Denon DP80 & DP75 Owner's Thread

[richardloh]

bottom of the arm boards are lined with metal, presumably for damping. So each have their strengths. The 300 seems a little better in quality overall though.

View attachment 3141760

Hi Matt, not sure of the thin metal plate for damping but it should certainly help to ensure that the arm board is flat and consistently so at least for one side of the engaged surfaces ... nice !

Btw, the Kishimura 35VA stepdown is still available if you wish for it.

Cheers.

 

[matteos]

Hi Matt, not sure of the thin metal plate for damping but it should certainly help to ensure that the arm board is flat and consistently so at least for one side of the engaged surfaces ... nice !

Btw, the Kishimura 35VA stepdown is still available if you wish for it.

Cheers.

Appreciate that. I’m not sure what happened to my message(s) to you as they vanished after I sent them and I never received your response. I think maybe it’s a subscriber issue and items and money would be changing hands through improper channels, I know you were just trying to help me out (much appreciated) rather than for business dealings. But it’s no bother as I was able to find the same step down elsewhere for cheap. Hopefully it will arrive soon and I’ll be plugging the new DP-80 in to it.

 

[KostasP]

Yeah my other plinth is a DK-300 and it has a similar issue with the veneer, it is cracked along each of the lines of where each separate piece of wood is glued on top of the others.

It’s a really good plinth though, seems a little better made than this other one I just got. I think the DK-300 is treated wood and this one is just regular plywood or something... The 300 seems a little better in quality overall though.

DK-300 & DK-2300 were double the price and heavier from DK-110 & DK-2000G, definitely have different materials as their dimensions are similar.

 

[richardloh]

Appreciate that. I’m not sure what happened to my message(s) to you as they vanished after I sent them and I never received your response. I think maybe it’s a subscriber issue and items and money would be changing hands through improper channels, I know you were just trying to help me out (much appreciated) rather than for business dealings. But it’s no bother as I was able to find the same step down elsewhere for cheap. Hopefully it will arrive soon and I’ll be plugging the new DP-80 in to it.

Hey Matt, no worry as I also could not find the msg due probably to mentioned restriction. Glad you will find one near you. Cheers.

 

[richardloh]

Fedex Japan parcel arrived today with Denon DA-50, Victor UA-5045 and Micro MA-505x tonearms to join available SME IV to be mounted on the 4 armboards that came with the dk300 plinth and now recapped blue led DP80 motor.

Need to refurbish/plug the armboards before investigating and learning on needed template and tonearm mounting ... little to no experience as previous orbe, gyrodec and even slate plinth of 301 came with specific tonearm armboards and pre-drill sme 3012-R required ones.

Looking piano black dk300 example, I am having doubt on overall presentation but need decision soon to proceed on armboards to match according ...pending again

Cheers.

 

[matteos]

That plinth looks great in piano black I’m digging it. I quite like the contrast between the black and the color of the old veneer. I imagine if the armboards had a wood veneer it could contrast quite nicely with the piano black although if you have 4 armboards you could do different things.

I drilled a couple of armboards, you just need a good template/measurement and the right sized hole saw.

 

[matteos]

The 100v plug in adaptor arrived today, shipping was a little early which was nice! All plugs in and seems to work well so far. This DP-80 was supposedly serviced in Japan before it was sold to me and I paid a little extra (not really much more though) for this unit. they even sent me a little bag full of old capacitors and other parts along with it. I hope they did a good job, time will tell.

Getting this though does give me a chance to do some comparisons between this and the DP-75. For instance their platter mats are slightly different. I replaced the rotted foam in the DP-75 platter with weather stripping foam when I took it apart.



The leaf springs are much larger on the 75 and take 5 bolts. Below is the DP-80, it has smaller springs that take 3.



I’ve got some 1/4” thick strips of sorbothane I’m going to use for the 80s platter. I’ll be able to compare the two platters and see if foam or sorbothane works a little better.

