Interest Check: Accuphase AD20 Phono Card

I have for sale the excellent Accuphase AD-20 Phono card.

This was bought new very recently by my good friend, and as such is physically as it was when new. Has seen very limited use.

It is a stunning phono stage and easilly kept up with the likes of the eastern electric minimax phono and is on a similar level to the offerings from Whest. It supports MM andd MC, and has adjustable loadig etc.

Retail on this card in the UK is around the £950 mark.

Im after £600 posted for this card. It will come boxed with all instructions.

 

Is this still available? If it is could you let me know if it's a grey import (I'm not too hung up on this but would like to know) and if you're open to offers? Many thanks

 

Hi there

its likely i May not be selling this, as it is a very very hard thing to replace. This is not a grey import, its official UK stock, with original box, hence the price, which im afraid is fixed.

 

Understood. Off topic but have you been able to compare it to any other phono stages? I have the 550 with a DAC10 (also thinking of upgrading this to DAC20 - comments are welcomed), using a Whest 30.R phono stage but am thinking of trying to reduce the box count - hence the interest.

 

Well, i used an eastern electronics minimax phono before the accuphase one, and i find the accuphase card to be more linear and with greater extension, perhaps lacking the ultimate sense of speed you get from the minimax. It is very uncoloured though, and revealing and capable of working with some very high end carts.

Its worth remembering that the AD20 has no fancy case, no power supply, no switches, lights etc, and this means that for a retail value of close to £900 these days, your actually getting a hell of a lot of phono stage. Were this a self contained unit, it would likely costs nearer £1500-2000.

My friend that sold me the 550 now uses a whest phono stage, and finds that the accuphase card was probably just as competent, and he's using it with an SME 20/2A

I also have the dac20 and it compares very well against the likes of the cyrus dacX and the chord dac64, if anything i prefer its presentation to the dac64 which i have always found a little hard and edgy. The dac20 is a decent proposition and perhaps competes with CD players around the £1500 mark. The E550 does deserve a better source, but its still a competent DAC