Accuphase amplifier choice

@dpac996 ,Thank you for getting back on the comparison. I am leaning towards the Accuphase.

@arafiq Your discussion with @lalitk and others actually piqued my interest in Accuphase. I am glad that you mentioned the AGDs. I did consider the Duets based on @twoleftears experience. How would you describe the sound of the AGD Audions Vs the Accuphase? Cool/Warm/etc? Yes, I do feel that an Accuphase amp will go very well with the Rhumba I have. 

@lalitk, very good question. With a high school freshman and another in college, I do plan to keep the ProAc at least for 5-8 years. They make me so happy every time I play music - in my system they are that good. But I for sure do not want to sound to be more warm. I did read a review of the Accuphase A-48S and based on it, it sounds like the A-48s might be a bit warm for my taste. You are so right - I read many a reviews and found that while these 2 amps are entry level in Accuphase's line, they are end-game amps - so some serious amps. About subs - I do not think I need them - especially with what the ProAcs do and how I have tamed the bass in my system. Yes, subs will provide even more foundation - but for the moment the money would be well spent on an amp rather than divide the amount between a nice sub and an amp. I have always checked your system from time to time and saw that Accuphase. But your Tannoys are far more efficient than my ProAcs. Hence I am also considering the Coda 8, because of price and the fact that the version 1 has a nice Class A bias. Also I have not read a single review that states that the Coda is warm.

@llg98ljk you are right about Class A and heat. But that would be the last reason for me to not go with the amp.

@milpai 

As you know I own the P4600 and my C7 Harbeths sensitivity is 86db. No problem driving these speakers. I listen to mostly Classical Symphonic and hit peaks of around 74db in my 17x15x9 room. I never exceed more than 1 watt on the meters. So I have plenty of headroom. The A/AB P4600 is biased in Class A up to 20 watts. This is a fantastic sounding amp. The only SS amp I’ve heard or owned that does not sound like SS. Just sounds natural. 

@jfrmusic ,

Yes, yours was the FIRST P-4600 post that I noticed anywhere on the internet, that can be truly deemed as a "user review". Thanks for that. And you had mentioned earlier too that your speakers hardly go beyond 1 Watt.

Sometimes I wonder, if that is the case for some speakers, then in that case would it even make a difference whether that 1 Watt came from a A-48S or the P-4600? One thing is for sure that except for 1 unfavorable "user experience" on this site, nowhere else have I noticed anything unfavorable about the Accuphase amps - be it integrated or power amps.

@milpai 

Class A has less headroom and a lot more weight and heat and in the future you might end up with less efficient speakers in a larger room or sit further away from them. You want to have as much headroom as possible so the amp can be operated in its lowest gain setting with the highest SNR. So that’s why I wouldn’t choose to purchase a Class A Accuphase. I’m in Class A bias most if not all the time with the P4600 with none of the pure Class A disadvantages and all of the headroom and advantage of Class A/AB. 

@milpai 

Don’t you feel the choice between the P-4600 and 48S has become a bit tougher? 🙂

When it comes to headroom vs. damping factor, they really shape an amp’s character in different ways. A higher damping factor usually means tighter, more controlled bass, while a lower one often brings a bit more warmth and ease. Headroom, meanwhile, is all about that reserve power — the extra juice an amp can deliver above its rated output for those dynamic peaks in the music.

If you’re buying new, see if your dealer will let you try both amps at home. Nothing beats hearing them in your own system; that’s where the real decision gets made.