Gabehcuod Posted February 15, 2021 Share Posted February 15, 2021 (edited) So I'm fairly new to this hobby compared to most people on SNA, being only 21, and having not heard of Accuphase before. Roughly 9 months ago, my open box Cambridge Audio Azur 651W killed itself and kept going into protection mode. It took a lot of time and effort just to have this unit serviced. Had to wait a month just for the repair store to receive a service manual, few hours of trouble shooting to trace a blown op-amp. After this happened to me, I knew I wanted to look for a vintage amplifier, something easy to service with plenty of documentation available. I was lucky enough to have a friend in the states who repairs vintage audio and was able to help me with my search through the local classifieds. After what seemed like weeks of pestering the guy, we finally found something with a great sound, design and at a reasonable price. This was the Accuphase P-400 which became my gateway drug into a component system. The moment I hooked that amplifier into the system and played the first track, tears became to form. I'd never heard music so lush, rich, smooth yet detailed. The experience was truly euphoric and I was hooked. From this point I sought after the C-240 and again, hearing it in the system compared to the Kinki Ex-P7 i had at the time, i was gobsmacked. The sound brought out emotions that I'd never truly felt to that extent about music. I eventually picked up the T-106 and now recently an E-303 that I'm using while the preamp is being serviced. Next step from here will likely be a processor/transport stack. Edited February 15, 2021 by Gabehcuod 20 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gemini07 Posted February 15, 2021 Share Posted February 15, 2021 Well done. No substitute for quality. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Poort Posted February 15, 2021 Share Posted February 15, 2021 Very nice. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anandpkumar Posted February 15, 2021 Share Posted February 15, 2021 Congratulations on the Accuphase! Really nice to see those amplifiers with the 'VU' meters - brings back memories of my old system with 'VU' meters. Did you get these locally? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabehcuod Posted February 15, 2021 Author Share Posted February 15, 2021 (edited) Thanks mate, The 303 and 106 were imported from Japan by me. The 303 was user switchable to 240v, the 106 might be switchable internally, not sure. Rn I use the stepdown. The c-240 and P-400 are Japanese units that I acquired locally, both were switched to 240v 4 minutes ago, anandpkumar said: Congratulations on the Accuphase! Really nice to see those amplifiers with the 'VU' meters - brings back memories of my old system with 'VU' meters. Did you get these locally? Edited February 15, 2021 by Gabehcuod 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anandpkumar Posted February 15, 2021 Share Posted February 15, 2021 7 minutes ago, Gabehcuod said: Thanks mate, The 303 and 106 were imported from Japan by me. Ya, noticed a step down transformer in your rack - hence wondering if you got it from the home country! Enjoy your setup, Cheers! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a.dent Posted February 15, 2021 Share Posted February 15, 2021 Dear Dean, When I was your age I wanted some Accuphase gear but could never afford it. 40 years on and I finally purchased new Accuphase pre amp power amp and and CD player. I kick myself about waiting so long. You'll still be able to hand your Accuphase gear down to the next generation in another 40 years. Well done. Oh, the Denon turntable looks great as well. Cheers Andrew 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a_zee Posted February 15, 2021 Share Posted February 15, 2021 Good to see I'm not the youngest member on here anymore! Looks great, I'm a huge Accuphase fan myself. Have a E-203 at the moment about to be sold to another member. Maybe one day I'll build a full scale Accuphase system like yours. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davm Posted February 16, 2021 Share Posted February 16, 2021 23 hours ago, Gabehcuod said: Thanks mate, The 303 and 106 were imported from Japan by me. The 303 was user switchable to 240v, the 106 might be switchable internally, not sure. Rn I use the stepdown. The c-240 and P-400 are Japanese units that I acquired locally, both were switched to 240v Curious about the T-106 imported from Japan. I thought tuners made for the Japanese market used a different FM tuning range (76-95 Mhz) that doesn't overlap the Australian FM band very well. Did you have to have the tuner modified to cover the Australian FM band (88-108 MHz)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabehcuod Posted February 19, 2021 Author Share Posted February 19, 2021 C-240 just arrived back home after servicing. Incase you're wondering what you get from a 40 year old preamp that can be had for 2.5k, here are some pictures. On 16/02/2021 at 11:33 AM, davm said: Curious about the T-106 imported from Japan. I thought tuners made for the Japanese market used a different FM tuning range (76-95 Mhz) that doesn't overlap the Australian FM band very well. Did you have to have the tuner modified to cover the Australian FM band (88-108 MHz)? Yea, I'm still figuring out how to get it converted. I know they make devices for japanese vehicles. