Test by Cai Brockmann/Fidelity
Accuphase E-600
Fidelity No. 16 November/ December 2014
THE GOLD STANDARD
Since four decades the brand with the rolling “A” stands for everything, whatmakes High End really valuable. For the first time you can dream with thisAccuphase model E-600 about “2 in 1”.
He should be full of trust , the ideal High Ender. He can turn any time to histrustworthy retailer specialist. He also can give him with full confidence a highsum of money. This is how the High End Scene is functioning and this is ok. Or
better: this is how the scene should function. The customer is looking for thebest for his money, and he has some idea as to the budget. The specialized
retailer, offering hopefully the best, is his partner. A real specialist. A full rangeof products. Friendly service provider and a competent HiFi-travel expert in one
person.
Do you know what? I do not only know a lot of “Searchers”, I also know someof such retail specialists. Noticeable often they offer a certain brand in theirportfolio. And if one has gained a deep look behind the scenery, then it is nowonder that those machines have almost always a light golden
shimmer, have an absolutely stylish family appearance and always areequipped with a respectable price tag. Not at all a question: Accuphase is a real
institution on the High End Market.
Naturally also the competence of the specialized retailer does not come out ofnowhere. But from the exact opposite, from a highly serious, extremelyengaged distributor. You would say, this is very old school? Exactly this is what
it should be! Behind the trustworthy specialist with his favorite brandAccuphase stand the concentrated power of a distributor, who is in public
accentuated conservative. This I respect of course. Therefore I only mention asmall detail what indicates something: P.I.A. is the German distributor of
Accuphase without interruption since the formation of the company ca. 40years ago (once again for writing: since 40 years) and despite of this the sworn
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in, unbending P.I.A. team would never, really never foreground themselves. Apoint of honor.
With the simply fact, that things at Accuphase are arranged from the very
beginning extremely seriously and clean and also furthermore designed forconstant quality, we can now turn to a totally new product from the samemanufacturer. The E-600 is from now on the top model of total 4 integrated
amplifiers of this brand. It replaces the E-560, introduced five years ago and somuch looks alike it, that even Accuphase experts must have a very close look.
Well, the weight of the E600 is 700g more than his predecessor. But also thisdifference does not really make a difference at a total 25 kg weight. Moreinteresting are the nuances Accuphase positions its new model in its portfolio.
Naturally the ambitioned E-600 shall represent again the technically feasible ofthe integrated amplifier-future, this time however the 600 aims at – perk up
your ears – “the higher performance level of separate components”.
It is interesting that the E-600, despite of its increased own standard, is not
more expensive, but a bit cheaper. By all means a fine move, especiallybecause the technical packages is not at all smaller.
The E-600 is traditionally so opulently equipped, that in this respect you could
think back into the fabulous 70th. After a short first inspection an avowed
traditionalist would miss only the turntable input, the new age people howevera digital board. Both, of course , is not a problem, the amplifier is at best
prepared, what means for both cases. In the market typical mixture of
professional Sound-studio technic and High –End-touching quality, one canconfigure the E-600 with the fitting modules for each personal requirement.
Also further line inputs are available. The assembly respectively exchange ofsuch modules is a work of seconds. I love something like this.
In fact I catch myself out after I put the amplifier into the rack, that I develop a
fun to push here and turn there, to gently close and open the push button of
the striking front panel , to switch the display on and off. Especially the volume
control I really like. How it feels to touch, to turn and operate, this creamyturning adjusting knob with a full left and right impact, this is a real pleasure.
