It should be noted that since publishing this review, Denon appears to have dropped the price on the DP-450USB by a $100 (Amazon) bringing it to $499. Likewise the DP-400 has also seen a price reduction of $100, making its new asking price on Amazon $399 (amzn.to/2MdIwz7 ). This price drop makes the 450USB a bit more competitive, BUT I still stand by my assertion that if you don't require USB recording, the DP-400 is the "better" option and buy. Furthermore, at $399 the Denon DP-400 competes well with the competition, and if you upgrade the cartridge you will have a very capable player indeed. Cheers! -Andrew
Hello again Andrew- Hope you are doing well. After a TON of research, I have found the table I was looking for. It's the Reloop Turn-3. 3 speed, semi automatic, normal dust cover and you can change the headshell on it so you can easily (with some adjustments to the tone arm weight) switch between 45/33-1/3 and 78 playback. Should be showing up here today!
Eugene McNair yeah I am curious about what is going on ‘sound quality’ wise in regards to the USB port hardware. What I use for digitizing vinyl is a Zoom recorder connected to my amp analog audio out and the Zoom can capture that audio at 96/24 and then I take those files from the card and transfer to my PC for working on the WAVs for editing etc.
Sony turntable PS-HX500. however, is interesting for a reason you can rip your vinyl record to the DSD format .there are those who think it is DSD is the digital format that is closest to analog audio
I know this is an older video but I’ve just bought the DP-400 and the Ortofon 2M Blue based on your advice… and I couldn’t be happier with it. Thank you!
I ended up buying the DP-400 and Ortofon 2M Blue because of this video. I needed semi-automatic as the entire family will be using it and know a manual table is not right for everyone. Also, just found your channel and review (liked and subscribed).
I just bought the DP-400. I love it. I also upgraded the cartridge with the Ortofon 2M Silver comes with a headshell. I love the auto lift/ stop as well. Yeah dust cover is weird. I see it more as a tone arm guard not a dust cover. It's not a deal breaker for me.
Recently purchased the DP-400, but did not see your review prior to purchase. As I watched your review, I actually had a sigh of relief with the recommendation of changing to the Ortofon cartridge since that justified exactly what I did (now softening my worst critic's critique (the wife)). Although I refrained from putting it in until after I ran through all of my albums with the stock cartridge to determine if any were unsalvageable. Album condition and what can be done is a whole nuther topic of course. What drew me to the DP-400 were a number of "must have" features that the DP-400 met. 1) belt driven, 2) auto-stop, 3) detachable RCA cables and 4) speed selector control. I know most complain about the dust cover, and I'll acknowledge it isn't ideal, but it was a huge plus for me since the turntable had to go into a shelf and removing the dust cover was a huge issue for me to work out. And while I agree it's not superior in function, I disagree with most on the appearance. I think it's mighty attractive.
Andrew I love how you’re getting more into turntable reviews. Most people who “review” turntables are truly just advertising them and it’s never really honest at all. Please keep doing this for as many as you can I’m sure I’m not the only one who likes these. Btw, you should look into reviewing the Rega Planar 3 if it’s somehow possible.
Hi Andrew, on your recommendation I have just fitted my DP 400 with an Ortofon blue cartridge and it sounds awesome! There are parts of Aja I’m hearing for the first time (and I’ve listened to Aja a lot!) Thanks for the top consumer advice 👍
Hi. Thanks for your review, Andrew. I'm glad I saw it AFTER I bought the Denon DP-450! The reason is- to answer you question, this model is made for people like me. I've had great/top line turntables, (I even took one - a Garrard -on my yacht trip around the world in 1980 and -no kidding, it played without skating, in quite rolling seas- possibly by centrifugal force! [I NOTE THE PREVIOUS SENTENCE IS POSTING WITH STRIKETHROUGH. NO STRIKETHOUGH WAS INTENDED, IT MAY BE A WEBSITE BUG. I'M INSERTING THIS BLOCK CAPS COMMENT AFTERWARDS] But I digress. What I wanted now- (40 years later) - was a simple turntable to transfer/digitise some of my own albums (for which I have, unfortunately, lost the master tapes). I figured maybe if I have 2 vinyl copies of a certain album, I can record both copies direct through the USB port, then line them up in Logic, and switch out to the other copy wherever I got to a click or a flick. I WANTED "vanilla" (BTW vanilla is a flavour that is really tasty- it just happens to be white!). You say you miss "sparkle" - but I don't want ANY colouration, I want fidelity. I can add a little 10k-12k shelf on it of I miss the highs. I don't agree that the sound of a WAV is anything like what you describe. Yours must be faulty, Andrew. Seriously. Mine is clear, clean and faithful. And I'm a pro composer/producer with 54 years of hits and recordings from classical to rock and all stations in between. So the USB isn't a gimmick. [and I need it to be on the FRONT so I don't have to keep reaching behind the unit to insert and activate the USB stick. Practicality trumps aesthetics!. I realise you cover it by your "posterity's sake" point but your comment that "the quality's so bad" - is just wrong- in my opinion. I'm a REALLY discerning listener. What I DO think it needs (and this is a big omission) is a headphone socket, because at the moment I can't monitor what is going through into the USB output. That would be a huge waste of time if I find something went wrong while a whole album side was being digitised. So there you go. I love the Denon DP-450 to date. I've only had it for a day, but these are my first impressions!. All the best. Mike Batt.
Very good review, I have the DP-400 and replaced the original cartridge with the AT-VM95ML. Paired with Rotel RA 1572 Mk II integrated amplifier and relevant internal pre-phono, it sounds fantastic!
I have the DP-450 USB as it was given to me by my wife as a birthday present. I agree with all your findings and would personally recommend the DP-400 as far better value. I do believe, however, that it is a great turntable once tweaked. I initially went with the 2M Blue which was a great improvement, however ended up settling on a VM540ML which was a big step up from the 2M Blue. I also added an external phono amp (Rega Fono MM Mk3). With these tweaks, I've ended up with a fantastic sounding deck and haven't upset my wife by suggesting we replace it.
Hi Andrew, Thank you for the review, I bought the DP 400 (black) after researchIng all the TT’s I could find in the $500 to $600 price range. What sold me is the auto stop/restart feature. I couldn’t seem it find any TT’s in this range with the same spec’s and upgrade path that included this feature. I don’t have time to hover over my TT waiting to lift the stylus at the end of the side. I even bought a Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Esprit, only to discovered the stylus would skate over the label at the end of the side! Ouch! So far, I am happy with the sound. I’am running the DP 400 through a Yamaha RX A3080 (with Pure Direct) to Martin Logan 35XTi speakers speaker wire and RCA wires have been upgraded from stock. Thank you for the upgrade tip, my next upgrade will be to change the stylus to an M2 Blue. I agree the DP 450 doesn’t make any sense, and that USB recorder is rubbish, save your money and buy a DP 400. The auto stop/restart feature is the best, it makes your life much easier. Funny, I remember growing up, TT had all kinds of features, you could program your TT to listen in any order, you had stop/start and many other features. Maybe in time if the industry grows we will some of these features return. Best regards, Mike
I have the DP-400 and absolutely love it. It has the set of features that a mid-tier audiophile might need (auto-stop, tonearm lift, built in preamp, removable cables, easily replaceable cartridge). It's speed accurate, attractive and sounds great (I replaced cartridge with Ortofon Red). Honestly, the turntable itself is far from the first thing that affects sound quality. It's the cartridge and the preamp that make most of the difference. My only gripe with DP-400 is the dust cover so had to buy a custom cotton cover to prevent dust from getting in.
I really needed to see this video! I'm currently planning to arrange for my remaining years just listening to my vinyl collection. My thinking was to "digitize" my collection so that as I decline in health I can still listen to my favorite cuts of an album without having to go through all the motions to just play one or two cuts. Going through all the motions though is part of the ritual I love. Whatever my body does then, my ears are pretty damn good! and if digitizing my vinyl sound as bad as you say, I'll have to reconsider my strategy. As always, thanks for another informative video.
Hi, I belong to India & we have limited options. I agree with you, the DP 400 with Ortofon blue is the better option and I have this combination. The performance is good, the good point is that the power supply and the same is a separate unit, this system minimizes the hamming noise when you are not using the inbuilt preamp.
This is perfect for someone like me. I love buying new and used records I enjoy transferring to digital files without the use of a computer and play the thumb drive in my car, thus I am able to listen to vinyl at home, and digital files on the go. absolutely perfect! I wish more turntables would have this feature with this quality, that said I don’t like the price, a bit too high.
There are those who believe that DSD is the digital sound that is closest to analog sound. in place number two will probably be 24 bit pcm. but making an analog disc to MP3 is a bit like copying your blu-ray movie to super VHS. Honestly a regular uncompressed CD is better or flac
Great review Andrew! I agree that it's a very beautiful turntable in white. Though I just wanted to comment on your points on the USB function. You siad that most records today include MP3 downloads, and I find that to be wildly inconsistant. As a matter of fact most of the albums I've recently purchased did not come with the MP3 download option, and I feel that record companies are starting to realize that some of us music lovers will double dip and buy not just the album, but also a digital format in addition. As for the streaming as an option, I'm one of those who just can't get into it as an option. I'm on a shared family data plan, so streaming kills the portability aspect, as well as how my place of employment views electronic devices. So long story short, I'm stuck with my iPod Touch 3rd gen or my classic click wheel iPod at work. So having the ability to digitize some albums is a feature I do slightly care about. However, I'll take your word on the quality of it's capabilities. My current setup works fairly well. Pioneer PL-707 to a Musical Fidelity V-90 LPS phono stage, to my Pioneer Elite VSX-50, from there I use the tape record outputs to the stereo input on my HTPC, record to Audacity and digitize everything.
