General Asylum: REVIEW: Accuphase DP-65V CD Player/Recorder by David Spear

The Accuphase DP-65V, although it could be considered an integrated CD player, is actually a CD transport and a separate digital processor combined into a single component. The transport has digital outputs (Toslink and coax) and the digital processor section has digital inputs and analog outputs (Toslink in, coax in, unbalanced RCA out, balanced XLR out). In addition, there are two "slots" on the back of the unit for installing optional digital input/output boards (BNC, HPC, AES/EBU). I don't have any experience with these optional boards, which cost several hundred dollars each and seem to be intended for professional applications.

Physically, the unit matches other Accuphase components. It is quite large, rather heavy, and has a strikingly beautiful, champagne-finished front panel. The disc tray is rock solid and opens/closes smoothly and quickly. There are only seven buttons on the front of the unit -- a power switch and disc transport controls. The supplied remote control has many more buttons to control less frequently used functions (direct track access, repeat play, program play, time display, etc.) The remote control can also be used to adjust the volume, which is varied (from 0 to -40 dB in 1-dB steps) in the digital domain using the extra bits of the 20-bit DA converters. (Four DA converters are used in parallel to minimize low-level nonlinearities.) The remote also allows switching among the transport and any other digital sources connected to the digital processor. This means that the DP-65V can actually serve as a digital preamp for an all-digital system (although I prefer to use a preamp), with remote control of volume and source selection. (I have a Sony ES CD player connected to the coax input and a Sony MD deck connected to the optical input. The Sony CDP is also connected directly to the MD deck via a Toslink cable, and finally, the DP-65V is connected to the MD deck via another Toslink cable. This is an extremely flexible setup for digitally dubbing MDs -- from the Sony CD player if I want to dub in the background [with the ability to listen to the CD player or MD deck as desired], or from the Accuphase if I want to dub what I'm listening to.)

I have directly compared the sound of the Accuphase DP-65V against my previous main CD player (a Sony CDP-XA50ES, which is the CDP that I now use for dubbing MDs). I was extremely happy with the sound of the Sony -- until I compared it against the Accuphase. Frankly, I was not expecting to hear a big difference between the two units ("All CD players sound the same", after all ;-), but the Accuphase sounded completely different from the Sony playing the same discs in the same system. The difference was NOT subtle! My initial impression was that the Accuphase had a more subdued or recessed treble response than the Sony, but it soon became apparent that this impression was due to a total absence of high-frequency hash or grundge. The treble of the DP-65V is extremely open, transparent, extended, and airy, but also very liquid and smooth, with no grain or harshness. Instruments and voices appear to be placed in front of a thick black velvet curtain, rather than a sheet of Formica. In comparison, the Sony sounds hard or brittle -- mechanical even. The midrange of the Accuphase has the same clean, detailed, but natural character. Imaging is precise and soundstage width and depth are impressive. The bass is less full-sounding or lush [bloated?] than that of the Sony, but seems more extended and powerful at the extreme low end.

In summary, the Accuphase DP-65V is a beautifully built and very attractive CD player. It provides extremely detailed and transparent sound without any hardness or digital nasties. Its overall sonic character is probably best described as organic or natural, in contrast to mechanical or relentless. It somehow magically combines crystal-clear, high-resolution sound with a relaxed, effortless, and unfatiguing presentation.

REVIEW: Accuphase DP-65V CD Player/Recorder Review by David Spear at Audio Asylum