Customer Reviews

Denon DP-300F Fully Automatic Analog Turntable

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I did quite a bit of research into turntables before buying this model. This unit seemed relatively solidly constructed, and had a handsome appearance. I was a bit put off at the prospect of spending $500-$1000 on a new turntable and wasn't sure if all that fuss was really necessary.

The turntable only takes a few minutes to set up, and comes with a mediocre pre-mounted moving magnet cartridge.

After set up, I switched on the built in phono amp and connected the unit directly to my receiver. The sound was not bad, but was also not exactly what I had expected. Surface noise was relatively high, bass and low mids were muddy and broke up a bit, and highs sounded a bit rolled off. I then hooked the turntable up to my backup 20-year old Onkyo receiver in my office with a built in phono preamp, and I noticed an improvement in sound quality. However, I was still not happy with the overall sound of the unit, it was lacking in overall detail. I thought that the cartridge might be a bit lame, so I picked up an audio technica 440mla and installed it.

Following installation and alignment of the 440mla, which has a significantly higher output voltage than the stock cartridge, I noticed an immediate improvement in quality - but I also noticed a distinct background hum that increased as the needle progressed through the record. Further investigation revealed that the motor or power supply, located within the turntable, was not well shielded, and the cartridge was picking up fairly significant electromagnetic field interference. I did not want to go through opening up the table to try and fix the problem by installing ground wires or shielding transformers. I reinstalled the old cartridge, and realized that the hum was still present, but I had written it off as surface or background noise associated with an inferior cartridge. This was a deal-breaker for me. It had to go back.

Another important point was that I noticed that the platter was not very well isolated. Any small knock or tap on the table was painfully audible. I could see how this would cause problems at moderate volume levels.

If you're looking for a nice looking turntable with mediocre sound that seems to be well constructed, then I think that this might be for you. It is more robustly constructed than the cheaper units. If you're top concern is sound quality, I'm afraid that you might want to save at least a few hundred additional dollars and look into a more serious unit. Mine is on its way back, and the refund will be used for that purpose.

The Denon works well for an automatic turntable. The internal phono preamp means it can be connected to any available line input on a receiver. The preamp can be switched off if your receiver has a Phono input.

I upgraded the phono cartridge to a Shure M97XE and did not bother to even listen to the Denon factory installed cartridge. A small needle nose pliers (not supplied) and lots of patience is a must.

The user manual is well written and comprehensive. BUT do not plug the turntable in until all the adjustments have been made. (I had to learn the hard way.)

I didn't expect audiophile sound here. Listening to Pop or Classical at medium-low volume is satisfactory. But there is no isolation from external sounds or vibrations. If you like Rock or music of any genre played loud, feedback can set in and sound terrible not to mention the possibility of damaging your speakers or amp.

I used to use a very old pioneer belt drive full automatic. After using it for about 10 years (after my father has used it 20 years) I switched to a Thorens' low end model - TD-158. It had nice tone arm, smooth operation, and delivered a quality sound when combined with a good cartridge like shure V-15 type III. But sometimes I fall asleep when I listen to music and when I wake up I find it hung at the end of the record (because it does not have auto-return) wasting my needle and making noise. Now it serves my father, and I had to find a new one - affordable without sacrificing quality. I tried several things in the meanwhile. I tried $70 turntable with a cartridge fixed to tone arm - I liked its compact size and operations but it did not isolate vibration from speaker and did not allow me to change the cartridge.
I tried two times from eBay - one at $40 including shipping and the other t $45. Both were high quality product, but they were all damaged through the shipping. The seller did not know he had to separate the aluminum plate. The plate rolled and damaged entire content from inside. There are few sellers knowledgeable enough about how to pack a turntable.

Finally, I decided to purchase a new one and I was torn between Denon DP-300F, Musichall MMF2.1, Technics MK1200, and Thorens TD-170. All looked good to me. I was almost seduced by the red MMF2.1, but I wanted an automatic - at least auto return. Denon seemed to offer all feature set I needed plus a comparable quality.

