Thoughts and perceptions on the sound quality of Accuphase Digital Products

In Europe, especially in Germany, Netherlands and Italy, Accuphase is very common and favorable. The reviews are very good, surely pushed by the distributors, as common in the business anywhere…

I have a DP-750 and love it. Never had any other digital Accuphase gear, and just some older FM tuners in the past.

The aesthetic of the unit is fantastic, I like this classic, elegant style with wooden box, orange and green lights. 

The sound is not warm, soft and rounded, but indeed on the very pleasant side of truth. There are many colors, plenty of body and flesh, powerful images, and an excellent flow. Very good images and room dimensions. I don’t miss any small details, even if they are not unnaturally spotlighted.

I would indeed like to here some of the latest esoteric as K1XD and Grandioso 1X, or even the now new updates of them.

But if you liked the 720, I would recommend to take a listen to a 750 or the now new 770 (not heard yet), it could be an interesting comparison, even after some years with an Esoteric player.

....thank you breezer and rms 456 as you made some very good points about the sound of Accuphase digital products as well as how they are viewed outside of the US which I was aware but now confirmed. I have a whole Accuphase system outside of my single box CD player the Esoteric Grandioso K1 x.....and enjoyed the comment of ; " on the very pleasant side of truth ''. I would agree with that perspective. However, they really do not keep their value here in the US large in part due to the price that is charged here in the US so it does not make them a prudent buy. Then again no high end equipment should or can be viewed in that light but more of how the music is presented to you and if you enjoy it. That's what important to me. Thank you again and I continue to look into the DP 750 and or the DP 770. Enjoy.....     

@garebear I'm surprised you even considered selling the Grandioso K1X for the DP770.

That's a massive downgrade in my opinion, the DP770 that I heard did not come close to my own K03XD, and I can't imagine even comparing that to the Grandioso, which are 2 levels above.

I'm not talking about just details or low-end extension (where Esoteric has always excelled at), but also every other parameter including soundstage, imaging, depth, width, air, layering, microdetails and spatial, ambient cues, speed, transients,  attacks and decay. Esoteric was better in all of these traits.

The Accuphase does have a beautiful sound, tonality and timbre-wise. But I wouldn't sacrifice all other parameters just to obtain this 'polaroid-like' presentation. It also depends on what music you listen to. If it's just unplugged, acoustic, jazz stuff, and you're all about musical enjoyment (whether truthful or not), then the Accuphase works for sure.

The Esoteric Grandioso K1X plays in the league of MSB and DCS with its new discrete DAC, and many user reviews have indeed compared it favourably to these digital giants. You're already close to the end game, imo.

Don't forget that there is also now the newly-launched Esoteric Grandioso K1X SE, which have major upgrades internally for the discrete parts, and you also have a further upgrade path for adding on a Grandioso G1X master clock, which again brings it up another level.

…….thank you chadsport and your points are well taken and other friends of mine have expressed the same sentiment . One actually said to me ; “ why don’t you keep the Grandioso and add the Esoteric PS 1 power supply “‘ ? That has occurred to me and put a thread on here on the sonic merits of this change and it was all positive . So that may be an alternative.