[Denon Award News] DP-500BT Wins "Analog Grand Prix 2026 Gold Award"!
Denon's DP-500BT, a Bluetooth-enabled belt-drive record player, has received the prestigious "Gold Award" at the "Analog Grand Prix 2026." It was highly praised for its blend of technology inherited from the higher-end DP-3000NE, stylish design, and integrated high-quality features like a phono equalizer and Bluetooth, all at an accessible price. The Analog Grand Prix, established in 2008, recognizes outstanding analog playback equipment for audio enthusiasts.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 3, 2026 at 20:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 3, 2026 at 11:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 18, 2026 at 02:06 (350h 35m after Collected)
We are pleased to announce that Denon's "DP-500BT," a Bluetooth-enabled belt-drive record player released in March 2026, has received the highest honor, the "Gold Award," at the "Analog Grand Prix 2026."
It was highly praised for achieving a reasonable price while inheriting the technology and sound quality of the higher-end model "DP-3000NE," its stylish design, and its high-quality built-in phono equalizer and Bluetooth functionality. For the reasons behind the Grand Prix selection and a detailed review, please refer to "Hi-Fi Records Magazine vol.91," released today, April 3rd (Friday).
**What is the Analog Grand Prix?**
The Analog Grand Prix, established in 2008, is an award that selects the year's outstanding works of "essential equipment for analog playback that evokes an analog feel and is suitable for recommendation to audio fans." It is an award selected every spring by professionals who have pursued high-quality analog playback, as "models that pursue the 'now' of analog playback." Product genres targeted include analog-related equipment such as cartridges, phono equalizers, and record players, as well as amplifiers.
### DP-500BT
Bluetooth-enabled Belt-Drive Record Player
Black
Suggested Retail Price: 138,600 yen (tax included)
JAN/EAN Code: 0747192147266 (DP500BTBKEM)
https://www.denon.com/ja-jp/product/turntables/dp-500bt/DP-500BT.html
### Bringing the High Performance of the Flagship to More Record Enthusiasts
All Denon record players, originating from broadcast station record players, possess high performance to accurately rotate records and trace the grooves with the stylus, along with high reliability to maintain that performance without failure for extended periods. The modern flagship model "DP-3000NE" is a prime example of this. The DP-500BT, while strongly inheriting the design philosophy of the DP-3000NE, was developed to deliver high-performance record players to a wider range of music lovers. The tonearm employs Denon's traditional static balance S-shaped tonearm, similar to the DP-3000NE. Developed based on specifications from past broadcast station record players, elements such as effective length, overhang, and offset angle have been refined to minimize tracking error and pursue performance that more accurately traces the record's grooves. Its performance is comparable to broadcast station record players of that era. It is also equipped with an arm lifter for gently raising and lowering the tonearm, and an anti-skating adjustment function to counteract the inward force on the stylus caused by the record's rotation.
The headshell is a user-replaceable universal type, allowing users to enjoy the sonic differences of various cartridges, such as Denon's renowned "DL-103," which has been used as the standard for broadcast station cartridges for over 60 years since its release.
The platter is driven by a belt-drive system, which decouples motor vibrations from the platter. The system utilizes an ultra-precision processed spindle and an aluminum die-cast platter to minimize rotational unevenness (wow and flutter). Furthermore, a non-contact optical sensor constantly detects the platter's rotational speed and feeds this value back to the microcomputer to precisely control the motor's rotation speed, ensuring it does not deviate from the set speed. This maintains stable rotation and achieves accurate record playback (wow and flutter below 0.1%).
The turntable supports rotation speeds of 33-1/3, 45, and 78 RPM, allowing playback not only of LPs and EPs but also of rare SP records.
### A New Player Enhancing the Enjoyment of Records
The DP-500BT is not merely a product that upholds Denon's tradition. By newly incorporating a Bluetooth transmission function, it is a player that further evolves the enjoyment of records. Combined with the newly developed built-in phono equalizer, which boasts sound quality comparable to standalone units or amplifiers with built-in phono equalizers, and high-quality codecs like aptX Adaptive, it enables record playback quality comparable to wired connections, even wirelessly. This eliminates the need to place the audio equipment connected to the record player side-by-side as before. The record player, which requires operation at hand, can be placed nearby, while the component system or speakers can be positioned further away. Of course, you can also enjoy records with Bluetooth-compatible earphones or headphones. Volume adjustment can be done from the button on the front right side of the DP-500BT or from the connected audio equipment, making it usable even with devices like completely wireless earphones that do not have a volume adjustment function.
### Key Features
* High-precision rotation control with DC servo motor and optical speed sensor
* Ultra-high precision spindle & aluminum die-cast platter
* Supports 33-1/3, 45, and 78 RPM
* Traditional static balance S-shaped tonearm
* Universal type headshell & MM cartridge included
* High-quality phono equalizer (MM type) built-in
* Bluetooth transmission function included
* Hybrid cabinet & insulators effectively suppress vibration
* External power supply system that does not generate vibration
* Auto lift-up & stop function
**About Denon**
Denon, which celebrated its 110th anniversary on October 1, 2020, is a premium audio brand with its origins in Japan's first record and phonograph manufacturer, and its first professional recording equipment manufacturer. Its innovative technology and development capabilities, such as commercializing the world's first digital PCM recorder, have earned high praise worldwide. Since 2001, it has unified its name from "Den-on" to "Denon" and further expanded its activities as a global brand.
