Great video on one of the all-time best lines of vintage turntables. I've owned mine since 1984 when I purchased it along with a Grace F-9e cartridge. Out of all the turntables I own it is still my favorite and number 1 go to model. Now as for your review I would like to ad some information about two of the unique features of the DP-62L that you didn't mention. One is the Dynamic Servo Tracer tonearm that contains 4 miniature servo motors/velocity sensors to electronically damp tonearm resonances and provide more precise tracking! Second, the DP-62Ls quartz lock speed control that unlike most manufacturers that monitor the speed of the motor it uses a magnetic head pickup to read the actuall platter speed by reading a magnetic strip on the inside rim of the platter. Now these features were not exclusive to Denon, Sony and JVC use these on many of their turntables, but they are probably the most important features that add to overall sound quality of these turntables!
Thank you for showing this turntable, I think it's absolutely stunning, I love how the controls are positioned round the turntable too. It could be used as a work of art, it's beautiful, and I never thought I would say that about a turntable.
I love those Denon direct-drive turntables of that era. They look as if a UFO landed on top of a cherry wood plinth. They're sophisticated-looking eye candy and they play beautifully. What more could one want? :)
I have Denon DP-55K with the rosewood plinth and a Grace 707 tonearm that I have had since new from the same era. It’s a great turntable although the auto stop button doesn’t work anymore and there isn’t a decent repairer that I trust to fix it for me here in Sydney Australia. The last hifi repairer I took it to replaced the motor and gave it back months later with the same issue. I still use it regularly and it still makes beautiful music.
I had one of these for a short time. Unfortunately it was bought used and the seller didn't disclose that it had been dropped and had problems, so it went back. Since then I've obtained a Kenwood KP990 and Pioneer PL50L II from the same era. They're all great and I completely agree on the auto lift. DD turntables from this era do have circuit boards that have both electrolytic capacitors and integrated circuits. They can have problems with speed stability if the capacitors fail and potentially the ICs can get fried. A recap is a good idea for those reasons, though it won't change the sound. Thanks for the video.
It was a great period for turntables at this time, many nice models that run circles around current new models. A good point on the caps, I should have commented. One factor, like on mine, is that if they stay in continued usage, often the caps are fine, but should any speed issues occur, most like a recap is in order.
@@stereoniche It was the wonderful time of tables. Still have a few. Only one I ever had problems with was the top of the line Sony Bio-tracer. Great idea but when old no one knew how to fix. You should have seen the size of the circuit board in it.
That is a real beauty. Back in the day looks were as important as function. I packed my Pioneer turntable away about 25 years ago and I wonder if it still works. Always looking forward to your next video Scott!
Dig that thing out and see if it spins! Of course, if a belt driven model, that is surely gone and will need to be replaced first. But, do you still have any vinyl around to even put on it?
I bought my daughter one of those Denon turntables but I was warned to always use a high quality surge protector with it because the microchip in it is irreplaceable. In other words, anything that fries the chip will turn the turntable into a giant paper weight because it simply can not be fixed. (They stopped making the chips 35 years ago.) However, my daughter has been using it for 3 years now and loves it. Hopefully it will keep running for more years to come.....
I would give that advice for ANY vintage gear, actually. The chips are certainly an issue, but realistically, the cost of a good surge protector is small compared to the cost of vintage gear overall. Cheap insurance. Great to hear she enjoys the table.
have the denon dp 67, denon dp-59l, both are excellent have a audio technica vm 540 on dp-67l and denon160 cartridge on the 59l, also have a yamaha pf-800.with audio technica 33ev all three are great sounding tt
I would dare say that there isn't anything made now as well. I would also say the best turntables may go back to 1977 to the eighties. As there was a big performance race among Amp, receiver and speaker manufacturers the turntables had to be in the thick of it being the most mainstream media device. I remember in 1978 all the turntables of note had the s shaped tone arm, the bright checks on the platter for the strobe light. The straight arm thing must have started later.
Thanks for sharing I love the Denon tables from that era I have a 59L that has been fully restored recently and I tend to use it the most It caught my attention that you have had the 103 cartridge for 10 years and never changed it My recollection is that it is an MC one and stylus can’t be replaced Unless you don’t listen often I would think inn10 years you would have already used the stylus more than 1000 hours Please correct me if I am wrong
Actually , MC cartridges can be re-tipped with new stylus's and/or complete cantilever/stylus assemblies. Companies like Soundsmith are experts at this!
I belive I purchased one of these at the base exchange at RAF Lakenheath just before I returned to the USA, with a hefty discount. Mine had a "tape head" under the platter. Please get back to me about how the tape head that read a magnetic strip that was embedded in the platter
Yes, there is a mag strip under the platter with white/black lines. If they are scratched/smudged, it will impact the ability to maintain proper speed. Separately, mounted to the table is a read head that, I believe, can be adjusted, if needed.
