Review in STEREO magazine (Germany), April 2008
Accuphase Integrated Amplifier E-350

The Consequenceby Matthias Böde

Accuphase has recently upgraded its top-of-the-range integrated amplifiers
whereby the technological highlights have now also been implemented in thesmaller E-350. However the question remains if it's going to beat its
predecessor.
Last year when STEREO brought together all four integrated amps fromAccuphase to be family-tested for our December issue, the E-308, which weoriginally presented and reviewed in the middle of 2004, was actually on the way tobe discontinued. And as already heralded at that time, its successor E-350 has in themeantime been launched to be established below the newcomers E-450 and E-550.
You probably will have to look twice in order to distinguish the E-350 from theE-308: a narrow, slightly recessed surface beneath the thick, champagne-coloured
front panel and the operational buttons now being round instead of square (of whichmost are hidden behind a flap anyway). They are the most obvious changes, apartfrom other rather small cosmetics details. In fact, the E-350 can be distinguished fromits more expensive brother E-450 only by the lesser output power and the name plate.
Because the enterprise from Yokohama is nevertheless offering the samefeatures also in the E-350, which are switchable tone controls, six high-level inputs,of which two are of the balanced variety, two full-function tape circuits including thefacility for monitoring, separation for pre- and power amp and last but not least, anoutput jack for headphones. Yes, of course, the power meters, which are oh sotypical for Accuphase, are also on board but can be switched off if not needed.
Certainly, this amp's got all the trimmings! Don't look for a phono input, though,because there isn't any. Yet for vinyl aficionados the Japanese can provide theoptional MM/MC phono board AD-20 which is to be installed into a dedicated slot at
the rear panel. A D/A converter board dubbed DAC-20 for external digital sources islikewise available as an option. Both had been thoroughly tested during the family
meeting last year and they really offer an outstanding value for money with respect totechnology and sound. Indeed and ideal addition to the E-350.
All this however could be found in the old E-308 as well. So, can the change tothe new model merely be considered "old wine in new bottles"? No, certainly not,because for the E-350 Accuphase donated one of its most eminent, proprietary
technological achievements of recent years for pre- and integrated amplifiers, namely
a volume control according to "Accuphase Analog Vari-gain Amplifier", in brief AAVA.
Like in the E-450, the new one also received the improved and more precise versionof the second generation (AAVA-II).

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While in the E-308 a conventional potentiometer is taking care of the volumecontrol, the volume knob of the E-350 is controlling a compact circuit board spangledwith electronic components which through an analogue process is regulating thevolume by means of 16 voltage-current converters in altogether 65.536 steps,
depending on the position of the volume knob. This is perceived by the ear as asmoothly sliding up or down of the volume. According to Accuphase this measure isto yield the lowest possible noise, the highest precision in left/right channel tracking
and eventually a long-term reliability. The first two claims could be clearly verified in
our lab and as far as the third claim is concerned, well, that should be the least of
your worries.
It's because in our experience all amps from Accuphase seem to be made foreternity. This is based on a manufacturing concept that has been tried and tested for
decades and was continuously refined over the years. Just have a look inside an old
E-303 from the beginning of the eighties. It's construction and layout is basically thesame as in the E-350. It's therefore no small wonder that amplifiers from Yokohama
have in the meantime reached a high grade of perfection.
And it takes indeed a real technological progress to beat a high-calibre like theE-308. In the daily practise we appreciated the E-350's new speaker output terminals
which would now also accept banana plugs. And like any other high-end component
this amplifier, too, needs a considerable play-in time, in which its high-grade
components inside are getting accustomed to each other in a mysterious manner
until the most minute unevenness of homogeneity and friction losses in the musicalflow have been polished.
As a consequence the new Accuphase will then be playing in the best of its
family tradition: fast, slender and knobbly, with a rock-solid soundstage and sensitive
feelings for fine dynamics and the shading of tone colours. In particular the latteraspects are to yield the impression of maturation and the sonic superiority inherent inso many components from Accuphase. Yes, indeed, the E-350 is seamlessly gettingin line with them. Just listen how this amp is going to unravel the tender weave ofMichael Hurd's "Sinfonietta Concertante" (Naxos) without loosing the look at themelody and context. Or likewise with the dense bustle of instruments in the life
recording of "Carpet of the Sun" by Renaissance. That's really brilliant!
But isn't the E-308 also capable of performing such artistry? Well, it goes
without saying that we did compare both integrated amps under identical conditions.
After all they are - with the exception of the volume control - nearly technologicallook-alikes. Depending on the music we played, the differences seemed to be either
distinct or rather marginal. However they became particularly evident wheneverdemanding steep pulses or rapid changes of tempi were present in the renderedmusic. Under these circumstances the E-308 audibly played more leisurely, lessspringy and in the basses a tad grumpy when compared to its successor, which
excelled with crystal-clear and punchy beats in the lowest frequency region. For
instance, this could well be heard with the hefty drum attacks in David Sylvians"Taking the Veil". Those drum kicks exploded through the E-350 like from nowhere,
whereas the E-308 rounded them off a bit and sounded slightly more tame overall.
No question, the E-350 is developing more speed and spontaneity. It's also
creating - in every respect - a more differentiated and agile picture of the sonic2happening and thus is hard on the heels of the bigger E-450. Owing to its higher
power output, the latter seems to play slightly more laid-back but hardly morecommitted. Yet with AAVA-II the E-350 can play the same trump as its bigger brotherand for this reason the results are quite logical.
Summing up:
The E-350 follows in the footsteps of the higher integrated amplifiers from Accuphase,technically as well as sonically. Compared with its predecessor E-308, it renders
music more differentiated, more sensitive and right away hands-on. And the brilliant
volume control surely delivers more precision. It’s only the price that has remained
the same.

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