Denon DL110 High-Output Moving Coil Cartridge - Dreamedia AV
Vendor: Denon

Denon DL110 High-Output Moving Coil Cartridge

High-output moving coil for nuanced audio and stereo imaging
$399.00
$399.00

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Denon DL110 High-Output Moving Coil Cartridge

Experience the Pinnacle of Vinyl Sound with Denon DL110

In the world of vinyl playback, the cartridge is the heart and soul of your turntable, a pivotal component in the alchemy of sound. The Denon DL110 High-Output Moving Coil Cartridge stands as a testament to this truth, offering an auditory experience that's as close as it gets to the master recordings.

Unveiling the Denon DL110

With meticulous hand-winding in the revered Denon Audio Works Factory in Japan, the DL110 is a masterpiece of audio precision. It boasts a rich heritage of Denon's unwavering commitment to sound excellence, encased in a striking red body that is as visually appealing as it is sonically captivating.

Core Features and Specifications

  • Type: High-output moving coil cartridge
  • Stylus: Special elliptical solid diamond
  • Cantilever: Aluminum
  • Frequency Response: 20 Hz - 45 kHz
  • Output Voltage: 1.6 mV
  • Channel Separation: 25 dB at 1 kHz
  • Channel Balance: 1.5 dB
  • Recommended Load Impedance: 47 kΩ
  • Recommended Load Capacitance: 100 pF
  • Compliance: 14 cu (at 10Hz)
  • Tracking Force Range: 1.5-2.1g
  • Weight: 4.8 g
  • Mounting: Half-inch
  • Color: Red
  • Manufacturing: Hand-wound in Japan

The Heart of Your Turntable

The Denon DL110 is designed to work in harmony with medium to high mass tonearms, providing a stable and secure platform for tracking your favorite records. The recommended tracking force of 1.8 grams ensures that the stylus navigates the grooves of your vinyl with precision and care, extracting every musical detail with accuracy.

Sound Quality That Resonates

The DL110 delivers sound quality that is both clear and crisp, with high frequencies that sparkle and a midrange that reveals reasonable detail. The bass is characterized by muscle, depth, and quality, ensuring a well-rounded listening experience that is both open and engaging. The tonal balance is lush with a touch of warmth, making for an easy-listening sound that is open and well-measured.

Compatibility and Convenience

  • MM Phono-Stage Compatibility: Use with MM phono-stage without additional equipment
  • Stylus Construction: Elliptical solid diamond
  • Sound Extraction: Minimizes groove wall imperfections
  • Sound Characteristics: Sweet tonal balance, ambiance, quick transient response

The DL110's high-output design means it can be used with MM phono-stage turntables without the need for step-up devices or additional equipment. This ease of integration makes it a versatile choice for a wide range of turntable setups.

Enhanced Sound Extraction

The stylus of the DL110 is crafted to reach deep into the record groove, ensuring that even the finest details are captured. This results in a sound that is not only detailed and articulate but also has a natural sweetness and quick transient response, bringing your music to life.

Mounting and Calibration

The Denon DL110 requires a careful and precise mounting process. While it may pose a challenge to some, the reward is a cartridge that tracks exceptionally well, even on the most challenging inner grooves, with minimal distortion. Proper calibration is key to achieving the best performance from the DL110, and once set up correctly, it reveals its full potential in sound reproduction.

Key Performance Attributes

  • Tracking Performance: Good, with minimal distortion
  • Sound Reproduction: Nuanced and detailed
  • Stereo Imaging: Clean and accurate
  • Groove Noise: Lower than many competitors
  • Tonal Balance: Light in bass, but rich and integrated

The Listening Experience

Prepare to be transported into the heart of the music. Whether it's the subtle breaths between a vocalist's lines, the resonant pluck of a bass string, or the shimmering decay of a cymbal, the DL110 captures it all with an open and natural soundstage.