If the USB output (not input) was of good quality I could absoluty see who the table is for. Someone who wants a good quality stylish deck that can provide decent sound out of the box without being fidgety about record condition and quality who also would like to rip their recordings (especially older recordings from the golden age) to their PC. I don't see the front mounted USB as a problem as I like the ability to easily plug in and remove the USB cable without putzing around in the back of the rack. As you noted the removable headshell makes it easy to switch to a more revealing cartridge for audiophile recordings. Many record collectors do something similar by having both a conical and an elliptical stylus available and using the conical for noisy pressings. In that vein an important question that you did not address is whether the provided cartridge has proprietary styli that must be sourced from Denon or can one replace the stylus with other types? This might be a somewhat less expensive way to tune the system. On the subject of the USB, if the quality is that bad it begs the question of whether your unit is faulty. Have you reached out to Denon to see if it might simply be broken / in need of repair? Denon should know how to do digital properly so I find cellphone quality sound to be very surprising.
Sorry I know this video is old but some people have a lot of foreign records which often aren't readily available on streaming services or even to purchase digitally. This is why some people wish to digitize them for both simplicity or to able to store and use the files for convince on other devices; however if the audio quality isn't good that's all that's important and honestly the only topic you should be reviewing. You made a lot of assumptions when you made your conclusions about the usage of the recording feature, as I explained above there are many different vinyl collectors and have been for a very long time and this cover a vast spectrum of music including subcultures like black metal, death metal, rare releases, foreign independent/obscure underground, etc. None of this type of music is widely digitized and many people who like to rip these vinyls and have them available digitally. Ultimately audio quality is all that really matters.
$12 cartridge on a $500 unit. A testament to the quality of the AT3600 or the cheapness of Denon? Should have a VM95e at the very least at this price point.
That was a great unapologetic, and extremely helpful review...I was contemplating buying a turntable with digital recording features, just maybe not this one. I am in the market, however for a turntable that can play 78's as I have some of my grandparents old records. I thank you for the review, and hope that Denon sees this video and makes some tweaks to its product.
Nothing against Denon or the 450USB, it just didn’t make a lot of sense to me. The 400 turntable, now that might be worth looking at. Thank you for watching.
Thanks for the review. I was considering buying one of these simply for the convenience of using the USB but if the sound is that bad, I'll just use outboard gear like I've been doing all along with my antique Denon DP-45F. That dustcover too. Yuck. BTW I have LOTS of vinyl that has never been released digitally and that's why I wanted this feature. Subscribed, you and Steve Gutenberg are now my go to guys for hifi reviews.
There may otherwise be thought. that you want to transfer digitally on either 24 bit or DSD. far from all music is available with HI-res sound digital. Unfortunately, there are many out there who are still interested in MP3s or listening to vinyl records through Bluetooth
@@gnatiu I mean the USB sound when it converts the analog signal might not be good. I bet the turntable sounds good on its own. Yeah I'd have to listen to it myself.
I have the older Denon Dp-300F turntable with Ortofon 2M bronze, and it has served me well for the near ten years I've owned it. I have a few records that are really quite rare and never rereleased in digital format. Thing is, it's really not hard or expensive to hook a turntable up to a computer or other digital recording device, especially if the table has a built-in preamp. I've never used a table with this gimmicky built in digitization feature, but I've heard the same sentiments about many of them w/ respect to sound quality. It's a shame really because this shouldn't be hard to implement properly.
Thank you for being such an honest reviewer, Andrew. I have to admit that wether you meant to be funny or not, I still laughed aloud (not out loud!) numerous times during this review. I believe it to be that you’ve just got a dry type of wit which I enjoy very much. If I were to record vinyl to digital, it would be through the use of an external unit. The “dust cover” looks like a part of the packaging too. Thanks again, Andrew! 🎶🔊🙂 & 🤣
The USB capability is for people that mix new tunes with two turntables. Anyway, I have a Japanese Denon DP-300F and I love it! I'm going to put an Ortofon Red in the near future.
Hi Andrew. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your reviews on this channel. I once had an inexpensive Sony USB turntable several years back (this was a fully automatic turntable that was ready to go outside of the box with a cheap stylus, no anti skate and no tone arm balance). I bought no speakers for it. I only got it to transfer some older vinyl that I had, that wasn't available on CD. It thought it did a great job of transferring the vinyl and I thought the audio sounded really good. I got rid of it once I was done transferring that vinyl. I got rid of (most of) the vinyl too since I wasn't interested in the format at that time. Some years later I Got interested in listening to vinyl. But I still wanted to digitize the vinyl as a way of preserving it in case the the vinyl got damaged. I got the Audio Technica ATLP USB120 turntable I thought it was pretty good and that it did a good job of capturing the vinyl. Then one day I re recorded a vinyl record that I had originally recorded with the Sony and compared the two. And while I still felt that the AT player provided a good quality recording of my vinyl, I thought the cheaper Sony turntable captured a bit more dynamic range than the Audio Technica player. I have been wanting to upgrade my turntable, and I still want my turntable to have USB capability. This limits my choices. I had looked at this turntable but it was the most expensive USB turntable out there, and like you, I didn't like the dust cover's lack of functionality. And after hearing your review of the recording quality, I have crossed it off my list. This leaves me with two brands: Pro-Ject has the Primary and the Debut III record master USB turntables ($299 - $350) and has an Ortofon OM series moving magnet cartridge. Sony has a new PSHX500 Hi Res USB Turntable ($279), This new Sony model is an upgrade from the one that I used to own. It has anti skate and a balancing tone arm. The Stylus is an unbranded Audio Technica moving magnet model that they designed for Sony. I have heard all kinds of good about Pro-Ject. But considering what I good job I thought the cheap Sony did of recording vinyl, I do wonder about the Sony too. Any thoughts? I think that if a USB turntable does a good job of capturing the vinyl sound, that it's a necessary function. I usually digitize my vinyl on the first play to preserve it in case anything happens to it. PS I use "Vinyl Studio" software to digitize my vinyl. Thanks again for your great reviews and your attitude of inclusiveness. TJ
I'm just some dude but I'd say you should check out a phono preamp with a USB connection as it will most likely sound better than one built into a turntable and I'd bet it would make your current or new player sound better too...
Spot on Andrew, for similar money Music Hall and Pro-Ject should be considered. Last year i ordered a Music Hall MMF-1.5 based upon reviews and price. Didn't need it but liked it so much i decided to keep it and use as a 2nd table in a bedroom setup for late night listening.
I feel more turntables with magnetic cartridges, need to have this thumb drive recording feature. I believe manufactures don’t know there is a demand for it. You could listen to your records on the go regardless of quality. A great way to archive your old collection. Without the fuss of using a computer. I took the dive and made a purchase of this Denon DP 450 USB and I couldn’t be happier! Can’t wait to see other brands do the same thing
@@tiziocaio6236 what date in Kohl sounds good. Unfortunately you cannot adjust the recording level so it's missing the punch but sounds good. Played back on the large system or in the car with EQ adjusted.
Although most of the time I don’t know what you’re talking about I really enjoy your reviews. I must admit that although I have some nice equipment I’m still back in the day where putting a needle down on a record and hearing a sound makes for a great day! The equipment I own is mostly denon vintage products. My speakers are Bose which I know audiophiles hate and Polk audio. I have a McIntosh set upstairs playing thru some speakers my son bought instead of a Porsche! Can I tell the different of course not so bottom line guess my age (75) has caught up with me! Because I cannot hear what audiophiles hear. I put on a record that I produced, recorded, and yes I even pressed it at Wakefield plant where I worked to learn the business from ground up!
When upgrading this table to the 2M red: will replacing the headshell along with it make any difference? Or should I save the money and use the denon headshell?
really great review,. exactly the details i I needed to hear to make up my mind. I m probably not going to buy this turntable because of the dustcover.
I bought it. For the looks in my second listening room my main setup is McIntosh 452 ,c2600 into Wilson Sophia 3 s I purchased a project rpm5 it came with a blue point no 2 . Ok. No complaints. This is kind of what I’m used to . Now. My smaller setup is B & W cm6 peach tree nova 220 s using the denon factory phono. To. Aux in . With factory stylis . I heard noise from left channel . And almost a volume higher and lower .I sat there and was pissed. I purchased ortlofon 2m bronze with matching headshell. Has not arrived yet . I can’t believe the denon sounds this sloppy out of the box . My last effort will be aux phono stage after that in the garbage. There’s no way this could sound that crappy stock. . I’m hoping the new cartridge gets some decent sound. My ears are far too sensitive and I don’t wanna spend 40 k plus to hear clear sound . I’m far too picky with music .
Once you receive your new cartridge this TT will sound great. I have a DP-400 with a 2M Blue, I also changed to a felt mat, and plugged it in to a Pro-Ject Tube Box S2. This will give you the warm analog sounds you crave. My favorite feature of this TT is the auto stop mechanism, because I don’t want the expensive stylus rubbing against the paper label at the end of the side. I don’t know why this feature isn’t mentioned when they review this turntables. What’s interesting is Pro-Ject sells a gadget that you stick on the TT that will lift the tone arm when it reaches the end of the side. I don’t why they build it into their tone arm the way Denon does it will look better.
