Your Accuphase journey

[nvp]

Dear all,

For some time I wanted to start a thread were everybody can share his/her Accuphase story.

My Accuphase journey is a long one, so please be patient. Some 6 years ago I bought my 1st Accuphase combo, i.e the DP-500 cd player and the E-550 integrated amp. At the time I though I will be happy and content with my stereo for very many years. Unfortunately (or fortunately), I could not have been more wrong. These Accuphase boxes are extremely addictive, and after 2.5 years, I have embarked on a series of 7 subsequent upgrades:


1st upgrade: DP-500 & E-550 —> DP-500 & DG-38 & E-550 (Speakers: Focal Utopia Micro be and REL Stentor sub)
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Adding the DG-38 unit made a huge difference. The DG-38 works wonderfully and improves very very much the bass response and the stereo image of the system. As I have stated many times on this forum, the DG units should be mandatory to any reference system.


2nd upgrade: DP-500 & DG-38 & E-550 —> DP-600 & DG-38 & C-2410 & A-45 (Speakers: Focal Utopia Micro be and REL Stentor sub)
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Compared to the E-550 integrated the C-2410 & A-45 combo sounded a bit more transparent, had blacker background (this was probably the most noticeable aspect), and was also able to create a stereo image that was a bit more precise. Regarding the DP-500 and DP-600 players, one very important difference between them is the availability of h-link on the DP-600 player. Connecting the DP-600 to the DG-38 via h-link made a big difference. Everything sounds clearer via the H-link. (It is worth noting here that in my experience a normal internet cable that cost €2.5 can easily outperform balanced interconnect cables costing €250 or more).


3rd upgrade: DP-600 & DG-38 & C-2410 & A-45 —> DP-600 & DG-38 & C-2410 & A-65 (Speakers: Avantgarde Uno G2)
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The difference between the A-45 and A-65 was very big. Significantly bigger than what I have perceived after the 2nd upgrade (even though the 2nd upgrade cost me significantly more than the 3rd one). The A-65 had: 1) significantly better bass, i.e. more bass that went lower and was also better defined, and 2) better stereo image and soundstage. Beside this the A-65 made everything sound calmer, more relaxed, and effortless. In my experience only the top-tier units are able to provide the impression of calm-ness and relax-ness in music. IMO the A-45 has only one advantage over the A-65, i.e. the amount of heat it put out. Unlike the A-45, the A-65 runs rather hot. (I had the A-65 and the A-45 simultaneously in my system for 4-5 months.)


4th upgrade: DP-600 & DG-38 & C-2410 & A-65 —> DP-600 & DG-38 & C-2810 & A-65 (Speakers: Avantgarde Uno G2)
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The differences between C-2410 and C-2810 are similar to those observed when comparing A-45 and A-65. That is, the more expensive unit made the music sound calmer and more relaxed. IMO this happens because the more expensive units (i.e. A-65 and C-2810) are much faster and more dynamic than the "cheaper" ones (i.e. A-54 and C-2410).


5th upgrade: DP-600 & DG-38 & C-2810 & A-65 —> DP-600 & DG-48 & C-2810 & A-65 & PS-1220 (Speakers: Avantgarde Uno G2)
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Sound-wise, I did not find the difference between DG-48 and DG-38 significant. The DG-48 sounds a bit clearer than the DG-38 - but some might perceive this clearer sound as thin. The DG-38, on the other hand, sounds a bit fuller, which again might be interpreted by some as less detailed/clear. Overall both units do their jobs very well, and I can not say I have noticed one yielding significantly better results than the other one. The most important difference between the DG-38 and DG-48 is the user friendliness. The room correction procedure is done automatically in DG-48, while with the DG-38 unit one has to do it manually following the steps given in the manual. Unfortunately the DG-38 manual is abysmal (IMO).

The addition of the PS-1220 brought unexpected (to me) improvements. First, everything sounds more clearer and minor detail in the music become immediately apparent. Second, like the A-65 and C-2810 units, the PS-1220 made everything sound more relaxed, effortless. Third, the unit brings a significantly blacker background. Additionally, the PS-1220 unit allows me to turn on my system by pushing a single button.


6th upgrade: DP-600 & DG-48 & C-2810 & A-65 —> DP-600 & DG-48 & C-3800 & A-65 (Speakers: Avantgarde Uno G2)
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Moving from C-2810 to C-3800 was another big step forward. Two things were immediately apparent with C-3800: 1) it has much more bass (which is also more detailed and deeper) than C-2810, and 2) it is more detailed than C-2810. In the beginning the C-2810 together with DG-48 sounded better than C-3800 alone. This made me question the purchase. However, after 6 months of burn in the sound of C-3800 has risen to a whole new level. Everything is clear, musical, relaxed, with no frequency intervals drawing attentions to themselves. The DG units are still needed, but the C-2810 is nowhere near this level of performance. However, I have two complains about C-3800: 1) the amount of heat it put out which is a lot, and 2) the minuscule led indicators for volume and input source which are small and no bright enough.


7th upgrade: DP-600 & DG-48 & C-3800 & A-65 —> DP-720 & DG-48 & C-3800 & A-65 (Speakers: Avantgarde Uno G2)
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The DP-720 was a nice upgrade from DP-600. Sounde-wise DP-720 surpassed the DP-600 without much effort, as it is more detailed, clean and dynamic than DP-600 while just as musical. Also, the DP-720 has a display with larger led indicators that are also more intense, it has a usb input for the DAC, and has a very good digital volume control which with the right amp may circumvent the need for a pre-amp. (Though, the digital volume control in DP-600 is also very good.)



I will conclude by listing the units which have given me the best value for the money: DG-38, E-550, A-65, C-2810 and PS-1220.

I hope other will also take the time to share their Accuphase story/journey. Please also list the components you have found to be most significant.