The Denon DP-400 occupies the mid-tier of Denon's current turntable range, sitting above the entry-level DP-29F and the fully automatic DP-300F, and just below the DP-450USB which adds USB recording. At £550, it offers a compelling combination of premium belt-drive engineering, a built-in phono preamplifier, and genuine semi-automatic convenience in a sleek gloss black chassis.
Design and Operation
The DP-400 uses a belt-drive motor system to isolate the platter from motor vibrations, a tried and tested approach favoured across the hi-fi world for its low noise characteristics. Operation is semi-automatic: you manually lower the tonearm at the start of a record, and at the end the DP-400 automatically lifts the tonearm and stops the motor, protecting both your stylus and your records. A rotary selector on the plinth switches between 33 and 1/3, 45, and 78 rpm, making the DP-400 one of the few turntables in its class that can play 78 rpm shellac records.
The removable dust cover has a secondary function as an album display stand, allowing you to lean a record sleeve against it when the lid is removed from the plinth during playback — a thoughtful and distinctive Denon design touch.
Tonearm and Cartridge
The DP-400 is fitted with an S-shaped tonearm accepting a universal headshell, which means the supplied cartridge can be swapped out for any compatible standard headshell cartridge. It comes pre-mounted with an MM (Moving Magnet) cartridge fitted with a CN-6518 stylus, ready to play straight from the box.
Built-In Phono Stage
A switchable phono preamplifier is built into the DP-400. With the phono stage switched on, the RCA output delivers a line-level signal (rated at 150 mV at 1 kHz) compatible with any amplifier or powered speaker with a standard line input. Switching the phono stage off routes the raw phono signal (rated at 2.5 mV at 1 kHz) to the RCA outputs, for use with amplifiers or receivers that include a dedicated phono input. A grounding terminal is provided on the rear panel for use when the built-in stage is bypassed.
Performance
Denon specifies wow and flutter at 0.08% WRMS, a low figure for a belt-drive turntable in this class, indicating good speed stability. The signal-to-noise ratio is rated at 65 dB, and frequency response extends from 20 Hz to 20 kHz.