Wow, this was a real “eye-opener.” Truthfully, we would’ve expected more from Denon. Great review Andrew, thank you for an unbiased, honest review. Merry Christmas!🎄🎁 -Chris & Beth🎧
Merry Christmas to you as well! I hope people don't think I'm "bashing" Denon, I'm not, I'm just trying to be pragmatic in letting people know that if you don't need USB, then the DP-400 is the better buy, but also know that at these price points there is a LOT of competition. Thanks as always!
I am looking for a turntable and this one looks very nice to me, because it has this recording possibility and offers the very nice sound of a good turntable. And since I would like to be able to rip records to digital files, the usbport and record buttons in the front are very convenient. Very nice review!
Why would you like to record an album straight from the LP-player? Becaus like me, I have tons of albums that aren't available in digital streaming or elsewhere. With this solution, I can record the albums and store them at my computer or in my phone.
Who made this player? Hanpin? Denon doesn't produce any tts anymore. I guess Sony did more efforts with their PX-HX500? For quality I think you have to buy a player from the 70's or 80's. My PS-X800 is still a great performer. Stable, quiet and listening is a like a party..
Hey Andrew thanks for another informative video. My two cents worth: Nice looking turntable, nice price tag. Looks like pretty decent build quality also.
Very good honest review. Sometimes I wonder myself why manufacturers shoot themselves in the foot for no apparent reason ? IMHO the 450USB would have been a much better turntable if Denon had resisted adding gimmicky features to it and rather put that money into features that people really want like a better cartridge. I have no idea why would somebody buy a turntable that some say gives you wider dynamic range than digital, then squeeze/compress all that dynamic range into a MP3 recording ? My guess is that some people with a collection of albums that are no longer available, might want to digitize them as a way of preserving them ? Otherwise I really don't know ? As far as the cover, or better 'non-cover' is concerned, how many albums can it hold and is it worth the convenience ? Actually, (if I ever decide on the 450) I was thinking about purchasing an Acrylic TT Cover that they sell on eBay for less than $100 and that covers the entire TT even while its's playing and even if I decide to nod-off while listening to music. However that would be an added cost. One thing I like about the Denon turntable is that its a 'true' semi-automatic, that means the arm is raised at the end of the record and the spindle stops spinning. On some some semi-auto TT's like the Fluance RT's the spindle just stops. I use to own a Yamaha YP-B4 (served me well for 15 years) turntable which was fully automatic, so I can't see myself getting up from the couch every time a record finishes. It finally gave out when the clunky mechanics inside gave way, but that was a pretty nice entry- level turntable, probably better than the models we have today. Like you said, what the Denon has going for it, is the looks. This a modern sleek looking TT that in my eyes might look better on the shelf, than the 1970's style Fluance . Wow, this is a tough decision, maybe after I look at your review on the Fluance RT85, I might make up my mind.
It was the USB function that lured me in (and taking the odd dust cover for granted). Big mistake, the WAVE recording function shuts off by itself after one minute and the MP3 is of mediocre quality and very low volume. Wish I had seen this video before purchase. Not the quality I associate with Denon.
hello from greece. i lovw your reviw. sorry my english are poor . i wan to to ask you...denon dp 400...audio technica at-lp 5x...onkyo cp 1050...what you would choose ?...thank you very much
Hi Andrew I like your videos ,and I agree 100% on everything you said excellent review and like you said by changing cartridge like the ortophon is a great choice my crosley c-10 came w/the ortophon OME5 the sound is fantastic I even changed the one I had on my audio tehnica atlp-120 to the ortophonOME-5 it was a slight difference in sound than the AT 95E which is a fantastic cartridge but the ortophon was slightly better,and for a manual turntable I believe that the most one should pay for it price wise should not be more than 300.00 $ top I mean it is manual all the work is being done by the operator ,my croslry C-10 which is a pro-ject debut 3 with the pro-ject tone arm with special bearings cost me way less than $ 200.00$the thing is well built ,it is quiet my audiotechnica atlp-120 was $ 250.00 it is heavier but did not break the bank ,it should'nt have put you in debt just buy a turntable,when I was a youngster in the 70's all they had was automatic turntables that you could play 2 to 4 albums at a time ,of course they were not the greatest record players out there but they were great ,my last automatic TT was an onkyo 1055FII computer controlled quartz direct drive I bought in1985 I still have it I remember paying I think close to $300.00 for it and I had it on layaway ,the cueing on it stopped working just last yr hoping to find someone to fix it soon,if I am going to pay over $400.00 or more for a manual turntable it better do more like talk to me or something cause a lot of these record manufactures are a little greedy ,hoping alot of people forgot what turntables used to do and charging them alot of money for a simple machine that has only ONE MOVING part ,the motor and you know these don't cost a lot ,the base or plinth as these audiophyles call them are the same asthe older models and some of the specs from the older models were better than the new ones these are the ones they charge alot for did not mean to take too much of your time but somebody has to let consumers know ! thanks for your review waiting for your next one JRo
Good review Andrew. I really want this turntable... I can live with semi automatic, I can live with upgrading to 2M blue..I can live without the USB.. but I hate the stupid looking cover.. what were they thinking?????
I think I will stick with my u turn audio orbit special turntable that I got for my birthday. I will upgrade one day and it won't be with the Denon DP-450USB Turntable. keep up the good work Andrew.
Hello Andrew, I was already researching cart/stylus upgrades for my old Pioneer PL-518 TT and this video convinced me to go ahead and spend a little more on the 2M blue vs. the red (Thank you!). That being said, I am also a branding geek and love the debossed Pioneer logo on the stock headshell. Would you advise a more weighty, metal headshell or will the stock one suffice. Thank you for all you do, Stephen.
Also missing the strobe light . With the belt drive tables it is a must . By the way there are many new turntables that are a big joke , especially with those high pricing products made in China .
I definitely have some records I’d like to record that way,. It’s a shame it doesn’t work better, as it sounds like a really cool and simple idea/Implementation. They should at least put the USB port on the side. I have an older Denon DP-57L Turntable, and love the Audio Technica VM540ML cartride on it
Thank you Andrew so much for this review. I share your sentiments on why someone would want to download vinyl to a computer-that's why I have the $ invested in my system. Compressed digital audio can really suck at times. I recently picked up the Denon DP-400 with the Ortofon 2M Blue preinstalled by Safe and Sound Audio based on your recommendation and OMG vinyl has never sounded so good. Dead quiet, tremendous soundstage, and accurate reproduction of the musician's intent. It helps that I hooked the TT to a Denon AVRX3300W receiver, Denon DBT 3313 Blu-Ray, with an Emotiva XPA Two running the front channels driving Acoustat 1+1 electrostatics. Center channel Magnepan MGCC and rear channels Magnepan MMGs. And surprisingly I really like the dust cover, since the TT is on a shelf which would preclude a hinged dust cover, and no pets or excessive dust to worry about. Plus nice to see the album sleeve-a source of visual art lost in the CD world. I doubt I will ever need to upgrade the TT-the sound in my system rivals some SACDs I listen to.
Er, because it isn't available on CD, etc? Also digitizing such music would also mean you could take it into an authoring program and get rid of annoying, crackle, pops, clicks, etc. I'm sure some like such annoyances because they're part of the 'vinyl sound', but I'd rather clean up such annoyances on music otherwise unavailable on CD.
It’s called a phono equalizer because it equalizes the signal, using the RIAA standards most likely- there are other equalizer standards such as DECCA, which were used on records dating before 1954 by the individual record companies. Some phono stages will include several settings other than RIAA.
Going for the DP400. Currently, it retails at E389 in the Netherlands. The alternatives that you mentioned sound great, but unfortunately, it is really hard to get your hands on those brands in Europe... We do have Pro-ject who indeed has better cartridges, but they don/t feature an auto-stop, which is kinda essential for me since I mostly listen to my player while cooking. (and might be too busy to press the stop button)
Great honest review, thanks! I currently still have my Denon DP300F with a Grado Green cartridge, but if it should die, I really think I would opt for the UTurn with Ortophon cartridge combo. That cover is a real turn off! Thanks again your review was very informative.
thank you for the review, I intend to buy one to rip out the dc motor and put it in myvpi, also the head shell will replace the one missing from my audio technica arm, so your review was very useful as you seemed satisfied with the drive, system, identifying the problems to the cart, and I figure if a good cart turns it into a decent tablethe drive system must be at least adequate, so thank you and keep up the good work
Hallo Andrew, a very good and honest review. I agree with you to better spend money for a good cartridge . And an USB Port in the front of such a stylish player is a sin! I have a collection of vintage turntables for between 10 and 70 euros from fleemarket or second hand stores. That leaves a good budget for cartridges or for buying albums. I am sure a good dual turntable from the eighties sounds as good as the most new ones. Or even better. Happy listening and nice holidays. Frank
For those who cared, Denon include the vinyl ripping function because its currently a trend in Japan audio community. It all started way back in 2018, when Melco introduced a CD ripper at the price of 2000USD. Yes, you buy machine that couldn't even do the same job as your CD player does, insane right? But this product sales exploded and become one of the hottest product currently in the Japanese audio community for whatever reason. That's why Denon introduced this function in their product hoping that they can increase the sales because they are aiming at the younger audiophile community.
