Denon DP-450USB and DP-400 Turntables Spinning Vinyl with a Twist

We’re still seeing a trend of the re-introduction of vinyl in the audio market as evidenced by Denon’s release of two new turntables, the DP-450USB and DP-400 at the 2018 CEDIA show in San Diego. With advanced built-In phono equalizers for easy use, and an integrated sensor to help control precise speed, these new turntables from Denon might be worth the time to dust off your old albums and put the new retro chic hipsters to shame.  

The DP-450USB and DP-400 feature three-speed (33 1/3, 45, and 78 RPM) operation, a horizontal tracking angled tone-arm and a weighted, belt-driven platter to help ensure records play back with precision and detail. 

We’re seeing a renaissance of vinyl listening. Whether it’s the high-touch process, superior sound quality or sense of nostalgia, consumers are hungry to experience and engage with their music with better sound and performance than we’ve seen in years. Denon’s legacy of great sound started with its first gramophone built in 1910, and those roots enable us to deliver the latest technology and some of the highest audio quality available.  The DP-450USB and DP-400 feature new, sophisticated designs and time-tested engineering to provide fantastic vinyl listening experiences.

- Joel Sietsema, senior Vice-President of brand management at Sound United

The new pair of turntables from Denon do offer a wealth of high-end performance and convenience features that we like. The weighted platter is belt-driven, and playback is available at the standard 33 1/3 rpm, 45 rpm and 78 rpm. An integrated sensor controls the speed which Denon claims will helps avoid fluctuations and make for better pitch accuracy.  In addition, a newly engineered S-shaped tonearm will help reduce distortion. The tonearm is fitted with a moving magnet cartridge which will elevate the performance of the turntable. Buyers can swap cartridges for an upgraded moving coil model, if desired.

With auto-lift and playback stop, the tonearm auto-lifts roughly ten seconds after it reaches the groove end and the platter stops rotation, to help preserve album condition which will also reduce harmonic distortion. Additionally, the turntables’ built-in phono stage can be bypassed, allowing ir to be used with preamps with their own phono section or off-board phono amplifiers.

For those of you looking to digitally archive your LPs and singles, the DP450-USB makes it easy with the inclusion of a built-in digital-to-analogue converter capable of transferring music directly to storage devices connected to the USB-A port. Users can simply connect a drive to the turntable and hit play to enable the transfer of LPs to either MP3 or WAV format files. The DP450-USB includes MusiCut Software for Windows 10, so you can download the metadata for MP3 tracks and easily build a digital library of your vinyl collection.  

What we think

The new DP-450USB and DP-400 turntables from Denon will surely be a solid choice for a dependable, quality addition to your sound system if you’re looking to get into (or back into) the vinyl market. The thick cabinet walls and a weighted platter should provide for an amazing vinyl listening experience and at just 16” in width, the turntables should fit seamlessly into your existing system.

The new DP-450USB ($599) and the DP-400 ($499) turntable are currently shipping and will be available through authorized Denon retailers.

So grow out your man-bun, throw away your razor, put on your skinny jeans and grab a chocolate-vanilla-bacon-maple craft beer, or do like me and leave your sweat pants on with a comfy T-shirt to listen to your old vinyl- Slight ticks, bumps and all, just the way you remember them, only better.

Unless otherwise indicated, this is a preview article for the featured product. A formal review may or may not follow in the future.