Digital Drive: REVIEW: Accuphase DP-65V CD Player/Recorder by EdM

Model:	DP-65V
Category:	CD Player/Recorder
Suggested Retail Price:	$6200
Description:	Integrated CD transport/digital processor
Manufacturer URL:	Accuphase
Manufacturer URL:	Accuphase

Review by EdM ( R ) on April 24, 2003 at 10:04:29
IP Address: 64.186.238.220

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I recently acquired mine on the used market, taking a chance on it’s older technology. After all, the first DP-65V appeared around 1997, how could it possibly compare with today’s state of the art units?
Well, I’d like to report this player blows away everything I have personally heard! A bold statement perhaps but I will explain later.
The Accuphase DP-65V is a hefty beast at close to 50 pounds and exhibits an extremely high degree of build quality. All Accuphase models have digital volume control but the “V” also has external digital inputs and a slightly different transport arrangement.
As I said, mine was used so required no break in. I simply plugged it in and listened. To start I used a DIY heavy gauge power cord and Empirical Audio ICs. I began with Alison Krauss’ “So Long, So Wrong”. It was instantly obvious that the DP-65V handles bass much better than anything I’ve heard. Deep, clear authoritative bass notes pounded through my room like never before.
Next, the extraordinary crystal clear highs became evident. The DP-65V was without any doubt decoding much more information from the CD. The attack and decay of the guitar, mandolin, and banjo notes was especially evident. Where other players simply stopped producing sound at certain points in the music, the Accuphase found more notes before tapering off into silence.
Then there is Alison’s voice. She tends towards the high side and can sound harsh or shrill on certain equipment. The DP-65V was startling in reproducing her voice more smoothly and sweetly than I ever heard it except on vinyl (which is why I knew how it should sound).
While I am on the subject of voices and vinyl, I am going way out on a limb (flame away) and proclaim I prefer the Accuphase over vinyl! The DP-65V just has more “air” and “spaciousness”.
It makes my tiny room seem as large as a concert stage. This is not only the air but the sound stage and separation contributing. Imaging is the most dimensional I have heard. Performers are vividly placed upon the stage.
Okay, Krauss’ stuff is some of the best engineered and produced out there (IMHO) so what about lower quality CDs? First I will mention that the Accuphase reads ANYTHING. CDs, CD-Rs, CD-RWs, you name it. I pulled out every CD I had that other players refused and the DP-65V could care less. And it reads them fast! Lara St John’s “Bach Concertos” always gave all my players a hard time and took up to 20 or 30 seconds for some of them to read. The DP-65V is ready in less than 2 seconds! And it has more programmable features than you could ever want.
So on to some lesser quality stuff. No problem at all. The Accuphase makes it sound good. CDs that exhibited harshness or excessive grain seem smoothed out and more musical. One example is Eva Cassidy’s “Songbird”, in particular “Fields of Gold” . I have played this both for pure entertainment and for testing more than a hundred times. It is a brillant vocal rendition but leaves much to be desired in sound quality. For once, with the Accuphase, I did not notice it’s shortcomings but only it’s soaring pureness of heart.
Sure it’s hard to believe a 6 year old player can sound so good. Is it the MMB arrangemetn of 4 parallel D/A converters or the massive, super quiet power supply? The converters are only 20 bit / 8 X oversampling but I’m beginning to believe that more is just not necessary. it is the DP-65V was obviously way ahead of it’s time.
I recently tried Empirical’s Grand Slam power cord on the DP-65V. Steve Nugent tells me it probably is only good on high current devices like power amps but it allowed the Accuphase to clarify the bass even more. On Krauss’ track “It Doesn’t Matter” there are some pretty hefty bass notes towards the end which have continually confounded my JM Reynaud Trentes (because of the small room they tended to boom a little). Playing through the Accuphase I was able to actually increase the volume without any boom or bloom whatsoever!
So, has does it compare with others? Many people ask what is my favorite CD Player? I haven’t heard them all enough to judge every one but ones I have spent many months with I can.
This would be my order of preference in my system from best to last:
Accuphase DP-65, DP-65V, DP-75
Resolution Audio Opus 21
Cary 306/200, 303/200, 308
Muse 8 / 296, Muse 9
Ayre CX-7
Audionote CD-2x
And many other Sony, Arcam, Cambridge, Panasonic so far down to even list.
One final note. Quite a few of the CDP have had volumn controlled outputs, including the Opus 21. I never liked the sound at all on any of them when they were connected directly. Even that has changed with the Accuphase. When I connected it to the Plinius SA-102 it is magical. Nothing is lost in the dynamics as was the case with all the others.

Product Weakness: Expensive, discontinued
Product Strengths: Bass, bass, & more bass. Detail and most of all musicality.

Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	Plinius SA-102
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	EAR 864
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	VPI Aries
Speakers:	JM Reynaud Trentes
Cables/Interconnects:	Empirical Audio
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Alison Krauss, Lara St John
Room Size (LxWxH):	10 x 11 x 9
Room Comments/Treatments:	Accoustics First Foam Panels
Time Period/Length of Audition:	1 month
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	Dedicated circuits
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner

Product Weakness:	Expensive, discontinued
Product Strengths:	Bass, bass, & more bass. Detail and most of all musicality.