Accuphase Laboratories, Inc. (originally known as Kensonic Laboratories, Inc.) – Japanese manufacturer of high-end electronics. Accuphase Laboratories was founded in 1972 by disgraced Kenwood Corporation engineer Jiro Kasuga. Kasuga did not agree with Kenwood’s position in the approach to the development of equipment; many of its developments never reached mass production due to commercial unprofitability for the corporation. After a series of negotiations with Kenwood management, Kasuga creates the Kensonic brand, where it lures several leading engineers from Marantz and Luxman companies.
The name Accuphase was made up of the prefix “ACCU” – from the word accurate, “accurate”, and the word PHASE, “phase”, which is the most important characteristic in sound reproduction technology. This trademark is very suitable for the company’s products, since it reflects this and other important characteristics and penetrates the very depths of sound reproduction technology.
In the endless struggle for better quality, which requires a very high level of production organization, it was decided to abandon assembly line methods. In this regard, production volume is limited, and Accuphase brand products can only be purchased in some specialized stores. Accuphase equipment is not subject to the whims of fashion, since it is created, first of all, for the sake of truly high fidelity sound reproduction. This is the main reason why these products have not become the subject of mass production.
The successor to the very popular and successful Accuphase E-470 amplifier. It uses modern scientific advances and the innovative AAVA-II volume control principle. Only the best elements are used in his sophisticated circuits. The result is an integrated amplifier that reveals even more subtle musical nuances with stunning directness. Developed by Accuphase, the AAVA principle has revolutionized the way music volume is controlled. However, the original version of this regulator took up quite a lot of space. The AAVA-II regulator is a new level of implementation of the same principle, it works just as flawlessly, but has a much smaller size. This is the result of modern surface mount technology, which provides increased component density and optimal packaging. With the AAVA-II, gain and volume control are fully integrated. The use of highly reliable electronic components eliminates mechanical wear and related problems, so the regulator performs excellently for many years.
Since the integrated amplifier has a very high overall gain, the slightest noise at the input has a large impact on the output signal. To eliminate this danger, the preamp and power amplifier sections of the Accuphase E-480 are completely separate. Both electrically and structurally, these two parts are completely independent. Having its own inputs and outputs allows you to use the preamplifier and power amplifier independently of each other. In terms of its performance characteristics, the Accuphase E-480 is in no way inferior to separate amplifiers. The power amplifier section is built as a modern instrumentation amplifier with a fully symmetrical signal path design. Together with the improved MCS+ topology and the famous current feedback principle, this ensures an even better level of electrical performance. A push-pull output stage with parallel pairs of high-power transistors specially designed for audio equipment is capable of driving low-impedance speaker systems.
Features of the Accuphase E-480:
Revolutionary AAVA-II volume control
Push-pull MOS-FET output stage produces a powerful, undistorted signal The use of an instrumentation amplifier configuration in the power amplifier section further reveals the benefits of current feedback and MCS+ Relay
topology
with logic control optimize the signal path
Powerful power supply with large toroidal transformer and high filter capacitance
Digital volume level indication
Accuphase E-480 characteristics:
Circuit design solid state
Impedance 4-16 ohms
Output power 180 W at 8 ohms, 260 W at 4 ohms
Frequency range 3 – 150000 Hz
Harmonic coefficient 0.05%
Input impedance 20 kOhm
Remote control included
Power consumption 611 W at 8 Ohm, 420 W at 4 Ohm
Power consumption in standby mode 92 W
Dimensions (WxHxD) 465x181x427 mm
Weight 24.4 kg
