Denon Dl-110 phono cart

As long as you dig it, that's all that counts.

 

A few months in with this stylus and I swear it moved up to another level of performance at around 200 hours. I can't believe how good it sounds. The synergy with my Denon DP-37F table is wonderful.

 

That's the beauty of the Denon DL-110, it's the gift that keeps on giving. My in-laws were over tonight & remarked on how my stereo sounded so 'clear & real'. That really made my day...

 

I recently bent my cantilever on my Denon DL-103, which had replaced my DL-110. I was torn whether to replace the 103 or go back to the 110. I found a new, open box 110 for $130, so I am back to the trusty old red. The first thing I noticed is that the DL-110 is way better on top; there is so much more air around the instruments and it has better data retrieval, which must be due to the finer stylus, compared to the 103's conical. However, the bass on the 103 is superior; the Dl-110 is not bass shy by any means--it is taught and well defined--but the 103 is just as good in these respects and seems to dig deeper. It tracks just as well as the 110 and even seems to bury surface noise deep in the mix much like the 110. The 103 is neutral; the 110 is slightly forward sounding. I am seriously considering running two decks with both carts. I have a Technics SL-1200 and could just swap the carts, but setting up the 103 is a bit of a PITA since it requires the auxiliary weight, which is difficult to access in my stereo cabinet. I would use the 103 for older records, esp. mono which really shine with the 103.

 

Mine is getting a little long in the tooth. Best price I see is $165 from Canada with $17 shipping.

 

I bought mine from Electronics Expo on Amazon. I double checked and they're a Denon dealer. I wrote them about what "Like new in an open box" means, and they said the cart is "new." I inspected mine with a magnifier and the stylus looked flawless. It may be a factory reject but it looks and sounds as it should.

 

You guys talked me into the DL-110 with this thread. I have one on the way just to check out for fun. Definitely curious if it will supplant one of my three current cartridges.

 

Mine was definitely a little hotter than spec. I bet one of the Graham Slee preamps with 41db gain would be pretty close to perfect.

 

You could always send your 103 to the Soundsmith for a replacement cantilever and stylus. I had my Goldring Eroica repaired there with his mid-priced $250 option, Ruby Cantilever with a Nude Line Contact Stylus, sounds great. I recall he also does a lot of other customization with the 103. I have a DL-110 I was using for a year while the Goldring was out of commission, I've been thinking of having Soundsmith do the same service. I'm very curious as to how it would sound with the upgrade. I'd noticed a change in the sound of the 110 after a year of heavy use and felt fairly sure the stylus was showing some wear. And FYI, the Soundsmith only took about 8 weeks to do the repair on the Goldring.

 

The DL-110 is my backup cart for my Dyn 20x2H. Its that good (all IMO) on a SL-1200

 

Thanks, it's a nice thought, but at $200+ for the Aluminum Alloy Cantilever-Nude Hyper- Elliptical Diamond option, I'll just replace the 103 with a new one for $134.

I have about 20 hours on the new DL-110; it seems a little brighter and thinner than I remember. How long does it take to mellow out a bit? The first one I got I remember being thunderous right out of the gate.

 

I recall it was after 25-30 hours that I noticed a definite change to the sonics, I was playing Robbie Robertson's first solo LP, and it sounded great!

 

Yes agree mine didnt take long either....

 

Thanks! I got that album; I'll spin it this weekend and wait for the magic to begin.

 

When the drums kick in on "Showdown At Big Sky"...YOWZA!

 

This thing continues to Amaze !!! Wowza !!! "nirvana" 20th aniv edition DMM 45 rpm sounds Imfruckin unbelievable , in addition all my MM Jazz LPs .. Awesome! As it is breaking in it is sounding better and better. I think this is the best cart I agave ever owned and is a champ no matter what I listen to whether hard rock jazz or classical !!!!! Thanks all for the advice and help , I am gobsmacked ! It beats the Pansy's off my AT440mla and my old Shure m97xe!

 

I definitely concur!

