Denon DP-59L vs Sansui SR-838

Side-by-side specifications and a plain-English account of the recorded differences. Full profiles: Denon DP-59L · Sansui SR-838.

Comparison of Denon DP-59L and Sansui SR-838
Specification Denon
DP-59L
Sansui
SR-838
PriceHighlighted difference. £450 (used)£500 (used)
CategoryVintageVintage
Statusdiscontinueddiscontinued
Years1983–?1978–?
Drivedirect drivedirect drive
Speeds33/45 rpm33/45 rpm
Operationsemi-automatic
Cartridge suppliedNoneNone
Phono stageNoNo
USB outputNoNo
BluetoothNoNo
Platteraluminium with resin dampingaluminium, heavy
TonearmDenon Dynamic Servo Tracer armSansui S-shaped arm with dynamic damping
Wow & flutter

Practical differences

Highlighted cells show a lower reference price, support for more listed speeds, or the presence of a convenience feature. They are not an overall score.

There's a real gap here: £50 separates them, with the Sansui SR-838 the pricier of the two.

Both are direct-drive, so that part of the experience should feel similar on either deck: instant start-up, rock-steady speed under load, and enough torque to nudge or backspin the record — the reason DJs and scratch decks are built this way.

Bottom line: the Denon DP-59L has the lower reference price; the table shows which documented features change with the £50 gap.

Merchant searches

2 UK merchants handle used or discontinued decks like this — each outbound link searches the deck on that merchant’s site.

Merchants selling Denon DP-59L
MerchantTypeDeliveryProduct search
eBay UK used marketplace Varies by seller Search at eBay UK ↗
Vinyl Revival music retail UK delivery Search at Vinyl Revival ↗

Merchant searches

2 UK merchants handle used or discontinued decks like this — each outbound link searches the deck on that merchant’s site.

Merchants selling Sansui SR-838
MerchantTypeDeliveryProduct search
eBay UK used marketplace Varies by seller Search at eBay UK ↗
Vinyl Revival music retail UK delivery Search at Vinyl Revival ↗

Compare two different decks →