Accuphase E-206
Features
Value For Money
Accuphase E-206
User Reviews
Accuphase E-206
tons of power, this is not your average integrated amp, like all accupase products it is built like a tank and blows away mcintosh at same power rating. this amp has everything one could desire and the sound is sweet and airy. these amps are hard to find and if you can find one buy it! it rivals separates costing 3 times its price and you can use it separately as a power amp or preamp and for biamp. and if your into vinyl it has both mm and mc and a superb headphone amp as well able to drive low impedance headphones like audeze lcd2. i cant think of anything i dont like about this amp that will out live all the others.
Interesting you mention the Audeze LCD-2's.. does it drive them well? I'm interested as I own the LCDS2's and am thinking about buying the E-206?
Value For Money
Features
This Beautifully Built, Champagne-gold Integrated
This beautifully built, champagne-gold integrated Accuphase E-206 amplifier is a dream come true for me: I saw it on the shelves in stores some 10 years ago and was in complete awe.
But then, I was happy with my Rotel 840 BX2 and only until weeks ago, I still was.
To cut a long story short; I realized my dream at the price of a serious, yet still not really spectacular new amp in the regions of a new upper-mid quality amp -for example from Marantz, Denon or Rotel. OK, the Accuphase is 10 years old but that's the -small- risk one takes.
Accustomed to 17 years of listening to my Rotel; I was prepared for a subtle, yet audible improvement.
That's not what I got: It simply blew the Rotel away.
Gifted with both a relatively laid-back character and a tremendous level of "slam" and authority, it painstakingly reveals details -and sometimes entire instruments in the recording- I had never heard before. This can work both ways though; in its unforgivingness, the amp can make "so-so" recordings sound appalling yet make "nice" recordings sound stunning.
My Rotel needed at least 24 hours to come into full sonic swing, the Accuphase immediately sounds great and doesn't further improve by being left "on".
No criticism then? Sure. Accuphase cunningly hide the fact -by mounting an extra bottom-plate underneath it- that they use the same relatively inexpensive power-transformer brand as used -coincidentally- in my old Rotel. Removing this plate reveals "Bando" while on top of the transformer, it proudly reads Accuphase Power Transformer...
The balance switch is better left at neutral because when used, it clearly degradates the sound-quality:
"Neutral" probably automatically overrides the circuitry.
I bought this amplifier pre-owned, because new Accuphase products are wildy expensive AND I like the more classic looks of this late '80's style better than their current line. The value-rating is for the old list-price, I'd give it a 9,5 considering the price I paid -roughly half of old list.
This amplifier -but for example the E-205 has legendary status as well, and can be found cheaper yet- is a worthy alternative if you're in the market for a relatively affordable amplifier; yet are reluctant to buy something "everyone" else already owns.
I have 2 Accuphase E 202's, as I love this amp that much! For about $400 for each, they are a steal and sound wonderful. I also have a Mac 4100 rec, and though I had always wanted a Mac and thought them to be the ultimate choice, the E 202 simply surpasses the Mac, although an amp vs. rec comparison - HEAVY!! The unit has a nice silver face and retro meter's. Get one before they are gone!!
I bought my Accuphase E202 used, in 1977. It's still going strong, and I still can't believe how good it sounds, even though it's 30 years old. It's driving an equally ancient pair of AR 2ax speakers, which also sound pretty good, though could use a little help at the high end. I'm so pleased to hear that Accuphase is still making such solid products, even though I would never be able to buy one at current prices.
This is for nroberts and his E-202. That Accuphase dealer is a real loser, the Accuphase distributor here in Australia told me he had several full sets of spares for the E-202!!!! Accuphase have a POLICY of fully supporting ALL their products, regardless of age. So, that UK dealer is a liar, and just wants you to buy new. nroberts, if you are happy with your E-202, it may pay to source the part you need and get it fixed by a good audio technician. New Accuphase gear costs a fortune, so if you weren't planning on replacing the 202, I'd try to fix it. Send me an email at [email protected], at the very least I can give you the telephone number of the Australian distributor! No Accuphase spares will be cheap, in fact they are expensive, but it would be thousands of pounds cheaper than a new Accuphase amp...
On a historical note, I purchased an Accuphase E202 integrated amplifier in 1974 (yes). It never needed repair and its life ended at the beginning of this year (2003) only because the sole agent in this Country couldn't or wouldn't mend it after the power switch failed.
During those 29 years, it produced smooth, deep and true sound, excellent for my classical taste in music. So impressed was I that I now have no option now but to try and get the cash together to replace it with an E212.
Built to military specifications? You bet!
I've been looking all over the net for info on the Accuphase E-205 integrated amp, I just got one on e-bay (for about half its value were I to buy it in a audiophile shop AND it's in excellent condition) and it's good to see how highly regarded Accuphase are - not a bad purchase for my first ever amp eh? Can't wait until the courier arrives with it next week, until then I'm hungrily devouring as many reviews/articles etc as I can - thanks for the review. I'm a bit uncertain about my source - a Rotel RCD 930AX which is a great little entry level CD player, but I have a feeling that the Accuphase is going to scrutinise it, find it "acceptable", but just that...hopefully the speakers I am almost settled on will marry with the Accuphase, they're Amber Bambinos, which despite being a bookshelf have the same drivers as a $3,300 ProAc floorstander - and sound even better than the ProAcs at a third of the cost. We'll see. My audiophile store were ecstatic that I was getting an E-205, and assured me the Rotel would be fine, and the Ambers would be driven much better by it than the previous amp I was going to buy, a Denon from '92, 65x2 into 8 ohms, clean sound - but, the proof of the pudding is in the tasting, or hearing. Accuphase owners in the main seem to be very religious about the products, it's quite heartening really. I've been using the Rotel with a NAD 3020 which isn't mine, lovely amp but just not powerful enough for me, I strongly suspect a quantum leap in my music very soon. I'm going to write a E-205 review after a few weeks, there's almost none on the net, just ppl saying how good they are.
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