Just bought the Denon DL-301 for my turntable!

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by G22, Oct 19, 2017.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. G22

    G22 Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Montreal
    Hey guys! Just bought a Denon DL-301 MKII MC cartridge to go on my Technics SL-1200.

    Anyone know if there's anything special I have to know before installing it?

    Is this really THE best cartridge for the SL1200 like I've read so many times on forums?

    Thanks a lot!
     
    Dante Fontana and HiFi Guy like this.
  2. HiFi Guy

    HiFi Guy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Lakeland, FL
    Congrats. There is no "best." It is a great sounding cartridge though and also a great value. Enjoy!
     
    Mike from NYC likes this.
  3. Chris Schoen

    Chris Schoen Rock 'n Roll !!!

    Location:
    Maryland, U.S.A.
    I have been happy with the 2 DL-110's that I have had on my Denon table (s-shaped arm, dd).
    What phono pre-amp are you using?
     
    Bill Why Man likes this.
  4. Slippers-on

    Slippers-on Forum Resident

    Location:
    St.Louis Mo.
    Congrats. I have one in my cartridge drawer.....it's a nice cart!
     
  5. G22

    G22 Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Montreal
    Thanks and yes I agress there's no best but in the case of matching the best MC cartridge for my money on a SL1200 I think it's definitely one of the best choices out there.

    I use the Musichall pa2.2

    Thanks man! Hope it's gonna be easy to install!
     
  6. Chris Schoen

    Chris Schoen Rock 'n Roll !!!

    Location:
    Maryland, U.S.A.
    I would recommend that you take the headshell off the arm to do the install. Keep the stylus "guard" flipped over the stylus.
    Make sure you have plenty of good light. A table near a window is good. Get the screws around each side of the cart, and lightly
    screw them into the nuts, don't tighten all the way, just enough so the cart is not loose. Final tightening can be done when the
    azimuth is right, after the headshell with cart are back on the arm.
     
  7. G22

    G22 Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Montreal
    This seems like a really good instructional video

    I wonder if I'll have to change the heigh of my arm?
     
    bluemooze likes this.
  8. Benzion

    Benzion "Cogito, ergo sum" Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY
    The 301 is a high-compliance cart. May not be the best match for the 1200's medium weight arm. If it's and old 1200, I suggest you get KAB's fluid damping system installed on the arm, to counter possible resonance issues.
     
  9. G22

    G22 Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Montreal
    Thanks a lot for sharing this information. I currently have a cheap Audio Technica cart and I think it does what I read here

    TD-1200 SL1200 TONEARM DAMPER AT KABUSA.COM

    When I walk and the sound is really high on the amp the speakers kinda start pumping and if I don't quickly lower the volume I feel they'll explode.

    Any thoughts?
     
  10. HiFi Guy

    HiFi Guy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Lakeland, FL
    A subsonic filter will solve your problem. And the KAB damper only fits the Technics SL-1200 and Pioneer PLX-1000.
     
  11. G22

    G22 Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Montreal
    Any links for the subsonic filter? Can't find it on google?

    Also I have a SL-1200 MK3 japan, would this solve my issue?
     
  12. Benzion

    Benzion "Cogito, ergo sum" Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY
    KAB damper will fit your Technics. Subsonic filter is a feature of a good phono stage, not a separate unit. May also be called "rumble" filter. Parasound
    Z-phono has one.
     
    G22 likes this.
  13. freedomgli

    freedomgli Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Reston, Va
    Definitely follow the setup instructions step by step and don't skip any steps. Since I bought my SL-1200Mk2 used from a scratch DJ I assumed the setup would need careful review. I zeroed everything so I was starting from a known reference point. Then I methodically followed the setup instructions, cross-referencing the cartridge manufacturer's instructions, the Technics turntable instructions and the setup tips from KABUSA many times as I went along. I actually practiced on my cheapo Shure MM cart to get the feel for things before I attempted to setup the fragile MC cart. Once accidental bump can snap the tiny stylus off. That's a $400 mistake you don't want to make. Always use the cue lever to raise and lower the tonearm and never accidentally bump the tonearm sideways when the cue arm is lowered or drop the needle on the platter.

    Coincidentally, I just setup a Denon DL-301II cart on a new Technics headshell last night and I had to adjust everything: VTA, VTF, anti-skate and cue arm lift height. As far as VTA goes, the instructions provided with the Denon cart says that it's dimensions are 17mm from the top of the cart body to the stylus tip. Cross-referencing this value with the table in the Technics setup instructions says the tonearm height should be set to 0. It looks flat to my eyes but then again where my turntable is located I can't get a perfect side view of things.

    [​IMG]

    I suppose one could attempt to double check this with a fine metal ruler, but parallax effect and the lack of good datum points on the tonearm make this method approximate at best. For now I'll stick with the table in the Technics manual. Keep in mind the table assumes you're using: 1) Technics RGS0010A "thick" platter mat? or 2) Technics RGS0008 "thin" platter mat? 3) thin rubber mat in combination with the Technics RGS0005Z-1 slip mat? I don't know but it would be nice to find out.

