Have you ever wanted to own a direct drive turntable? The VPI Titan and Avenger Direct Drive Turntables are the price of a fancy sports car and whilst they might offer state-of-the-art performance — the average vinyl listener is never considering one. That’s not a slight but reality based on economics.
Technics sold over 3 million SL-1200s and the recently announced SL-1200GR2 will be available for purchase in December; the table offers a new iteration of Technics’ direct drive technology and is likely to be very popular if the uptick in performance is substantial.
Denon seems to be ready to take on Technics with the new DP-3000NE and is already pumping the hype machine with claims that it represents the “best turntable” the brand has ever offered.
For $2,500 USD, the Denon DP-3000NE better offer more than just hype.
The DP-3000NE will offer three selectable speeds – 33 1/3 rpm, 45 rpm, and 78 rpm and also feature a new version of their S-shape tonearm that offers 9mm of vertical height adjustment.
The tonearm offers multiple adjustment options including VTA, anti-skating, and a rather versatile counterweight allowing the use of both MC and MM cartridges; the venerable Denon DL-103 will work superbly with this new tonearm.
The rather high-density wood plinth is finished with a dark ebony natural wood veneer that counterbalances the industrial looking SL-1200GR2 that appeals to the DJ in all of us.
Technics know that its audience doesn’t want them to stray too far from what made the SL-1200 one of the best-selling turntables in history and that is exactly what they are receiving around Christmas.
Denon is looking to steal some of that market with a more polished looking table that promises to be a very strong performer. The marketing imagery may not convey it, but the Denon DP-3000NE is over 40 pounds out of the box.
We may have to get both in for a shoot-out with the prices being almost identical.
Specifications
| Drive system | Direct |
| Operation | Manual |
| Speed | 33-1⁄3 / 45 / 78 rpm |
| Motor | 16-pole, 12-coil, brushless motor |
| Control method | PWM Vector |
| Platter | Aluminum diecast (305 mm) |
| Platter inertia | 382 kg/cm2 |
| Wow flatter | less than 0.06% JIS |
| Speed tolerance | less than ± 0.3% |
| Rumble (S/N ratio) | Over 70dB |
| Colors | Dark ebony |
| Dimensions | 500 x 394 x 185mm (W x D x H) |
| Weight | 18.5 kg |
| Power Supply | AC 100-240V, 50/60Hz |
| Power consumption | <4W |
| Stdby Power consumption | Less than 0.3W |
| Carton maximum Dimensions | 615 x 515 x 335 mm (W x D x H) |
| Carton Weight | 24.0 kg |
What’s in the box?
- Platter mat
- Dust cover
- Power cable
- RCA cable and ground cable
- Headshell
- Overhang gauge
- Screw set for cartridge mount (10, 13, 18mm)
- 2 x Cartridge spacers (1 mm)
- 2 x Plastic Washer
- Screw driver
- Counter weight
- Sub-counter weight
- Denon EP adapter/weight
Price & Availability
The Denon DP-3000NE will be available in October 2023 for $2,499 at denon.com (£2,299 / €2,499).
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ORT
September 19, 2023 at 11:27 pm
’tis no secret that thy humble scribe doth truly find Denon and Marantz to be mine own choice in AVRs and save the recent purchase of Kitchen fAppliances, CD players.
This new (stay calm, lads!) Double D Turntable is a beauty and has the heft a man such as I lust for in mine own audio equipment! Alas that I set aside the craven desire for the Marantz CD 60 and matching (Silver/Gold!) Stereo 70s to buy new cook stuff.
Short of self-emasculation I do not see how I could genuflect further to the bonds of marriage.
This table turns both head and heart. The Fisher semi-auto ‘table I bought for my big brother (who turned it down AGAIN!) is at a furtive glance more loverly but the heft of the Denon is a challenge that must be answered on the field of lists in any tournament of turntables.
Yeah. I dig it.
Sir ORT of Spamelot