The last samurai
Accuphase DP 78
Jacek Klos
Technical advice: Piotr Gorzynski
The last and this year are filled with the Accuphase's innovations. New and interesting amplifier as well as CD/SACD players has just appeared on the market; especially the latter one abounded strongly with various models. At fist, there is: DP 78; the next one: DP 500, and lately the crowing one: DP 800/DC 801.
The choice is quite large but only when we possess appropriately a large sum of money in cash.
The Japanese manufacturing company has never belonged to the cheap one and all the new sources continue the tradition. The DP 500 will cost you 17,400zl, DP 800/DC 801 90,000zl.
Between these models, there is DP 78 for which one you will have to spend 31,900zl and it will be examined by us in the following test.
The structure
The DP 78 looks massively and it weighs as much as fair booster 18kg without the remote control and carton. It is no wonder because the casing was made with the steel plate metal and it was finished with the case of anodizing aluminium. These features have increased the weight and we did not even look inside of the model.
Both sides of the DP 78 have carving and aluminium boards this is a discreet sign that we are dealing with the device situated on the higher position of the catalogue. The large weight of the casing reduces the susceptibility to vibration. The isolation from the vibration of the base is supported by the felt feet made of high carbon steel. The stiffness is improved by the internal barriers and screens which reduce the penetration of the interference and electromagnetic fields. In the result, the casing is deaf as a post. We can be confident that if this is placed on the stable base, the casing will not transfer the vibration on the decoding system and electronics.
The external appearance can be defined by one word conservative. The great impression is made by the workmanship as well as the class of used materials. However, I like the cheaper model DP 67 much more it has oblong buttons instead of round one and above all,
it has a green logo of Accuphase that divides display into two parts. The DP 78 with the CD text function eliminated the appearance of the above feature and because of that fact, this model looks a little bit too modestly.
The round buttons harmonize visually with two selectors. The first one is used for choosing the source in the case of MD and DAT connection or another digital device. The second one is leading us to the requested path and when we find it, we just push the selector or play'.
The display was made on the point matrix and it is legible even from 3m and it does not dazzle you during the night hearing. If the display disturbs someone, you can either turn it off or go into the menu and choose one of the four levels of brightness.
In the above menu, two functions were taken into consideration (automatic pause and the play function just after the turning on of the amplifier. However, their application seems to be made up enough that I do not think that someone would like to use it.
On the back wall, we can find analogue outputs: RCA and XLR as well as coaxial RCA
inputs/outputs and Toslink. The DP 78 might be used as a CD drive and converter for the external digital sources. The company cards which are adopted for installations in the blind sockets constitute the optional equipment. Thanks to them, we are able to add some digital inputs/outputs (in popular standards: coaxial/optical as well as ST, AES/EBU) and HS Link interface which enables the transmission of SACD signal and the connection to the digital preamplifier, acoustics processor or stub axle.
