Accuphase amplifier choice


Hello All,

I have decided to upgrade my Parasound A21 amplifier looking for a more refined sound. The following are the amplifiers that I have in my mind:

Accuphase A-48s
Accuphase P-4600
Coda No. 8 (meterless)
Coda 16.0 (meterless)

Currently I am leaning largely to Accuphase. My dealer says that the Class A 48s will sound better with my ProAc D48R. But I am worried that I will lose dynamics since the Accuphase is only 50W into 8 Ohms. But it doubles all the way into 1 ohm.

The P-4600 is a higher wattage amp and I think it should be able to drive the D48R with ease because it doubles down to 2 ohm load. So I am not concerned with it's ability to drive the ProAcs.

I do have some feedback on the P-4600 from another thread here and appreciate it. But now looking for some comparisons.

Has anyone compared/experienced the Accuphase Vs Coda amplifiers? Any feedback is appreciated.

milpai

A Very Happy New Year to you as well @westcoastaudiophile

pl. have a sense of humor! sorry to hear you took my joke too seriously! 

How was I supposed to know if this was humor or you really meant it? But nice joke šŸ˜†

arafiq

 

I  am in agreement with your characterization of Class A sound being a long time Pure Class A amp owner (Sugden Saphirre). I think the difference in the wattage between a/b and A is current. There is more current or torque with a Pure Class A amp, whereas A/B designs are more equivalent to HP. 

To anyone, particularly the OP, applying the same thought process of choosing an A'/B amp to choosing a Pure Class A design, you'd be doing yourself a disservice. I have NEVER (and I've owned Wilsons) had any issues driving speakers with Class A amps, especially an Accuphase Class A design. You will get more sparkle, more juiciness, and low end grunt from a Class A amp that you will never get tired of. 

I have about 175 hours in the amplifier and it sounds a completely different amplifier than what I heard in the first couple of days.

The kind of control it has over my speakers still amazes me. The bass is super taut. Example is Boz Scaggs’s song Thanks To You. I used to be impressed by the bass that the Parasound presented. But compared to the Accuphase, I now realize how boomy the Parasound sounded in that section. There is so much definition and truthfulness in the Accuphase presentation - including the bass and drum ā€œthwacksā€. Another song I used to turn down at the final 2 minutes was the Beatle’s I Want You (She’s So Heavy). The music sounded ā€œtoo muchā€ and a bit shrill. No turning down business with the Accuphase. There is some ā€œfinesseā€œ that must be experienced that cannot be described. 
The sound stage was wide with the Parasound; but with the Accuphase it is ultra wide. The soundstage layering is something I had not experienced before. 
I am planning on upgrading the power cable now. Suggestions welcome.

@milpai 

 

I get exactly what you’re hearing and you summed it up nicely. The Accuphase doesn’t just control the speakers, it disciplines them, IME. That taut, truthful bass, once you hear that kind of finesse and layering, the ā€œultra-wideā€ soundstage is easily discernible. 

As far as power cords, I highly recommend 聖HIJIRI SM2R-L "SOUND MATTER" Power Cord. For context, I am using a full of 聖HIJIRI cables in my system. The SM2R-L will get you very close to flagship ā€œTAKUMIā€ Maestro Power Cord at lower cost. These cords pairs beautifully with Accuphase, like two-peas-in-a-pod kind of synergy. 

Late to the party. I am confused about something. Why would you purposely buy an integrated amp when you already have and plan to keep a preamplifier? Seems like you are paying for a preamp section you don't need. Does Accuphase only make integrated?