Since Robinson's review oozes too much bias can you please let me have your opinion on the recording function ? Would like to know how you feel about it. Thank you
This turntable caught my eye due to the 78 rpm setting. Built in pre-amp is a plus in my opinion as well. The auto stop was another selling feature. I agree that the dust cover is awful. If someone made a fully automatic turntable with removable headshell, 3 speeds, s-shape tone arm, normal dust cover and wood grain, I'd be in heaven.
Demon calls it an equalizer because that’s essentially all a phono preamp really is. Records and their players basically used to have inconsistent sound until some engineers figured out a eq curve they could implement to prevent playback issues for drastically improved playback stability. That’s the basic of it but you can look it up
This TT is £449 in the UK which I believe is over ambitious. I heard this TT compared to a Sony PS-HX500 (which can be bought for £249) both were fitted with an Ortofon Red cart. The Sony both blows this out of the water as a TT and produces far better quality/sounding recorded files (and at a higher resolution). The dust cover design is used on a number of TTs though. I agree with your observations on this TT though. Please keep them coming.
I got DP-400 (same as DP-450USB, but without USB, because I don't need it). Very simple and very well done device, which sounds good or other words - properly. Mine is also white. Black version looks great, but every single particle of dust is well presented on piano-black casing. In my case I had to align the stylus, because out of the box the alignment wasn't perfect.
Watching this 3 years too late. This is a great turntable take the stock cartridge and head shell and throw it away it’s garbage. I put an ortofon 2m bronze with new head shell. It’s fantastic. The usb feature is worthless the cover looks cool but it’s also worthless it even has an auto stop feature. My project rpm 5 does not. I’m using McIntosh c2600 for pre amp. Sounds great. The video was well done. I agree with all of it. There’s nothing wrong with this turntable it’s fine. Plus by now the price must be lower.
I am about to order the DP-400, price dropped to 350€ and I think that's actually a good deal. My question is: should I upgrade to the Ortofon 2M Red or Blue? Is there a huge difference between those cartridges when using it with the built in preamp of the DP-400?
The question shouldn't be 'who is this for', because it's for those of us who have vinyl that very most likely won't see the light of day on CD. The question should be one of asking why the recoding quality of the USB is so bad, given that most people buying it for its USB capability would buy it for the aforementioned reason.
I have the 400, I plan on ripping its guts out and connecting the tonearm straight to the output. That way, there's nothing but the headshell between me and my record. On the AT LP120, it's a fairly straightforward job and improves sound quality by miles. I wonder if it's as easy on the Denon.
Isn't it better that you buy a record player completely without built-in preamp ice attack. Then the denon is technically different from the old Audio tecnica. Haven't heard that anyone has said that the built-in Preamp function in the Denon affects the sound quality when it is turned off. On the contrary, one person thought there was too much Treble in the sound so he tried using the built-in Preamp in the player instead of the one in his receiver and he thought the sound became better
Excellent ! That is a real real fine review. You really present, explain every single detail of both TT, and I totally agree with you about the USB use. Obviously...I subscribe !!
I was looking to get some new turntable to replace my tired Onkyo CP-1057F and DP-400 was in my list at some point but eventually I went straight for DP-47F, which costed me just a hair more than DP-450USB but will surely blow it out of the water. And yes, that USB thing, I don't think I would ever use it. If I ever had to digitize some record I would use some external audio card from Amazon and recorded it on the laptop with real good quality.
I am considering getting the DP-400 in light of your review and upgrading the cartridge to the Ortofon 2M Red. Do you have a recommendation for a 78 cartridge that would work well with this?
Thanks for your review. It looks like you have some experience and taste. That is why, could I ask a question? I am thinking about buying a new TT instead of the Sherwood 9805 that I have now, and I like denon 400 (without USB, I don't need it), and there may be a chance of buying it for 30K roubles, while Audio technika 120 USB is about the same... So, my question is which one is better. My music is heavy metal, and old Wharfadales sound speakers and denon pma 700ae amplifier, if that matters.. Thanks in advance
I just bought a DP-400 and I'm not sure if I should exchange it or just return it and look for something else. The problem is the motor, which is quite loud and I can hear it from a meter or two (no music playing). For example, my Pro-Ject Primary is very quiet and you have to be within inches of the motor to hear it. Step back and you don't know if it's on or off. Even the platter on Denon is spinning with some noise. I wonder how was your DP-450 in this regard and maybe somebody else can share their experience with these TTs.
I don’t hear any motor or platter noise, you may have a defective or damaged unit. I’m running my DP 400 through a Yamaha RX A3080 to Martin Logan 35XTi speakers. The sound is very good but could be better, per Andrew’s recommendation, I will upgrade the cartridge to a Ortofon 2M blue. I like the auto stop/start feature and the dust cover is nice as display. I don’t have a lot of dust or static electricity problems so dust isn’t a big issue for me.
Also, industry studies have shown most vinyl buyers stream a record before purchasing it... so it’s completely strange to include an ADC. Most listeners will have already heard the music digitally on a superior format than the one create by the Denon usb. My guess is some product manager viewed the budget audiotechnica 120 and said “customers who are upgrading don’t have an option to keep the usb feature. We should include it.” What they fail to realize is no one actually uses it...
I have this one..I like the player it self. But I REALLY hate the plastic cover!!! Will change player for that reason alone. But if you like Denon and only play the vinyls, the DP-400 is a better choice.
Your vision is good and is shame most companies are trying to sell new products by looks and with fancy gadgets. I am hoping to buy new turntable this year fot the budget of around £400. Still not decided which one to buy. Denon 400 looks ok and brilliant no USB and should have been at the back. Dust cover has spoiled the turntable and maybe find alternative. It look beautiful in white.
I would love an easy means of recording my albums and converting the files to WAV or FLAC, because many of them are out of print, but if the sound quality is poor, then that's a no-go for me.
I've had good luck converting both cassettes and vinyl LPs by patching my receiver RCA out to the 1/8" line in on my Mac. You should be able to find a quality application to convert the audio to digital files.
What do you think about the Audio Technicna lpw30tk? I really love the design and seems to be a decent turntable but since it is new I cannot find any decent reviews online.
USB 'one touch' recording - Does that include track separation, titling and further metatagging via on/offline database lookup? - or Audacity slice and dice after? 3rd party software, simply skinned as Denon, or has Denon made their own?
I currently have a Dual Turntable from 1973 which worked great until recently and repairing it isn’t worth it any more. I took a Look at the Reloop Turn 3 with the Ortofon 2M Red pre-installed. Are there any other suggestions for around 550$?
Record player with many defects, the motor makes a very noticeable noise, when the power source is connected it makes an unbearable humming noise, it has pre-phono and motor control on the same board, crooked capsule holder, Japanese are increasingly similar to Chinese
I'm happy with my pro-ject carbon, but even more so with myThorens TD 147...so I'm good,but thanks anyway(early 80's vintage).. My Pro-ject is upgraded also
![ไปอยู่ไสมา - ช๊อปเปอร์ โตเกียวมิวสิค [ OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/sWuVNbRTJbc/mqdefault.jpg)
It should be noted that since publishing this review, Denon appears to have dropped the price on the DP-450USB by a $100 (Amazon) bringing it to $499. Likewise the DP-400 has also seen a price reduction of $100, making its new asking price on Amazon $399 (amzn.to/2MdIwz7 ). This price drop makes the 450USB a bit more competitive, BUT I still stand by my assertion that if you don't require USB recording, the DP-400 is the "better" option and buy. Furthermore, at $399 the Denon DP-400 competes well with the competition, and if you upgrade the cartridge you will have a very capable player indeed. Cheers! -Andrew
Andrew, imo I believe the usb jack would/could be used for connecting to a laptop/desktop computer if you have the software to cleanup older lps.
Hello again Andrew- Hope you are doing well. After a TON of research, I have found the table I was looking for. It's the Reloop Turn-3. 3 speed, semi automatic, normal dust cover and you can change the headshell on it so you can easily (with some adjustments to the tone arm weight) switch between 45/33-1/3 and 78 playback. Should be showing up here today!
It looks like the price drops were temporary. Currently, the DP-400 is $569 at Amazon and other vendors that I've checked, and the DP-450USB is $689.
Eugene McNair yeah I am curious about what is going on ‘sound quality’ wise in regards to the USB port hardware. What I use for digitizing vinyl is a Zoom recorder connected to my amp analog audio out and the Zoom can capture that audio at 96/24 and then I take those files from the card and transfer to my PC for working on the WAVs for editing etc.
Sony turntable PS-HX500. however, is interesting for a reason you can rip your vinyl record to the DSD format .there are those who think it is DSD is the digital format that is closest to analog audio
I know this is an older video but I’ve just bought the DP-400 and the Ortofon 2M Blue based on your advice… and I couldn’t be happier with it. Thank you!
I ended up buying the DP-400 and Ortofon 2M Blue because of this video. I needed semi-automatic as the entire family will be using it and know a manual table is not right for everyone. Also, just found your channel and review (liked and subscribed).
I just bought the DP-400. I love it. I also upgraded the cartridge with the Ortofon 2M Silver comes with a headshell. I love the auto lift/ stop as well. Yeah dust cover is weird. I see it more as a tone arm guard not a dust cover. It's not a deal breaker for me.
