Accuphase vs.Pioneer

Either the Accuphase or the 1980 makes much sense in such a small room really. If the OP plans on putting it somewhere bigger in the future then ok....... I am not really a tube fan but that small of a room would be perfect for one.
 
Love hearing all your thoughts and opinions. So I am going to pass up on the P-300. So my price range will be between $1,700 and $2,000 within a few days. Would love to find something in that price range that has the warm tube sound with very low distortion and around 180 to 250 watts. As far as receivers from what I've read the Concept 16.5 or rotel RX -1603 sounds like mite be a good choice? Any thoughts on those?
 

The Pioneer units are lovely, and prove that any of the Japanese giants of the past/present can make statement pieces if they want to.

Accuphase however makes statement pieces all the time and nothing else. All their gear is truly world class, unlike the other companies that know their market is firmly in the middle of the range.

Of the Japanese manufacturers, they are in another league. Unfortunately, I only have a few of their pieces in my collection.
 
Love hearing all your thoughts and opinions. So I am going to pass up on the P-300. So my price range will be between $1,700 and $2,000 within a few days. Would love to find something in that price range that has the warm tube sound with very low distortion and around 180 to 250 watts. As far as receivers from what I've read the Concept 16.5 or rotel RX -1603 sounds like mite be a good choice? Any thoughts on those?

The Concept 16.5 is magical. One working well is quite stunning in sound.

I don’t remember the RD-1603 sound as leaving me stunned.

I heard both after recaps.

I think your price range is in the McIntosh area and you should perhaps look in that direction.
 
Also, bear in mind, in the Japanese high end audio business. There is one Japanese company which has survived and still has stability. That company is Accuphase. They're the main survivor of the Japanese economic crisis. Everyone else in that field has closed, or merged, or bought out.
 
The Pioneer units are lovely, and prove that any of the Japanese giants of the past/present can make statement pieces if they want to.

Accuphase however makes statement pieces all the time and nothing else. All their gear is truly world class, unlike the other companies that know their market is firmly in the middle of the range.

Of the Japanese manufacturers, they are in another league. Unfortunately, I only have a few of their pieces in my collection.

I agree. Pioneer, Kenwood, and Sansui et.all put out some very nice pieces that can definitely be considered 'high end' in an effort to play in the deep end of the pool. Their bread and butter though were consumer grade, less well made gear that sold a lot of units and paid the bills. Accuphase never played in the shallow end of the pool.
 
Accuphase makes statement pieces all the time and nothing else

Japanese Domestic Market only. Never officially imported and sold in the USA ever.

There is a pair of Denon monos on the Bay right now for 50,000.00. I would not compromise that buying power for Denon
Over the past 30-or-so years, the American High End, which targets the 1% (or 3% or whatever) has distorted the value-scale and created a faux "royalty" in audio gear, beyond the reach even of the mere aristocracy.

Kent's point ("Never sold in the USA ever") adds to the exclusivity, they were too good for Americans, we're incapable of appreciating them — Pioneer even named them Exclusive but it might as well have been "Too good for US".

I wouldn't be surprised if the Denon monos Ampman mentions are as good as other 50K amps, but the Denon brand can't support the weight of such pricing. SQ is a small part of the perceived value, status is a bigger factor. Your audio system must reflect glory on you. When my billionaire friends visit me and see my Denon DP80, they say "Oh God what happened? Were you wiped out in the '08 crash? Are your off-shore accounts still OK?"

This is nothing new. There were at least two #1 Bestsellers about this in the 1960s, The Affluent Society and The Status Seekers — and Veblen got there a century earlier with "conspicuous conception": it's not enough to be wealthy, flaunt it so the world will know you're wealthy.

The P300 enjoys some of this status because of its name. It's a good amp, but far from royalty. It should be called Kenwood. Accuphase was started by ex-Kenwood designers who left after Kenwood made their great L-Series, then retreated back into consumer-fi. They even called their new company Kensonic, Accuphase was just a model name for its first products (Pre/Power/Tuner).

But Accuphase is a better name, so they stuck with it.
 
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So I could except clearity fullness and maybe more volume from the Accuphase P-300 then the Sansui au-111? After having the 1980 and au-111. I am looking for that same sound quality or better and want to make sure that the P-300 will not let me down if that makes any sense.
 
I want to make sure that the P-300 will not let me down if that makes any sense
It's all so subjective, Edman. You tell us which amps you've liked, but not why — you want "that same sound quality or better" but never indicate what those qualities are. So I have no real idea what you're seeking. My P300 had accuracy, clarity, and of course power. But it was sterile. I never got excited about the music, was never swept up in it. I never danced, never laughed, never cried, never loved it.
 
Common wisdom is that should be the case.
I'll throw in a qualifier.
Very revealing gear let's you hear flaws in recordings lesser gear masks.
While not so well recorded stuff can sound fantastic on lesser gear. I think many have experienced this as they've upgraded.
Just something to consider.
I still recommend the Accuphase
 
There is a pair of Denon monos on the Bay right now for 50,000.00. I would not compromise that buying power for Denon. That same seller has others I would not bother with also.
A non show pair sold at my buddy Ken’s store in NJ for $14k or so, and had been fully serviced first. Non show meaning no tour sticker on the back and the proper metal top in place with mu shielding on the underside of it.
To put it kindly, the fellow on eBay is “enthusiastic”.
 
Just out of curiosity, why do you think you need 150+ watts of power for a 90 sq ft room?

Now I am well aware of the difference between need and want of course, but the money spent on such a big amp could be used for some truly awesome speakers or a nice turntable or CD player etc.
 
Very revealing gear let's you hear flaws in recordings lesser gear masks. While not so well recorded stuff can sound fantastic on lesser gear. I think many have experienced this as they've upgraded.
Great point NJ. But it doesn't apply to my experience with the P300. In my system at the time, the P300 was the weak link. I emphasize "my" experience, "my" system.

I had a friend over for a music evening. He played Viola in the Berlin Philharmonic for 17 years, under a dozen different conductors. His ears are different. After an hour or so, he noticed my little Cary 2A3 sitting on the side. "Can I hear that one?" I hooked it up, and within minutes he said "My God! How can you even listen to that big silver one?"
 
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