Accuphase Buyer Beware

WARNING: Risks Of Buying Foreign Accuphase Products Online

In recent years, fraudulent sellers claiming to offer genuine Accuphase products have become increasingly common. Online marketplaces (such as Ebay) are full of listings for new and used Accuphase products that the seller falsely claims are either U.S. models or have undergone a simple “voltage conversion” process to make them work on U.S. 120V AC power. Recently, we have heard a growing number of complaints from angry buyers who have fallen victim to these scams, so we strongly urge all Accuphase buyers to be wary.

Accuphase sets retail pricing in Japan based on their local manufacturing and distribution costs. However, for international sales, there are additional costs for global safety certifications, customs, foreign exchange, marketing, and distribution, resulting in higher pricing outside of Japan. This price difference encourages scammers to buy used, demo, or overstocked Japanese models and falsely market them as U.S. models or claim they have been converted for U.S. 120V AC operation.

Accuphase Power Supplies

For over 50 years, Accuphase has made continuous improvements to their proprietary power supply designs. To deliver the best possible performance, Accuphase builds different power supplies for Japan (100V), the U.S. (120V), and Europe (230V), each with custom transformers optimized for the respective voltage.

The only way to correctly change the input AC voltage on Accuphase products is to first replace the entire power supply with a genuine one designed for the target region. Once installed, an Accuphase Authorized Servicer must test and calibrate the supply voltages to each key component, perform a 24-hour burn-in test, and complete a final calibration with output measurements. This process requires original Accuphase parts and technical expertise available only at the Accuphase factory or through an Authorized Accuphase Servicer. Replacing or modifying the power supplies through any other methods will result in an unsupportable product that no longer has the Accuphase performance and reliability.

Common Power Supply Scams

Because there is an opportunity to make extra profits, scammers have devised various methods to address the AC voltage difference between U.S. and Japan. While their tricks and tactics may vary, what the buyer ends up receiving falls into one of these three categories:

• Buyer Receives a 100V Japan Unit with No Modifications – In this case, the seller simply claims that the product is a U.S. model or that its input AC voltage was converted to 120V, but in reality no changes have been made.  Although the 100V Japan product may work initially at U.S. 120V, after a few months it will start to sound harsh and eventually fail due to excessive heat and incorrect voltage. We have seen scammers place fake 120V stickers on Japanese Accuphase packaging and claim it is a U.S. model. Others have made claims of a “simple voltage conversion process” yet never even opened the unit.
• Buyer Receives a 100V Japan Unit with External AC Transformer – Some scammers make a vague statement about including a 120V AC Transformer with the 100V Japan unit. What these buyers receive is a genuine Accuphase Japan 100V product along with an external 120V to 100V AC step-down transformer. While this setup will allow the 100V products to function safely, it will significantly degrade performance. These AC step-down transformers limit current and create input noise, which kill the sonic detail and dynamics that make Accuphase special.
• Buyer Receives a 100V Japan Unit with a 120V AC Power Supply – We have also seen scammers who modified the Accuphase power supply by replacing the original transformers and components with other low-cost parts. This is like replacing the engine of a Porsche with an untested, inferior engine. These products may run reliably on 120V AC, but it is no longer an Accuphase product. Some units have even been found with the original Accuphase power supply removed and replaced by a low-quality switched-mode power supply that was Velcro-attached to the bottom plate.

Warranty and Service Impact

Accuphase tracks every unit’s serial number and knows exactly where it was originally sold. They strictly prohibit distributors from servicing or supporting Accuphase products imported from another country. Replacement parts will not be provided unless the unit is verified as originally sold in that region. If a buyer purchases an Accuphase product from an unauthorized source, its warranty is immediately void. It cannot be serviced or repaired by any Authorized Accuphase distributor, dealer, or service center. There is hardly a worse situation than seeing a scammed buyer end up with a brand new product that has failed, has no warranty, and cannot be repaired—even at their own expense.

How to Protect Yourself

To ensure you receive a genuine, high-performance Accuphase product that will last for decades, purchase only from U.S. Authorized Accuphase Dealers. If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is!