Recently purchased the DP-400, but did not see your review prior to purchase. As I watched your review, I actually had a sigh of relief with the recommendation of changing to the Ortofon cartridge since that justified exactly what I did (now softening my worst critic's critique (the wife)). Although I refrained from putting it in until after I ran through all of my albums with the stock cartridge to determine if any were unsalvageable. Album condition and what can be done is a whole nuther topic of course. What drew me to the DP-400 were a number of "must have" features that the DP-400 met. 1) belt driven, 2) auto-stop, 3) detachable RCA cables and 4) speed selector control. I know most complain about the dust cover, and I'll acknowledge it isn't ideal, but it was a huge plus for me since the turntable had to go into a shelf and removing the dust cover was a huge issue for me to work out. And while I agree it's not superior in function, I disagree with most on the appearance. I think it's mighty attractive.
Andrew I love how you’re getting more into turntable reviews. Most people who “review” turntables are truly just advertising them and it’s never really honest at all. Please keep doing this for as many as you can I’m sure I’m not the only one who likes these. Btw, you should look into reviewing the Rega Planar 3 if it’s somehow possible.
I appreciate the feedback and appreciate you watching!
Hi Andrew, on your recommendation I have just fitted my DP 400 with an Ortofon blue cartridge and it sounds awesome! There are parts of Aja I’m hearing for the first time (and I’ve listened to Aja a lot!) Thanks for the top consumer advice 👍
Glad I could help!
Hi. Thanks for your review, Andrew. I'm glad I saw it AFTER I bought the Denon DP-450! The reason is- to answer you question, this model is made for people like me. I've had great/top line turntables, (I even took one - a Garrard -on my yacht trip around the world in 1980 and -no kidding, it played without skating, in quite rolling seas- possibly by centrifugal force! [I NOTE THE PREVIOUS SENTENCE IS POSTING WITH STRIKETHROUGH. NO STRIKETHOUGH WAS INTENDED, IT MAY BE A WEBSITE BUG. I'M INSERTING THIS BLOCK CAPS COMMENT AFTERWARDS] But I digress. What I wanted now- (40 years later) - was a simple turntable to transfer/digitise some of my own albums (for which I have, unfortunately, lost the master tapes). I figured maybe if I have 2 vinyl copies of a certain album, I can record both copies direct through the USB port, then line them up in Logic, and switch out to the other copy wherever I got to a click or a flick. I WANTED "vanilla" (BTW vanilla is a flavour that is really tasty- it just happens to be white!). You say you miss "sparkle" - but I don't want ANY colouration, I want fidelity. I can add a little 10k-12k shelf on it of I miss the highs. I don't agree that the sound of a WAV is anything like what you describe. Yours must be faulty, Andrew. Seriously. Mine is clear, clean and faithful. And I'm a pro composer/producer with 54 years of hits and recordings from classical to rock and all stations in between. So the USB isn't a gimmick. [and I need it to be on the FRONT so I don't have to keep reaching behind the unit to insert and activate the USB stick. Practicality trumps aesthetics!. I realise you cover it by your "posterity's sake" point but your comment that "the quality's so bad" - is just wrong- in my opinion. I'm a REALLY discerning listener. What I DO think it needs (and this is a big omission) is a headphone socket, because at the moment I can't monitor what is going through into the USB output. That would be a huge waste of time if I find something went wrong while a whole album side was being digitised. So there you go. I love the Denon DP-450 to date. I've only had it for a day, but these are my first impressions!. All the best. Mike Batt.
Very good review, I have the DP-400 and replaced the original cartridge with the AT-VM95ML. Paired with Rotel RA 1572 Mk II integrated amplifier and relevant internal pre-phono, it sounds fantastic!
I have the DP-450 USB as it was given to me by my wife as a birthday present. I agree with all your findings and would personally recommend the DP-400 as far better value. I do believe, however, that it is a great turntable once tweaked. I initially went with the 2M Blue which was a great improvement, however ended up settling on a VM540ML which was a big step up from the 2M Blue. I also added an external phono amp (Rega Fono MM Mk3). With these tweaks, I've ended up with a fantastic sounding deck and haven't upset my wife by suggesting we replace it.
Hi Andrew,
Thank you for the review, I bought the DP 400 (black) after researchIng all the TT’s I could find in the $500 to $600 price range. What sold me is the auto stop/restart feature. I couldn’t seem it find any TT’s in this range with the same spec’s and upgrade path that included this feature. I don’t have time to hover over my TT waiting to lift the stylus at the end of the side. I even bought a Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Esprit, only to discovered the stylus would skate over the label at the end of the side! Ouch! So far, I am happy with the sound. I’am running the DP 400 through a Yamaha RX A3080 (with Pure Direct) to Martin Logan 35XTi speakers speaker wire and RCA wires have been upgraded from stock. Thank you for the upgrade tip, my next upgrade will be to change the stylus to an M2 Blue. I agree the DP 450 doesn’t make any sense, and that USB recorder is rubbish, save your money and buy a DP 400. The auto stop/restart feature is the best, it makes your life much easier. Funny, I remember growing up, TT had all kinds of features, you could program your TT to listen in any order, you had stop/start and many other features. Maybe in time if the industry grows we will some of these features return. Best regards, Mike
I have the DP-400 and absolutely love it. It has the set of features that a mid-tier audiophile might need (auto-stop, tonearm lift, built in preamp, removable cables, easily replaceable cartridge). It's speed accurate, attractive and sounds great (I replaced cartridge with Ortofon Red). Honestly, the turntable itself is far from the first thing that affects sound quality. It's the cartridge and the preamp that make most of the difference. My only gripe with DP-400 is the dust cover so had to buy a custom cotton cover to prevent dust from getting in.
Appreciate you sharing your direct experience(s) with everyone on the DR-400. Glad you're enjoying it!
I really needed to see this video! I'm currently planning to arrange for my remaining years just listening to my vinyl collection. My thinking was to "digitize" my collection so that as I decline in health I can still listen to my favorite cuts of an album without having to go through all the motions to just play one or two cuts. Going through all the motions though is part of the ritual I love. Whatever my body does then, my ears are pretty damn good! and if digitizing my vinyl sound as bad as you say, I'll have to reconsider my strategy. As always, thanks for another informative video.
Hi, I belong to India & we have limited options. I agree with you, the DP 400 with Ortofon blue is the better option and I have this combination. The performance is good, the good point is that the power supply and the same is a separate unit, this system minimizes the hamming noise when you are not using the inbuilt preamp.
This is perfect for someone like me. I love buying new and used records I enjoy transferring to digital files without the use of a computer and play the thumb drive in my car, thus I am able to listen to vinyl at home, and digital files on the go. absolutely perfect! I wish more turntables would have this feature with this quality, that said I don’t like the price, a bit too high.
There are those who believe that DSD is the digital sound that is closest to analog sound. in place number two will probably be 24 bit pcm. but making an analog disc to MP3 is a bit like copying your blu-ray movie to super VHS. Honestly a regular uncompressed CD is better or flac
there is another possibility CD recorder teac have such
Great review Andrew! I agree that it's a very beautiful turntable in white. Though I just wanted to comment on your points on the USB function. You siad that most records today include MP3 downloads, and I find that to be wildly inconsistant. As a matter of fact most of the albums I've recently purchased did not come with the MP3 download option, and I feel that record companies are starting to realize that some of us music lovers will double dip and buy not just the album, but also a digital format in addition. As for the streaming as an option, I'm one of those who just can't get into it as an option. I'm on a shared family data plan, so streaming kills the portability aspect, as well as how my place of employment views electronic devices. So long story short, I'm stuck with my iPod Touch 3rd gen or my classic click wheel iPod at work. So having the ability to digitize some albums is a feature I do slightly care about. However, I'll take your word on the quality of it's capabilities. My current setup works fairly well. Pioneer PL-707 to a Musical Fidelity V-90 LPS phono stage, to my Pioneer Elite VSX-50, from there I use the tape record outputs to the stereo input on my HTPC, record to Audacity and digitize everything.
In my opinion of being an audio file for 35 years, the world needs more direct drive / fully automatic turn tables.
Yep.
If the USB output (not input) was of good quality I could absoluty see who the table is for. Someone who wants a good quality stylish deck that can provide decent sound out of the box without being fidgety about record condition and quality who also would like to rip their recordings (especially older recordings from the golden age) to their PC. I don't see the front mounted USB as a problem as I like the ability to easily plug in and remove the USB cable without putzing around in the back of the rack.
As you noted the removable headshell makes it easy to switch to a more revealing cartridge for audiophile recordings. Many record collectors do something similar by having both a conical and an elliptical stylus available and using the conical for noisy pressings. In that vein an important question that you did not address is whether the provided cartridge has proprietary styli that must be sourced from Denon or can one replace the stylus with other types? This might be a somewhat less expensive way to tune the system.
On the subject of the USB, if the quality is that bad it begs the question of whether your unit is faulty. Have you reached out to Denon to see if it might simply be broken / in need of repair? Denon should know how to do digital properly so I find cellphone quality sound to be very surprising.
Sorry I know this video is old but some people have a lot of foreign records which often aren't readily available on streaming services or even to purchase digitally. This is why some people wish to digitize them for both simplicity or to able to store and use the files for convince on other devices; however if the audio quality isn't good that's all that's important and honestly the only topic you should be reviewing. You made a lot of assumptions when you made your conclusions about the usage of the recording feature, as I explained above there are many different vinyl collectors and have been for a very long time and this cover a vast spectrum of music including subcultures like black metal, death metal, rare releases, foreign independent/obscure underground, etc. None of this type of music is widely digitized and many people who like to rip these vinyls and have them available digitally. Ultimately audio quality is all that really matters.
