Just to be clear, SMC, you are referring to the (vintage) Moving Magnet cartridge known sometimes as "M20FL Super"? Just wondering. That's high praise for such an unpretentious cartridge, but I don't doubt you at all.
Question for you Denon DL-103 folks
Hi folks,
I recently bought a new Rega RP1 and I love it. This turntable is begging for a good cartridge, as it comes with the Rega Carbon (a re-branded AT), which is a passable basic cartridge but falls wayyy short of what this table can do. I’m temporarily going to swap it out for my Grado Black +, but I do not intend to use it over the long term.
I’ve been researching cartridges in the sub-$500 range, and the choices are endless. One cartridge that has captured my interest is the Denon DL-103. The reason why this cartridge appeals to me is that, based on what I’ve read, it leans a bit to the warm side, in addition to being a superb performer for the price. I bring up "warm" because I’m using a Parasound Z-Phono, a Rotel preamp, and a Musical Fidelity power amp to run my Magnepans. The last thing I need is a bright or dry-sounding cartridge. I also read a review where they said it worked fantastic with their Rega tonearm.
Because I’m not planning on buying a new phono stage, or a step-up transformer, you guys can probably figure out why I’m asking for opinions/advice. My Z-Phono, which I enjoy quite a bit, has MC gain of 61db, and the minimum recommended gain for the DL-103 is 60db. Would it be risky to buy this cartridge and hope that it works with the Z-Phono? Does anybody have any input here, or recommendations for MM cartridges that are similar in sound characteristics to the DL-103? Any comments would be greatly appreciated.
I recently bought a new Rega RP1 and I love it. This turntable is begging for a good cartridge, as it comes with the Rega Carbon (a re-branded AT), which is a passable basic cartridge but falls wayyy short of what this table can do. I’m temporarily going to swap it out for my Grado Black +, but I do not intend to use it over the long term.
I’ve been researching cartridges in the sub-$500 range, and the choices are endless. One cartridge that has captured my interest is the Denon DL-103. The reason why this cartridge appeals to me is that, based on what I’ve read, it leans a bit to the warm side, in addition to being a superb performer for the price. I bring up "warm" because I’m using a Parasound Z-Phono, a Rotel preamp, and a Musical Fidelity power amp to run my Magnepans. The last thing I need is a bright or dry-sounding cartridge. I also read a review where they said it worked fantastic with their Rega tonearm.
Because I’m not planning on buying a new phono stage, or a step-up transformer, you guys can probably figure out why I’m asking for opinions/advice. My Z-Phono, which I enjoy quite a bit, has MC gain of 61db, and the minimum recommended gain for the DL-103 is 60db. Would it be risky to buy this cartridge and hope that it works with the Z-Phono? Does anybody have any input here, or recommendations for MM cartridges that are similar in sound characteristics to the DL-103? Any comments would be greatly appreciated.