When I purchased my DP80, it was not running correctly. It did "run" but there was a problem; at this point in time I've forgotten what it was. It's a 100VAC model, and the seller told me he ran it with 120VAC. No wonder it was problematic.
I gave it to Bill Thalmann. Bill replaced all the electrolytic capacitors and replaced many of the discrete transistors for modern ones that according to Bill perform better and are more reliable. I also obtained a new chip from a vendor in Hong Kong. This single chip is essential to normal operation of most of the high end Denons, and Bill installed the new one in mine, mainly because that was found to be the source of the original problem. Bill also calibrated the unit, and I have had zero problems with it since then. (I will say this: In my experience, the DP80 after Bill worked on mine is more reliable than the TT101, but this is comparing only one sample of each. Hardly worth drawing any conclusion from that.)
The difference between 1981 and 2018 is going to be mostly in the fact that these days we have faster and more complex ICs. I am not sure that that is an important advantage for modern DD turntables vs vintage ones, because the operation of the servo governing both is not "rocket science". In fact, there may be some advantage to slower reacting corrections coming from the servo. (That's a subject for another thread, I guess.) The L07D, for example, deliberately relies more on platter inertia than on rapid, frequent servo corrections to maintain constant speed. In this way, the design contrasts with Technics. I can't prove it, but I have often wondered whether the seductive "liquidity" of the sound from the L07D has something to do with this aspect of its design. (My latest experiments with the L07D also suggest that one MUST add EMI shielding under the platter in order to get the most out of it. Without added shielding, there's a faint "gray"-ish coloration that causes the sound to hang on the speakers and reduces the dynamics.) On the opposite side of the ledger, modern corporations tend to be run by accountants who are all about reducing costs.
Also, from what I read when it was introduced, the Grand Prix Monaco has space age speed correction, possibly faster than any other design. Is anyone in love with the GP Monaco?
Also, don't you think we can dismiss the Stereophile ratings of anything? It's just commercial crap. We know that many great pieces of gear never see the light of day on that listing.
I gave it to Bill Thalmann. Bill replaced all the electrolytic capacitors and replaced many of the discrete transistors for modern ones that according to Bill perform better and are more reliable. I also obtained a new chip from a vendor in Hong Kong. This single chip is essential to normal operation of most of the high end Denons, and Bill installed the new one in mine, mainly because that was found to be the source of the original problem. Bill also calibrated the unit, and I have had zero problems with it since then. (I will say this: In my experience, the DP80 after Bill worked on mine is more reliable than the TT101, but this is comparing only one sample of each. Hardly worth drawing any conclusion from that.)
The difference between 1981 and 2018 is going to be mostly in the fact that these days we have faster and more complex ICs. I am not sure that that is an important advantage for modern DD turntables vs vintage ones, because the operation of the servo governing both is not "rocket science". In fact, there may be some advantage to slower reacting corrections coming from the servo. (That's a subject for another thread, I guess.) The L07D, for example, deliberately relies more on platter inertia than on rapid, frequent servo corrections to maintain constant speed. In this way, the design contrasts with Technics. I can't prove it, but I have often wondered whether the seductive "liquidity" of the sound from the L07D has something to do with this aspect of its design. (My latest experiments with the L07D also suggest that one MUST add EMI shielding under the platter in order to get the most out of it. Without added shielding, there's a faint "gray"-ish coloration that causes the sound to hang on the speakers and reduces the dynamics.) On the opposite side of the ledger, modern corporations tend to be run by accountants who are all about reducing costs.
Also, from what I read when it was introduced, the Grand Prix Monaco has space age speed correction, possibly faster than any other design. Is anyone in love with the GP Monaco?
Also, don't you think we can dismiss the Stereophile ratings of anything? It's just commercial crap. We know that many great pieces of gear never see the light of day on that listing.
