Denon - DP-400 - Automatic Turntable

I got this turntable, and it has been great so far. It’s affordable, and it sounds great. It’s a good, simple turntable, but you can still tell it’s a quality product. I didn’t have any trouble setting it up, and I was never confused about how to do it. I was expecting to have to do a lot of research, but it was so easy to figure out. It’s a very convenient turntable. It’s great for anyone who is just getting started with vinyl or who wants to get back into it.

Amazing turn table!

I had been wanting a new table. There was nothing wrong with mine, but I was ready to update. After much reading and sifting through reviews I decided on the DP400. I have a denon reciever and knew the quality would be there. I did upgrade to an ortofon red cartridge and this turntable just sings! I think a lot of time was put into making a quality table and tone arm that it's expected to that the stock cartridge isn't quite up to par. I also don't mind the dust cover. Would I prefer a cover that totally seals off the table? Yes. But this one looks cool and again, I think it was a way to save money and focus that into the quality of the rest of the components.

Great Sound! But Slightly Irksome Features

I spent a great deal of time researching turntables. I had a Target Heyday turntable and knew it was time to upgrade as I've become a more avid listener.I knew I wanted to upgrade my cartridge to one from Ortofon, specifically the TTL exclusive 2M Silver Cartridge pre-mounted on Ortofon's SH-4 headshell. This was my deciding factor to go with the DP-400 model instead of the fully automatic DP-300F.After having the player for a few weeks, there are a few things that I find disappointing. First, the dust cover. It's not the modern design, I don't mind that. It's that I cannot simply close the dustcover and go on about my day after listening to my record. You must remove the record and then place the dustcover back on every time you listen, which is disappointing ... MoreI spent a great deal of time researching turntables. I had a Target Heyday turntable and knew it was time to upgrade as I've become a more avid listener.I knew I wanted to upgrade my cartridge to one from Ortofon, specifically the TTL exclusive 2M Silver Cartridge pre-mounted on Ortofon's SH-4 headshell. This was my deciding factor to go with the DP-400 model instead of the fully automatic DP-300F.After having the player for a few weeks, there are a few things that I find disappointing. First, the dust cover. It's not the modern design, I don't mind that. It's that I cannot simply close the dustcover and go on about my day after listening to my record. You must remove the record and then place the dustcover back on every time you listen, which is disappointing and defeats the purpose of a dustcover in my opinion. I like for the record I was listening to last to be waiting for me.Second, if you pause the record mid-way because you want to flip sides early, the platter does not automatically stop. I'm used to sliding the needle back home and having the turntable stop automatically. That is not the case here - it will continue to spin until you turn the knob to the off position.The sound is great! I'm unable to tell if that's due to the quality cartridge or the quality turntable, but it renders a lot more bass and creates a very enjoyable listening experience. It's just some of the convenience features that really make a difference to me and why this is a 4-star review.I was very intimidated by the setup process, however, it could not have been more simple!

Great record player, stock cartridge is not bad.

This is a great priced record player.Paired it with Yamaha S-501 and Fluance floor standing speakers.Visually it is equally very pleasing.Cover is awkward but it is actually very functional for me. It can be used as record cover display. Also, it is better for me to take it off and leave the player open.Stock stylus is not bad. I however also purchased an high end $450 AT stylus which improved the sound considerably but given that this record player cost as the same, I would not expect Denon to include an expensive cartridge.My recommendation is that you should upgrade the stock cartridge with perhaps an AT costing around $100. It will make a huge difference.I am disappointed with Denon however that it doesn’t offer reasonably priced cartridges. I would ... MoreThis is a great priced record player.Paired it with Yamaha S-501 and Fluance floor standing speakers.Visually it is equally very pleasing.Cover is awkward but it is actually very functional for me. It can be used as record cover display. Also, it is better for me to take it off and leave the player open.Stock stylus is not bad. I however also purchased an high end $450 AT stylus which improved the sound considerably but given that this record player cost as the same, I would not expect Denon to include an expensive cartridge.My recommendation is that you should upgrade the stock cartridge with perhaps an AT costing around $100. It will make a huge difference.I am disappointed with Denon however that it doesn’t offer reasonably priced cartridges. I would really like to buy a 110 cartridge for less than $200.Overall, this is a great record player. I highly recommend it.

Great turntable! Only minor bones to pick.

