Empowering Innovation with Altium Designer: A Case Study on Accuphase Laboratories

Accuphase Laboratories is a renowned manufacturer of state-of-the-art audio products based in Yokohama, Japan. The company was founded in 1972 by a skilled group of audio experts and engineers. The name Accuphase is a combination of the word “accurate” and “phase”, the parameter the company considers the most important factor in audio technology. Accuphase products are hand-built to an exacting standard using carefully selected components. By avoiding the compromises of mass production, engaging in extensive development programs and resisting trends, Accuphase can deliver true high-fidelity sound reproduction products through a limited number of specialized stores.

Accuphase Laboratories, a respected manufacturer of high-performance audio products based in Yokohama, Japan, faced a significant challenge in maintaining the quality and consistency of their circuit board production. The company's iterative design approach, which is based on sequential circuit refinement in response to both subjective and objective performance testing, resulted in the creation of many prototypes. This process led to short, critical PCB design cycles for Accuphase’s engineers. To maintain their high standards, Accuphase needed to complete all phases of their board-level design in-house while maintaining the highest possible quality. The demands of the high-end audio equipment industry, akin to the limited-production luxury car market, placed high demands on both their design engineers and the electronic product development software they used. Production volumes were low, research and development was a primary focus, and design quality was never compromised.

To meet their stringent requirements, Accuphase selected Altium Designer for their board-level design engineers. Altium Designer allowed Accuphase engineers to produce high-quality board designs within short deadlines while maintaining close control from conception through to completion. Unlike most design solutions based on partially-integrated or linked design tools, Altium Designer offered seamless integration through the various design stages in a single, efficient application. This allowed Accuphase to tightly manage their PCB design and production process while maintaining high-quality results. Using Altium Designer, Accuphase was able to create one of their flagship products, the Accuphase C-2800 Precision Stereo Preamplifier, as well as its update, the Accuphase C-2850. These devices feature a unique dual-mono design in which the unit's left and right channels are physically and electrically isolated, preventing unwanted crosstalk and interaction both on the electrical and physical plane.

• The implementation of Altium Designer has allowed Accuphase to maintain the quality and consistency of their circuit board production while reducing research and development time cycles. The software's seamless integration through the various design stages in a single, efficient application has enabled Accuphase to tightly manage their PCB design and production process while maintaining high-quality results. The use of Altium Designer has also facilitated the creation of Accuphase's flagship products, the C-2800 and C-2850 stereo preamplifiers, which would not have been possible without the powerful features and productive environment provided by the software.