Denon DP-500BT turntable and Denon Home 400 review
A tidy vinyl-plus-streaming setup: Denon’s DP-500BT turntable and the Denon Home 400 smart speaker. Here’s how they sound together, how I’d connect them, and where each shines.
By James · Picky Audio
· 5 min read
QUICK TAKE
If you want a simple vinyl-and-streaming combo, the Denon DP-500BT and Denon Home 400 pair up nicely. The DP-500BT is a belt‑drive, semi‑automatic deck with 33/45/78 rpm, a switchable phono preamp, and Bluetooth (SBC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive). Build looks premium and it’s compact at 42 cm wide.
For best sound, wire it up. Run the DP-500BT’s line‑out to the Home 400’s AUX if you can. Bluetooth from the turntable works, but the Home 400 only takes SBC over BT. For streaming, use the HEOS app over Wi‑Fi — it’s effectively close to a wired connection in use and sounds great.
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Denon DP-500BT
At 1,600 AUD, the DP-500BT feels every bit the step up from budget decks: matte black with silver accents, a vibration‑resistant chassis, and a compact 42 cm width that actually fits small spaces. It’s a belt‑drive design for accurate playback and lower motor vibration; just remember belts can stretch over time and may need swapping somewhere in the 1–5 year window.
You get an aluminum platter and a nice S‑shaped tonearm. It’s semi‑automatic: the arm lifts at the run‑out so you don’t wear the stylus if you nod off, but cueing and balancing are manual — which, honestly, I enjoy for the ritual. Unusually for this class, it spins 33, 45 and 78 rpm; the included stylus is said to handle 78s, which is handy for shellac and some niche cuts.
Connectivity is flexible: a switchable built‑in phono preamp and a ground post let you feed powered speakers or an amp directly. There’s also Bluetooth with SBC, aptX, aptX HD and aptX Adaptive. They don’t claim the higher 24‑bit/96 kHz flavor of Adaptive here, and I think the bitrate tops out around just over 400 kbps — not CD quality. If fidelity is the goal, plug in. Still, BT is convenient for pairing to headphones or earbuds and it works smoothly.
PROS
- Premium, compact build; vibration‑resistant chassis
- 33/45/78 rpm support (included stylus said to work with 78s)
- Semi‑automatic stop protects the stylus
- Switchable phono preamp and ground for easy hookup
- Bluetooth with SBC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive
CONS
- Feet aren’t adjustable at this price
- Belt will need replacement eventually (roughly 1–5 years)
- No aptX Lossless; Bluetooth quality isn’t CD‑level
- Best performance still requires a wired connection
Denon Home 400 Smart Speaker
At 1,000 AUD, the Home 400 is a small box with big, room‑filling sound. Inside are six drivers — dual wide‑range tweeters, two 1‑inch woofers on top, and two 4.5‑inch woofers — delivering rich, surprisingly deep bass. In a quick tone‑sweep video, it was still putting out decent energy around 35 Hz, which is wild for the size. Treble is crisp with a bit of sparkle without getting sharp, mids are smooth and natural, and male vocals sound especially full thanks to that low‑end weight.
Setup happens in the HEOS app: add Spotify, Tidal, Apple Music, Qobuz and more, run multi‑room, and even stereo‑pair two Home 400s (left/right). You can also use a Denon 550 soundbar and sub to build a 5.1 system with the Home 400s as rears. Placement tuning (wall‑distance) and tone controls are here, plus height and width adjustments; I liked backing the bass off a touch. Instrument separation is great for the money and one unit will comfortably fill a medium‑to‑large room.
Connectivity notes: the AUX input is there (use this from the turntable for best quality). Over Bluetooth it’s SBC only, so decent for convenience, but Wi‑Fi via HEOS is the way to stream — it sounds very close to wired in practice.
PROS
- HEOS Wi‑Fi streaming with Spotify, Tidal, Apple Music, Qobuz
- Stereo pairing and multi‑room; can act as rears with Denon 550 soundbar/sub
- AUX input for best quality from the turntable
- Deep, punchy bass for size; crisp treble; smooth mids
- Placement and tone controls, plus width/height adjustments
CONS
- Bluetooth input is SBC only
- No midrange band or full 5‑band EQ
How I’d connect the DP-500BT to the Home 400
- Best: DP-500BT line‑out to Home 400 AUX. Use the built‑in phono preamp (switch it on) if you’re going straight in.
- Convenience: Bluetooth from the turntable to the Home 400. It works, but it’s SBC on the speaker side, so expect a drop in quality.
- Streaming: Use HEOS over Wi‑Fi on the Home 400 for near‑wired quality when you’re not spinning vinyl.
Questions I keep getting
Does the Denon DP-500BT support 78 rpm records?
Yes. It has 33, 45 and 78 rpm, and the included stylus is said to work with 78s.
Is the DP-500BT fully automatic?
It’s semi‑automatic: the arm lifts at the end of a side, but you cue and balance the tonearm yourself.
Which Bluetooth codecs does the DP-500BT offer?
SBC, aptX, aptX HD and aptX Adaptive. There’s no aptX Lossless here, and I don’t believe this Adaptive implementation is the 24‑bit/96 kHz variant.
What’s the best way to hook the turntable to the Home 400?
Use the AUX input on the Home 400 for the best sound. Bluetooth works in a pinch but the Home 400’s BT input is SBC only.
Can the Home 400 do stereo or surround?
Yes. Two Home 400s can be stereo‑paired. You can also use them as rear channels in a 5.1 setup with a Denon 550 soundbar and sub, all via the HEOS app.
Which services work with the Home 400 over HEOS?
Spotify, Tidal, Apple Music, Qobuz and more can be added in the HEOS app.
THE VERDICT
As a compact vinyl‑plus‑streaming rig, this combo hits the sweet spot. The DP-500BT feels premium, adds 78 rpm and a handy semi‑auto stop, and gives you the choice of phono out or Bluetooth. The Home 400 brings the muscle: deep, satisfying bass, clean treble, smooth mids, and HEOS streaming that makes everyday listening dead simple.
Wire the turntable to the Home 400’s AUX when you can; use Bluetooth for convenience; lean on HEOS for streaming. In a small space, it’s a great‑sounding, low‑clutter setup. Stay picky.
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