DenonDL-110 High Output Moving Coil Cartridge [Electronics]

I own moving coil cartridges 3 and 4 times more expensive, but I seem to come back to this old favorite. One thing I've learned through trial and error is, it's very finicky when it comes to tonearm height adjustment. If your arm is up too high, it becomes very bright. Adjusted low or even level it can be too bassy. The sweet spot is just a touch above level. Meaning, if I level out the tonearm, and add about a millimeter of height, it dials in perfectly. I go with the recommended 1.8g of tracking force, 47db, and adjusted anti-skate. This cart is very energetic and lively. It pairs well with classic, prog, and heavy metal rock. It also works well with acoustic, Americana and folk music. Pop and electronic music also sound great. It definitely has a unique sound signature, that produces solid punchy bass, clean mids, and sparkling clear highs. Unless you are strictly listening to jazz, there's not much this cart can't do. It's probably the best value in HOMC carts still on the market today.

Wow, I'm totally blown away by the sound of this cartridge and it's not even broken-in yet!The trebble is excellent, not over-exagerated like the Ortifon's and Audio Technica's that I was using.The midrange is just right voices sound so life-like and natural.If you like bass, you're in luck with this cartridge. The bass is forcefull, deep and punchy without being boomy.All three segments of the music spectrum, (Trebble, Midrange and Bass), are joined together beautifully! The blend is perfect!I installed the DL-110 HOMC on my (newly purchased from Amazon), Denon DP-3000ne Direct Drive turntable. It works perfectly on the tonearm, and was so easy to align and set up. Now I want to buy a second DL-110 HOMC from Amazon for my VPI Prime 21 turntable.If all this wasn't good enough, Amazon sells this cartridge as a direct Japan import at almost half the price you would have to pay if you bought the USA version from Denon USA. You just can't beat the deal.I'm very picky, and I am so happy with this purchase. Like I said, I'm thinking about buying a second DL-110 HOMC for my VPI Prime 21 turntable.Excellent cartridge. I highly it!

Frequency range is phenomenal. Sound stage is the best I have ever heard. Bass is solid without obscuring the vocals. Properly set up (not too much vertical force—1.8 grams recommended), this cartridge is a revelation. Despite what others have said, this works perfectly with standard (Sch. Mani level) MM settings. Maybe just a tad more amp volume required than CDs.On the negative side, the instructions for this Japanese direct import version are exclusively in Japanese, though the English version is available from their website. (Hint: Don't try to find it on the website; do a search engine search using the terms "Denon DL-110 manual." It's the second one to come up in DuckDuckGo.)The worst problem is mounting the darned thing in the head shell. What a nightmare! Through trial and error, I came up with the following procedure:1) Insert one screw through one of the holes in the head shell and affix a nut to it. THEN,2) Slide the cartridge up against the already inserted screw (make sure the stylus guard is in place) and while holding it in place, tighten down the cartridge to within about one millimeter of the head shell.3) Slide the (annoyingly) slippery metal spacer between the cartridge and the head shell and place the second screw through the other hole in the head shell. This should keep everything reasonably secure while you add a nut to the second screw and tighten down both screws, leaving just enough play to adjust the overhang and angle of the cartridge relative to the platen.Overhang (distance beyond center of spindle to stylus is 15 millimeters (.59 inches=~19/32 inches). You don't need to use the silly plastic "gauge" supplied. A finely marked ruler will work just fine. You also don't need a fancy gauge to set the alignment of the cartridge to the platen. Most rubber mats have either square indentations or circular stripes at the beginning, middle, and end positions of the record. The DL-110 is square, so it's just a matter of aligning the cartridge with the indents or stripes. Rule of thumb is to set the anti-skate adjustment the same as the stylus pressure (1.8).GOOD LUCK!