For the price, I'm very pleased with this TT. It is great out of the box, but also offers good flexibility for upgrades. It's also easy to setup. I was jamming in less than 10 minutes and noticed an immediate and significant improvement in sound quality over my decade-old entry-level Stanton TT. I upgraded the cartridge with an Ortofon 2m red. Sounds warm, silky smooth, and powerful bass. I made some minor adjustments to my stereo's EQ by lowering the mid-range frequencies a notch or two- granted every stereo/speaker set up is different so this may not be universal. Needless to say I'm totally rocking out now and very happy! I really like the ability to bypass the DP-400's built-in phono preamp as it allowed me to experiment with other external options. I compared ... MoreFor the price, I'm very pleased with this TT. It is great out of the box, but also offers good flexibility for upgrades. It's also easy to setup. I was jamming in less than 10 minutes and noticed an immediate and significant improvement in sound quality over my decade-old entry-level Stanton TT. I upgraded the cartridge with an Ortofon 2m red. Sounds warm, silky smooth, and powerful bass. I made some minor adjustments to my stereo's EQ by lowering the mid-range frequencies a notch or two- granted every stereo/speaker set up is different so this may not be universal. Needless to say I'm totally rocking out now and very happy! I really like the ability to bypass the DP-400's built-in phono preamp as it allowed me to experiment with other external options. I compared to an external $100 ProJect phono preamp and ended up enjoying the DP-400's built-in preamp more- saving me space and another thing to plug in. The electronic speed control and auto-stop features are luxurious. I didn't realize how much I would love the auto-stop feature! -my old TT didn't have this. The DP-400 is also nice on the eyes (clean lines and some nice chrome finishes).Minus one star:While I enjoy the looks of the unorthodox dust-cover, I don't think it is as protective as a cover that fully encloses the tone arm. I think the gaps that the DP-400's dust cover leaves could still allow dust to interfere. I also live 400ft from the ocean and I'm a little concerned that the lack of a full enclosure allows greater exposure to the corrosive salty sea air- perhaps time will tell. Just try to be clean. The feet seem of good construction and have vibration dampening qualities but they are not easily height adjustable- making perfect leveling more difficult. Lastly, when not properly electrically-grounded my system generated tons of static and I experienced a subtle but noticeable 120Hz hum at higher volumes. I used a microphone app on my iPhone to confirm the hum was 120Hz- symptomatic of ground loop problems. I live in a humid environment (near ocean) where static should not built up as it does in arid regions. However, my static build up became a real problem. I tried several anti-static measures- including the Milty zero stat gun on the LPs, but nothing worked. I since I was not using an external phono preamp, there was no obvious location to connect the grounding wire. I tried connecting it to multiple locations on my stereo (including the AM radio antenna ground), but this did not work. Finally, I learned that my powerstrip/surge protector had coaxial hook ups and that their outer surfaces could be used for sufficient grounding. I used electrical tape to connect a grounding line between the DP-400 and the outside of one of the coaxial ports and... it was a miracle! Static build up was drastically reduced and the subtle 120Hz hum was completely eliminated. Perhaps it was my naivety that caused this problem in the first place, but sometimes these issues don't have an obvious solution. Hopefully this testimony will help.All in all, I'm satisfied with the DP-400 and would certainly recommend it to anyone looking to upgrade beyond an entry-level system- and especially at this price.

Has features that fit my needs

I almost didn't give the DP400 five stars since a defect in the semi-auto arm lift resulted in a return after only one day.However, my replacement performs perfectly! Although I typically use an external phono amp along with an MC cartridge, I found that the internal phono amp has high quality audio and is compatible with an MC (low output moving coil) pickup but requires more gain at the output which I provided. The advantage is no noise or hum from the Denon phono amp.Additionally, the Denon stays active even with the weaker MC signal, unlike most internal phono amps from other manufacturers. In any event, this arrangement works for me with fewer components and great sound.Additionally, the speed control rivals other quartz locked direct drive turntables but ... MoreI almost didn't give the DP400 five stars since a defect in the semi-auto arm lift resulted in a return after only one day.However, my replacement performs perfectly! Although I typically use an external phono amp along with an MC cartridge, I found that the internal phono amp has high quality audio and is compatible with an MC (low output moving coil) pickup but requires more gain at the output which I provided. The advantage is no noise or hum from the Denon phono amp.Additionally, the Denon stays active even with the weaker MC signal, unlike most internal phono amps from other manufacturers. In any event, this arrangement works for me with fewer components and great sound.Additionally, the speed control rivals other quartz locked direct drive turntables but with the benefit of a belt (quieter) drive. In fact, the unit overall is dead quiet.I have few but not zero 78 rpm records and having this choice is a nice feature. The unusual dust cover may be slightly more inconvenient but rest assured that hinged dust covers capture low frequencies like a sail picks up wind and adds to acoustical feedback, especially if you like your music loud or bass driven.Lastly, I am using a Denon MC (DL103) cartridge but the MM one supplied works better than reviews would lead you to believe. I require a graphic equalizer since by listening room is small and my speakers large and adjustments are necessary with this or any turntable. That equalizer works great as well for fine tuning the supplied cartridge. Also, an inexpensive ($60) stylus (needle) replacement with an elliptical profile would be simplest way to upgrade if you find it necessary.

