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Showing 1 of 7 conversations about:
Mehoron
63
Aug 15, 2020
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KG-JagWhy would Denon rebadge an AT cart?
Regardless, look into a different cart. This one is 55 bucks, and isn't going to be great. Look into a Grado cartrige or one of their better MC carts.
Always, skip the built in amp, just turn it off, there isn't a turn table that exists that has a built in amp or equalizer better than one that comes on a reasonable stereo.
KG-Jag
13
Aug 15, 2020
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MehoronBecause Denon (and others) have done it with other models.
Most will not want to mount a new cartridge on this turntable, something they have never done before and probably have little idea how or the skill & experience to properly install & align it. Upgrading the stylus (which is easy if you know which one to get), possibly--but not a replacement cartridge.
I agree that a built in phono pre-amp at this price point is probably not very good (especially when paired with an upgraded stylus or cartridge). The one that come with the Denon DP-300F (which came with a rebadged Audio-Technica cartridge) was so-so at best. That said, the (much more expensive) VPI entry level (manual) turntables have very good built in phono pre-amps.
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Mehoron
63
Aug 15, 2020
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KG-JagI disagree that it takes skill to properly align carts, many carts come with alignment sheets, and it's 4 wires and 2 screws it's really not that bad.
If you can't replace a cart, skip this table. This is setup to be a good starting point, it's not setup to be amazing out of the box, sorry. This 55 dollar cart isn't going to take you places no matter what stylus you put in it, but the platform certainly can. You can even drop a DL-103 onto this thing and listen to it sing.
I have a DP-300F with a Grado Black cart hooked up to an Onkyo Receiver, the stock cart was actually labeled as an AT cart (at least it was in Japan) and it was tepid at best, the Grado Black is much better, but it's not the best that the turntable can do either.
This here is a better platform than the DP-300F and can play with the big boys if you just put in a little love, time, and money.
KG-Jag
13
Aug 15, 2020
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MehoronIn fact it is some turntables (usually at slightly above this price and higher) that come with paper cartridge alignment gauges/tools--not the cartridges. You have to know the tonearm length, among other things, for these tools to work with your turntable. Even in these cases, it is better to have a proper tool, usually made of plastic and/or metal, to correctly mount & align the cartridge on the tonearm and/or headshell.
I don't think that premounted cartridges on separate Denon headshells are (yet?) available for this TT. In addition it would be interesting to know if the this TT uses a Technics headshell, for which commercial pre-mounted & aligned cartridges are available. Regardless, many of these stock cartridges (like the rebranded Audio-Technica on the Denon DP-300F) have at least one upgrade stylus available, either from the real manufacturer (Audio-Technica) and/or OEM that will deliver noticeably better sound and performance than the same stock cartridge with the provided stylus.
A couple of the DP-300F's I have are upgraded models that are shipped with the Ortofon 2M Red. They sound quite good, although I don't know if upgrading to the Blue would be a good use of the extra money. I run one of these upgraded DP-300F's through a mid to late 70's vintage Yamaha receiver, which has a much better built in phono pre-amp than does a typical modern Onkyo--or almost any other brand made in this century or at the end of the last one.
Although your Grado Black is the bottom of the line Grado cartrridge, it is well regarded for the money (about $80 street as I recall). So assuming you don't suffer from shielding issues (for which Grados are known to have with certain TT's and systems), it should be a significant upgrade from the stock cartridge.
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Mehoron
63
Aug 15, 2020
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KG-JagI don't know what you mean by this:
"I don't think that premounted cartridges on separate Denon headshells are (yet?) available for this TT."
The head shell on this will fit a massive number of cartridges and is removable, this is why the mount slots are so long, so you can fit a variety of carts and have various different angles. This headshell will fit a Ortofon, Grado, DL-103, or any number of standard mount cartridge. To replace the cart you just remove the headshell, use tweezers to unplug the old cart (write down the pinout colors), unscrew it and put in a new cartridge and keep the screws a bit lose while you align the cartridge to your TTs paper. It doesn't require a separate built in headshell. Replacing carts is how you make a turntable better, especially one with as many features as this. It's also the first place companies go to keep the cost of the unit down.
That being said even with a pre-mounted headshell cart you still need to ensure it is aligned.
The Onkyo I have is the A-9030. It's certainly better than most built-in pre-amps.
Look, the point of all this is not to argue, if you want to get started with a hi-fi system and want to invest over time, this is a great platform, is the entire point. So you can get started listening to your music now but over time, change cartridges, get new phono amps, upgrade speakers, etc over time.
KG-Jag
13
Aug 16, 2020
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MehoronBoth Denons have removable headshells. They are of different designs however, as the DP-300F has a straight tonearm, while the DP-400 has an "S" shaped tonearm--like vintage Technics turntables. Hopefully the DP-400 headshell is a clone, both in terms of design and alignment, of the Technics venerable design. Maybe Drop or Denon can tell use whether it is or is not.
Cartridge manufacturers (e.g. Ortofon and Nagaoka) and independent vendors sell pre-mounted aligned headshell/cartridge combinations to fit certain turntables, including the DP-300F and vintage Technics TT's. While it is certainly not a bad idea to check the alignment on your TT before using them, all you normally have to do is trade out the headshells (simple screw connections) and then reset the balance, tracking weight and anti-skating force. It's almost plug and play. The only thing easier is the short lived P-mount system that came out just when CD's were taking over the music market from LP's and cassettes. Grado still makes P-mount cartridges.
How good an entry level system this is will depend on large part upon the cartridge/stylus that comes stock and pre-aligned with the DP-400. I hope it's better than the stock cartridge that arrived with a standard DP-300F. I also hope that there is an easy and affordable stylus upgrade option. Lets face it. At $455 this TT has strong competition from Project, Music Hall, Fluance and others. Its only clear advantages over the competition may be that it is a semi-automatic turntable. It also faces competition from Denon's own DP-300F, which is fully automatic and is offered by some vendors upgraded in a number of ways, including a preinstalled and prealigned Ortofon 2M Red cartridge ($100 street price)--often for less money than this $455 price point.
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