 

Just installed the DL-110 on my Pro-Ject Xpression. Already sounding great over the Sumiko Pearl but as I have the 48 counterweight (for 6 - 8g cartridges) and the Denon is supposed to be 4.8g, I'm using the extra plate that comes with the cartridge. Looks somewhat ugly sticking out of the edges of the head, but is it really necessary for the sound quality or just to make sure the cartridge balances with the counterweight? Thanks

 

Well, I just installed and set up my new Denon DL-110, and I must say it is quite a revelation. Bass is excellent, and the highs are smooth and vibrant with absolutely no shrillness. Midrange is also very good. On the whole it is a well-balanced cartridge, and it's not even broken in! I put it on my Technics SL-1200MK2 which is hooked up to my vintage Sansui QRX-9001. The sound is outstanding. Now, here's the amazing thing: It works as a very suitable cartridge for CD-4 Quadradiscs! I was prepared to swap out cartridges to play the CD-4 discs, but there is no need. I'm going to post about this on the QuadraphoniQuad page also. My biggest concern was whether or not the Denon would be a good match for a vintage receiver since it has a lower output than a standard MM cartridge, but my fears were unfounded. I can't wait until the DL-110 breaks in. Thanks to all who have recommended this cartridge in the past. Oh yes, I had been swapping out between a JVC 4MD-20X cartridge (likely made for them by Audio-Technica) and an Audio-Technica AT-440ML, both of which are very good. Right now I think that the Denon has the edge. Further listening is required. Now playing as I type this: Carly Simon No Secrets Quadradisc on Elektra Records.

 

Seeing as the DL-110 has a frequency response up to 45kHz it's no wonder that quad LPs work so well with it. Wonder if the quad-freaks over at QuadraphonicQuad know about the DL-110?...
Assuming this information is accurate, it explains a lot about the success you are encountering:
Compatible Discrete 4 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia »

 

I think I need to try one of these at some point out of sheer curiosity.

 

The folks at QuadraphonicQuad know about it now, as I posted there the same night I posted here. The wiki article is accurate, though back in the day JVC/RCA didn't use the word matrix to describe the process as they felt it would create confusion between the CD-4 technology versus the matrix systems out at the time (QS, Sansui's format, and SQ, Columbia's format; there were others as well that never garnered much market share). The best way to think about them is like this: the CD-4 system is a true 4-4-4 quadraphonic system, meaning that the encoding retained 4 discrete channels; the matrix systems were based on algebraic logarithms and were 4-2-4 systems. In those systems the discrete 4 channels were mixed down into two channels using the matrix encoders, and as a result the localization of instruments and voices could never be fully recovered during the decoding process. Over the years, I've found that a cartridge that has extended frequency response will pick up the CD-4 system, but stylus shape is important as well. The DL-110 has a "Special Elliptical" stylus shape, which generally means it has a larger tracing area than a standard elliptical stylus, but not as great as a Shibata or Line-Contact stylus. BTW, it still is sounding sweet!

 

@quadjoe, any problems with the DL-110 locking onto the CD-4 carrier signal during inner groove play?

 

None whatsoever. The CD-4 radar light never even flickers. While the Denon sounds great, I will say that if a CD-4 disc is noisy with a MM cartridge, it remains noisy with the DL-110. I can reduce the noise by adjusting the front to back separation for a little less separation (the noise reminds me of the hiss of a noisy FM broadcast and is largely unnoticeable while music is playing.) The most problematic CD-4 disc I have, Cat Stevens' Greatest Hits, has always sounded flat (as in lifeless) and noisy, no matter which cartridge I use. It is marginally better with the Denon, and again no problems with carrier lock.

 

That's great and what I was hoping to hear. I've found that my DL-110 handles inner groove tracks with aplomb. And it's 20-20kHz frequency-response is ridiculously flat. But I don't have any test records that go up anywhere near 50kHz. So I figure if the Denon can present a strong carrier signal all the way to the end of the side, that's saying something about its stylus profile and extended response. I don't know if Denon is doing anything different to these current production DL-110 carts but mine is much better than my old DL-160 ever was.