In love with this turntable

This is my first turntable and I think it is really great. The included cartridge is OK but when upgrading to the still quite inexpensive AT-VM95E, the sound is more mature and tidy, bass is more powerful and suddenly new details emerge. I think Denon should include this cart as standard with its turntable, people that had another turntable before with a better cartridge might get an average first impression of the table. On the upside, including this supercheap cart should mean that more R & D money went into the table itself and that's a good thing because you can always upgrade the cart whereas you cannot get a new tonearm. The turntable is a real looker. Only downfall might be that the included phono preamp still adds its own capacitance when using an external one.

My First Turntable (Expensive, but love it)

did not purchase this at BB but wanted to vouch for the product; good starter TT if you want one that is upgradeable but are not sure how to go about getting into hi-fi players, however for this price there are other brands you can look at that work about the same as the DP-400, and certainly cheaper TTs if you want a jumping off point w/less effort.the stylus/needle that comes with this model is also low quality in comparison to the overall product, so try to upgrade this part asap if you care about needle quality and the longevity of your vinyl (the Ortofon M series is recommended by most folks, but i use a Sumiko Rainier which fit with the color of this TT and has a warmer sound imo). i also dont care for the dust cover which doesnt do a good job of keeping ... Moredid not purchase this at BB but wanted to vouch for the product; good starter TT if you want one that is upgradeable but are not sure how to go about getting into hi-fi players, however for this price there are other brands you can look at that work about the same as the DP-400, and certainly cheaper TTs if you want a jumping off point w/less effort.the stylus/needle that comes with this model is also low quality in comparison to the overall product, so try to upgrade this part asap if you care about needle quality and the longevity of your vinyl (the Ortofon M series is recommended by most folks, but i use a Sumiko Rainier which fit with the color of this TT and has a warmer sound imo). i also dont care for the dust cover which doesnt do a good job of keeping dust off the player, and is more cosmetic than functional. otherwise, extremely pleased with this TT and with proper upkeep the white finish looks great in any home.(will add pics later if i can)

Outstanding Value

In a marketplace filled with look-alike and sound-alike gear, especially when it comes to mid-range hifi equipment, Denon continues to carve a niche by producing solid engineering and manufacturing. It's not the cheapest gear, but it's far from being the priciest.Three months ago, our DP-400 arrived completely intact in its Denon box. It was very well packed and worked without problems, requiring only modest adjustments of the type fully covered by the enclosed paper setup and operations manual.We chose to stay with the stock needle and cartridge, but will likely switch up next year. The specs on the arm & turntable are good enough to justify a significant upgrade, but we'd like to save up a few pennies first.The only controversial aspect of the DP-400 is its ... MoreIn a marketplace filled with look-alike and sound-alike gear, especially when it comes to mid-range hifi equipment, Denon continues to carve a niche by producing solid engineering and manufacturing. It's not the cheapest gear, but it's far from being the priciest.Three months ago, our DP-400 arrived completely intact in its Denon box. It was very well packed and worked without problems, requiring only modest adjustments of the type fully covered by the enclosed paper setup and operations manual.We chose to stay with the stock needle and cartridge, but will likely switch up next year. The specs on the arm & turntable are good enough to justify a significant upgrade, but we'd like to save up a few pennies first.The only controversial aspect of the DP-400 is its unorthodox cover. I put the word in quotes because it's really not a cover, at least not as the term is typically understood. It protects the most vulnerable parts against dust, but not the whole table. It's clearly a cost saving measure, and insofar as it inconveniences the owner (which is really very little), I suppose I'd take a half star off my rating, but that's really all that 's worth mentioning.Bottom line: I'd buy it again tomorrow, and have already recommended it to several friends.