Look
The Accuphase design hasn’t changed at all as far as I can tell. Every Accuphase equipment has that same look, that vintage/retro look you’d either love or hate.
Honestly I am not a fan of this design in the past. It takes a while for me to be convinced. In the end the simplicity in functionality ultimately won me over. Why? Because Accuphase has paid a lot of attention into the little details.
This is a classic example of an effective user interface. It adopts the classic left to right workflow. Starting from the left:
- Power on the machine
- Select your input
- Play your music, the information is displayed prominently in the middle console.
- Adjust your volume with your right hand, and your head is naturally focused on that middle console with the volume adjustment status
Most people will not even think twice or notice this as a feature - operating Accuphase products comes naturally if you are used to the “left to right” paradigm.
All the Accuphase components I have seen so far appear to follow the same workflow, e.g. with their typical CD Player, again you start from the left:
- Power on the machine
- Select the layer you want to play SACD or CD
- Eject tray with right hand, insert medium with left hand, close tray with right
- Hit play with right hand
They have enforced a ritual upon you without you even knowing it. This is the way they want you to use your equipment, and they have told you so without uttering a single syllable.
After you are used to the Accuphase approach you will find other components annoying - e.g. you’d notice controls on other components are all over the place, ill thought out and random.
The Snakeoil OS web app also uses the left to right, then top to bottom design. The difference is mine is a mess, and Accuphase nailed it.
Accuphase - it just works.
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