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crtexcnndrm99 Posted February 19, 2021 Share Posted February 19, 2021 On 15/02/2021 at 10:27 AM, Gabehcuod said: So I'm fairly new to this hobby compared to most people on SNA, being only 21, and having not heard of Accuphase before. Roughly 9 months ago, my open box Cambridge Audio Azur 651W killed itself and kept going into protection mode. It took a lot of time and effort just to have this unit serviced. Had to wait a month just for the repair store to receive a service manual, few hours of trouble shooting to trace a blown op-amp. After this happened to me, I knew I wanted to look for a vintage amplifier, something easy to service with plenty of documentation available. I was lucky enough to have a friend in the states who repairs vintage audio and was able to help me with my search through the local classifieds. After what seemed like weeks of pestering the guy, we finally found something with a great sound, design and at a reasonable price. This was the Accuphase P-400 which became my gateway drug into a component system. The moment I hooked that amplifier into the system and played the first track, tears became to form. I'd never heard music so lush, rich, smooth yet detailed. The experience was truly euphoric and I was hooked. From this point I sought after the C-240 and again, hearing it in the system compared to the Kinki Ex-P7 i had at the time, i was gobsmacked. The sound brought out emotions that I'd never truly felt to that extent about music. I eventually picked up the T-106 and now recently an E-303 that I'm using while the preamp is being serviced. Next step from here will likely be a processor/transport stack. Nice to hear from another young person in the hobby. Looks like you’ve found a great niche to explore - me, I found myself down the DIY pathway pretty soon after starting. Slippery slope and all, but it’s worth it for the sound and atmosphere... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabehcuod Posted May 17, 2021 Author Share Posted May 17, 2021 (edited) Finally Moved, gear is getting the respect it deserves. Also had the P-400 restored and upgraded by Chris at Kimil Electronics. WBT Binding posts were installed, and the stock power cable was replaced with a 15mm thick audiophile grade power cord and a really nice chinese "accuphase" power plug. Love the sound of this gear and I can't ever imagine selling any of it off. Edited May 17, 2021 by Gabehcuod 12 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabehcuod Posted May 17, 2021 Author Share Posted May 17, 2021 For reference, this is what my P-400 used to look like before i took it to Chris. I had to use an adapter with fairly poor contact that would keep coming out from the weight of the cables. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabehcuod Posted June 2, 2021 Author Share Posted June 2, 2021 Getting the accuphase itch again... Might have a new piece in the system very soon. Something about the sound of accuphase grips me and brings me happiness that I've never felt before. It's almost as if the system is single-handedly keeping me alive. So far looking for either a more recent integrated or a dac/cd transport. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabehcuod Posted June 8, 2021 Author Share Posted June 8, 2021 Two new pieces arriving from Japan, Denon DCD-3500G CD player (made in 1988, weighs 22kg) quite a legendary piece: http://denondcd-3500g.blogspot.com/2011/08/denon-dcd-3500g.html and a Denon DCD-2500AE (modern, plays SACDs). The System as of today consists of: Denon DP-59L Turntable, Denafrips Ares II Dac, Accuphase T-106 tuner, Accuphase C-240 preamplifer, Accuphase P-400, Accuphase E-303, Denon DCD-2500NE and DCD-3500G. @HeyNow Hi-Fi 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoovie Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 That's some awesome gear for anyone, let alone a 21 year old! Enjoy! 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabehcuod Posted June 9, 2021 Author Share Posted June 9, 2021 (edited) Why stream when CDs are so much better Edited June 29, 2021 by Gabehcuod 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabehcuod Posted June 10, 2021 Author Share Posted June 10, 2021 Latest Addition to the system. The sound is phenomenal. 4 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabehcuod Posted July 23, 2021 Author Share Posted July 23, 2021 Denon DCD-3500G should be arriving from Japan soon. Usually I'm excited about these things but my sadness has reached a point where I don't even care about the hobby anymore. I feel like selling all the gear and just ending life. idk why i'm even writing this on a forum. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monty Posted July 23, 2021 Share Posted July 23, 2021 Don't worry about the gear right now. It's beautiful stuff. You can decide to keep or sell when you're in a good frame of mind. For now just look after yourself. It's okay to ask for help - family, friends, professionals, lifeline, etc. Be strong, be safe. 6 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metal beat Posted July 23, 2021 Share Posted July 23, 2021 Yea Gabe. Covid and lockdown is no good for anyone's mental health. As Monty mentioned, please reach out to your family and close friends. The gear and stuff can wait for a while. Stay safe dude. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redbook Posted July 23, 2021 Share Posted July 23, 2021 Stay strong don't give the vermin the satisfaction! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabehcuod Posted July 25, 2021 Author Share Posted July 25, 2021 Loving the Lenehan Audio Ribbontek Speaker Cables. Bought these off a fellow SNAer and they sound pretty damn good. Also really like how "invisible" they look in the rig. 7 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gemini07 Posted July 25, 2021 Share Posted July 25, 2021 The FoilFlex speaker cables give a different dimension to music, revealing nuances I never knew existed. In terms of interconnects, I think the ones that affected the signal the most were between the preamp and power amp. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlurkA Posted July 25, 2021 Share Posted July 25, 2021 Fantastic to see gear made in the seventies still be cared for and going strong. Just brilliant. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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