@@dreyn7780 Is this turntable actually pretty good?
$12 cartridge on a $500 unit. A testament to the quality of the AT3600 or the cheapness of Denon? Should have a VM95e at the very least at this price point.
That was a great unapologetic, and extremely helpful review...I was contemplating buying a turntable with digital recording features, just maybe not this one. I am in the market, however for a turntable that can play 78's as I have some of my grandparents old records. I thank you for the review, and hope that Denon sees this video and makes some tweaks to its product.
Nothing against Denon or the 450USB, it just didn’t make a lot of sense to me. The 400 turntable, now that might be worth looking at. Thank you for watching.
Thanks for the review. I was considering buying one of these simply for the convenience of using the USB but if the sound is that bad, I'll just use outboard gear like I've been doing all along with my antique Denon DP-45F. That dustcover too. Yuck. BTW I have LOTS of vinyl that has never been released digitally and that's why I wanted this feature.
Subscribed, you and Steve Gutenberg are now my go to guys for hifi reviews.
There may otherwise be thought. that you want to transfer digitally on either 24 bit or DSD. far from all music is available with HI-res sound digital. Unfortunately, there are many out there who are still interested in MP3s or listening to vinyl records through Bluetooth
It is NOT bad. I guess Mr. Robinson got a bad turntable or ... whatever. Go to a dealer and listen for yourself.
@@gnatiu I mean the USB sound when it converts the analog signal might not be good. I bet the turntable sounds good on its own. Yeah I'd have to listen to it myself.
I have the older Denon Dp-300F turntable with Ortofon 2M bronze, and it has served me well for the near ten years I've owned it.
I have a few records that are really quite rare and never rereleased in digital format. Thing is, it's really not hard or expensive to hook a turntable up to a computer or other digital recording device, especially if the table has a built-in preamp.
I've never used a table with this gimmicky built in digitization feature, but I've heard the same sentiments about many of them w/ respect to sound quality. It's a shame really because this shouldn't be hard to implement properly.
It is truly an “equalizer” as it applies the “RIAA curve” to the output of the cartridge.
Thank you for the insight. Thank you for watching!
There are more curves than that.
Mike Hydropneumatic Not when it comes to LPs.
The RIAA equalizer (low-pass filter) is part of a phono preamp.
It's not the complete phono pre-amp as a whole.
Da Qoraxxx Now you’re just splitting hairs
They call it Equalizer because every Phono Preamp is an Equalizer. The main Function of a phono preamp is EQing.
Love this turntable but the dp-400 instead but I have never used the stock cartridge. I am using Mp-110h
Great review! I agree. Many weird features... Not sure who would want a bargain bin ADC on a $600 turntable.
Thank you for being such an honest reviewer, Andrew. I have to admit that wether you meant to be funny or not, I still laughed aloud (not out loud!) numerous times during this review. I believe it to be that you’ve just got a dry type of wit which I enjoy very much. If I were to record vinyl to digital, it would be through the use of an external unit. The “dust cover” looks like a part of the packaging too.
Thanks again, Andrew! 🎶🔊🙂 & 🤣
The USB capability is for people that mix new tunes with two turntables.
Anyway, I have a Japanese Denon DP-300F and I love it! I'm going to put an Ortofon Red in the near future.
Hi Andrew. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your reviews on this channel. I once had an inexpensive Sony USB turntable several years back (this was a fully automatic turntable that was ready to go outside of the box with a cheap stylus, no anti skate and no tone arm balance). I bought no speakers for it. I only got it to transfer some older vinyl that I had, that wasn't available on CD. It thought it did a great job of transferring the vinyl and I thought the audio sounded really good. I got rid of it once I was done transferring that vinyl. I got rid of (most of) the vinyl too since I wasn't interested in the format at that time.
Some years later I Got interested in listening to vinyl. But I still wanted to digitize the vinyl as a way of preserving it in case the the vinyl got damaged. I got the Audio Technica ATLP USB120 turntable
I thought it was pretty good and that it did a good job of capturing the vinyl. Then one day I re recorded a vinyl record that I had originally recorded with the Sony and compared the two. And while I still felt that the AT player provided a good quality recording of my vinyl, I thought the cheaper Sony turntable captured a bit more dynamic range than the Audio Technica player.
I have been wanting to upgrade my turntable, and I still want my turntable to have USB capability. This limits my choices. I had looked at this turntable but it was the most expensive USB turntable out there, and like you, I didn't like the dust cover's lack of functionality.
And after hearing your review of the recording quality, I have crossed it off my list.
This leaves me with two brands: Pro-Ject has the Primary and the Debut III record master USB turntables ($299 - $350) and has an Ortofon OM series moving magnet cartridge.
Sony has a new PSHX500 Hi Res USB Turntable ($279), This new Sony model is an upgrade from the one that I used to own. It has anti skate and a balancing tone arm. The Stylus is an unbranded Audio Technica moving magnet model that they designed for Sony.
I have heard all kinds of good about Pro-Ject. But considering what I good job I thought the cheap Sony did of recording vinyl, I do wonder about the Sony too.
Any thoughts?
I think that if a USB turntable does a good job of capturing the vinyl sound, that it's a necessary function. I usually digitize my vinyl on the first play to preserve it in case anything happens to it.
PS I use "Vinyl Studio" software to digitize my vinyl.
Thanks again for your great reviews and your attitude of inclusiveness.
TJ
I'm just some dude but I'd say you should check out a phono preamp with a USB connection as it will most likely sound better than one built into a turntable and I'd bet it would make your current or new player sound better too...
Spot on Andrew, for similar money Music Hall and Pro-Ject should be considered. Last year i ordered a Music Hall MMF-1.5 based upon reviews and price. Didn't need it but liked it so much i decided to keep it and use as a 2nd table in a bedroom setup for late night listening.
I feel more turntables with magnetic cartridges, need to have this thumb drive recording feature. I believe manufactures don’t know there is a demand for it. You could listen to your records on the go regardless of quality. A great way to archive your old collection. Without the fuss of using a computer. I took the dive and made a purchase of this Denon DP 450 USB and I couldn’t be happier! Can’t wait to see other brands do the same thing
Is the recording quality OK ?
@@tiziocaio6236 what date in Kohl sounds good. Unfortunately you cannot adjust the recording level so it's missing the punch but sounds good. Played back on the large system or in the car with EQ adjusted.
Thanks for the review
Would you consider reviewing Denon DP-300F turntable Improved by LP Gear
Thanks again...great channel
Although most of the time I don’t know what you’re talking about I really enjoy your reviews. I must admit that although I have some nice equipment I’m still back in the day where putting a needle down on a record and hearing a sound makes for a great day! The equipment I own is mostly denon vintage products. My speakers are Bose which I know audiophiles hate and Polk audio. I have a McIntosh set upstairs playing thru some speakers my son bought instead of a Porsche! Can I tell the different of course not so bottom line guess my age (75) has caught up with me! Because I cannot hear what audiophiles hear. I put on a record that I produced, recorded, and yes I even pressed it at Wakefield plant where I worked to learn the business from ground up!
So for the price, why not just get the Fluance RT 84 that already has the 2M blue?
I don't know, that is a decision best left to the individual doing the buying. Thanks for watching!
Because you can't get Fluance in Europe...
When upgrading this table to the 2M red: will replacing the headshell along with it make any difference? Or should I save the money and use the denon headshell?
Just use the Denon headshell. Unless you want to buy the 2M Red pre-mounted from the factory and save yourself the hassle.
really great review,. exactly the details i I needed to hear to make up my mind. I m probably not going to buy this turntable because of the dustcover.
I bought it. For the looks in my second listening room my main setup is McIntosh 452 ,c2600 into Wilson Sophia 3 s I purchased a project rpm5 it came with a blue point no 2 . Ok. No complaints. This is kind of what I’m used to . Now. My smaller setup is B & W cm6 peach tree nova 220 s using the denon factory phono. To. Aux in . With factory stylis . I heard noise from left channel . And almost a volume higher and lower .I sat there and was pissed. I purchased ortlofon 2m bronze with matching headshell. Has not arrived yet . I can’t believe the denon sounds this sloppy out of the box . My last effort will be aux phono stage after that in the garbage. There’s no way this could sound that crappy stock. . I’m hoping the new cartridge gets some decent sound. My ears are far too sensitive and I don’t wanna spend 40 k plus to hear clear sound . I’m far too picky with music .
Once you receive your new cartridge this TT will sound great. I have a DP-400 with a 2M Blue, I also changed to a felt mat, and plugged it in to a Pro-Ject Tube Box S2. This will give you the warm analog sounds you crave. My favorite feature of this TT is the auto stop mechanism, because I don’t want the expensive stylus rubbing against the paper label at the end of the side. I don’t know why this feature isn’t mentioned when they review this turntables. What’s interesting is Pro-Ject sells a gadget that you stick on the TT that will lift the tone arm when it reaches the end of the side. I don’t why they build it into their tone arm the way Denon does it will look better.
Wow, this was a real “eye-opener.” Truthfully, we would’ve expected more from Denon. Great review Andrew, thank you for an unbiased, honest review. Merry Christmas!🎄🎁 -Chris & Beth🎧
Merry Christmas to you as well! I hope people don't think I'm "bashing" Denon, I'm not, I'm just trying to be pragmatic in letting people know that if you don't need USB, then the DP-400 is the better buy, but also know that at these price points there is a LOT of competition. Thanks as always!