    It seems like you have an isolation issue. What kind of flooring do you have? Solid concrete? Wood floor on top of wooden joists? Is the hardwood floating or nailed to the sub-floor? What kind of component rack are you using? Is the turntable on it's own shelf affixed to a wall bracket/stud? Is the turntable on the original leveling feet or are you using some sort of vibration isolation system like Sorbothane domes, blocks or Isonoe Suspension Footers?
     
    G22 likes this.
  14. nitsuj

    nitsuj Forum Resident

    Location:
    Midwest
    Check the classified forum, there was a KAB rumble filter for sale a couple weeks ago, and the price was nice.
     
    HiFi Guy and G22 like this.
  15. slovell

    slovell Retired Mudshark

    Location:
    Chesnee, SC, USA
    Great cart for the price. I've got one stashed in the box right now but I do get it out and mount it occasionally.
     
    G22 likes this.
  16. G22

    G22 Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Montreal
    Wow that is some great informations out there! Thanks a lot for replying.

    I have a Rega tissue mat that I like a lot. I think it's a bit less height than the MK3 rubber mat.

    It's a wooden floor that cracks a lot when walking on it. Basically it's the worst floor ever for a TT, trust me. When I do vinyl recording, I move the setup on a big heavy shelve on the same floor but closer to the building walls, and there the floor is more stable. I can literally jump both foots and it's not going to the turntable. I got this advice on what.cd forums people were referring to "damping and microphonics" if my memory is good.
     
  17. freedomgli

    freedomgli Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Reston, Va
    I sent a note to KABUSA asking for some advice about the what platter mat(s) is assumed when using the tone arm height table in the turntable instructions. If they reply back I'll post an update to this thread. I'm not familiar with tissue platter mats but if it's super thin then you might not be able to achieve a perfectly level tone arm as you can't go lower than 0 on the helicoid tonearm height adjuster. The only way to "fix" it would be to raise the platter by using thicker mats.
     
    G22 likes this.
  18. freedomgli

    freedomgli Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Reston, Va
    Kevin at KABUSA wrote my back promptly and this is what he said,

    "Hi,
    I never thought that table was accurate.
    But it is probably more accurate with the poly mat and RGS0008
    It was never accurate with the thin mat alone.

    But the true test is, as you note, the arm wand should appear parallel to the disc while playing
    You can take a lined index card and hold it against the arm and that will give you a reference"

    The index card trick is kind of like the mechanical pencil lead taped to the front of the cartridge trick to help visualize cartridge alignment when tracing arc lines on a protractor. I guess this means I'll be rotating my turntable 90* so I have a better view of the tonearm to verify visually. Maybe I'll even shoot a laser line on it.
     
  19. Tonmeister

    Tonmeister Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York
    That chart posted by freedomgli is for the 1/8” Technics platter mat I believe...
     
  20. Tonmeister

    Tonmeister Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York
    [​IMG]

    The older 1200s that came with the 1/4” rubber mats had the above arm height measurement settings.
     
    HiFi Guy likes this.
  21. G22

    G22 Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Montreal
    I think could just put my tissue mat in the rubber mat?

    So this would help raising the whole thing?
     
  22. rl1856

    rl1856 Forum Resident

    Location:
    SC
    Your new 301 is good enough to allow you to hear the quality of a better phono stage when the upgrade bug hits again. And again, pay very careful attention to setup.
     
    G22 and Dante Fontana like this.
  23. Dante Fontana

    Dante Fontana Forum Resident

    Location:
    Melbourne
    On the 1200, I found the 301 to be a big improvement on the dl-110, but once i got a good phono stage (Ray Samuels) to go with it, that's when it felt I'd really gone into into proper hi-fi territory.
     
    G22 likes this.
  24. freedomgli

    freedomgli Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Reston, Va
    SL-1200 Mk2 tone arm height table
    [​IMG]

    SL-1200 Mk5 tone arm height table
    [​IMG]

    As you can see, the scale has shifted by 2mm. I have seen several different part numbers, descriptions and dimensions for OEM supplied Technics SL-1200 platter mats:
    1. RGS0010 "thick" rubber mat, 470g mass, 292mm diameter, 5mm (0.196" or ~3/16") thick
    2. RGS0010A "thick" rubber mat. Unsure what difference there is from RGS0010.
    3. SFTG172-01 "thick rubber mat, 583g mass, 293mm - 295mm diameter (not sure if measurement error or actual product variation)
    4. RGS0008 "thin" rubber mat, 3mm (0.118" or ~1/8") thick
    So indeed, it would appear that the Mk2 tone arm height table assumes the 5mm "thick" rubber mat is being used and the Mk5 tone arm height table assumes the 3mm "thin" rubber mat is being used.
     
    G22 likes this.
  25. G22

    G22 Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Montreal
    I have as Technics MK3 (which is a japan only model). So the manual only exist in japan which I have but is completely useless.

    Do you know if it's like the MK2 or MK5 tone arm height?

    Thanks for helping I've received the cartridge and I'm all excited to install it.

    Library Downloads - Vinyl Engine

    EDIT: Going through the guide and I found the chart which is like the MK5. Good thing as my cartridge is 17mm and this would have mean't 0... Screenshot

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Oct 25, 2017
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine