Very good "entry" CD-Player from Accuphase.

At the first, he looks a bit expensive (new), and the components seem very standard (crappy transformator and filtering, standard Sony transport). But the DAC is a real good piece of equipment, using four very good Burr Brown DAC chips (two for each channel).

Multi-processing in DAC is commonly rare today and only used in very good DAC machinery (Pro-Equipment from Tascam, Weiss DAC, Esoteric CD Player). And, for one time, it's not a myth, but a fact : doubling the amount of dac chips will lower the noise and raise the dynamic.

In this CD-Player, it works perfectly. It's like looking the instructions of a new videogame on a HD flatscreen of 36" or on an old 19" Tv... on one, it's difficult,, on the other, it's really easy. The same here..It really help to pinpoint with more accuracy where every musician is located and give the right amount of deepness to the reproduction.

I'm using it for testing out hifi-gear. It really helps to maximize what is taken out of a CD, and so, you can clearly identify what is lacking to the chain that is connected to it.

I although use it in a pro-environnement for checking flaws in masters that are delivered to me for critical listening.

It was and is always a good CD-player. Yes, DP-600 will sound another tad "more analogic". But if you are so about analogic, the price difference between a DP-400 and DP-600 would allow you to build a very serious vinyl turntable with a killer arm, shell and everything else.

For serious CD listeners, this is IT. Just IT.