Denon DP 300F Belt Driven Turntable

. . . I thought I should go with the Audio Technica LP120 but I think I'm sold on the Denon. I've been noticing however that everyone who has this TT has it at $329. I saw on this thread it used to be much cheaper. I also noticed on the Denin site says its "out of stock". Does anyone know if this is in fact the case that the DP-300F is going out of production? If this is indeed goings out of production maybe I should consider an alternative. Any suggestions?

Parts availability down the road is a legitimate concern. Maybe all you'll ever need is a new belt occasionally, but it would be nice to think you can still get those from the manufacturer 5, 10, or 15 years from now. Being direct drive, the AT has the advantage of not even needing the belt. You might try calling Denon and asking about the future of the DP-300F; even if it is to be discontinued, parts may be available for quite some time. Some parts, especially belts, are often shared with other models, and there are two other current Denon turntables that use the same belt. On the other hand, PacParts (whom Denon referred me to for ordering an extra headshell) lists the DP-300F motor as discontinued, a pretty important part should it fail at some point.

Alternatives are hard to suggest, especially if you're looking for a new turntable at a reasonable price with automatic operation and a built-in phono stage. No one can know the future, but if you want to maximize your chances of long-term parts/service availability and can live with a much simpler design, an entry level Rega might be a good choice. For my bedroom system, the advantage of auto operation and convenience of its nice-sounding built-in phono stage made the DP-300F the best choice for me.
 
The motor is discontinued? That is a bummer for sure. Unobtainium parts have been the bane of folks trying to fix up their vintage gear, and this does not bode well, if true.
 
I went ahead and ordered this turn table from TTL with the upgraded cartridge. Im totally pleased with it. Im sure maybe more discerning ears could find some flaws, but enjoying it. Plus I can listen to records while I try to get pioneer back in working order.
 
The motor is discontinued? That is a bummer for sure. Unobtainium parts have been the bane of folks trying to fix up their vintage gear, and this does not bode well, if true.

All I know at this point is that PacParts, the parts source that Denon USA referred me to, lists it as discontinued. It's possible that contacting Denon directly would yield a different answer. The good news, at least from my perspective, is that I haven't yet experienced a motor going bad on a turntable. Of course, there's always a first time . . .
 
I went ahead and ordered this turn table from TTL with the upgraded cartridge. Im totally pleased with it. Im sure maybe more discerning ears could find some flaws, but enjoying it. Plus I can listen to records while I try to get pioneer back in working order.

Glad to hear you're totally pleased. I have never dealt with Turntable Lab, but it sounds as if things went well for you with them. I saw on their website that in addition to the 2M Red cartridge, their $399 package includes a cork mat. I'm curious to know if they also sent along the original cartridge and rubber mat. If so, maybe you could comment at some point on any comparisons you might make.
 
I'm happy with TTL. I almost went with Needle Doctor because they're closer, and I was thinking I could get it faster. Decided I could be patient and went for the lower price. It shipped fast and and was packaged well. They put the original cartridge in the box the new cartridge came in. The upgrade cartridge was already installed for me. I was happy about that because I have no clue yet how to install a cartridge. I didn't even take the cork out of its packaging. I just went with the original rubber mat, it seemed pretty substantial and I had read mixed reviews about cork. I may have to do some experimenting just in case Im missing out on something. I was worried about how this was going to sound. I'd never had a nice turntable before. I was hoping everything I had heard about the sound of vinyl was true. My wife was worried I was getting my expectation to high.Im very pleased, I wonder how some of these more expensive turntables sound. I'll follow up about the cork mat later.
 
Just bought this table for a second table in conjunction with my Technics 1200, wanted an auto return when I am doing something. Like Justin I ordered form TTL with the 2m Red, great and fast service would order from them again. I love the table, a little noisy only when auto functions are operating but dead silent once that arm hits the wax. This is a fantastic sounding table with the cartridge upgrade, my only complaint would be the arm height needs to be adjusted to make room for that red. Its just a few minutes to adjust and its not hard but If I had not read about it in this post the needle may have been damaged in auto mode by scrapping across the record surface. Just keep an eye on it when you first get it going and be ready to use the arm lift to clear everything. Again its a minor annoyance and in no way detracts from the performance of this table, just take a few extra minutes checking the setup and return functions. Once it is dialed in you will be happy, I know I am:rockon::rockon::rockon:
 
I had to check my arm height after I read that. Mine seems to have been adjusted at TTL. Thankful too, I don't know that Im TT savvy enough to have thought about checking that in the first place.
I did use the cork mat for a few weeks. I just can't tell if its any better then the rubber. I went ahead and put the rubber mat back on because every now and then the tip of my finger would catch the edge of the cork and pull it up with the record. I thought if I can't hear the difference then its not worth messing with it. Im pretty darn happy with it.
 
