Introduction

For quite some time now, I have had the great pleasure to have the Accuphase DP-70 to serve as the main cd-player in my system. A second player – the legendary Accuphase DP75V – was added to my collection a couple of years ago. Reviews of both these players can be found on this site.

The object of this review is yet another iconic vintage cd-player from the house of Accuphase that chronologically and technically can be said to fit in somewhere between the Accuphase DP-70 (released in June 1987) and the Accuphase DP-75V (released in November 1999), namely the Accuphase DP-70V. This player was released in November 1991 and replaced the DP-70.

DP-70V vs DP-70 – a quick comparison of main features 

Optically, the DP-70V is indeed very close to its predecessor, the DP-70. It carries over the simplistic/”less is more” but sublime and elegant design of the DP-70 with the control keys displayed on the front panel being kept to an absolute minimum to operate the player, which means that only the “Play”, “Track Search” and “Pause” control keys are visible on the front panel whilst other control keys are hidden behind a solid sub-panel. All functions can additionally be controlled from the supplied infrared remote commander (model RC-7 for the DP-70V resp. model RC-1 for the DP-70).

Both players come in a beautiful satiny gold-coloured metal front and natural persimmon wood side panels and are – truthful to the Accuphase brand – painstakenly finished and built like a tank. The digital and analogue circuits are completely separated by ultra-high speed opto-couplers to eliminate intra-section interferences, and an independent power transformer is provided for each of the digital and analogue circuits. The rotating section in each player 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 (DP-70 weighs 21 kg whereas the DP-70V comes in at 24 kg!) thus offers an extremely efficient protection against vibration and resonance generated by the disc drive system.

The players are in fact so similar physically that you need to look twice to tell the difference. Placed next to each other, you will notice that the changes are limited to the design of the control keys on the front panel and the LED display. The 70V seems to break with the Accuphase tradition in that it (to the best of my knowledge at least) must be the only cd-player of this brand sporting a blue coloured LED display rather than the usual red LED display that has consistently been employed for all other players in their official line-up.

The real difference is to be found inside the player.Whilst both players rely on discrete Accuphase exclusive high-precision D/A converters and use digital filters to eliminate high-frequency noise components contained in the analog signal as well as have separate power supplies for the digital and analog sections, the discrete D/A converter employed in the DP-70V is a high-precision 20-bit D/A converter compared to the 16-bit digital-to-analog conversion relied on in the DP-70. The former converter is carefully adjusted at the manufacturing stage to achieve exactly 16 times the conversion accuracy of a 16-bit D/A converter.

The digital filters used in the DP-70V, which are of an independent 20 bit 8-time oversampling type, use a sophisticated digital algorithm to suppress unwanted noise-band components in the range of 24.1 kHz to 328.7 kHz with a -110 dB attenuation capability. Measured bandpass ripple has demonstrated that these filters were of the highest quality available at the time.

The 3-pole discrete GIC Butterworth active audio filter employed in the DP-70V to ensure optimum sound reproduction quality. This player was created to meet the highest standards of sound reproduction at the time by employing the technology developed for the separate type CD player model DP-80/DC-81 L.

Listening impressions – a comparison with the DP-70 and DP-75V

Like its predecessor, the DP-70V is a very organic, natural sounding player. It displays a wonderfully rich, analogue, realistic and warm sound true to the source that is definitely not digital at all. The sound stage is wide and deep and (depending on the recording) subjectively appears to extend a bit beyond the walls of the listening room. It provides a straight and controlled bass. Its overall sonic presentation seems to extend broadly from immediate or attention-seeking/vivid presence to more relaxed late-evening listening session – always delicately displayed and with the correct balance and focus.

To better understand the sonic signature of this player, I decided to run a rather quick and unsophisticated comparison with two other players from Accuphase currently in my possession, the DP-70 and the DP-75V.

For this comparison, the following set-up was used:

  • Amplifier: Decware SE84UFO2;
  • CD-players: Accuphase DP-70V, Accuphase DP-75V and Accuphase DP-70;
  • Speakers: Tonian Labs Model TL-M2 MkII
  • Interconnects: Decware Silver Reference Model DSR (RCA unbalanced interconnects);
  • Power cord: Black Sand Violet Z1 MkII (only connected to the amplifier, not to the source); and
  • Speaker cables: DIY silver/copper speaker cables.

The albums selected for this comparison were the following: Stéphanie Paulet/Elisabeth Geiger “Minoritenkonvent – Manuscript XIV 726“; Michel Chapuis “Jean-Sébastien Bach Toccata & Fugue et autres chefs-d’oeuvre pour orgue“; The Alan Parsons Project “Tales of Mystery and Imagination, Edgar Allan Poe“; Bo Hansson “Lord of the Rings“; Hadouk Trio “Air Hadouk“; Klaus Schulze “Moonlake“; and Kate Bush “Aerial“.