 

[Legrace]

The leaf springs are much larger on the 75 and take 5 bolts. Below is the DP-80, it has smaller springs that take 3.

Hmm, my DP80 platter has the 5 bolt spring design.
edit: pic

 

[miles2002]

I have both, 3 bolt on older 5 bolt on newer, both 80's

 

[matteos]

Ah, looks like I got an early version then!

 

[richardloh]

Mine is also early version of 3 bolts

 

[matteos]

Well I switched out my DP-75 for my DP80. Just kept the same plinth, arm etc the same in my setup. The 80 is noticeably a little heavier than the 75. Thanks to the pitch control on the 80 I can get the speeds a little better. Haven’t listened to it yet though, I reckon it won’t sound much different, I have a head cold and my ears are clogged so I don’t think I could be critical of the differences yet anyway.

 

[Kit Carson]

Matteos a few other DP-75/80 owners did the same swapping out of the motor units and could tell little if any difference in the sound. The DP-80 obviously was geared towards professional use like broadcasting while the subsequent DP-75 was geared towards the consumer eliminating items like the pitch control.

 

[matteos]

I think I like the 80 a little more though, it sounds a little fuller. Having said that I think this unit has seen a service and the 75 has not, and that might explain the difference in itself.

 

[richardloh]

I think I like the 80 a little more though, it sounds a little fuller. Having said that I think this unit has seen a service and the 75 has not, and that might explain the difference in itself.

Hey Matt, perhaps your measured lower wow and flutter matters ? Human hearings at about 20khz and mine at 62 is probably 9khz but most high bandwidth >> 20khz owners like spectral equipment swear by what they can "feel" and hear ? Cheers.

 

[richardloh]

Interesting minimalist with up to 4 arms optional kit and affordable plinth here:

Acoustand Console Plinth. ((NEW FOR 2024))

The new console is a simple classic Japanese style plinth with real brushed aluminium surface with a mdf and acrylic core, this is then wrapped in real wood veneer finished in black ash as standard.The console plinth is aimed to get those who want...

www.acoustand.co.uk

Unsure how it impact SQ though. Cheers.

 

[richardloh]

"The thing about good direct drives is that they perform outstanding even without a plinth at all and with tonearm mounted on its own stand. I’ve witnessed many. So I’m other words, any plinth is ok, even lightweight design. With DD turntables, you get a good performance regardless of plinth mass."

 

[matteos]

That’s a pretty interesting looking plinth, cheap too! I can’t think too many people are making plinths for these Denon units, so that’s a pretty interesting looking option and I agree, with these units less may well be more since the motors really do stand alone.

 

[matteos]

So I bought a Japanese Denon DP-75 for $100. Supposedly it powers up and spins (not sure if it keeps speed) but “is missing parts”. I’m thinking best case I can clean it up, (and boy does it need cleaning up!) and get it working fully and drop it in my $100 Denon DK-2000 plinth. Worst case… I will have a cheap spare parts table for my good Denon 75.

Well it was cheap, I think mostly because it looks like this!



I know there’s some very sensitive magnetic material underneath these platters so I’m wondering what is the best way to get all this gunk off the platter without damaging anything. Maybe some mild soap and water?

 

[richardloh]

I know there’s some very sensitive magnetic material underneath these platters so I’m wondering what is the best way to get all this gunk off the platter without damaging anything. Maybe some mild soap and water?

Not aware of any sensitive magnetic material in platter except the inner rim that had magnetic coating in close proximity to the tape head for strobing/speed control that must not be scratched.

Except for this coating, I would spray copious amount of 3M adhesive remover before removing all I can and then wash and dry all. For lightly oxidised surface that can be viewed, 3M scotchbrite worked well for me but I will also change out all the bolts to new, refresh infamous deteriorated foams and try hard to polish up the metal spring to prevent further rusting even not viewed during use.

At the best !