Denon DP-29F Review

Denon DP-29F Review

The Denon DP-29F is a good, inexpensive, basic turntable, with basic automatic controls. I would recommend it for anyone who wants to play their collection of vinyl LP’s or 45’s or transfer them to CD’s. You would probably want something else for DJ use, scratching etc, or for high-end audiophiles requiring super ultra precise sound. It does a great job and puts out excellent music for the majority of music lovers. The sound quality is very good in my opinion.

It includes a good moving-magnet cartridge and stylus, and a servo-controlled motor with belt drive to a cast aluminum platter with rubber mat. It measures 14” wide, 14” deep and 3-3/4” tall with the dust cover closed. Controls include the following:

Automatic Play control:
Start and stop buttons are located on the front, accessible without opening the lid.
The start button will start turntable rotation, lift the tonearm and place it on the record. When it comes to the end, it will automatically place the tonearm back on the rest and turn off the power. You can push the stop button at any time and the tonearm will return to the rest and turn off the power. There is no “on” button. It automatically turns itself on if you manually pick up the tonearm and move it over the record, and it will turn off when you put the tonearm on the rest.

Controls under the dust cover:
33 or 45 rpm selector button
17 or 30 cm record diameter switch (normal LP and 45 sizes)
There is a 45 spindle adapter that sits in a depression in the rear corner

Control under the turntable platter:
RIAA pre-amp on or off – turn it off if you have a “phono” input on your receiver, turn it on if you don’t. The RIAA pre-amp is handy and necessary if you want to connect the turntable directly to your computer sound card if you are transferring your vinyl to CD’s.

What it doesn’t have:
There are no controls for stylus weight, anti-skating, or turntable speed adjustment. The stylus pressure is fixed at 3.5 grams. There are no stroboscope speed indicators or lights, no glowing LED’s. The cartridge does not appear to be easily replaceable, but the stylus is easily replaced, and replacement is recommended after 400 hours of use.

There is no clip to hold the tonearm in place when you move the turntable, there is a plastic tab that you can use a wire twist-tie to hold the tonearm in place though.

The biggest problem I have with this turntable is that there is no button or lever to raise and lower the tonearm. The tonearm has a very small plastic “handle” sticking out near the cartridge so you can manually pick it up and place it on a selected tract, but the handle is quite small I find it difficult to put the stylus on the record accurately and gently. But then this is only a problem if you want to play only certain tracks and not the whole side of the record.