Well, after nearly six weeks living with it in my system at home, it’s about time I put pen to paper…well digits to keyboard…and outline my feelings so far.
Of course, I’m talking about the Accuphase E370 Integrated Amplifier.
I have known the name Accuphase as a highly reputable manufacturer of exceedingly good hi-fi products for many years, but I’ve never been privy to their performance as it appears that anyone involved with distribution of the brand in the UK would rather have kept them ‘secret’…for their ears only!
It was a bit of a surprise then, when one of our long serving reps’, Chris Fayers, mentioned that his boss (as a long term Accuphase user) had just taken the Accuphase brand under his wing, and was keen to extol it’s virtues to a select band of hifi dealers.
My first marginally comment was….”do they do them in Black”? Absolutely not apparently! That….was to be my LAST negative comment.
Anyway back to the E370 in my home system. The system includes a Well Tempered record deck and tonearm with Dynavector Dr T cartridge, a Naim ND5 XSII Streamer running a ROON Nucleus + Music Server, Focal Kanta 2 / Shahinian Obelisk II (the jury is out on the winner here!) all connected with MMA/Mogami cables and TQ type speaker cables.
People who know me already are aware that I consider the Dynavector pre and power amplifiers to be some of the most musical that I have ever heard or owned. As some of you might know that the delivery time is between 6-100 years!!!
I stupidly sold mine some years ago (an offer too good to turn one’s nose up at) thinking that they could be replaced reasonably quickly….NOT!
I have been using my Dynavector Pre with either the Naim NAP250DR or the amplifier (made by a man of whom we do not speak) with very reasonable results…that was until the E370 arrived.
There is only one real way to describe the initial sound experience, and that includes one ‘very rude’ word and …. ME! Simply stunning!
The control that this amplifier exerts over the signal is nothing short of breathtaking.
There are SO many hifi superlatives that I could use here, but they are only words used ‘ad nauseam’ time after time in the hi-fi rags.
The very real sensation that one experiences is of total involvement and enjoyment of the music. A very strong feeling that you are listening to the actual music and not what ‘colour’ the system is actually adding to the sound!
Yes, the sound is incredibly detailed, but in a totally natural and realistic way. Yes the highs, mids and lows are all there in abundance, shall I dare to say like you have never heard them, but this is only a very small part of an immense ‘whole’!
The thing is that you just listen in to what is being played with a window to the sound like you’ve never experienced before.
We also have their cheapest CD player (with the E270 amplifier) on dem in the shop and this is also truly amazing. I have heard many players over the years but Nothing compares to this.
I cannot imagine how the next one up in the range can actually sound better but apparently it does!
Forgetting the sound for a short moment, the build quality is, again, simply stunning. You very much get the feeling that these products are built to last for many, many years.
Chris Fayers introduced us to the Focal brand over 20 years ago and we have never looked back. Well it seems Chris that you have done it again!
Ah, and did I mention the colour…….Gorgeous!
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