There are things to praise about:
1) The buttons (start/stop) in front are very smooth. They operate without clicks or hard push. So starting and stopping goes soundless. Even mechanism of starting and stopping that is operated by the kinetic energy of the plate is very much soundless and smooth. It proves a solid design of mechanism from Denon's long experience in designing middle range hi-fi products.
2) The tone arm elevator lever is placed in a right place. And the operation is perfect. Only the down movement is well dampened. So the up move is quick and responsive, and down is very smooth.
3) The enclosed cartridge is pretty good. It's not as delicate as Shure M97xe, but it delivers a sound that doesn't sound very cheap. It's definitely better than the low-end ortofon cartridge that come with a Thorens.
4) The glossy finish is quite satisfying to look at.
5) Built-in phono EQ amp is a plus just in case I abandon my Aura VA 100 II and go with an amp that doesn't have phono in.

There are things I wished be better:
1) Tone arm rest does not have a grip to click and hold. So, I'd need a rubber band when I move the turntable.
2) The plate is quite light. Considering belt drive turntables don't need a heavy plate to maintain consistent speed, it's not that big minus.
3) There is no ground line. An obsessive high-end user could claim he heard some hum. For me, it means convenience in installation. Probably, it assumed most of the users use built-in phono amp. In that case we don't need any of ground line as we don't need one for a cd player.
4) Tone arm is straignt, meaning that I can't use a very traditional head shell. This is not a minus compared to a new MMF or Thorens.
5) Buttons are round and give some cheap feel. I'd like more of traditional quality feel buttons.

Overall, this turntable features full automatic functions that run smoothly and precisely without sacrificing much to the build quality and the performance at a low end price. If you are a vinyl lover, just go with this.

I recently purchased a full home theatre setup, including Yamaha's RXV765 receiver and PSB Image Series speakers all around. I seriously contemplated between the Denon DP300F and Project Audio's Debut-III table. In the end I decided I wanted an automatic turntable and I ended up getting the Denon.

Having not listened to vinyl in at least 10 years I was eager to have my first listen. My girlfriend gave me a mint-condition copy of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon for Christmas. I turned on the turntable and..... it sounded pretty horrible. Pops and surface noise were very apparent, which was odd considering the record was in such good shape. The highs seemed very washed out, mids were quite muddy and the soundstage well... didn't really sound like a stage at all.

I'd read similar reviews from a few people here on Amazon that said almost the same thing. That night (yesterday) I shopped around and settled on Grado's Green cartridge. A local enthusiast installed it for me and, once again, I hooked everything back up and plopped on the same album. What a difference. I was totally floored by the quality, depth and clarity of the sound coming from my speakers. I knew vinyl sounded better, but I realized that this is how music SHOULD sound. I bought the cartridge for $75 US and I have to say it was definitely well worth it.

Aside from that the turntable is quite beautiful; the black laquer base sits very nicely on top of my stereo cabinet. I also added FeltTac(tm) pads under the turntable's feet for extra vibration damping. Overall the build quality is excellent, my only complaint is that the front start and stop buttons do feel a bit on the cheap side.

Overall I'm quite happy with the turntable and am looking forward to many years of listening. If you decide on this turntable budget an extra $50-$100 for a decent cartridge, I hear Audio-Technica also make very good ones as well.

I am a professional musician, I hadn't planned on actually listening to my LP's when I purchased this turntable, I only wanted a quality turntable to allow me to transfer my old LP's to disc. I still cannot believe my ears when playing my 20+ year old LP's on this turntable. For small group jazz, the sound is better than the CD's I have of the same material. I have never belived that LP's could ever sound better than a CD, now I do, although when it comes to orchestral music, I still think CD's still sound better due to lack of compression. My music studio has 10 speakers, 2 amps and all kinds of effects processors to make digital music come alive. I never would have believed a turntable and 2 speakers could produce nearly the same effect. Sure, there are pops and hisses on occasion, but the warmth and size of the sound stage is well worth it. This turntable tracks perfectly and is easy to balance the tonearm. Highly recommended.

I read the many reviews, and was shocked at so many folks that either had no experience or simply were not telling the truth about the product. I had no intention of reviewing this product, but the crap that people were saying changed my mind.

First, this is no starter turntable and like many of the higher end turntables supply a throw away cartridge to allow you to trial your turntable. I have two of these turntables: 1) has the Audio Technica AT440Mla cartridge (around $100) for maximum tracking needs (works best with classical music); 2) has the AT311EP cartridge with a Shibata stylus (combination $120) for rock (and it does).