Thats good Justin, if I would not have been aware I would have had issues. My tonearm lifter was actually not doing anything so I knew something was up, since I had read in this thread about the issue I was prepared. Its really an easy adjustment just something to be aware of, I am also using the stock rubber mat and I like it a lot. I really am enjoying this table and actually since I like that 2m red I ordered one for my 1200, I am using a Shure 97xe now and I gotta say the sound from the red to my ears is more enjoyable than the Shure. The Red sounds more dynamic and seems to have a better soundstage, to me the Shure is more on the laid back side.
 
I just received this turntable. I have not had a TT for many years but this is so easy to setup and works so well with my tube amp. Really happy with this turntable. Sounds very good with the stock cartridge.
 
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Hey guys! This thread is the reason I bought this table! Very helpful and informative. I bought mine off of Best Buy for $200, witch, by what I've seen, is a killer deal. I am extremely new into vinyl so this will be my first real turntable. It is set to come in 2 days, and I'm so happy! I thought it was a good idea to keep this thread active in 2017, because it helped me so much. I'll come back in a week or so and post an update.
 
Update: just got it all set up! This table was a breeze to set up, and it sounds amazing so far, and the automatic function works very good! I just have put on some arctic monkeys AM, and it is unreal. I am totally blown away, and for $200?!? It's probably the best deal running.
 
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I've had mine for about a year. Im still happy with it. All though I have discovered TTs all have different personalities. I have this one hooked up to a KA 7100 and listen through Headphones. Mostly prog rock and Jazz, I find that I listen to different music on different set ups. I do think this TT with the 2m red sounds great with prog music and Jazz. and the only noise that I pick up is the auto functions.
I also had it hooked up to a to Pioneer sx1050 and it sounded pretty darn good on that. I have its big brother hooked up to the sx1050 now
 
I've had mine for about a year. Im still happy with it. All though I have discovered TTs all have different personalities. I have this one hooked up to a KA 7100 and listen through Headphones. Mostly prog rock and Jazz, I find that I listen to different music on different set ups. I do think this TT with the 2m red sounds great with prog music and Jazz. and the only noise that I pick up is the auto functions.
I also had it hooked up to a to Pioneer sx1050 and it sounded pretty darn good on that. I have its big brother hooked up to the sx1050 now
Well that's good to know, I bought mine bone stock, mostly because I am very new to vinyl, and I already know that I love it, so I figured I would buy something that would last. I think it sounds very good with the stock cartridge. I am mostly using headphones right now, but only because my speakers are not good at all, there Technics SB-LX10's. I'm really pleased to hear that the upgrades make a huge difference, and I'm glad I bought something good, and I only paid $200.
 
. . . I'm really pleased to hear that the upgrades make a huge difference, and I'm glad I bought something good, and I only paid $200.
And I still think it was a great deal at the $329 price that I paid. If you're thinking that a cartridge like the 2M Red can make a huge difference, it might just depend on your tastes. Recent posters Zappafan2 and JustinICT appear to have purchased the DP-300F with the 2M Red already installed, and I haven't seen them comment on whether it's actually an improvement over the stock cartridge. I read an interesting customer review at Amazon by a satisfied customer who ordered the 2M Red only to send it back, hearing no improvement over the stock cartridge (and this from someone experienced in owning higher-end turntables from Michell and Linn). Trying different cartridges is fun, and the Grado, Shure, and Sumiko models I used on mine all performed well (the Sumiko Black Pearl being my favorite), but to my ears the stock cartridge was not embarrassed by any of them.
 
And I still think it was a great deal at the $329 price that I paid. If you're thinking that a cartridge like the 2M Red can make a huge difference, it might just depend on your tastes. Recent posters Zappafan2 and JustinICT appear to have purchased the DP-300F with the 2M Red already installed, and I haven't seen them comment on whether it's actually an improvement over the stock cartridge. I read an interesting customer review at Amazon by a satisfied customer who ordered the 2M Red only to send it back, hearing no improvement over the stock cartridge (and this from someone experienced in owning higher-end turntables from Michell and Linn). Trying different cartridges is fun, and the Grado, Shure, and Sumiko models I used on mine all performed well (the Sumiko Black Pearl being my favorite), but to my ears the stock cartridge was not embarrassed by any of them.
I definitely will, I think now I just need to amass some more vinyl then I'll start to upgrade all my equipment, starting with some new speakers( I'm using some very mediocre Technics SB-LX10's) then I'll get a new cart.
 
I had this turntable as a gift from my wife. It's been almost a year now and I am still loving it. Nothing has changed and I'm still using the stock cartridge, which sounds very good to me. I'm listening mainly on my tube amp, Euforia by Feliks Audio with Beyerdynamic T1 and Sennheiser HD650 headphones. I have about 50 LPs now after one year. :) Besides the turntable, I also have a NAD d1050 dac from which I listen to Tidal HiFi subscription.

A picture of my simple setup listening to Karajan Beethoven 9 Symphonies Philharmonia.
 
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