Pros

  • Clean, Detailed Sound: Enjoy crystal-clear audio with excellent stereo imaging
  • Sibilance and Surface Noise: Effectively eliminates unwanted noise
  • Tonearm Compatibility: High-output design suitable for medium/heavy mass tonearms
  • Nuanced Sound Reproduction: Captures the subtleties of your music

The Verdict

The Denon DL110 High-Output Moving Coil Cartridge is a formidable choice for audiophiles and DJs alike. It offers a beautiful balance of technical excellence and musicality, ensuring that your vinyl collection sounds its best. While it demands attention to detail in setup, the payoff is an unparalleled listening experience that honors the art of analog sound.

At Dreamedia, we understand the importance of matching the right components to create the perfect home theater system. Our team is available to design your home theater system, ensuring that you get the most out of your Denon DL110 and every other piece of your audio puzzle.

Embark on a journey through sound with the Denon DL110. It's not just about listening to music; it's about experiencing every note, every nuance, and every emotion as the artist intended.

Our Review

Introduction

The Denon DL110 High-Output Moving Coil Cartridge emerges as an intriguing option for audiophiles seeking to upgrade their vinyl listening experience. Moving coil (MC) cartridges are often lauded for their ability to retrieve more detail from the vinyl groove compared to their moving magnet (MM) counterparts, and the DL110 is no exception. It positions itself in a niche market segment, aiming to balance high-end performance with accessibility.

Design and Build Quality

Aesthetics and Physical Design

The Denon DL110 showcases a classic cartridge design with a robust and utilitarian build. It doesn't scream luxury, but the attention to detail in its engineering is evident.

Quality of Materials and Construction

Constructed with durable materials, the DL110 is designed to withstand the rigors of regular use while maintaining precise performance. Its solid housing ensures protection for the delicate internal components.

Compatibility with Tonearms and Turntables

The DL110 is compatible with medium to heavy mass tonearms, making it a versatile choice for a wide range of turntable setups. However, it's incompatible with ferrous (magnetic) platters, which is a vital consideration for potential users.

Installation and Setup

Process of Mounting and Aligning the Cartridge

Installation of the DL110 can be a meticulous process, requiring patience and precision. Proper alignment is crucial to extract the cartridge's full potential and to avoid damage to vinyl records.

Challenges Faced During Installation

The open bolt/screw mounting type can be challenging, especially for novices. Users may need additional tools or a helping hand from an experienced audiophile or professional.

Importance of Calibration for Optimal Performance

Calibration is not merely important but essential for the Denon DL110. Users must be prepared to invest time in setting the recommended tracking force and ensuring the cartridge is calibrated to their specific system for optimal audio fidelity.

Technical Specifications

High-output Moving Coil Mechanism

The high-output design of the DL110 means it can be used with a standard MM phono input, offering greater flexibility and removing the need for a specialized MC phono stage.

Tracking Force and Compliance Details

A recommended tracking force of 1.8 grams is specified for the DL110, which falls within a reasonable range for quality MC cartridges and ensures good tracking performance.

Frequency Range and Output Level

The DL110 boasts a commendable frequency range, contributing to its ability to deliver clean, detailed sound. The output level is suitable for most systems without the need for additional pre-amplification.

Sound Quality and Performance

Analysis of Sound Reproduction and Tonal Balance

The Denon DL110 is known for its detailed sound reproduction and nuanced audio performance. While it provides accurate sound across frequencies, some users may find the bass lighter compared to other cartridges, which could be a subjective con depending on personal taste.

Effectiveness in Reducing Sibilance and Groove Noise

The cartridge excels in eliminating unwanted sibilance and surface noise, ensuring a pristine listening experience that allows the music to shine through.

Stereo Imaging and Tracking Ability

Stereo imaging is another strong suit of the DL110, providing a spacious and well-defined soundstage. Its tracking ability, especially in the challenging inner grooves, is commendable, with minimal distortion.