Second, the preamp is really for a starter set up and should not be used with high end cartridges and stylus. Buy a separate preamp and get one that works well with the cartridge.

AT311 - Audio Technica AT-PEQ3 ($44), and this works great for most music and the only inexpensive preamp I would recommend.

AT440Mla - Rega mini ($145) is on the low side of phono preamps, but meets my needs (excellent match to the 440).

The turntable is a precision piece of equipment and capable of using higher quality cartridges and preamps than I have shown. Keep in mind that high end manual turntables do not come with a built in preamp and some don't even include a throw away cartridge, so adapt your thinking to a higher quality sound using the turntable as a base to build very high quality LP reproduction. Otherwise use the low end junk that is supplied for the low end market, and make bad reviews accordingly.

My unit was very well packed, easy to set up, and everything works as expected. I had purchased a new M97xE cartridge and thought about mounting it up, but the stock cartridge is working so well, even with the records I keep around to test warp-handling issues, that I feel no need to make a change. I'm getting clear, extended, dynamic response with pleasing tonal balance and excellent tracking at the recommended 2 gram tracking force. The DP-300F also has a clean, symmetrical look that I find very satisfying.

The turntable is not overly sensitive to being touched, and I can use the cueing lever, the stop button, and open and close the dustcover without upsetting tracking and without any thumps or other sounds coming through the speakers. I have had no issues with feedback or footfalls (no need to tiptoe about while this thing is playing), and it has been completely free of hum, whether using the built-in phono stage or turning that off and going through the phono stage of my preamp.

I checked the alignment of the pre-mounted cartridge with my Geo-Disc, and it was perfect (which also indicates that they use Baerwald alignment rather than Stevenson or some other scheme). After zero-balancing the arm and setting it to 2 grams, I checked the downforce with a Shure stylus force gauge, which confirmed the accuracy of the counterweight dial's reading. If my sample is any indication, you shouldn't need alignment tools or tracking force gauges to set up and use this turntable with confidence.

The DP-300F looks good, sounds good, and the ergonomics are great with its fully automatic operation and front-mounted start and stop buttons; everything works well even with the dustcover closed. I have a nice manual turntable for my main system, but wanted something that could turn itself off for use in the bedroom. This unit does a fine job at a very reasonable price.

I couldn't be happier with this turntable. For the money I think that it is an excellent value compared with the low-end "audiophile" turntables in this price range that are generally recommended. The Denon 300f turntable looks and sounds great.

My first try at re-entering the analogue realm was with a Pro-ject Xpression III ($699), which I purchased from a well-known high-end on-line retailer. It had a cheap motor that was poorly isolated, causing rumble that was very audible during quiet parts of the music. The interconnects were also loose fitting so if you didn't get them just right, there was hum as well. When I wanted to return it, the high-end snobs tried to blame everything about my setup (Marantz amp, Sennheiser 580's) except the turntable. They even blamed my Belkin power strip! I did some research and found that rumble from the motor was a common problem with the Pro-ject turntables. Not wanting to go through the same experience again, I decided to order from Amazon, which has always been great with returns. Everything is solid with the Denon - no rumble, no hum, dead quiet. I guess my setup was not to blame!

I thought that the stock cartridge that came with the Denon was OK, but knew that I could improve things with a better one so after about a month I replaced it with an Ortofon 2M Blue ($199), which sounds wonderful. You could get significant improvement with something less expensive, but it still left me under what I paid for the Pro-ject and I have a much better cartridge than comes with the Pro-ject Xpression III.

For me, the only other turntable in the price range of the Denon that looks like it might be competitive is the Audio Technica ATLP120, but it is manual, whereas the Denon is fully automatic. I sometimes fall asleep while listening and hate to have to jump up to lift the needle off the record. I also don't need a USB turntable. Marantz is coming out with something very soon around $320 that also might be worth looking at. Hopefully, Amazon will carry that as well.

I haven't listened to my records in probably 25-30 years and I'm so glad that I didn't get rid of them!

