Accuphase C-3850

[Weirdcuba]

Also agree that break in warms it up some.

[meltemi]

I changed from the C-3800 to the C-3850 about a year ago. IMHO the C-3850 has better resolution, transparency and sounds more lively than the C-3800, at least in my all Accuphase / AQ system.

I currently use B&W 800 D2 but recently had the opportunity to listen to B&W 800 D3 with a same Accuphase / AQ system as mine.

The listening clearly revealed the almost unbelievable neutrality of the Accuphase / AQ chain. In comparison the B&W 800 D2 shows a slight lack of transparency, has a softer and less precise low end and shows some colouration, especially with voices, compared to the B&W 800 D3. The D3's imaging also seemed to be more open than the D2's. Personally with neither of these two speakers did I get the impression of dryness; the music was alive (and that's what I'm looking for).

This experience leads me to the conclusion, that the C-3850 is most likely the most neutral preamp on the market.

But bloom or no bloom (i.e. neutrality) eventually have to be judged subjectively. I can understand that some may prefer some bloom over (almost) no bloom. The overall behaviour of a system is dependent on every single component. I cannot say anything about Magico with such an all Accuphase / AQ system, because I have never listened to these speakers.

Martin

[TOGA]

Let's do vintage. I found these in Nagoya, Japan. Nice.
Curious how does it compare with something like. C3850.
Toga

[Mattia]

If properly restored, they would do not bad at all.

If I compare my E-303x (restored), C-280V (restored by Accuphase) and C-2420, I notice more and more precision and focus in the scene (with the E-303x also a bit noisier, the others essentially silent). But in my opinion the differences in normal listening situations are not, especially the comparison between the last two, "SO unbelievable! Night and day! WOW incredible!!"

In my case, for example, careful room acoustic passive treatment and accurate EQ with DG-58 with a lowly E-303x give better results than the C-2420+A-46 in another non treated room without EQ (I tried many times ).


I stress on the "restored" thing because in quite old units still totally original, the sound probably is not what it was when they were new, so comparison with modern units is not accurate.

My E-303x had a very, very smooth sound, with a graceful slope after just 8Khz.
Yeah, smooth and pleasant, but not what the original project was and too much unwanted and unsettable coloration on the signal.
After a quite extensive work on the unit, now it sounds much more "normal", with a normal frequency response. Maybe less particular, but surely what Accuphase went after when they engineered the unit.

[tp1]

I have to agree on the neutrality of C-3850. some pre's like Vitus can exude more warmth while many can sound etched by comparison. C-385O tells it like it is IMO but its accuracy and neutrality also means that rich sonic textures sound more natural than so many other pre's