Performance Across Different Genres of Music

The DL110 handles a variety of musical genres with ease, from the dynamic complexities of classical compositions to the demanding bass lines of modern electronic music, although the lighter bass may be less satisfying for genres that rely heavily on low-end frequencies.

Comparisons with Competing Cartridges

Sound Quality Differences

When compared to its peers, the DL110 holds its own, especially in terms of detail retrieval and noise reduction. However, the tonal balance may be a deciding factor for some.

Ease of Setup and Use

The setup challenges of the DL110 might deter some users, especially when compared to cartridges that are easier to install and calibrate.

Price-to-Performance Ratio

Considering its performance, the DL110 offers a competitive price-to-performance ratio, particularly for those willing to invest the time in setup and calibration.

Pros and Cons

Detailed Exploration of the Advantages

  • Clean and detailed sound with impressive stereo imaging
  • High output compatible with standard MM inputs
  • Good tracking performance with minimal distortion
  • Effective in reducing sibilance and groove noise

Consideration of the Potential Drawbacks

  • Installation and calibration can be challenging
  • Lighter bass response may not suit all tastes
  • Fine-tuning and adjustment required for best performance

User Experience

Feedback from Users on Sound Quality and Setup

Users generally praise the sound quality of the DL110, though some report a steep learning curve with the setup process.

Discussion of the Break-in Period

A break-in period is reported by some users, after which the cartridge's performance stabilizes and improves.

Long-term Reliability and Maintenance

The Denon DL110's build quality suggests a long lifespan, provided it is properly maintained and handled with care.

Final Thoughts

The Denon DL110 High-Output Moving Coil Cartridge is a solid choice for audiophiles willing to navigate the intricacies of its setup. Its sound quality is generally praised, and its ability to reduce noise is a significant advantage. While the lighter bass response and the need for fine-tuning may deter some, the DL110's strengths make it a worthy contender in its market segment. It's an excellent fit for users looking for detailed sound reproduction and who are ready to invest time in proper calibration.

Specifications

General Specifications

  • Type: High-output moving coil cartridge
  • Stylus: Elliptical
  • Cantilever: Aluminum
  • Frequency Response: 20 Hz - 45 kHz
  • Output Voltage: 1.6 mV
  • Channel Separation: 25 dB at 1 kHz
  • Channel Balance: 1.5 dB
  • Recommended Load Impedance: 47 kΩ
  • Recommended Load Capacitance: 100 pF
  • Compliance: 5 x 10^-6 cm/dyne
  • Tracking Force: 1.3 - 2.0 g
  • Weight: 4.8 g
  • Recommended Tonearm Mass: Medium to high mass tonearms
  • Compatibility: Compatible with a wide range of turntables
  • Stylus Replacement: No replacement stylus available, moving coil cartridge stylus replacement is rare
  • Recommended Use: Suitable for both audiophile listening and DJing (for single-directional rotation turntables)

Additional Features

  • Mounting: Half-inch
  • Stylus Tip Radius: 0.07mm
  • Tracking Force Range: 1.5-2.1g
  • Compliance: 14 cu (at 10Hz)
  • Replacement Stylus: DSN-82
  • Sound Quality: Clear and crisp high frequencies, reasonable midrange detail, open presentation, bass with muscle, depth, and quality
  • Tonal Balance: Well-integrated, slightly lush sound with a touch of warmth
  • Stylus Design: Non-replaceable
  • Listening Experience: Open, well-measured, easy-listening sound

Manufacturing Details

  • Color: Red
  • Manufacturing: Hand-wound at the Denon Audio Works Factory in Japan

Compatibility Features

  • MM Phono-Stage Compatibility: Can be used with MM phono-stage without the need for additional equipment
  • Stylus Construction: Special elliptical solid diamond with 0.1 x 0.2 mm rectangular cross section
  • Sound Extraction: Stylus reaches deep into the record groove to extract detail and minimize groove wall imperfections
  • Sound Characteristics: Naturally sweet tonal balance, ambiance, quick transient response, and exquisite articulation

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