william_blair

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
4.00 of 5, 5.00 votes

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
I bought this amp after a great deal of consideration in 1974. My previous system had been stolen so I was starting from new.
I first looked at a McIntosh integrated transistor amp which put out 70 watts per channel ( I can't remember the model) and a pair of KEF 104 speakers. I then went to another store where the owner showed me the E-202 which he highly recommended. It was cheaper then the McIntosh and also had a considerably better power output rating. However, I still had not decided on speakers.
While the KEFs were not bad, I was not entirely satisfied with their performance given their relatively high price. So I listened to a number of other speakers and narrowed it down to 2 models: the AR LST and the Dynaco A-50. I found the LSTs to be similar to the Dynacos except for the bass respense which was a little lower. However, LSTs needed more power than the E-202 could produce to really drive them properly.
After further consideration I went with the Accuphase and the Dynacos. The Dynacos are great speakers and are perfectly matched to the E-202s, being rated at 100 watts at 8 ohms. Their only drawback is the mediocre finish and perhaps a lack of prestige associated with the Dynaco name.
It has now been 33 years and I'm still using the same combination. The Accuphase has been bulletproof except for the relay going about 15 years ago. The Dynacos still sound as good as when I bought them but have been banged around a bit resulting in a few scratches - something that would be a little more upsetting with a better finished set of speakers. In any case the E-202 has been entirely satisfactory. It has lots of guts and allows me to play my classical music as loudly as I want without a problem - especially when the neighbours have a loud party next door. Shostakovich never sounded better!

Strengths:
Excellent construction, nearly perfect reliability.

Weaknesses:
None

Similar Products Used:
Marantz receiver c. 1972

Price Paid:  $370.00 from Ebay

Summary:
HAVE BEEN COLLECTING UNITS ON eBAY FOR 5 YRS. HAVE OWNED THE BEST FROM PIONEER , SANSUI , MCINTOSH , LUXMAN AND MARANTZ. I NOW SEARCH NO MORE THE E-202 IS SIMPLY BAR NONE THE BEST AMP I HAVE EVER HEARD PAID 370 US AND WONDER WHY THE GUY EVER SOLD IT. RETRO SILVER NICE METERS AND THE SOUND IS FAN FRIGGEN TASTIC. MATCHED IT UP WITH A T-101 AND I AM IN HEAVEN. YOU CAN SPEND THOUSANDS MORE TO EMPTY YOUR POCKET BOOK AND IMPRESS YOUR FRIENS ---BUT WHY? DRIVING A PAIR OF 300 WATT SANSUI SPL800 SPEAKERS AND AT TIMES A PAIR KLIPSCH LA SCALLA'S YEOW

Strengths:
POWER , FINESE , STYLE AND SOUND. IMPRESSIVE MUSICALITY

Weaknesses:
WITH A BIT OF ADAPTING EVEN THE SPEAKER BARRIERS ARE NO ISSUE

Similar Products Used:
MC INTOSH 4100 - MARANTZ 18 AND 2325 - FISHER 400 TUBE - PIONEER SX 1980 AND 1050 - SANSUI 9090DB AND MANY MORE

gcknapp

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 5.00 votes

Price Paid:  $800.00 from Apple Tree Stereo

Summary:
I have recently reacquired this beautiful integrated after a 17 year upgrade itch that finally subsided. Bought my Accuphase in 1976 with a pair of Bose 901's (high-end at the time) from Apple Tree Stereo in Elgin, IL. Kept until 1988, at which time I purchased Creek, Exposure, Rotel and Bryston amps over the next 16 years. Recently visited the friend to which I had sold my Accuphase. He had relegated the unit to power basement speakers-his primary system is home theater. To make a long story short, it is now back in my main system, driving a pair of Meadowlark Swifts with a Rotel RCD-961 CD player. Still in perfect shape, cosmetically and sonically. Am grateful to my friend for keeping this great amp pristine.

Strengths:
Ample power, retro styling and meters, strong bass and soundstaging. Weighs a ton, and sounds excellent. 3 line level inputs, 2 phono stages, 3 tape inputs. Awesome look and sound.

Weaknesses:
Speaker connections-thats all.

Similar Products Used:
Bryston, Rotel, Marantz, Creek and Exposure integrated.

finn52

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Visitors rate this review
3.25 of 5, 4.00 votes

Price Paid:  $100.00 from private deal

Summary:
This is indeed a great amp. My newly bought integrated Bryston is for sale. The E202 simply spanks the Bryston in every aspect. Espesially its pin-point focus is terriffic, not to mention its musicality. Just go buy one on the second-hand market. Goes for 100 - 350 £.

Strengths:
Musicality. Superb focus. Goes with any speaker.

Weaknesses:
Speaker terminals. Speaker terminals and Speaker terminals.

Price Paid:  $575.00 from Audiogon

Summary:
This is an superb sounding integrated amp that needs no further introduction. It actually sounds more smooth and focus than the E203, and has more muscle than the E205. And the meters are very nice! The power rating (100W into 8ohm, 160w into 4ohm) is misleading. It simply drives whatever speakers I throw at it! The terminal strips are like hell as usual. Recently I have been told that you could get the adaptors at http://www.jaytronic.s.com/connectors.htm and I got several pairs of banana to strips adaptors and they are GREAT!!!!! ***** The only advice I have is the fuses. The unit actually has an circuit breaker and 3 fuses inside. The stupid thing is those 3 fuses (250V 1A) are hard-wired. So to replace it, you have to take the unit apart and remove the existing one by unsoldering it. I ended up putting in fuse holders for those 3 so no more hassle! Also, the amp uses those hard-to-find pilot lamps that look like fuses. The pilot lamps simply look like an regular 1" x 1.25" fuse. To make my story short: One day one of the meter lights went out. I opened the unit and saw an blown "fuse". So I put replacement "fuses" in and the unit never came up again! No light, no meter, no power. Without schematics, I did not know what to do. People in AudioAsylum think the amp is in serous trouble but how replacing an fuse would blown up an tank-like amp such as Accuphase? So I got myself an schematics and AHHHHH! Those 2 "fuses" are pilot lamps! And by putting in an true fuse, it blown the other pilot amp plus one of the 3 hidden 1A fuses. The that 1A fuse - which controls the meters only - is so stupidly designed that it would cut off the output relay! So you'd think the unit would work without the meters? Gotcha! So I put the replacement pilot lamps back in (they have fuse holders so it's piece of cake to replace) and the replacement 1A fuse (I don't understand this one - it's hard-wired and I had to do some solder job to replace it). And everything comes back as normal! You wanna know why I want to say so much about those fuses/pilot lamps? An local, reputable company (who also kinda well-known on the web) wanna charges me $160-$180 minimum to replace the 1A fuse ($0.40 at radio shack) and the pilot lamps (8 for $5 in eBay). Lesson well-learnt! If you wanna get vintage amps like this, make sure you have the schematics and be handy, or get ready for some serious rip-off.

Strengths:
Superb sounding amp with lotsa detail and musicality. Beefy enough to drive anything out there.

Weaknesses:
The meter pilot lamps are easily blown and the replacement parts are extremely difficult to find.

Similar Products Used:
Accuphase E203, E205; Musical Fidelity; NAD S300 (shame!!); ICL Softone 300B; McIntosh MA6850; Krell 300i; and many more that I can't remember