Review in STEREO magazine (Germany), April 2008
Accuphase Integrated Amplifier E-350
The Consequence by Matthias Böde
Accuphase has recently upgraded its top-of-the-range integrated amplifiers whereby the technological highlights have now also been implemented in the smaller E-350. However the question remains if it's going to beat its predecessor.
Last year when STEREO brought together all four integrated amps from
Accuphase to be family-tested for our December issue, the E-308, which we originally presented and reviewed in the middle of 2004, was actually on the way to be discontinued. And as already heralded at that time, its successor E-350 has in the meantime been launched to be established below the newcomers E-450 and E-550.
You probably will have to look twice in order to distinguish the E-350 from the
E-308: a narrow, slightly recessed surface beneath the thick, champagne-coloured front panel and the operational buttons now being round instead of square (of which most are hidden behind a flap anyway). They are the most obvious changes, apart from other rather small cosmetics details. In fact, the E-350 can be distinguished from its more expensive brother E-450 only by the lesser output power and the name plate.
Because the enterprise from Yokohama is nevertheless offering the same features also in the E-350, which are switchable tone controls, six high-level inputs,
of which two are of the balanced variety, two full-function tape circuits including the facility for monitoring, separation for pre- and power amp and last but not least, an output jack for headphones. Yes, of course, the power meters, which are oh so typical for Accuphase, are also on board but can be switched off if not needed.
Certainly, this amp's got all the trimmings! Don't look for a phono input, though,
because there isn't any. Yet for vinyl aficionados the Japanese can provide the optional MM/MC phono board AD-20 which is to be installed into a dedicated slot at the rear panel. A D/A converter board dubbed DAC-20 for external digital sources is likewise available as an option. Both had been thoroughly tested during the family meeting last year and they really offer an outstanding value for money with respect to technology and sound. Indeed and ideal addition to the E-350.
All this however could be found in the old E-308 as well. So, can the change to the new model merely be considered "old wine in new bottles"? No, certainly not,
because for the E-350 Accuphase donated one of its most eminent, proprietary technological achievements of recent years for pre- and integrated amplifiers, namely a volume control according to "Accuphase Analog Vari-gain Amplifier", in brief AAVA.
Like in the E-450, the new one also received the improved and more precise version of the second generation (AAVA-II).
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While in the E-308 a conventional potentiometer is taking care of the volume control, the volume knob of the E-350 is controlling a compact circuit board spangled with electronic components which through an analogue process is regulating the volume by means of 16 voltage-current converters in altogether 65.536 steps,
depending on the position of the volume knob. This is perceived by the ear as a smoothly sliding up or down of the volume. According to Accuphase this measure is
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