Why Accuphase Amplifiers Are the Benchmark in High-End Audio
No it’s not gold, it’s champagne. Oh, ok, it kind of looks gold but if you say it’s champagne then I’ll drink to that. Of course we’re talking about the deliciously tasty piece of audio equipment that is the Accuphase E-5000 integrated amplifier. A far too pedestrian name for a rather exceptional product. Of course, this should come as no surprise to anybody who has had anything to do with this esteemed Japanese company.
The E-5000 is the Art of Sound: See why we’re Obsessed with Accuphase
I first came across Accuphase in the mid 80s when the company wasn’t that well known. I well remember a pair of their thousand watt M-1000 mono blocks being hooked up to the very hard to drive double height STAX ELS-F83 electrostatic speakers and everyone in the room oohing and ahhing about the sumptuous tonal qualities and effortless dynamics. Needless to say those Accuphase amplifiers made quite an impression. The next Accuphase product that made me stop in my tracks was the DP 70 CD player. Like most keen audiophiles I was incredibly underwhelmed by the sound of early CD. Philips claimed it was pure perfect sound forever. Most music lovers I knew were just wanting to put an end to the misery. So, many of us just pulled the power out and tossed this irritating new-fangled thing in a cupboard or even direct to the curb side and never looked back. I mean, come on, we still had our wonderful old school record players to fall back on. We didn’t need some pesky little silver disk in our lives or the silly machines that played them. The DP 70 was the first time I’d ever heard actual music come out of a CD player. Even though it was eye wateringly expensive at the time I sold several that first month because it sounded so good I had to call everybody I knew and tell them about it. They came, they listened and they passed over their credit card in astonishment.
From the Archives: This 1984 Accuphase E-302 Stereo Amplifier Still Lights Up
So that’s a bit of Accuphase experience from the past but in the here and now at Audio Trends we are rediscovering this amazing brand all over again. The first E-5000 we got in lasted one day before it was scooped up by an eager music lover. Oh, and he bought a matching Accuphase CD player to go with it. The second one we got in we have actually had a chance to listen to, and listen to, and listen to. I can’t remember a product that has captured our ears quite like this amplifier has. Teamed with a suitable source like the Accuphase DP-450 CD player and some top shelf Bowers & Wilkins 803 D4 speakers, you can easily sit back, forget about time and just immerse yourself in the music. It’s the archetypical iron fist in a velvet glove. Its 240 watts provide stunning dynamics, depth and control but simultaneously there is this uncannily smooth midrange that makes vocalists sound like they’re singing just for you and gives cello a mellifluousness that is truly breathtaking. And acoustic guitar? Oh my, don’t get us started. Just play the first minute of Romeo and Juliet to get a sense of the extraordinary naturalness we’re talking about with vocals and guitar. And then when the drums come in, the spread of sound, the life like impact and the sense of realism is palpable. It makes you want to listen to this treasured gem all the way through like it’s your first time.
And that, you will soon discover, is not an isolated incident. The E-5000 is one of those products that encourages you to put on more and more music. If you are lucky enough to purchase one of these masterpieces, look forward to some very late nights in your near future because you just won’t want to stop listening to music. We think you’ll agree it’s a great reason to lose sleep.
The E-5000 is on demonstration in store at Audio Trends. Come in for a listen and prepare to enjoy yourself. Oh, and don’t forget your credit card and a permission slip from your significant other. You might just need them.
Written by Wes Bell - July 2025