Andrew Robinson You’re very welcome, we realize this was a thorough review with honest observations.
Perhaps get the 400 and play trough a pre-amp and feed into a sound-card?
I am looking for a turntable and this one looks very nice to me, because it has this recording possibility and offers the very nice sound of a good turntable. And since I would like to be able to rip records to digital files, the usbport and record buttons in the front are very convenient. Very nice review!
Why would you like to record an album straight from the LP-player? Becaus like me, I have tons of albums that aren't available in digital streaming or elsewhere. With this solution, I can record the albums and store them at my computer or in my phone.
is the quality in WAV as bad as reviewed here?
Who made this player? Hanpin? Denon doesn't produce any tts anymore. I guess Sony did more efforts with their PX-HX500? For quality I think you have to buy a player from the 70's or 80's. My PS-X800 is still a great performer. Stable, quiet and listening is a like a party..
Hey Andrew thanks for another informative video. My two cents worth: Nice looking turntable, nice price tag. Looks like pretty decent build quality also.
Very good honest review. Sometimes I wonder myself why manufacturers shoot themselves in the foot for no apparent reason ? IMHO the 450USB would have been a much better turntable if Denon had resisted adding gimmicky features to it and rather put that money into features that people really want like a better cartridge. I have no idea why would somebody buy a turntable that some say gives you wider dynamic range than digital, then squeeze/compress all that dynamic range into a MP3 recording ? My guess is that some people with a collection of albums that are no longer available, might want to digitize them as a way of preserving them ? Otherwise I really don't know ?
As far as the cover, or better 'non-cover' is concerned, how many albums can it hold and is it worth the convenience ? Actually, (if I ever decide on the 450) I was thinking about purchasing an Acrylic TT Cover that they sell on eBay for less than $100 and that covers the entire TT even while its's playing and even if I decide to nod-off while listening to music. However that would be an added cost.
One thing I like about the Denon turntable is that its a 'true' semi-automatic, that means the arm is raised at the end of the record and the spindle stops spinning. On some some semi-auto TT's like the Fluance RT's the spindle just stops. I use to own a Yamaha YP-B4 (served me well for 15 years) turntable which was fully automatic, so I can't see myself getting up from the couch every time a record finishes. It finally gave out when the clunky mechanics inside gave way, but that was a pretty nice entry- level turntable, probably better than the models we have today.
Like you said, what the Denon has going for it, is the looks. This a modern sleek looking TT that in my eyes might look better on the shelf, than the 1970's style Fluance . Wow, this is a tough decision, maybe after I look at your review on the Fluance RT85, I might make up my mind.
It was the USB function that lured me in (and taking the odd dust cover for granted). Big mistake, the WAVE recording function shuts off by itself after one minute and the MP3 is of mediocre quality and very low volume. Wish I had seen this video before purchase. Not the quality I associate with Denon.
hello from greece. i lovw your reviw. sorry my english are poor . i wan to to ask you...denon dp 400...audio technica at-lp 5x...onkyo cp 1050...what you would choose ?...thank you very much
Hi Andrew I like your videos ,and I agree 100% on everything you said excellent review and like you said by changing cartridge like the ortophon is a great choice my crosley c-10 came w/the ortophon OME5 the sound is fantastic I even changed the one I had on my audio tehnica atlp-120 to the ortophonOME-5 it was a slight difference in sound than the AT 95E which is a fantastic cartridge but the ortophon was slightly better,and for a manual turntable I believe that the most one should pay for it price wise should not be more than 300.00 $ top I mean it is manual all the work is being done by the operator ,my croslry C-10 which is a pro-ject debut 3 with the pro-ject tone arm with special bearings cost me way less than $ 200.00$the thing is well built ,it is quiet my audiotechnica atlp-120 was $ 250.00 it is heavier but did not break the bank ,it should'nt have put you in debt just buy a turntable,when I was a youngster in the 70's all they had was automatic turntables that you could play 2 to 4 albums at a time ,of course they were not the greatest record players out there but they were great ,my last automatic TT was an onkyo 1055FII computer controlled quartz direct drive I bought in1985 I still have it I remember paying I think close to $300.00 for it and I had it on layaway ,the cueing on it stopped working just last yr hoping to find someone to fix it soon,if I am going to pay over $400.00 or more for a manual turntable it better do more like talk to me or something cause a lot of these record manufactures are a little greedy ,hoping alot of people forgot what turntables used to do and charging them alot of money for a simple machine that has only ONE MOVING part ,the motor and you know these don't cost a lot ,the base or plinth as these audiophyles call them are the same asthe older models and some of the specs from the older models were better than the new ones these are the ones they charge alot for did not mean to take too much of your time but somebody has to let consumers know ! thanks for your review waiting for your next one JRo
Good review Andrew. I really want this turntable... I can live with semi automatic, I can live with upgrading to 2M blue..I can live without the USB.. but I hate the stupid looking cover.. what were they thinking?????
I think I will stick with my u turn audio orbit special turntable that I got for my birthday. I will upgrade one day and it won't be with the Denon DP-450USB Turntable. keep up the good work Andrew.
Thank you!
Hello Andrew, I was already researching cart/stylus upgrades for my old Pioneer PL-518 TT and this video convinced me to go ahead and spend a little more on the 2M blue vs. the red (Thank you!). That being said, I am also a branding geek and love the debossed Pioneer logo on the stock headshell. Would you advise a more weighty, metal headshell or will the stock one suffice. Thank you for all you do, Stephen.
Also missing the strobe light .
With the belt drive tables it is a must .
By the way there are many new turntables that are a big joke , especially with those high pricing products made in China .
I definitely have some records I’d like to record that way,. It’s a shame it doesn’t work better, as it sounds like a really cool and simple idea/Implementation. They should at least put the USB port on the side.
I have an older Denon DP-57L Turntable, and love the Audio Technica VM540ML cartride on it
But is the recording quality any good or is your objection just the positioning of the USB port itself ?
Thank you Andrew so much for this review. I share your sentiments on why someone would want to download vinyl to a computer-that's why I have the $ invested in my system. Compressed digital audio can really suck at times. I recently picked up the Denon DP-400 with the Ortofon 2M Blue preinstalled by Safe and Sound Audio based on your recommendation and OMG vinyl has never sounded so good. Dead quiet, tremendous soundstage, and accurate reproduction of the musician's intent. It helps that I hooked the TT to a Denon AVRX3300W receiver, Denon DBT 3313 Blu-Ray, with an Emotiva XPA Two running the front channels driving Acoustat 1+1 electrostatics. Center channel Magnepan MGCC and rear channels Magnepan MMGs. And surprisingly I really like the dust cover, since the TT is on a shelf which would preclude a hinged dust cover, and no pets or excessive dust to worry about. Plus nice to see the album sleeve-a source of visual art lost in the CD world. I doubt I will ever need to upgrade the TT-the sound in my system rivals some SACDs I listen to.
Er, because it isn't available on CD, etc? Also digitizing such music would also mean you could take it into an authoring program and get rid of annoying, crackle, pops, clicks, etc. I'm sure some like such annoyances because they're part of the 'vinyl sound', but I'd rather clean up such annoyances on music otherwise unavailable on CD.
It’s called a phono equalizer because it equalizes the signal, using the RIAA standards most likely- there are other equalizer standards such as DECCA, which were used on records dating before 1954 by the individual record companies. Some phono stages will include several settings other than RIAA.
Going for the DP400. Currently, it retails at E389 in the Netherlands. The alternatives that you mentioned sound great, but unfortunately, it is really hard to get your hands on those brands in Europe... We do have Pro-ject who indeed has better cartridges, but they don/t feature an auto-stop, which is kinda essential for me since I mostly listen to my player while cooking. (and might be too busy to press the stop button)
Great honest review, thanks! I currently still have my Denon DP300F with a Grado Green cartridge, but if it should die, I really think I would opt for the UTurn with Ortophon cartridge combo. That cover is a real turn off! Thanks again your review was very informative.
thank you for the review, I intend to buy one to rip out the dc motor and put it in myvpi, also the head shell will replace the one missing from my audio technica arm, so your review was very useful as you seemed satisfied with the drive, system, identifying the problems to the cart, and I figure if a good cart turns it into a decent tablethe drive system must be at least adequate, so thank you and keep up the good work
I'm of the opinion that a turntable is just that....a turntable. It's primary function is to play records not record them.
Not a bad opinion to hold...in my opinion. Thank you for watching.
Love your work Andrew!
Thank you 🙏.
Hallo Andrew, a very good and honest review. I agree with you to better spend money for a good cartridge . And an USB Port in the front of such a stylish player is a sin! I have a collection of vintage turntables for between 10 and 70 euros from fleemarket or second hand stores. That leaves a good budget for cartridges or for buying albums. I am sure a good dual turntable from the eighties sounds as good as the most new ones. Or even better. Happy listening and nice holidays. Frank
I like it as it has automatic feature. Do you think Automatic iis good one?
Why not run analog out vs usb to record. Buy the cheaper player and upgrade the cartridge. Or just get a different player all together.
For those who cared, Denon include the vinyl ripping function because its currently a trend in Japan audio community. It all started way back in 2018, when Melco introduced a CD ripper at the price of 2000USD. Yes, you buy machine that couldn't even do the same job as your CD player does, insane right? But this product sales exploded and become one of the hottest product currently in the Japanese audio community for whatever reason. That's why Denon introduced this function in their product hoping that they can increase the sales because they are aiming at the younger audiophile community.
