Inside Stories: Accuphase E-303X

Quite apart from the fact that this magnificent integrated amplifier has a secure place among my “top favorites,” I have a very special story connected with it. At some point in the past I owned this integrated amplifier and used it to drive my loudspeakers at the time, the TMR 1. A harmonious combination. The sources were a Micro Seiki turntable and an ambitious Yamaha CD player. I've forgotten the exact details, because at that time I was constantly tinkering with my system, always in search of the perfect listening experience – and always balancing it against my budget.

No sooner was the E-303X mine than I read that its successor, the E-305, was soon to be reviewed in the leading magazines. Visually the new one appealed to me more than the 303X, but my dealer warned me: acoustically the E-305 would hardly be a match for its proven predecessor, especially since the 303X had the more elaborate power supply. Nevertheless, my mind was made up: I wanted the 305. My dealer finally gave in and exchanged the amplifier.

As it turned out, the dealer was right. The E-303X was superior to the younger model – only the E-305V later set new standards in this price class. The reviews and reports in the specialist magazines of the time, however, did not confirm my findings. In one report even the number of inputs was wrong, and another claimed the 303X would remain in the range. They all agreed: the new amplifier was better than its predecessor. This discrepancy, by the way, prompted me to look around at a hi-fi magazine to see whether they might need someone like me....