Where are you? …they’re pretty well served in the UK and can recommend Loud and Clear in Glasgow, and HiFi Lounge in Bedfordshire. The Distributor (MusicWorks in the UK) are pretty good at loaning out equipment dealers don’t have on permanent demo in my experience. I know Loud and Clear just borrowed a pair of A300 for example 
Thanks. HIFi Lounge would be the closest, even though it’s not that close…
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Please see my PM about my system configuration at old location.
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Looks great Martin - I see the config 
Interested in how you use the DP and DC-1000 with the Vivaldi?
I like this combo very much - and do want SACD functionality (I have the Rossini - so the player doesn’t do SACD) but I’ve viewed the 1000 DAC as redundant with dCS (Vivaldi or Rossini) so would be great to be educated?
SACD functionality with DP-1000 / DC-1000 is only possible, when transport and DAC are connected via Accuphase proprietary HS-Link or HS-Link-2 (basically a RJ45 cable).
The connection from transport to DG-68 has to be done the same way. The DG-68 downsamples SACD to 24/176.4k (available after EQ as HS-Link and SPDIF output) or 24/352.8k (only available via HS-Link-2).
(dCS transports downsample SACDs to 16/44.1k.)
With SACDs it is not possible to use the DP-1000 with dCS DACs.
I don’t have any special solution, the simple answer is I use one or the other depending on the material I’m listening to or the mood I’m in. My upsampler outputs to both the Vivaldi DAC and the DC-1000, and my DP-1000 transport outputs to both the DC-1000 and the upsampler.
As meltemi mentioned, if I want to play SACDs I can only output to the DC-1000.
The Vivaldi excels at detail and sense of space, and the Accuphase has a wonderful sense of texture and adds just a bit of sweetness to vocals. I use it mostly for jazz and classical, and the Vivaldi for everything else. I love them both!
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My much loved system comprises an Accuphase C3900 and A70 together with a Vivaldi DAC, Upsampler and Clock
To play CDs I can either add a Vivaldi Transport or an Accuphase DP1000, the latter being much cheaper.
Obviously a comparative demo would helpful but not easily arranged. Advice on potential pros and cons of each approach would be much appreciated. So if finance allows only one buy - which ? Vivaldi Transport or Accuphase DP1000 ?
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As you already have the vivaldi, I would definitely go with the vivaldi transport, out of the 2 you mention. This will work 100% as it should with your digital side of the system.
This has a very straightforward answer, The Accuphase DP1000 is not suitable for use with Vivaldi DAC, Upsampler and clock. Your Vivaldi collection of components indicates that you are aware of the requirement for the clock to supply the same timing reference to all of them so that they are synchronised. The transport in a dCS system is also subject to this requirement . However the Accuphase has no wordclock input.
Further the output of the DP1000 is by HS Link or coax. HS Link is only for connecting it to other Accuphase units. dCS coax ( s/pdif) inputs only accept DSD in DoP format. As far as I can tell the DP1000 does not support DoP. So SACDs cannot be played via your Vivaldi.
I Accuphase is a lovely brand but would not be an appropriate solution in this context. It is not necessary to arrange a comparative demo as the technical requirement is simply not met by using Accuphase.
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I think the answer is going to be different for everyone, but here are a few things to consider:
- If you wan to SACD playback via your Vivaldi, you’ll need a dCS transport. Of course you can rip them and play them via Mosaic as well
- The DP-1000 will almost certainly be replaced next year (Accuphase 5 year product cycle)
- If you love Accuphase, the DP-1000 is one of their statement pieces and is stunning both inside and out. This is more or less why I bought mine. I respect the way the run the company and wanted to support them, as well as enjoy the ownership experience
- Personally I wouldn’t buy the DP-1000 without the DC-1000 along with it. They were designed as a set and won’t shine alone. You’ll also have a usefess SACD trasnport
- For CD transport only purposes I’d go with one of the Chinese options with word clock input
- Having said the above, I would (and did) buy they DP/DC-1000 set over the Vivaldi transport. It’s still cheaper and gives you lots of interesting options, as well as access to two very different, but excellent sounds signatures
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Yes thanks all, missed the clock point Pete. I think in the short term I will go with Dunc’s Smsl solution until a Vivaldi transport turns up.
But next time I visit an Accuphase dealer I might ask to hear the Accuphase DP/DC combo
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I think you will find it fantastic, especially for the price.
I am using aes out to the upsampler.
Or the zenith transport if you want SACD play back through the vivaldi, 5 times the price, but another option and the only one I have seen that will export SACD, without needing its matching dac.
The Accuphase DP/DC combo comes in at £41k, the Vivaldi transport at £33k, the Accuphase CD 770 at £17.5k and the SMSL at £499.
SMSL is clearly the place to start.
Totally agree on the SMSL. It’s interesting how pricing differs so much by region. Of course it’s pretty normal for imported gear to cost more than domestic, but looking at the current prices in Japan the Vivaldi Transport 2 is 6.6 million yen (around £33k, the same!) but the DP/DC-1000 set is 2.86 million yen or £14k! Historically I remember dCS gear being highly marked up in Japan, but maybe due to the weak yen they’ve had to adjust a bit to stay competitive.
Accuphase is such a ridiculous bargain in its home markets.
There is an eBay seller - ex Accuphase - who does voltage conversions - certainly very attractive pricing if you’re willing to accept the compromises (I was sorely tempted, but didn’t) but I’ve heard only good things about him.
This is an unpopular answer with some folks, but I would digitize everything and store it on Roon (like many in this forum do).
Far less expensive, far more convenient, and you will have future-proofed your system for the next 20+ years….
R
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I partially agree - I think for convenience and safe keeping, yes absolutely.
But there is a reason that CD players and (in particular) SACD players are still made and still sell very strongly in some markets, the far east and Japan in particular. They sound different, and the slightly retro tactile quality is not to be underestimated.
I’ve heard the Accuphase two box system - and the top single box player, the 770 - and they bring a (get this) analogue quality to the discs they spin. They’re really stellar pieces of kit.
Before I bought the Rossini I seriously considered the Accuphase DC1000 as my stand alone DAC, I auditioned it, it’s really good - and very organic sounding - ultimately I decided to go for the Rossini and have no regrets, but I may one day get myself the CD770 and start hoovering up some of the glorious SACDs that are out there for not much money. Yes I could buy and digitise - but then they’d be cut on a cheap disc drive, I’d not have that pleasure of a disc drive opening, and the music from the files would have a dCS sound applied to them and not the warm Accuphase disc sound.
SACD is the new Vinyl. Pass it on 
What a super interesting 3 way demo it would be to hear a ripped SACD on the Varese vs the disc played on the transport, and then vs the Accuphase two box rig. I’m going to speculate the spinning disk will sound better than the ripped copy on the Varese, and the Accuphase will have plenty of people who express that as a preference….but who knows…like I say, a super interesting demo.
A CD player is basically a spinning mechanism which uses a laser to read the pits and valleys on the plastic disc (but then you already knew that 
). The pits and valleys are from a DIGITAL file, the same digital file the rips come from.
I would say the sound you are enjoying from the Accuphase is due to its processing of that same digital file. In other words maybe you prefer Accuphases digital to analogue conversion - rather than that of dCS? (nothing wrong with that)
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I am more interested in hearing from those who have done the demo of a CD played on a Vivaldi Transport played back through a Vivaldi DAC vs. a rip of the same CD played back through Vivaldi DAC (same brand cables throughout)
My hope (and expectation) is that they will sound the same
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