Since Robinson's review oozes too much bias can you please let me have your opinion on the recording function ? Would like to know how you feel about it. Thank you
This turntable caught my eye due to the 78 rpm setting. Built in pre-amp is a plus in my opinion as well. The auto stop was another selling feature. I agree that the dust cover is awful. If someone made a fully automatic turntable with removable headshell, 3 speeds, s-shape tone arm, normal dust cover and wood grain, I'd be in heaven.
I feel ya, but the DP-400 gets you close, or you can go with the Music Hall Classic but forgo the 78rpm setting.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews the Music hall did look nice. I saw your review on that as well.
Demon calls it an equalizer because that’s essentially all a phono preamp really is. Records and their players basically used to have inconsistent sound until some engineers figured out a eq curve they could implement to prevent playback issues for drastically improved playback stability. That’s the basic of it but you can look it up
This TT is £449 in the UK which I believe is over ambitious. I heard this TT compared to a Sony PS-HX500 (which can be bought for £249) both were fitted with an Ortofon Red cart. The Sony both blows this out of the water as a TT and produces far better quality/sounding recorded files (and at a higher resolution).
The dust cover design is used on a number of TTs though.
I agree with your observations on this TT though. Please keep them coming.
I have the DP400 with an Ortofone OM20 stylus, it is great turntable !
I got DP-400 (same as DP-450USB, but without USB, because I don't need it). Very simple and very well done device, which sounds good or other words - properly. Mine is also white. Black version looks great, but every single particle of dust is well presented on piano-black casing. In my case I had to align the stylus, because out of the box the alignment wasn't perfect.
The DP-400 would be my pick over the 450USB. Thank you for watching.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews Thank you for good review.
Watching this 3 years too late. This is a great turntable take the stock cartridge and head shell and throw it away it’s garbage. I put an ortofon 2m bronze with new head shell. It’s fantastic. The usb feature is worthless the cover looks cool but it’s also worthless it even has an auto stop feature. My project rpm 5 does not. I’m using McIntosh c2600 for pre amp. Sounds great. The video was well done. I agree with all of it. There’s nothing wrong with this turntable it’s fine. Plus by now the price must be lower.
What head shell do you use?
I think the usb thing is for making for the “Mother-in-law” copies.🙂
I am about to order the DP-400, price dropped to 350€ and I think that's actually a good deal. My question is: should I upgrade to the Ortofon 2M Red or Blue? Is there a huge difference between those cartridges when using it with the built in preamp of the DP-400?
The Red is better than the stock cartridge for sure and the Blue is superior (noticeably so) to the Red, so if you have the funds to go Blue, I would.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews Thanks for your reply! I really appreciate your work here, keep doing it.
great review cheers
The question shouldn't be 'who is this for', because it's for those of us who have vinyl that very most likely won't see the light of day on CD. The question should be one of asking why the recoding quality of the USB is so bad, given that most people buying it for its USB capability would buy it for the aforementioned reason.
I have the 400, I plan on ripping its guts out and connecting the tonearm straight to the output. That way, there's nothing but the headshell between me and my record. On the AT LP120, it's a fairly straightforward job and improves sound quality by miles. I wonder if it's as easy on the Denon.
Isn't it better that you buy a record player completely without built-in preamp ice attack. Then the denon is technically different from the old Audio tecnica. Haven't heard that anyone has said that the built-in Preamp function in the Denon affects the sound quality when it is turned off. On the contrary, one person thought there was too much Treble in the sound so he tried using the built-in Preamp in the player instead of the one in his receiver and he thought the sound became better
Excellent ! That is a real real fine review. You really present, explain every single detail of both TT, and I totally agree with you about the USB use. Obviously...I subscribe !!
Thanks for watching!
I was looking to get some new turntable to replace my tired Onkyo CP-1057F and DP-400 was in my list at some point but eventually I went straight for DP-47F, which costed me just a hair more than DP-450USB but will surely blow it out of the water. And yes, that USB thing, I don't think I would ever use it. If I ever had to digitize some record I would use some external audio card from Amazon and recorded it on the laptop with real good quality.
Good Evening Andrew, Was the quality of the USB Recording (MP3 and/or WAV) any better with the Ortofon 2M Blue Cartridge?
Andrew looks like Matt Damon. lol
It's 'new glasses' time.
I am considering getting the DP-400 in light of your review and upgrading the cartridge to the Ortofon 2M Red. Do you have a recommendation for a 78 cartridge that would work well with this?
We've used this one in our Technics review and it worked well - bit.ly/Or2M78
@@andrewrobinsonreviews Great!! Thank you so much for your review, response and this recommendation.
Thanks for your review. It looks like you have some experience and taste. That is why, could I ask a question?
I am thinking about buying a new TT instead of the Sherwood 9805 that I have now, and I like denon 400 (without USB, I don't need it), and there may be a chance of buying it for 30K roubles, while Audio technika 120 USB is about the same... So, my question is which one is better. My music is heavy metal, and old Wharfadales sound speakers and denon pma 700ae amplifier, if that matters..
Thanks in advance
They’re likely going to be similar in performance honestly.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews well, but if replace the cartridge on denon? Thank you!
It looks very elegant!
It’s a total looker, for sure.
I just bought a DP-400 and I'm not sure if I should exchange it or just return it and look for something else. The problem is the motor, which is quite loud and I can hear it from a meter or two (no music playing). For example, my Pro-Ject Primary is very quiet and you have to be within inches of the motor to hear it. Step back and you don't know if it's on or off. Even the platter on Denon is spinning with some noise. I wonder how was your DP-450 in this regard and maybe somebody else can share their experience with these TTs.
Go with the technics 1200 MK7. It is great .
No motor issues or noise with my DP-450USB during my review period. Maybe you got a bad unit?
I don’t hear any motor or platter noise, you may have a defective or damaged unit. I’m running my DP 400 through a Yamaha RX A3080 to Martin Logan 35XTi speakers. The sound is very good but could be better, per Andrew’s recommendation, I will upgrade the cartridge to a Ortofon 2M blue. I like the auto stop/start feature and the dust cover is nice as display. I don’t have a lot of dust or static electricity problems so dust isn’t a big issue for me.
@@mikequinlan9585 thanks for the reply. I have returned that player.
Also, industry studies have shown most vinyl buyers stream a record before purchasing it... so it’s completely strange to include an ADC. Most listeners will have already heard the music digitally on a superior format than the one create by the Denon usb. My guess is some product manager viewed the budget audiotechnica 120 and said “customers who are upgrading don’t have an option to keep the usb feature. We should include it.” What they fail to realize is no one actually uses it...
I'm struggling hard trying to make up my mind between the Denon 450 and the Fluence RT85.
Go with the Fluance or consider this bit.ly/YamahaCast - we love it.
I have this one..I like the player it self. But I REALLY hate the plastic cover!!! Will change player for that reason alone. But if you like Denon and only play the vinyls, the DP-400 is a better choice.
And I changed the cartridge to a Ortofon 2M Red..made a difference :)
As a Monet fanboy, I’m not sure how I feel about that comparison 🤔🤣
Your vision is good and is shame most companies are trying to sell new products by looks and with fancy gadgets. I am hoping to buy new turntable this year fot the budget of around £400. Still not decided which one to buy. Denon 400 looks ok and brilliant no USB and should have been at the back. Dust cover has spoiled the turntable and maybe find alternative. It look beautiful in white.
I would love an easy means of recording my albums and converting the files to WAV or FLAC, because many of them are out of print, but if the sound quality is poor, then that's a no-go for me.
I've had good luck converting both cassettes and vinyl LPs by patching my receiver RCA out to the 1/8" line in on my Mac. You should be able to find a quality application to convert the audio to digital files.
What do you think about the Audio Technicna lpw30tk? I really love the design and seems to be a decent turntable but since it is new I cannot find any decent reviews online.
The DP-450USB is on sale now for $499 on Amazon.
The DP-400 is only $399.
spoiler alert: 2020 was not going to be "even better"...
cheap comedy
@@JohnMacau-mt7wc not cheap comedy, cheap tragedy.
Is this Denon turntable the only one that is not Fully Automatic
Agreed with the review. Try it with the Denon DL103R.
Can you plug a USB turntable into a PC and use your PC sound setup to listen to vinyl?
USB 'one touch' recording - Does that include track separation, titling and further metatagging via on/offline database lookup? - or Audacity slice and dice after?
3rd party software, simply skinned as Denon, or has Denon made their own?
It means it auto records in either MP3 or WAV at the push of a button and drop of the stylus.
I currently have a Dual Turntable from 1973 which worked great until recently and repairing it isn’t worth it any more. I took a Look at the Reloop Turn 3 with the Ortofon 2M Red pre-installed. Are there any other suggestions for around 550$?
Record player with many defects, the motor makes a very noticeable noise, when the power source is connected it makes an unbearable humming noise, it has pre-phono and motor control on the same board, crooked capsule holder, Japanese are increasingly similar to Chinese
I'm happy with my pro-ject carbon, but even more so with myThorens TD 147...so I'm good,but thanks anyway(early 80's vintage).. My Pro-ject is upgraded also
The 400 or the music hall classic? Any suggestions? I'm wanting an auto stop around this price point.