{"id":3743,"date":"2025-08-01T15:32:16","date_gmt":"2025-08-01T13:32:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vumetre.com\/en\/?p=3743"},"modified":"2025-05-02T15:49:14","modified_gmt":"2025-05-02T13:49:14","slug":"accuphase-e4000","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vumetre.com\/en\/tests\/types\/amplifier\/accuphase-e4000\/","title":{"rendered":"ACCUPHASE E4000"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Introduced a year after the E5000 amplifier, the Accuphase E4000 replaces the E480, taking what appears to be the new digital code for the brand’s class A\/B integrated amplifiers. Modified using the latest technologies, including those of the recent P7500 stereo block, the E4000 sees its noise reduced still further and its damping factor considerably increased, for unfailingly quiet operation, supported by a still very comfortable power output of 2 x 180 W at 8 ohms, available to fill almost any loudspeaker on the market.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since its first product was launched over fifty years ago, Accuphase has never strayed from its brand identity: an inescapably champagne-coloured chassis, and since its first transistor amplifier (P300), massive front-panel meters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new E4000 does nothing to challenge these principles, and whereas the E480 took out the red LEDs and markers and moved them to the aluminium section, this new version returns to the previous design, with the information reintegrated inside the large glass panel, which is mainly used to display two superb vumeters. Wider and even more visible, these indicators repeat the range of the previous version, going down to -50 dB (before indicating -\u221e) and then across to a red line after 0 dB, the only notable difference being the addition of a 5 between the 20 and 10 on the negative side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Underneath, the red LEDs still light up to give the same information as previous generations, such as whether you’re connected to the DAC (provided you’ve purchased the optional DAC-60 card at \u20ac1,240) or whether you’re outputting to speaker pair A or B. This management is still very ergonomic thanks to the small selectors under the hatch. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduced in this presentation on the E480 and E650, the selectors remain three per side with six buttons in the middle, now rectangular rather than round, for an even classier effect, boosted by the appearance, as on the E5000, of two thin gold-plated contours around the large input and volume level selection knobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the rear, you could quote Verlaine’s poem, \u2018I’ve seen it all again<\/em>\u2019, as nothing has changed in the organisation of inputs and outputs, or in the two slots for optional cards. These allow you to avoid obsolescence on the DAC by upgrading it with each new update, or to integrate an AD-50 phono card (MM\/MC; \u20ac990). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This too is modified over the years if you don’t simply want to add a Line-10 line input (\u20ac190), in case the five already present aren’t enough. A REC line input and output complete the unit, which also has an RCA Pre Out for independent use of the pre-amplifier part, particularly in the case of bi-amplification, right next to an RCA Main In, for use only of the power amplifier. These two independent inputs and outputs are also available in XLR to maximise the fully symmetrical architecture of the device, apart from its single large toroidal transformer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Accuphase<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Accuphase E4000, for E480 only better<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As you will have gathered, the external differences only serve to give a small facelift to a product that is already a benchmark in its range, the E480 having greatly improved in terms of dynamics compared to the E470, while the E4000 is still developing in terms of what Accuphase seeks most to eliminate: all the parasitic noise that reminds us that we are listening to a box and a recording, while the brand seeks as far as possible to recreate an effect of sound realism that is increasingly accurate generation after generation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So it’s inside that the changes are most significant, and while the structure remains exactly the same, the transformer is placed right in the centre behind two large filter capacitors – still 40,000\u03bcF for 80V – between two large heat sinks. On top are the amplification sections, now made up of parallel quadruple push-pull transistors and discrete components, to develop the maximum power of 2 x 180 W at 8 ohms and 2 x 260 W at 4 ohms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a benchmark for the brand, the volume management part is still devolved to an AAVA (Accuphase Analog Vari-gain Amplifier) section in an attempt to eliminate all variable resistances in the signal path. However, this generation manages to reduce its noise level by a further 20%, thanks to the input contribution of six parallel buffer amplifiers and above all an ANCC circuit (Accuphase Noise and Distortion Cancelling Circuit), placed between the volume management and the current-to-voltage converter (I-V) in the AAVA block. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fully parallel to independently manage the left and right channels from source integration to speaker output, the E4000 gains 33% on the damping factor, which rises from 600 to 800 to match that of the E650 (pure class A amplifier, \u20ac10,990) and approach the factor of 1,000 of the E5000 (class A\/B, \u20ac13,490) and E800 (class A, \u20ac14,990). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To achieve this, the new integrated amplifier uses MOS-FET switches with a very low resistance of 1.6 mega-ohms (compared with 2.0 mega-ohms on the E480) placed just behind the speaker terminals, with the result of limiting distortion even further, since intermodulation and harmonics have already been largely taken care of upstream in the device.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The set up<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Having just arrived in France, the E4000 was initially only available in a single unit, received by distributor Hamy Sound for installation at CTA in Paris, where we went with the advantage of being able to compare the Accuphase with McIntosh products, but above all with its E380, E650 and E800 brethren. The test was carried out on an ideal combination of sources: the Accuphase DP570 CD-SACD player (\u20ac10,090) – whose DAC we also used to add the 3D-Lab Nano Signature network transport – and the Mark Levinson 5101 CD-SACD network player. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wireworld’s top-quality cabling, piloted by CTA, enabled us to link not only the aforementioned devices together, but also the ProAc K6 (\u20ac17,250), Sonus Faber Maxima Amator (\u20ac15,000), JMR Orfeo Grande (\u20ac14,800) and, because they were ready for daytime listening, the more reasonable Everest Ubik 215C V3 (\u20ac7,990 all the same). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Knowing the phono and DAC cards, we didn’t see any point in re-testing them here, nor the headphone jack (Accuphase doesn’t mention any alterations and we’re familiar with those on the E600 and E380). From that point on, we were free for a few hours to carry out all the tests available, on all the files of various qualities launched both in streaming and with a few SACDs, remarkable when played back thanks to the DP570.