Just to set the record straight as per my position, I've mentioned in another
thread that the change in how torpedo ranges are calculated in 1.04 does cut in favor of the Akula, but that the change is not as big a deal as it's being made out to be.
The precise change, in game terms, is that the no-escape range (for a 35-knot target--like the Akula II) of the ADCAP has gone from 9.82 miles to about 7.74 miles. (Yes, I actually sat down and did the math!) That's not a huge deal. But, I suspect that many 1.03 players didn't realize that the no-escape range was only 9.82nm, so they did not take advantage of that fact. With the change in 1.04, more people are aware of this, and more people are taking advantage of it.
As others have mentioned, this change is realistic.
If people have a problem with the SUBROC weapons being too powerful, the solution is to use LW/Ami, which gives the SUBROC torpedoes less-capable seekers than the ADCAP or "65cm torpedo" in the stock game, decreases overall detection range (making it easier to get within no-escape range), increases the detection range advantage that US subs have over the Russian subs, and provides a substantial launch transient noise (giving US subs a chance to clear datum before the weapon splashes down). Disabling auto-TMA will also reduce the effectiveness of SUBROCs.
1.04 is an unqualified improvement from 1.03.