This is to provide a more detailed review of the Accuphase DP-70, which can hopefully be of interest to those of you who are thinking about laying your hands on a well-preserved example of this vintage truly state-of-the-art piece of machinery.
Let me begin with saying that the DP-70 (like its successor – the DP-70V) is a rare find on the market. Many of those who once bought this player prefer to hold on to it, rather than exchanging it for another player. Like myself, they have probably learned to appreciate the true craftmanship and “cost-no-object” focus that is behind this model, which is truly a rare trait in today’s excessively consumer-driven society, where buying a new product is normally always cheaper than fixing the old one.
The DP-70 was made between June 1987 and November 1990 when it was succeeded by the DP-70V. It comes in a beautiful satiny gold-coloured metal front and natural persimmon wood side panels. Its “less is more” external appearance, where only the “Play”, “Track Search” and “Pause” keys are on the front panel, may perhaps for some people give the impression that we are here dealing with a rather simple and ordinary player. They couldn’t be more wrong, of course. Other control keys are hidden behind the subpanel. All functions can furthermore be controlled from the supplied infrared remote commander, model RC-1.
The DP-70 is built like a tank and weighs 21 kg. The rotating section is supported by a thick metal frame, and the entire unit is designed to resist vibration. The sturdy frame construction used in the entire unit and the legs lathed out from a pure brass bar are also effective against resonance. This heavy chassis thus offers an extremely efficient protection against vibration and resonance generated by the disc drive system. If the technical parts don’t fail, it will probably outlive its owner.
Discrete D/A converters have been used in this player, which employ super-precision, high performance elements. The discrete D/A converter is employed in the DP-70 to obtain the theoretical limit precision in 16-bit digital-to-analog conversion. Filters are used to eliminate high-frequency noice components contained in the analog signal. The DP-70 uses separate power supplies for the digital and analog sections. The intention here has been to preclude spurious interaction between digital and analog sections through a shared power supply. There are no wires that connect the digital and analog sections. Instead, these sections communicate with light beams through fiber-optic links. This eliminates any possibility of residual hum or other kinds of electrically generated noise which may be picked up by wires.
Before describing how the DP-70 actually sounds, please bear in mind that we are here talking about a player which today has reached the respectable age of 23-25 years! Compared to today’s technological development where new technologies increasingly keep flooding the market like there is no tomorrow, this should tell you one thing or two.
The DP-70 sounds very natural, realistic and warm, definitely not digital at all. Its extremely analog-like natural and accurate sound can easily give you the impression that you are seated in the front row in a concert hall, next to the performers. The soundstage is wide and it provides a straight bass. Considering the fact that this player belongs to a VERY old generation of digital equipment, its overall performance is impressive even by today’s standards. As a CD-player, I am totally satisfied with the sound. No matter if I listen to classical music, jazz, blues, pop or even rock, it plays anything being thrown at it with ease and precision, and without any sign of harshness or listening fatigue. Instead, you will hear the music as it was recorded; natural, realistic, analog.
If you are looking for an analytical CD-player, then the DP-70 is not for you. On the other hand, if you are looking for a state-of-the art player that provide a natural, realistic and rich sound as close to the orginal source as possible, then look no further. Even after 23-25 years, the DP-70 is one of the most analog and musical players ever produced to date, regardless of price. Its overall performance can still today be measured against the very best players on the market.
If you have a tight budget and are not willing to spend too much money on a player, the DP-70 is not for you. Although it is built like a tank and could, at least thoretically, last a life time, its technical components are a couple of decades old now, and the day will come where you will have to replace the laser unit or some other parts. The problem here is that it is getting increasingly difficult to find original spareparts for this player. You can still get them if you look carefully, but the supplies are quickly running dry, and the parts don’t come cheap.
For the player itself in mint condition, you have to calculate with between EUR 1000 and EUR 1600. You can of course come across a DP-70 for less money, but in that case the player is most likely not in mint condition, and the first thing you may have to do is to change the laser unit. A new laser unit ( Ref. 8 x ICL8010ACPD Sony BU-1C) costs approximately EUR 200.
All in all, I can warmly recommend this player. EUR 1000-1600 for a product that is almost 25 years old is not cheap. But again, quality never was. If not the best, the DP-70 is still today among the best players you can get for this money. If the age and the price don’t really scare you off, you are well advised to take a closer look at this player. I can guarantee that you will not be disappointed, and you are more than likely to have a friend for life.