Accuphase amplifier choice

Folks,

 The A-48S got delivered this afternoon. I kept it in the room for i hours and let it acclimatize. I then hooked it to the system and let it warm up for an hour.

i started with Nils Lofgren, Eric Clapton, Sara K, Dire Straits, etc. The good thing is that the highs are not truncated, which was what I was a bit worried before.

I thought with 50 watts, I could set the DAC to “Line” instead of “Variable”. Well, that did not work. I had to revert back to “Variable”, because of too much gain. How that is possible, I am not sure, cause I moved from 250Watts to 50Watts and things are almost the same - now I am at -15db on the DAC compared to -18db before. I see the needle haver between 0.1 to 10 on the % scale. But never reaches 10.

No, there is no night and day difference between the Accuphase and the Parasound it replaced. But this amp places the artifacts within the soundstage far better. Vocals has more presence and is focused. The bass is bouncy and has a definition that I was not aware before. This treble from the Parasound was sharp, while the treble from the Accuphase is shimmery and well defined.

But the biggest surprise came when I put on a classical album - Your Hundred Best Tunes Volume 2. The first song Orpheus In The Underworld sounded so amazing that I have to start listening to this genre of music again. This amp makes you notice the ambience.

Thank You everyone who responded with your feedback on this thread, that helped me a lot to pick my amp. I have taken the day off tomorrow to do more listening.

my decision is made with the P-4600. Waiting on some formalities now.

 The A-48S got delivered this afternoon. 

Hey, wait a minute... what happended?  I musta missed a post.... 

Congrats on the the new amp! I am sure the differences between it and the previous one will become even more evident after several dozen hours. I have an itch to try an Accuphase; one of these days. 

I can't help but notice we have quite a few of the same pieces of gear: T+A DAC 200, Rhumba, Inakustik, GIK. 

You are using the Rhumba though? I don't understand why you are touching the variable out from the DAC? 

“No, there is no night and day difference between the Accuphase and the Parasound it replaced.”
@milpai 

Congratulations on A-48S. You’re an astute listener, most of your early impressions are spot on even with only one hour of warm up. I would recommend allowing this amp to settle in for atleast 250 hours and you will realize the difference between the A21 and A-48S is far from subtle.  

What you’re describing is exactly what I experienced when I heard Accuphase in my system. Better placement of “artifacts” within the soundstage usually points to improved linearity and lower noise modulation, which tends to stabilize images and give vocals more density and focus. What you hearing is shift in headline resolution and a change in how the amplifier handles low-level information and spatial cues. 

The bass description is interesting as well…“bouncy” yet better defined often suggests tighter control over the speaker load rather than simply more output (quality of watts over quantity). And the treble shift from sharp to shimmery is something I’ve consistently associated with amps that manage high-frequency distortion products more gracefully. Accuphase’s Class A designs really do seem to have that aspect mastered; smooth, resolved, and fatigue-free without sacrificing detail.

Agreed—classical is often where these differences become most apparent. I recently picked up a few classical UHCDs from Elusive Disc, and they’ve been very revealing and enjoyable in this regard. When an amplifier can resolve hall ambience and decay without pushing the image forward, orchestral recordings become far more engaging and believable.

The A-48S doesn’t seem to distinguish itself through dramatic tonal shifts, but rather through coherence and spatial integrity. The presentation feels more continuous and organized, allowing the recording venue and scale to emerge naturally rather than being spotlighted.

Enjoy your listening sessions, you’re in for aural treat my friend. 

Congrats, @milpai 

As I mentioned to you earlier, give your A48S at least 100 hours, preferably more, before making any comparisons or conclusions. As Lalit says, the gap between your Parasound and A48 will widen dramatically. That I have no doubt about.

Fair warning though ... once you get addicted to the natural and sumptuous sound of Accuphase, there's no going back. Have fun and try to get some sleep as hard it it might be :)

@arafiq Thanks for the Govee floor lamp suggestion. I picked one up- was going to get the same floor lights 2 you have, but then I saw the uplighter bouncing light off the ceiling so I had to get that one.  I may get more.