Ken,
Thanks for the color. I might do the same thing on the platter for my 308. It would be great to get a better one. I would love to build a better platform as well - rather than the MDF box. As to numbers, in Japan at least, there are probably a fair bit more DN-308s than 100 because it seems like every NHK broadcast center and recording location, and a huge number of schools/universities/libraries/museums/etc were convinced to buy them (by government bureaucracy-funded NHK). I expect this was because of pressure to monetize the time spent by the engineers, and commit everyone to the NHK standard. I have heard that NHK effectively designed much of this table for Denon using their own engineers. FWIW, I have probably seen a couple dozen 308s over the years, and fewer 307s, and still fewer 306s (which I think were belt-drive). I have probably seen 20% of that number of console tables like this made by Victor and Matsushita (the original pro-use in the early 70s were Matsushita-labelled, not Technics it appears).
As to usage... it does have that funky headphone jack for headphones of a particular impedance (one can still buy them for about $350), and the mini speaker, but it is clear they were also meant to play for broadcast as well because the thing has a built-in phono stage AND preamp with 600ohm balanced output for direct-to-amp playback. When I talked to Denon today, the two people I know there separately said that Denon would refuse to service a table owned by an individual in Japan and it was explicitly up to the user to figure it out for himself. Not a terribly satisfactory response, but it is what it is. Thankfully, there are a number of people out there in the private sector who can service them.
The same people, speaking about the DP-100, said that the DP-100 was sold to a few radio stations but the vast majority were sold to consumers. Most commercial users took the DN- series because they came with a service/maintenance contract (like most companies do with copiers these days), whereas the DP-100 did not come with the same service package.
As to total numbers made, on the DN-308 (and earlier DN-307 and DN-306) they said they WOULD not answer. As to the DP-100, they said they COULD not answer because the data was lost (but noted that it was only an order-built machine, and production lasted 4 years). That is four times I have asked in the last year to four different people involved with Denon servicing and four times I have been told they have no idea. Not encouraging, but it is what it is. Based on serial numbers, I know it approaches 50.
As to the motors in the DP-100 and the DN-308. They are, I was told today by a guy who serviced the DN-308 in the past and now does old tables in the consumer section, completely different beasts. This makes some sense when I think about it because the DN-308 came out before the AU-169 cutting head motor (which is in the DP-100) which was first presented in a technology show in 1979. I think my Denon DN-308 comes from 1979 (you can check your date by looking on the bottom row of the serial number plaque on the front underneath the console portion; an "S" (or a 昭和 or a 昭) and a two-digit number; "45" is 1970 and "55" is 1980 - If you have an "H" or 平成 then a number, it will likely be a single-digit number and H1 was 1989).
Separately, you've got mail...
Thanks for the color. I might do the same thing on the platter for my 308. It would be great to get a better one. I would love to build a better platform as well - rather than the MDF box. As to numbers, in Japan at least, there are probably a fair bit more DN-308s than 100 because it seems like every NHK broadcast center and recording location, and a huge number of schools/universities/libraries/museums/etc were convinced to buy them (by government bureaucracy-funded NHK). I expect this was because of pressure to monetize the time spent by the engineers, and commit everyone to the NHK standard. I have heard that NHK effectively designed much of this table for Denon using their own engineers. FWIW, I have probably seen a couple dozen 308s over the years, and fewer 307s, and still fewer 306s (which I think were belt-drive). I have probably seen 20% of that number of console tables like this made by Victor and Matsushita (the original pro-use in the early 70s were Matsushita-labelled, not Technics it appears).
As to usage... it does have that funky headphone jack for headphones of a particular impedance (one can still buy them for about $350), and the mini speaker, but it is clear they were also meant to play for broadcast as well because the thing has a built-in phono stage AND preamp with 600ohm balanced output for direct-to-amp playback. When I talked to Denon today, the two people I know there separately said that Denon would refuse to service a table owned by an individual in Japan and it was explicitly up to the user to figure it out for himself. Not a terribly satisfactory response, but it is what it is. Thankfully, there are a number of people out there in the private sector who can service them.
The same people, speaking about the DP-100, said that the DP-100 was sold to a few radio stations but the vast majority were sold to consumers. Most commercial users took the DN- series because they came with a service/maintenance contract (like most companies do with copiers these days), whereas the DP-100 did not come with the same service package.
As to total numbers made, on the DN-308 (and earlier DN-307 and DN-306) they said they WOULD not answer. As to the DP-100, they said they COULD not answer because the data was lost (but noted that it was only an order-built machine, and production lasted 4 years). That is four times I have asked in the last year to four different people involved with Denon servicing and four times I have been told they have no idea. Not encouraging, but it is what it is. Based on serial numbers, I know it approaches 50.
As to the motors in the DP-100 and the DN-308. They are, I was told today by a guy who serviced the DN-308 in the past and now does old tables in the consumer section, completely different beasts. This makes some sense when I think about it because the DN-308 came out before the AU-169 cutting head motor (which is in the DP-100) which was first presented in a technology show in 1979. I think my Denon DN-308 comes from 1979 (you can check your date by looking on the bottom row of the serial number plaque on the front underneath the console portion; an "S" (or a 昭和 or a 昭) and a two-digit number; "45" is 1970 and "55" is 1980 - If you have an "H" or 平成 then a number, it will likely be a single-digit number and H1 was 1989).
Separately, you've got mail...