Denon DL-160 MC and Project Debut III table


Considering buying a Denon DL-160 high output MC and using it with a Project Debut III turntable. Will the Denon match up well with the table arm?? Also, the Denon's output is 1.6 mv and I have a Creek 5350SE MM phono board which has a range of 1.5mv to 5.0mv. Is that cutting it too close to get good volume from the Creek integrated amp?? Anyone ever compare the Denon DL160 compare with the Shelter 201 cartridge which is a MM??
sunnyjim
There shouldn't be a problem with output match. According to Jerry Raskin at Needle Doctor, the DL-160 typically puts out more like 2.2mV, so it should be well into Creek's safe zone.

Compliance/mass matching is a bit less certain. Denon rates the dynamic compliance of this cartridge at 10, but the Cartridge Database states that Denon gives this spec relative to 100 Hz instead of the 10KHz other mfrs use, and the compliance would be significantly higher there.

So, running it through the calculator, the DL-160 is very light (4.8g) which is in its favor, but the mfr's compliance rating is 10, which isn't good with the Debut III arm and would put the resonance around 13Hz.

HOWEVER, if what the Cartridge Database says about the Denon spec is true, maybe the compliance of this cart is more like 15, in which case the resonance would come in at 10.7, which is almost ideal.

For cartridge/arm compatibility with the Project Debut III, you want a cartridge that weighs around 5g and has a compliance of 15-20.

In the MM world, other examples would be the Ortofon OM Super series (5g, 20-25 compliance) but NOT the new 2M series (too heavy), or the Grado Prestige series at 5.5g and compliance of 20.

An Ortofon OM20 Super comes in a little above 8Hz, which is about the lowest acceptable without damping. The Grado Prestige series resonance comes in at aroun 9Hz on the Debut III.