**Product Inquiries**
D&M Customer Support Center
TEL. 0570-666-112 / 050-3388-6801
Reception Hours: 10:00 - 18:00 (Closed on Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays, and company holidays)
Inquiry Form:
https://www.denon.com/ja-jp/support/product-support.html
* Information in this press release is current as of the date of announcement.
* Specifications and appearance are subject to change for improvement without notice.
* The color of the product photos may differ slightly from the actual product due to printing limitations.
It was highly praised for achieving a reasonable price while inheriting the technology and sound quality of the higher-end model "DP-3000NE," its stylish design, and its high-quality built-in phono equalizer and Bluetooth functionality. For the reasons behind the Grand Prix selection and a detailed review, please refer to "Hi-Fi Records Magazine vol.91," released today, April 3rd (Friday).
**What is the Analog Grand Prix?**
The Analog Grand Prix, established in 2008, is an award that selects the year's outstanding works of "essential equipment for analog playback that evokes an analog feel and is suitable for recommendation to audio fans." It is an award selected every spring by professionals who have pursued high-quality analog playback, as "models that pursue the 'now' of analog playback." Product genres targeted include analog-related equipment such as cartridges, phono equalizers, and record players, as well as amplifiers.
### DP-500BT
Bluetooth-enabled Belt-Drive Record Player
Black
Suggested Retail Price: 138,600 yen (tax included)
JAN/EAN Code: 0747192147266 (DP500BTBKEM)
https://www.denon.com/ja-jp/product/turntables/dp-500bt/DP-500BT.html
### Bringing the High Performance of the Flagship to More Record Enthusiasts
All Denon record players, originating from broadcast station record players, possess high performance to accurately rotate records and trace the grooves with the stylus, along with high reliability to maintain that performance without failure for extended periods. The modern flagship model "DP-3000NE" is a prime example of this. The DP-500BT, while strongly inheriting the design philosophy of the DP-3000NE, was developed to deliver high-performance record players to a wider range of music lovers. The tonearm employs Denon's traditional static balance S-shaped tonearm, similar to the DP-3000NE. Developed based on specifications from past broadcast station record players, elements such as effective length, overhang, and offset angle have been refined to minimize tracking error and pursue performance that more accurately traces the record's grooves. Its performance is comparable to broadcast station record players of that era. It is also equipped with an arm lifter for gently raising and lowering the tonearm, and an anti-skating adjustment function to counteract the inward force on the stylus caused by the record's rotation.
The headshell is a user-replaceable universal type, allowing users to enjoy the sonic differences of various cartridges, such as Denon's renowned "DL-103," which has been used as the standard for broadcast station cartridges for over 60 years since its release.
The platter is driven by a belt-drive system, which decouples motor vibrations from the platter. The system utilizes an ultra-precision processed spindle and an aluminum die-cast platter to minimize rotational unevenness (wow and flutter). Furthermore, a non-contact optical sensor constantly detects the platter's rotational speed and feeds this value back to the microcomputer to precisely control the motor's rotation speed, ensuring it does not deviate from the set speed. This maintains stable rotation and achieves accurate record playback (wow and flutter below 0.1%).
The turntable supports rotation speeds of 33-1/3, 45, and 78 RPM, allowing playback not only of LPs and EPs but also of rare SP records.
### A New Player Enhancing the Enjoyment of Records
The DP-500BT is not merely a product that upholds Denon's tradition. By newly incorporating a Bluetooth transmission function, it is a player that further evolves the enjoyment of records. Combined with the newly developed built-in phono equalizer, which boasts sound quality comparable to standalone units or amplifiers with built-in phono equalizers, and high-quality codecs like aptX Adaptive, it enables record playback quality comparable to wired connections, even wirelessly. This eliminates the need to place the audio equipment connected to the record player side-by-side as before. The record player, which requires operation at hand, can be placed nearby, while the component system or speakers can be positioned further away. Of course, you can also enjoy records with Bluetooth-compatible earphones or headphones. Volume adjustment can be done from the button on the front right side of the DP-500BT or from the connected audio equipment, making it usable even with devices like completely wireless earphones that do not have a volume adjustment function.
### Key Features
* High-precision rotation control with DC servo motor and optical speed sensor
* Ultra-high precision spindle & aluminum die-cast platter
* Supports 33-1/3, 45, and 78 RPM
* Traditional static balance S-shaped tonearm
* Universal type headshell & MM cartridge included
* High-quality phono equalizer (MM type) built-in
* Bluetooth transmission function included
* Hybrid cabinet & insulators effectively suppress vibration
* External power supply system that does not generate vibration
* Auto lift-up & stop function
**About Denon**
Denon, which celebrated its 110th anniversary on October 1, 2020, is a premium audio brand with its origins in Japan's first record and phonograph manufacturer, and its first professional recording equipment manufacturer. Its innovative technology and development capabilities, such as commercializing the world's first digital PCM recorder, have earned high praise worldwide. Since 2001, it has unified its name from "Den-on" to "Denon" and further expanded its activities as a global brand.
**Product Inquiries**
D&M Customer Support Center
TEL. 0570-666-112 / 050-3388-6801
Reception Hours: 10:00 - 18:00 (Closed on Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays, and company holidays)
Inquiry Form:
https://www.denon.com/ja-jp/support/product-support.html
* Information in this press release is current as of the date of announcement.
* Specifications and appearance are subject to change for improvement without notice.
* The color of the product photos may differ slightly from the actual product due to printing limitations.