I had a dp60l back in the early 90s and in 2000 i let a buddy talk me out of it and regretted it every day after so all i had left was my yamaha and it was ok but in 2012 i was at a pawn shop in las vegas and they had a beautiful dp62l on the counter with no price and they said it was broken and they were going to throw it out so they just gave it to me. I got it home and took off the platter and the voltage switch was off. Still works flawlessly to this day. So if any of you all reading this have one dont sell it
I have one of these, I use it when I want the arm lift! Old Empire doesn't. By the way do you have the "S" arm for it? Mine came with one. If you do any sonic difference?
@@stereoniche Thank you for the response. Being in this goofy hobby over 50 years, when cleaned and polished this might not be the best table but as those I have had one of the nicest looking. The only one that I like more (I am biased my first high end buy) Is the old Empire 598. I still have mine is was 400.00 in 1972!
There is a slight sonic difference between the S and straight arm. I find that MC cartridges such as the Denon 103R sound better on the "S" arm due to its higher mass. MM and MI cartridges work better on the low mass straight arm!
I dont know what wood they were trying to imitate but that's not rosewood, actual rosewood is chocolate brown.of course its not real wood anyway its MDF with a thin veneer.
You are correct that true rosewood has a more brown tone, but if you look at all the Rosewood plinths and cabinets used by Denon, Pioneer, Luxman, Onkyo, etc.in that era they all have different tint. With that said, according to the manufacturer, these are Rosewood veneer plinths! I have both the Denon DP-62L and DP-47F, and their Rosewood plinths look different. The 47F plinth is darker and more brownish red, where-as the 62L is lighter with a more redish tint.
Great video on one of the all-time best lines of vintage turntables. I've owned mine since 1984 when I purchased it along with a Grace F-9e cartridge. Out of all the turntables I own it is still my favorite and number 1 go to model. Now as for your review I would like to ad some information about two of the unique features of the DP-62L that you didn't mention. One is the Dynamic Servo Tracer tonearm that contains 4 miniature servo motors/velocity sensors to electronically damp tonearm resonances and provide more precise tracking! Second, the DP-62Ls quartz lock speed control that unlike most manufacturers that monitor the speed of the motor it uses a magnetic head pickup to read the actuall platter speed by reading a magnetic strip on the inside rim of the platter. Now these features were not exclusive to Denon, Sony and JVC use these on many of their turntables, but they are probably the most important features that add to overall sound quality of these turntables!
Thanks for watching and adding some great commentary. I pinned it so others can benefit as well.
Wonderful turntable that I couldn’t afford back then.
it is a piece of art👍🏻
They are stunning.
Thank you for showing this turntable, I think it's absolutely stunning, I love how the controls are positioned round the turntable too. It could be used as a work of art, it's beautiful, and I never thought I would say that about a turntable.
Glad you like it!
I love those Denon direct-drive turntables of that era. They look as if a UFO landed on top of a cherry wood plinth. They're sophisticated-looking eye candy and they play beautifully. What more could one want? :)
Exactly!
Actually, Rosewood veneer over MDF plinth!
Vendors were making a small fortune in the 70s and 80s because Records were the number one media.
Denon made great turntables. The DP-51F I purchased new 40+ years ago still plays like new.
They are quite solid. I had a 51F for a while as well, excellent tables.
Good to see this fantastic DD turntable getting some love; those Denon tables are super solid. Excellent video!
Couldn't agree more!
I have Denon DP-55K with the rosewood plinth and a Grace 707 tonearm that I have had since new from the same era. It’s a great turntable although the auto stop button doesn’t work anymore and there isn’t a decent repairer that I trust to fix it for me here in Sydney Australia. The last hifi repairer I took it to replaced the motor and gave it back months later with the same issue. I still use it regularly and it still makes beautiful music.
Disappointing on the auto stop no longer working, but at least it is still creating great music.
I had one of these for a short time. Unfortunately it was bought used and the seller didn't disclose that it had been dropped and had problems, so it went back. Since then I've obtained a Kenwood KP990 and Pioneer PL50L II from the same era. They're all great and I completely agree on the auto lift.
DD turntables from this era do have circuit boards that have both electrolytic capacitors and integrated circuits. They can have problems with speed stability if the capacitors fail and potentially the ICs can get fried. A recap is a good idea for those reasons, though it won't change the sound.
Thanks for the video.
It was a great period for turntables at this time, many nice models that run circles around current new models. A good point on the caps, I should have commented. One factor, like on mine, is that if they stay in continued usage, often the caps are fine, but should any speed issues occur, most like a recap is in order.
@@stereoniche It was the wonderful time of tables. Still have a few. Only one I ever had problems with was the top of the line Sony Bio-tracer. Great idea but when old no one knew how to fix. You should have seen the size of the circuit board in it.
That turntable goes for a pretty penny right now. I would say it's the most sought after product Denon ever made.
It goes for around 500 bucks.
Some early Denon gear goes for thousands of dollars.
They are well regarded. A lot of bang for the buck.
That is a real beauty. Back in the day looks were as important as function. I packed my Pioneer turntable away about 25 years ago and I wonder if it still works. Always looking forward to your next video Scott!
Dig that thing out and see if it spins! Of course, if a belt driven model, that is surely gone and will need to be replaced first. But, do you still have any vinyl around to even put on it?
