Complete review in Stereoplay magazine (Germany), Issue 4/2009

Accuphase Integrated Amplifier E-250
by Johannes Maier

The Little PrinceWith the E-250 Accuphase is presenting the new integrated youngster.
Explosive power may not be expected by hi-fi fans, but perhaps all the more asterling sound?
Actually, the new amp from Accuphase should not merely be called E-250 butshould rather be decorated - next to its type designation - with a title of nobility. Afterall, which other integrated amplifier can proudly look back onto such an impressive
gallery of ancestral portraits, i.e. from the vintage E-202 of 1975 via -203, -205, -206,-210, -211, -212 till E-213, which was reviewed in Stereoplay July 2005.
Consequently, the E-250's manner of appearance is rather conservative. The
customary meters on the front panel will always tell you the transferred power by
their majestically waving indicators. And once again, this Accuphase amp will havefaith in every knowing and experienced audiophile to make responsible use of theloudness compensator, tone controls and tape monitor switch provided. It's nice to
see that - like in the past - one can choose between speaker output A and B, which
are to be connected to some hefty terminals. It's also prime to have the input selector
knob engaging altogether six high-level inputs plus an additional input to be realisedby two alternative boards optionally available from Accuphase as DAC-20 or AD-20
for vinyl aficionados.
Last but not least, the new Accuphase can be connected to a CD player via a
dedicated XLR input, yet not necessarily so, because the signal becomes
unbalanced right after the input, whereby at this spot some common amplifier ICs areused rather than the more sophisticated, special instrumentation amps employed inits bigger brothers.
On the other hand, much more than by history and features, the E-250 is to excel by
its electronic volume control now dubbed AAVA-II (see insert "Loud and Wise") which
can also be found in the preamplifier C-2110. Quite unlike conventional methods ofvolume control this one was made to refrain from decreasing the signal-to-noise ratio
and hence the dynamics in music. And whilst one could consider the previous AAVA
circuitries providing more or less a grave for ICs, Accuphase managed to straighten
the circuitry layout in the E-250.
Strong input amplifiers, custom-made precision metal-film resistors with oddvalues as well as an array of meticulously operating switching ICs: a certain
complexity is evident yet this complexity seems to remain within reason. Well,perhaps only so far that in the foreseeable future similar circuitries might appear in
the amplifiers of various competitors. We at Stereoplay could make a bet on that!
Owing to the solid preparatory work of the AAVA-II circuitry, a dualconstruction of the input circuits for the power section, as can still be found in thepredecessor E-213, does no longer make sense. Instead, Accuphase has1

implemented an even more elaborate layout of current feedback. Now, before thisfeedback is to take corrective action in the input circuit, a specially processed portionof the input signal is added. Indeed a technical delicacy from which an engineer caneasily read out the possibilities of a particularly subtle optimisation with respect todistortions.
Loud and Wise
We at Stereoplay have already marvelled at the IC-loaded AAVA (Accuphase Analog
Vari-gain Amplifier) in the preamplifier C-2110 (issue 09/2008), yet the slimmer
electronic volume control in the E-250 seems even more attractive. The input
amplifier - equipped with pretty strong transistors - is augmenting the signals in so farthat an array of altogether 144 precision resistors can call up a variety of current bits.
The listening volume is adjusted by a combination of 16 voltage-current converters.
The number of possible volume steps is 216 = 65,536, as determined by current
switches, whereupon the music signal is converted from a voltage into a current, toallow control by current switches, and then back into a voltage. The entire process iscarried out in the analogue domain. The electronic circuitry employs only fixed-value
resistors and hence there is virtually no left/right tracking error, also at low volumelevels. Crosstalk, too, is not an issue here. Lastly, the unique AAVA-II does not
induce any changes in impedance and there is no alteration of frequency response.

We connected the E-250 to the "Vescova" speakers from Isophon (reviewed inissue 08/2008) and right after the first beats the entire listening panel got immediately
thrilled by the warm and extremely vivid aura the E-250 was able to convey. We weredownright hypnotised by the wonderfully driving, vibrant rhythm, whilst this amp waswillingly showing us how a drummer was pushing his band with peppery, dry bangson the snare and coal-black hits on the bass drum. However the E-250 neversounded uncomfortable. Lesser amps might have been misled to sound like rumble
here, yet through the Accuphase everything remained in a complete musical context.
Also no airs and graces when it came to spatial rendition: the deepsoundstage starts right at the speakers whereby instruments and voices are
positioned with focus and three-dimensionality. Some songs from Kari Bremnes' newalbum "LY" (Indigo CD) are describing landscapes and a wide open sky. Including
some fine highlights on the percussion, the E-250 is capable of displaying that withjoy and at the same time is maintaining the seriousness and sweetness in the songsof the woman from Norway.
We soon realized that the new integrated Accuphase plays in a different
league when compared to the E-213, which can still be considered a very good amp.
It's because when the latter had to deal with complex passages in music, it did reactwith a certain anxiety and occupied voices with a kind of raspy tone. Not so the E250 which was taking a deep breath and kept playing along with its relaxed, sublime
temper.
Yes, the Unison Research "Unico 100" (issue 11/2008) from Italy delivers
somewhat more bass and the Pathos "Logos" (issue 12/2005) from the same country
is a bit more resolving in the highest frequencies. However in the long run our little
prince is definitely the more charming musician and that's why we rewarded it with 56
sonic points - plus Stereoplay's "Highlight" crown.
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