I have to admit a certain lust for the retro-style of Accuphase. I understand that engineering quality is also high. And while I have no interest in trading in my Boulder, I would love to hear if anyone is pairing the Rossini or Vivaldi with these beautiful amps : )
(After all, a second system is always possible… !)
R
Great equipment.
The big integrated (E-800) was well up there for me when I was amp shopping. I preferred the D’Agostino MxV stereo amp and the darTZeel (obvs.), but I would have been very happy with any of those three. Pretty, too 
Accuphase C-2900 pre-amp here, combined with A-80 power amp. DAC is a Rossini + Rossini clock.
Accuphase is a great company making honest and very high quality gear. They’ll still repair anything they’ve ever sold.
I have a C-47 and DP/DC-1000. The phono pre is really great, worth an audition if you’re in the market, even vs. more expensive units. The 1000 series takes a very different approach than dCS, but complements the Vivaldi very well, and is a joy to use.
DP-900 Transport / dCS Network Bridge / Panasonic TV / C-37 Phono > DG-68 Voicing Equalizer > dCS Vivaldi Apex > A-250 Power Amps > B&W 800 D3.
C-3850 Pre has been taken out of system (not fully neutral, combination with Mapping 3 not satisfactory).
DC-901 just came about eye level with older dCS 974 + dCS 954 (basically pro versions of Purcell and Elgar Plus). With this combination I was listening to CDs upsampled to DSD for over two decades. A DP-700 had absolutely no chance against this combo.
DC-1000 vs. Vivaldi Apex: I got a factory refurbished Vivaldi at a price lower than DC-1000 (new) and later upgraded it to Vivaldi Apex.
If you want to stay up-to-date with Accuphase, you have to change your devices every 4 to 5 years. Upgrading dCS is definitely less expensive on the long run.
Thank you Martin.
The A-250s are beautiful machines indeed! Do you find them fast/musical?
R
that was the main issue for me not to buy Accuphase- they are just too fast with new products, almost like McIntosh amps. You buy it and it’s old. Don’t get me wrong- they’re building very high-class gear but they should reduce their product cycles time.
There is a high synergy between the B&W 800 D3 and the A-250 (and the rest of this Accuphase generation). Accuphase used the 800 D3 to fine tune the A-250 and also demonstrated this combination publicly at the Tokyo Audio Fair 2022.
AQ Wel Signature or AQ Dragon speaker cables are IMHO the best match for this combo.
Extremely musical, but also fast and highly transparent without being analytical.
Simply put: typical new generation Accuphase sound esthetics.
BTW Vivaldi Apex set to 2V and A-250 set to -12dB gain (it is not an attenuator).
