.
 
Crimean said:
Absolutely!

When my friends visited me I put the tiny TPA3255 case (15cm x 10cm and 5cm height) on top of the Accuphase P-300X..... wow.... high-tech chocolate box from Texas vs the Imperial Japanese HighEnd Fleet Heavy Battleship Accuphase. 500gr vs 23kg. No one liked the Accuphase in comparison, it was bloated, sloooow, muddy, undetailed, big picture but with diminished room/ambience information. The TPA was really merciless - it was a slaughter. Steinway on Accuphase sounded like a Bösendorfer with 50kg Scottish sheep's wool on it. Transient response? There is no transient response with the Accuphase! Outclassed by a very large margin. The Accu sounded really laughable, it was hopeless...

Maybe you still can say that its a matter of taste, but at least in the bass region its brutally obvious how wrong all tube & transistor amps do sound. Bass was the main reason I got away from my 300B monos/Sansuis and changed to D-Amps. TPA sounds so much more exciting. I hear things on records never heard before.
Conventional amp that come close to a modded TPA3255 is Sansui (1977-1985 era).
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Think it must have been a faulty Accuphase if it sounded like that, total opposite from my experience... just goes to show!
Mac
 
maccar said:
Think it must have been a faulty Accuphase if it sounded like that, total opposite from my experience... just goes to show!
Mac
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I've never heard an Accuphase, but I'd imagine that it would be - ballpark - somewhere closer to the Luxman than different to it. And there's no way in earth I'd describe the Luxman as 'bloated'/'slow'/'muddy'/'undetailed' or any of the things you accuse the Accuphase of being. In your case, I think your Accuphase is either faulty, overdue a big service, or both. Or, if I might be so bold, you're talking bollocks to shift on a job lot of cheap amps.... but I'm sure I'm *most* mistaken about that last part, so it must be the former.

I'm only a few days in on this Luxman, but hasn't put a foot wrong yet. And that's rare for any component.
 
Crimean said:
You want the best sound? Forget turntables and CD-Players, PC with Windows 10 (sounds better than MAC OS), JRiver Media software player, a good USB cable, a modded DAC for €200 with extra PSU, Preamp with OPA1612 OPAMPS or alternatives, TKD volume pot & modded TPA3255 poweramp. And you are ready to battle a conventional stereo system for €30.000 down to its knees quiet easily. That's real technological evolution. Not the mention the money you save by the components but also the energy costs in the long run - it's a huge difference.
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One OS sounding better than another? Kind of lost me there. This is getting into USB cables sounding different territory. Does not compute.
 
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