I am not an audiophile fanatic, but I do listen to my records everyday. The only turntable I had before purchasing this one was a budget Kenwood that worked fine, but was a fairly poor quality turntable. Since I spend a lot of time listening to records I wanted to upgrade without spending hundreds (or thousands) of dollars on a top quality turntable. After looking at some other turntables from Music Hall and Pro-Ject that had a similar pricetag to this one, I decided on the Denon largely because of the automatic features. It works great, the setup is fairly easy for the uninitiated, and even with the included needle, sounds better than a budget turntable. I will probably upgrade the needle, but I am happy with my purchase.

Please keep in mind, as you read this review, that I have only barely managed to hang on to the frayed edge of the lunatic fringe of audio. I bought the Denon DP300f to replace a (terrific) Clearaudio Emotion turntable with a Benz Micro ACE low-output moving coil cartridge. The Denon still earns 5 stars.

I bought the turntable in a package with the Ortofon 2M Red cartridge pre-mounted. I have not heard (nor do I have) the stock cartridge. I run the table with the built-in pre-amp turned off. It is plugged into a Nova Phenomena II phono stage, which is connected to the amplifier via Transparent Audio cable.

The Denon has a DC motor, which means you can use a transformer when overseas and it will turn at the correct speed. The more common A/C synchronous motors can't do that.

The Denon has a dust cover. That means its cat proof! It also presents an unobtrusive, retro appearance that looks nice in the house.

The Denon is nicely made. This table is not junk. The fit and finish are outstanding. It looks like quality, and it is.

Set up was incredibly easy. The packaging was excellent, the instructions very clear, and everything essentially snaps together. I was spinning a record within 20 minutes of cutting the tape on the box.

Push-button operation is amazing. I have fun just closing the cover, pushing the button, and watching the mechanism. I may never go back to manual tables, regardless of how good they sound, just because of the convenience of the automatic!

THE SOUND:

The sound is excellent for the price. I have heard the Rega, Project, and Music Hall products in this price range and can confidently say that this table is absolutely competitive with their similarly priced products.

People often say stuff like, "excellent for the price." What does this actually mean? I will be brave and try to explain what I mean by "excellent for the price." The sound is better than MP3s, better than CDs on all but the best (five figure+) systems, and deliciously warm and involving. For two thousand dollars you can buy a turntable (or CD player) that will give you much better sound - but only if the rest of your equipment is also at that level of quality and precision. So, if your stereo costs more than twenty thousand dollars, you will probably not get the most out of your records with the DP300f. It is not fair to compare a three or four hundred dollar turntable with stuff like that. This is what I mean by, "excellent for the price." On with the review.

Some reviewers have noticed humming sounds and other defects. I did not identify any of those issues. In fact, I was surprised at how quietly this table runs, even on a very unforgiving system.

The midrange, where most of the music happens, is clear and balanced. The soundstage is wide, with instruments placed all across the space between the speakers. Balance is spot-on, and vocals are right out front where they belong. The highs roll off smoothly. I noticed no grainy yuckiness, no faulty "S" sounds, etc.

The bass is adequate at reasonable volumes. At higher volumes it is strong, but flabby and lacking in detail and texture. I may be hearing a feedback loop, or it may be the limitations of the cartridge or just mechanical energy in the table. It's hard to tell.

Overall the sound is pleasing, if not the last word in detail. The table sounds warm, meaning that it is not crisp and analytical, but more smooth and musical. It is absolutely not competitive with tables costing thousands of dollars. It is, however, a great improvement over MP3s and most CD players. You will be able to listen to this record player for hours on end without getting a headache, and the warmth and presence of the real performance comes through.

The flaws I have mentioned are minor, and they don't jump out at you. At moderate volume the Denon sounds outstanding. There is no area where this table fails. It is a nicely balanced, highly listenable record player. It only begins to suffer at very high volume levels, on complex passages, with a lot of bass, when played through vastly more expensive and revealing equipment.

OVERALL IMPRESSION:

If you are a serious audiophile with thousands of records and your stereo costs more than a comfortable big-city condo, you already know this is not for you.

If you think of records as scratchy, old-timey things with tinny sound, prepare to have your whole concept of audio technology turned on its ear.

If you have a regular stereo or iPod, you should strongly consider the Denon. This is a high quality, affordable entry into a kind of musicality that digital stuff can't deliver. It's automatic operation takes the work and stress out of playing your records. The Denon sounds great, the setup is super easy, the build quality is surprising, and it is even pretty darned good looking.