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Stereo 04/2017

Accuphase E-270

The Whole Nine Yards!
With all the goodies, please!  In the league of puristic amps the new
Accuphase E-270 remains the feature wonder. And it has cutting-edge technology on board.

It was kind of a coup when the then brand new E-370 integrated amplifier from
Accuphase made its debut in STEREO's listening room precisely one year ago.
Not only did it outperfom its direct predecessor, the E-360, unusually clearly in terms of sound and thus commended itself as an excellent choice, it also had a much smaller price tag what made the hi-fi sensation perfect. This was due to a lot of fine-tuning e. g. of the Accuphase Analog Vari-Gain  (AAVA), that unique potless volume control which adjusts the level actively through extremely finely graded changes of the gain factor in the preamp section.
But that is not all: with the 370 the manufacturer from Yokohama made the transition from the previous voltage to a current feedback which was to improve the phase stability and the damping factor of the amp once more. To avoid the loss of even the smallest detail, the fat speaker terminals were now mounted directly onto the pc board which drives them and also contains the protection circuitry. Instead of relays the Japanese relied on MOS-FET semiconductors for an even closer, more durable contact between the sockets and the power transistors.
Boredom of perfection
Why all this litany again? Because Accuphase's newly launched entry-level amp
E-270 has inherited these goodies from its big brother, but doesn't cost a cent more than the superseded E-260. Equipped with soft-touch pushbuttons for many functions that operate relays, it also has an incomparably fancier appearance than the old model which still used rather rustic press keys for this purpose. A stepped edge gives the front panel, traditionally shimmering in pale gold, an even nobler look. The digital volume display below the Accuphase logo backlit in turquoise also received a visual brush-up. All trifles, sure, but they make a difference.
Otherwise nothing's changed and thus we see the same boredom of perfection 
typical of Accuphase. From the impeccable quality of workmanship to the flawless functionality to the top-class lab values the E-270 is a smooth-edged integrated amplifier.
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The sumptuous range of inputs is completed by an extra slot for the optional
DAC-40 D/A converter board, which also accepts data from a computer via USB
and is entirely highbit capable, or the adjustable AD-30 phono board for a turntable with an MM or MC cartridge (ca. 1,260/1,010 euros).
Where the competition mostly relies on purism, the E-270 spoils its owner with tape out, mono, muting and loudness switches plus balance and tone controls.
There is also a powerful headphone socket which delivers up to seven volts into an output impedance of merely two ohms. One could easily hook up speakers here , explains lab boy  Uli Apel.
For decades Accuphase amps have been shining with those amenities, so we