@@stereoniche I have about ten albums left. LOL
I bought my daughter one of those Denon turntables but I was warned to always use a high quality surge protector with it because the microchip in it is irreplaceable. In other words, anything that fries the chip will turn the turntable into a giant paper weight because it simply can not be fixed. (They stopped making the chips 35 years ago.) However, my daughter has been using it for 3 years now and loves it. Hopefully it will keep running for more years to come.....
I would give that advice for ANY vintage gear, actually. The chips are certainly an issue, but realistically, the cost of a good surge protector is small compared to the cost of vintage gear overall. Cheap insurance. Great to hear she enjoys the table.
have the denon dp 67, denon dp-59l, both are excellent have a audio technica vm 540 on dp-67l and denon160 cartridge on the 59l, also have a yamaha pf-800.with audio technica 33ev all three are great sounding tt
Nice tables!
I would dare say that there isn't anything made now as well. I would also say the best turntables may go back to 1977 to the eighties. As there was a big performance race among Amp, receiver and speaker manufacturers the turntables had to be in the thick of it being the most mainstream media device. I remember in 1978 all the turntables of note had the s shaped tone arm, the bright checks on the platter for the strobe light. The straight arm thing must have started later.
You can pick the range, certainly many great tables to select from in those years. It was a GREAT time for playing records!
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Thanks for sharing
I love the Denon tables from that era
I have a 59L that has been fully restored recently and I tend to use it the most
It caught my attention that you have had the 103 cartridge for 10 years and never changed it
My recollection is that it is an MC one and stylus can’t be replaced
Unless you don’t listen often I would think inn10 years you would have already used the stylus more than 1000 hours
Please correct me if I am wrong
That is the advantage of having many turntables and setups. While I have had it that long, it has not been in continuous play for that duration.
@@stereoniche I actually totally agree with such an approach especially when you need to listen in different rooms
Actually , MC cartridges can be re-tipped with new stylus's and/or complete cantilever/stylus assemblies. Companies like Soundsmith are experts at this!
@@kkoller8952 yes I am aware of them but pardon my French expression : they charge you “ la peau des fesses” for it
I belive I purchased one of these at the base exchange at RAF Lakenheath just before I returned to the USA, with a hefty discount. Mine had a "tape head" under the platter. Please get back to me about how the tape head that read a magnetic strip that was embedded in the platter
Yes, there is a mag strip under the platter with white/black lines. If they are scratched/smudged, it will impact the ability to maintain proper speed. Separately, mounted to the table is a read head that, I believe, can be adjusted, if needed.
Nice video. I sure like the music you had at the end. Could you please tell me what the song and artist is. Thanks.
Chopin - E Minor Prelude. A great piece of music. After some time, TH-cam should show it in the details area under the video.
Thank You 😊
Got a mint Technics MA1 automatic with rosewood plinth from original owner. Very heavy
Another great example from that mid-80s era of tables.
You didn't show off the controls and operation by playing a record?
I had a dp60l back in the early 90s and in 2000 i let a buddy talk me out of it and regretted it every day after so all i had left was my yamaha and it was ok but in 2012 i was at a pawn shop in las vegas and they had a beautiful dp62l on the counter with no price and they said it was broken and they were going to throw it out so they just gave it to me. I got it home and took off the platter and the voltage switch was off. Still works flawlessly to this day. So if any of you all reading this have one dont sell it
That line was just fabulous. I cannot imagine how much they would cost if made today.
I have one of these, I use it when I want the arm lift! Old Empire doesn't. By the way do you have the "S" arm for it? Mine came with one. If you do any sonic difference?
I have it, but have never swapped it onto the table. I've just never felt the need to be honest. That lift is sooooo important! :-)
@@stereoniche Thank you for the response. Being in this goofy hobby over 50 years, when cleaned and polished this might not be the best table but as those I have had one of the nicest looking. The only one that I like more (I am biased my first high end buy) Is the old Empire 598. I still have mine is was 400.00 in 1972!
@@robertliskey420 We never forget our first of anything! Although I have drastically better speakers, I still hang on to the first ones I ever bought.
There is a slight sonic difference between the S and straight arm. I find that MC cartridges such as the Denon 103R sound better on the "S" arm due to its higher mass. MM and MI cartridges work better on the low mass straight arm!
I dont know what wood they were trying to imitate but that's not rosewood, actual rosewood is chocolate brown.of course its not real wood anyway its MDF with a thin veneer.
No idea really, I've only ever heard it referenced as rosewood, but no matter, it is much better looking than many others.
You are correct that true rosewood has a more brown tone, but if you look at all the Rosewood plinths and cabinets used by Denon, Pioneer, Luxman, Onkyo, etc.in that era they all have different tint. With that said, according to the manufacturer, these are Rosewood veneer plinths! I have both the Denon DP-62L and DP-47F, and their Rosewood plinths look
different. The 47F plinth is darker and more brownish red, where-as the 62L is lighter with a more redish tint.
Price??
They typically sell from $600 - 900 depending on condition.
The look screams 80's!
Not in a good way w/those colors.
It's not "beautiful" nor "great looking" IMO.
Always an outlier. :-)