To be precise, this volume control is not only the haptic prominent interface
between human being and machine (sorry dear provided remote control, butwith the dream-part your rocker cannot compete) it symbolizes the standard ofAccuphase, to beautify the life of a music lover and HiFi-fans. With me it
worked at once. I am happy about each turning movement, even if it is very2

small. Although a small display shows each positioning of the loudness value
additional in text form, what e.g. makes the finding of a certain positioning
much easier. No, a better solution I have never experienced. And never listened
to also: behind the simply-beautiful, and exactly having the right dimension ofthe adjusting knob is the extremely complex AAVA-Volume -Control. This
“Accuphase Analog Vari-gain Amplifier” was once developed for the non plus
ultra pre-amplifier. In the meantime it is now in all the amplifiers of themanufacturer. The clear audible advantage of this extremely low noise fineadjustment mechanism with more than 65000 “steps” – that means with fullanalog feeling over the total regulating width – was obviously too inviting, thatthe manufacturer could have dispensed it. AAVA is for me “Enrich life throughtechnology” in pure form.
Detailed like this I could now swarm of ca. two dozen more Accuphase
specialities. In the meantime the E-600 – by the way no stand by function, but aclassic “hard” power switch – has reached its working temperature. It wants tostart. And its perfectly fitting playing partner Accuhase DP-550 as well. But theaccompanying SACD Player is not yet everything, what the “full supply” on thepart of Accuphase relates to. Between player and amp an Accuphaseconnecting cable is employed. During the coming weeks this cable did notdeclassify some praised and all high priced cables, but in the overall view theAccuphase cable outperforms the others. For those two “gold pieces” I simply
cannot find any better one than those unimpressive cinch-cables.
And now I finally reached the decisive question, what moves a music lover likeme: how does it sound? What sound-character I can expect from the E-600?
The counter question after using different speakers is obvious: How does
superiority basically sound? How does straight High End really sound? Because
the E-600 does not lower its guard sound wise at all, not a single time.
And it feels good, how the Class-A-Amplifier “guarantees” nominal 30 Watts
per channel /8 ohm, what you can double in best Accuphase tradition to 4 ohm,a modern time 2 ohm even quadruplicate. This is for most loudspeakers a reallyadequate quantum.
The as tall as a man high Focal Maestro Utopa e.g. an electro-acoustic
magnifying glass with the highest claim from its suppliers, the E-600 makes itdance and tremble and shining. The tiny, enormous forthcoming KEF LS 50accumulates with the Japanese to such high performance, what I never trusted
in the coaxial-British. Thanks E-600! Only when it is very loud in the base, when3

you need pure power (and not sound quality), then the E-600 reports – fromthe very well designed and well to read from a precision-measurement
instrument on the front – that it is time to make a left turn on the beloved
volume knob. And immediately the extreme transparent room-ambience isfully restored, the musicians are standing exactly in the right place. It is
fascinating how one can follow the smallest details into the depth of the room.
One can practically see holographical into the concert hall and will be diving
into the hidden sound-puzzles of Roger waters or Boris Blankj (Yello) andinspire – the enjoyment is huge, erupts again and again very sudden fromapparent known recordings and naturally is totally on my side. With properly
efficient and wide-band loudspeakers it seems nearly limitless – as to room andas to level as well.
In fact it is very difficult to imagine, yes, I really doubt, that sound wise there
should be “more” possible above this prestigious integrated amplifier. I do not
miss anything, I feel totally comfortable in the company of this great Amp, andenjoy that he “delivers” any order pico bello clean. In fact I do not see any
concrete occasion to change to separate components from the manufacturer.
In this respect the demand of the new flag ship, to be in the waters of thebigger brothers and sisters, if fulfilled.
Under HiFi points of view the Accuphase E-600 must be submitted under
universal tool. In the best sense classical tool of profis (and music lovers), whoare open to modern times, and welcome this professional, well thought andsovereign ! The optima module DAC-40 with its three digital-inputs e.g. sounds
much better than its price tag suggests, also the phono-card AD-30 – bothfitting therefore perfectly with E-600 and one can any time upgrade: the future
can therefore come.
It is this striking, unspectacular, everything penetrating authenticity, at thesame time the absence of any euphoric and other artificial sweetener, thatraises the E-600 quasi to the dimension of all ambitious integrated amplifiers.
Even if I would work as “financial advisor” not for High End Audio, but in theasset management, I would define and quote the E-600 as the new Gold
Standard!
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