Timelessly hip
Already as a disc player for CDs and SACDs the new Accuphase DP-560 isphantastic. But it also opens its converter section to the new formats. Which
now more than ever makes it a future-proof digital machine.
How does that fit together? While music listeners slowlybut surely are saying goodbye to the CD, new disc players keep flooding the market and traders have come tonotice a growing interest for quite some time, particularly in the segment of high-end
players. The explanation: not every hi-fi fan wants to rip their CD collection ontosome central cloud-based memory in the future and play it back to the sound system
via home network. Some do sit in front of a computer all day long anyway and don’t
want to continue using PC, tablet and apps for their hobby after work. Moreover, thefear is spreading that soon, due to a waning demand, there might be no more players
at all.
For this reason quite some listeners are looking for the ultimate device, for which
they will gladly dish out a pretty penny then. In that sense the Japanese luxury brandAccuphase couldn’t have chosen a better moment actually to launch the new DP-560
already last year. This one can also play SACDs in two-channel mode, which never
took a lead role in the general perception, but have a steady followership amongaudiophiles and high-enders and are highly esteemed, especially in Japan. New titles
are constantly added to the rich selection – even the STEREO Phono Festival offersa hybrid SACD with additional CD layer –, so that we cannot foresee the end ofthe ”Super Audio CD“, although its existence has been put on the back burner.
And so Accuphase is now presenting their DP-560. With a bold price tag of 10,450
euros it’s the smallest SACD player in the product range of the maker from
Yokohama. If you don’t look at the name plate, you will maybe not even recognize it,
for it’s the spitting image of its predecessor, the DP-550 reviewed in STEREO
10/2013. From the finely brushed front panel in shimmering champagne to the typicalarrangement of the controls, which have been reduced to the essential anyway, tothe high-class overall appearance with a flat gray lid and solid side cheeks everything
on it has the usual look. As so often with Accuphase one has to search for thedifferences in the details. And here indeed, a lot of things have been improved andoptimized. For instance, there is a new laser pickup for the drive, which wasdeveloped in-house because the old one from Sony wasn’t available any more. At
the same time the rugged scanning unit, suspended on viscose dampers to protect itfrom external trouble spots, was crowned with an even sturdier and wider metal
bridge to make the drive insusceptible against vibrations from the drive and othermechanical shocks. In addition the current drive is extremely quiet and shines withmuch shorter reading times. The metal tray, which also slides out and in almost
silently, underscores the impression of precision and a quality of workmanship that
seems to last forever.

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A full-featured DAC on top
Regarding the D/A conversion, the Japanese stick to their proven ”MDS+“ principlewith the ”M“ as a short form for ”multiple“. Because instead of one ”Delta Sigma“ DAC,
no less than four independent converter lines per channel are working in the DP-560
in a symmetrical parallel operation, thereby causing potential errors to eliminate eachother during signal addition. This is made possible by the Sabre ES9018 chip from
specialist ESS Technology. It contains eight converter lines that can be switched in
the above mentioned way and processes PCM digital formats up to 32 bits at 384
kilohertz or DSD256 respectively, which equals a bandwidth of a good 11.2
megahertz. Such formats can be fed into the Accuphase through its digital inputs –preferably via the USB interface for PC/Mac. Moreover, the player has a fiber-optic
connector, a coaxial input and ”HS-Link“, a proprietary LAN based data channel
between Accuphase components. Through this connection, for example, you canfeed the external DC-37 D/A converter with SACD data which normally you don’t
have access to. The Japanese manufacturer, who until this day offers no streamer,
certainly knows that modern listeners often have a wealth of digital sources in very
different qualities for playing music at hand and neither want to use the excellent D/Aconverter or the high-class output stage of their high-end player for them. For thisreason not a few listeners would rather want to use the DP-560 as a top-notch DAC
for their PCM and/or DSD files and not as a classic player. I don’t object, for whenDavid Crosby’s melancholic ”Holding On To Nothing“ was flowing from the MacBook
to the DP-560, whose display by showing ”96.0“ and ”24“correctly confirmed both thesampling rate and bit width of that file by Doug Sax coming straight from the console,
the spacious, three-dimensional spectrum, seemingly plucked into position bydelicate fingers, was precisely unfurling just as the elegiac-reflexive mood which themastering genius, who recently passed away, had in mind. What had struck me
already earlier was now exemplarily attested by this track, namely the Accuphase’s
talent of spreading a precise, sculpturally molded deep relief in front of the listener,
while giving the singer pinpointed contours to make him stand out palpably before an
equally precisely graduated background. The result was an enhanced clarity andlucidity with big orchestral works and a distinct naturalness and “presence” of themusicians with smaller ensembles.
The fact that the reproduction turned out to be tonally perfectly balanced was anotherbonus. So for instance, the Japanese showcased an extremely spacious recordingfrom Kostas Metaxas’ portfolio with expanse and vibrating verve. In terms of finedetails and agility the DP-560 proved to be a genuine Accuphase. After all, this iswhat the Nippon brand stands for in particular. And this is also true of the CD or
SACD performance. The extremely solid, floating drive achieves virtually the samedefinition and authenticity as the performances from the Mac’s SSD memory.
Jacques Ibert’s ”Escales“, played back from the SACD version of thefamous ”Tutti!“ sampler by Reference Recordings, came delicately dabbed andmarvelously nuanced in the restrained passages, yet buoyantly sweeping, massive
and urging in the extrovert ones, however always arranged by a sure hand. And thewind theme, on which Strawinsky’s”Firebird “ slowly raises its head from the ashes
only to straighten up then in new splendor to the sound of the soaring strings: theJapanese sort of lets it waft over from afar, combining grace with energy, thereby
making the miracle of rejuvenation almost tangible. That’s the spirit of high-end! At
the same time the Accuphase teaches us low-level listening, because even way
down into the structure of the notes everything’s just there. No more reason to pumpup the volume in order to presumedly hear more details.
2Quality isalways ”hip“
By the way: owing to its finely graduated level control, the player may also be wired
straight to a power amplifier. This is possible because of its 50 ohms output stage –not an ultimately low value, but nevertheless suitable for such an operation mode. In
practical use, however, the result turns out to be more colorful, compelling andexpressive over an adequate preamp that matches the quality of the DP-560. Alsowith CDs the listener can expect to get them presented like on a silver platter: withcrystal-clear transparency and no loss regarding the charm and atmosphere which
this medium has to offer, contrary to some different phrased rumors. After a long, but
entertaining day with the DP-560, on which very many discs and music files of all
kinds passed through and over the Japanese, we can only confirm that it plays
proven just as new media on a very high level and definitely suits our time. Because
components of such an appeal will never become outdated.
Matthias Böde3