Opening with the “Minoritenkonvent – Manuscript XIV 726” and the J.S. Bach organ masterpieces selected by Michel Chapuis, the DP-70V impresses through its immediacy and fluency. The perceived sound stage is both deep and wide and appears to extend somewhat beyond the walls. The organ and violin sound very natural and organic. Fully enjoyable. Same tracks with the DP-70 pretty much draws a similar picture, albeit with a bit more narrow (less three dimensional) and distant sound stage and perhaps with slightly less air between the instruments, but with a truly captivating analogue/organic sonic signature. The DP-75V repeats what the DP-70V tries to achieve but appears to multiply this by 10. Here, there is life-like, huge presence, air in masses between the instruments/performers and the music literally trails off into infinity as if there were no walls or physical boundaries at all. However, there is also a certain dryness here that the two other players don’t display.

Listening to the Alan Parsons Project and Bo Hansson early albums, which quite honestly are not the greatest recordings from a sound-quality point of view, it is rather difficult to really tell the difference between the three players. There is a difference, yes, but it is too small to mention. If I had to pick a favourite, then the DP-70 would be my preferred choice here with its fantastic analogue/organic sound picture and body.

Turning instead to the Hadouk and Klaus Schulze albums, two faboulous instrumental recordings, the listening experience with the two opening albums is pretty much repeated. Wonderfully natural/analogue with a “bit of convenient distance” with the DP-70,  immediate and fluent with a bit more depth and width with the DP-70V, which is excelled with the DP-75V with its huge presence and massive air that clearly extends way beyond the physical boundaries.

The person behind the final album needs no closer presentation. Perhaps not her best-known album, but it is nonetheless an interesting recording and the one I chose to include in this comparison. With the DP-70V, Kate Bush has entered the room with her singing birds and I can feel their presence, perhaps not from the first row, but they are all definitely there. The presentation is life-like and three dimensional with lots of air around the instruments. With the DP-70, I have been asked to move further back in the concert hall. I can still clearly see Kate and her singing birds perform on stage, but I’m not in the middle of it. It’s in fact convenient and quite pleasant for my ears. Her velvet voice is like cotton. I don’t mind staying in this row for a while. Bringing in the DP-75V, things take a slightly different turn. I suddenly find myself on stage and can reach out to Kate’s bare feet by simply raising my right hand a few inches. Her voice is still velvet-like, but I can also hear her breath as I’m holding her microphone in my hand. The singing birds are not on a recording. They are all over, even behind me. It’s live, damn-it!

Conclusion

This review is not about picking a winner among the players selected above. It is in fact misleading to talk about one player being “better” than the others when we are dealing with a brand such as Accuphase. Each player has its own sonic signature. It is not better or worse. It is just different. It all comes down to your personal preferences. Is red a more beautiful colour than blue? Says who?

The DP-70V is indeed a very potent cd-player that is fully capable of delivering all that you will ever want from a high-end cd-player. Considering all the years that have gone by since this player was first launched in 1991, its overall performance is impressive even by today’s standards. Its sonic signature resembles to a great extent its predecessor, the iconic DP-70, but obviously takes this a few notches further with a perceived increased level of immediacy, transparency, and overall three-dimensional presentation. 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, analogue.

As with the DP-70, this is not an analytical player, so if this is what you are after, then you are better served elsewhere. On the other hand, if you are looking for a state-of-the art player that provides a natural, realistic and rich sound as close to the original source as possible, coupled with a pleasant dose of immediacy and three-dimensional sound picture, then you are well advised to take a closer look at this player. Even after 26 years, the DP-70V (together with the DP-70) is one of the most analogue and musical players ever produced to date, regardless of price. Its overall performance can still today match the best players on the market without having to feel intimidated.

Admittedly, the technique used in the DP-70V is old school measured by today’s standards, and the moment will come where you may need to consider replacing the laser unit or some other parts. The problem here is that original spare parts are getting increasingly difficult to find for this player. You can still get them on e.g. Ebay, but supplies are limited, and the parts don’t come cheap, so this is something that a potential buyer must take into consideration.

For a DP-70V in mint condition, you have to calculate with between EUR 1500 and EUR 2000. You may perhaps come across this player 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.

All in all, I can warmly recommend this player. EUR 1500-2000 for a product that is now 26 years old is not cheap. But again, quality never was. If not the best, the DP-70V is still today among the best players you can get for this amount of money. In a direct comparison with the DP-70 and the DP-75V, as set out above, the DP-70V appears to form the golden middle. 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.