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Accuphase<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sound of the Accuphase E4000<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While the E480 was truly superior to the E470, the E4000 is above all a gentle improvement on its predecessor, of which it retains all the qualities, developing some of them still further, for an even more musical result. So, while it doesn’t have the ductility of the E5000, the E4000 develops the accuracy of the timbres, which we feel are more balanced than on a McIntosh, especially in the bass range. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But above all, it stands out for its extremely low noise level, which may seem like a detail to the uninitiated, but manages to create a perfectly black soundstage of rare purity, superior to that of the E650, for which, on the other hand, we may prefer the charm and roundness of the Class A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sharper, the E4000 is also extremely precise, without losing its suppleness through the profusion of details, from the strings strummed on albums by the late Jeff Beck to the fine touch of pianist Gabriel Tacchino, who also died earlier this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Karajan’s Alpensinfonie<\/em> by Richard Strauss, the brilliance of the stage and the power of the attacks create an effect of rare magnitude in the climaxes, in addition to always placing the instruments perfectly and leaving the rumbling of the double basses, just as fluid and sublime in their glissandi, slightly in the background. Compared with the E380, the new Accuphase enhances the soundstage and realism by eliminating distortion in particular. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It takes full advantage of the best encoded files, with particularly wide and deep soundstages when listening to SACDs, without lagging behind in the more complicated recordings, which we like to listen to for their musical qualities, even if the recording is less flattering. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Above all, this integrated amplifier knows how to make itself quickly forgotten, if you want to forget it at all, thanks to its natural ability to energise all the loudspeakers tested with the same ease. Connected to the Maxima Amator, it immediately manages to deploy a deep bass at the same time as it separates all the elements of the spectrum, even more evident with the ProAc, while listening on JMR allows us to verify that it also knows how to soften, without trying to demonstrate its power, and on the contrary always contains it while delivering it with the purest simplicity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Accuphase<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Launched just four years after the E480, the Accuphase E4000 makes no attempt to revolutionise one of the world’s most prestigious brands, and instead evolves by continually improving on the already excellent qualities of previous versions. Slightly less warm than an E650 in pure class A (\u20ac10,990) and less flexible than the E5000, whose extra power creates an even better effect of contained strength, the E4000 is perfectly placed in its range, just under the \u20ac10,000 mark, to delight owners of energy-hungry loudspeakers or those with very superior performance when you don’t hesitate to put vigorous amplification on them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perfectly integrated into the catalogue, it considerably improves the soundstage compared with the previous generation, while retaining the charm of needle-type meters (as opposed to digital meters on class A products) and the practicality of an Accuphase, both in terms of the number of balanced and unbalanced inputs and the possibility of connecting two pairs of speakers or integrating it into RCA or XLR to bi-amplify one of them with another amplifier from the brand. A must-listen if you want to buy a device in this budget range.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Author<\/strong>: Vincent Guillemin<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Technical sheet: Accuphase E4000<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Origin<\/strong>: Japan<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Price <\/strong>: \u20ac9,290<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Dimensions <\/strong>: 465 x 181 x 428 mm<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Weight <\/strong>: 24.4 kg<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Amplification type<\/strong>: Class A\/B<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Power rating <\/strong>:
    • 2 x 180 W at 8 ohms<\/li><\/ul>\n
        \n
      • 2 x 260 W at 4 ohms<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Harmonic distortion (THD+N) <\/strong>: 0.05<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Frequency response <\/strong>: 20 Hz to 20 kHz (+-0.5 dB)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Signal-to-noise ratio (S\/N<\/strong> ): 102 dB (balanced); 109 dB (unbalanced)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Analogue connections <\/strong>:
        • Inputs: 5 x RCA; 2 x XLR; 1 x RCA Main In; 1 x XLR Main In; 2 x slots (optional)<\/li><\/ul>\n
            \n
          • Outputs: 1 x RCA Pre Out; 1 x XLR Pre Out<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

            Introduced a year after the E5000 amplifier, the Accuphase E4000 replaces the E480, taking what appears to be the new digital code for the brand’s class A\/B integrated amplifiers. Modified using the latest technologies, including those of the recent P7500 stereo block, the E4000 sees its noise reduced still further and its damping factor considerably increased, for unfailingly quiet operation, supported by a still very comfortable power output of 2 x 180 W at 8 ohms, available to fill almost any loudspeaker on the market.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":3744,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[25,122,37,35,38],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3743","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-amplifier","category-accuphase","category-manufacturer","category-tests","category-types"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vumetre.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3743","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vumetre.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vumetre.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vumetre.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vumetre.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3743"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/vumetre.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3743\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4270,"href":"https:\/\/vumetre.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3743\/revisions\/4270"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vumetre.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3744"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vumetre.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3743"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vumetre.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3743"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vumetre.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3743"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}