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Denon DL-103R Cartridge
The DL-103R is an updated version of the classic DL-103. It provides improved sound by using 6N copper coils wound with precision to the cantilever shaft. Audio lovers will delight with detail that is brought out by this outstanding phono cartridge.
Denon DL-103R Phono Cartridge Specifications:
Output: 0.25 mV
Output Impedance: 14 ohms
Stylus: 16.5 Micron round tip
Coil: copper (6N)
Frequency range: 20 Hz to 45 kHz
Tracking force: 2.3~2.7g
Compliance 5 x 10-6 cm/dyne
Weight: 8.5g
10 Audio Denon DL-103R Moving Coil Cartridge Review, March 2007-Paul Basinski
Music simply sounds more right through this cartridge. I almost hate to dissect it, frog-like, into the usual audiophile categories. Yes, it has prodigious bass when called upon to display it on a thunder of a track like Prokofiev's Russian Overture, from an unopened Living Stereo recording I found waiting for me one late winter day in a dusty old shop in the Hudson River Valley. This is definitely better bass than my reference. Not more in an absolute sense, just more richness. The Denon also has a nice way with brushes on snares - which I noted to fine effect, thanks to Philly Joe Jones on the great, late Bill Evans album Quintessence. But it was Harry Nilsson doing the old standard Lazy Moon from the beautifully recorded A Little Touch of Schmillson in the Night, that sealed the deal on the DL 103R. This low-cost moving coil easily wrung what seemed to be the last iota of emotion out of Harry Nilsson's voice. "A kiss is still a kiss" when the Denon is given a chance to portray the essence of this sweet music. The fundamental things apply, here!
AudioGon Denon DL-103R Moving Coil Cartridge Thread
The sound of the regular DL103 is outstanding, and a super bargain at it's price point. Many have heard of it referred to as a super-cart, or giant-killer. And it is. It has the wonderful characteristic of allowing the music to come across as a composition, and not as a group of dis-jointed parts. This is not as common as we would like in cartridges today. Many carts will give great separation of instruments and holographic imaging, and detail, but they never seem to merge as a musical whole. The Denon carts excell in this area of making the parts merge into a full musical presentation, and still retains the detail and delineation of the instruments and voices. This is one of the major reasons why the DL103 is such a desireable cartridge.
The DL103R retains this family characteristic and makes quantum leaps in improvement for a modest cost increase. The six-nines copper windings with a lighter coil weight really let the high end show more detail, air, and finesse. Bells, cymbals, and harmonic overtones are much better, with crystal-like clarity. Sibilance is non existant. Microdynamics are awesome. When Rickie Lee Jones does her little comments and whispers between lines on "Woody and Dutch" on the Pirates album, these normally obscured, or hard to hear, lines are superbly clear. The differences in vocal inflection and emotion are conveyed with all of the artist's intentions. But the piano will totally knock you over. I play piano, and am very sensitive to the full, wide palette of sound and harmonics that piano gives. The ability of this cart to portray lifelike piano sound is astounding. The weight and authority of the bass notes, the delicate nuances of the high notes, and the power of two-hand chord playing, including the famous "Steinway Crash" sound in the midrange, is beautifully done. It is no slacker in the bass department either. Drums, bass, and large stringed and horn instruments are tonally accurate, and their high frequency components such as drum skin attack, and string pluck, are perfectly blended with the bass sounds, so the realism of the instrument is kept intact. Attacks and decays are terrific with the DL103R. The lighter coils really show their stuff in minute detail and airy decays. Midrange is very Koetsu-like in its magic. Realism is stunning. Overall, top-to-bottom, this cartridge performs like you would expect from a $1k - $2k cart. And that is not an exaggeration. It is that good.The tracking is outstanding, and much better than the standard 103. High frequency dynamics that would cause the 103 to mistrack, are easily handled by the DL103R. Clicks and pops are less distracting, and there is a lower noise floor.
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