The Great Denon DL103 Debate...

[niklasthedolphin]

hi dolph,

i don't quite understand why the equipment had to be weird for that choice to be made?

Then read my posts again and then maybe you will understand the point of view.

"dolph"

[bong]

Then read my posts again and then maybe you will understand the point of view.

"dolph"

i understand your request to know the rest of the equipment used for muffinman to decide on the 1200 over the LP12. but what i am curious about is the judgment that it had to be weird for that choice to be made, before even knowing what it is.

without him replying yet, i would venture a guess that one very important, if not most important, 'equipment' involved would be his ears.

[niklasthedolphin]

i understand your request to know the rest of the equipment used for muffinman to decide on the 1200 over the LP12. but what i am curious about is the judgment that it had to be weird for that choice to be made, before even knowing what it is.

without him replying yet, i would venture a guess that one very important, if not most important, 'equipment' involved would be his ears.

I'm not requesting anything.

I know very well those TT's involved in the debate, as do I know the cartridges.
Don't care about the rest because I have had a fair amount of chances to listen to these on several combo's of "the best" equipment.

I couldn't care less about what was behind these odd choises.

Anyway.............Merry Christmas and happy New Year.
Keep the music in focus.

"dolph"

[jandl100]

(the Ortofon Samba's) one cart that i've been hearing good things about .. here it's about the same price as the 103R. will probably give it a go soon, to see how the 3 carts at the same range, the samba/103R/AT33PTG compare.

I've a standard Denon 103, an Ortofon Samba and a Dynavector XX1L.

Needless to say (?) I prefer the DV, but just considering the other two, they give very different presenatations in my Pioneer DD tt.

The Ortofon seems obviously (to me ) tailored to sound like the traditional view of mid-priced CDPs ... detailed, but a bit forward and 'forced' sounding. A bit clinical.

The Denon 103 seems a much more typically analog/musical device. Warmer, richer tonality. Strangely it also seems to track worn 2nd hand records better - maybe the wear was caused by fancier profiled styli and the Denons spherical tip can't reach down that far!

Oh - & I just sold the Ortofon Samba - I'm keeping the 103 as my spare.

[niklasthedolphin]

My opinion on the DL 103:

It is a bad tracker.
Pro version has improved this.
It cooperates very bad in light arms.
It has very narrow soundstage.
The transmission of great classical orchestra works is one big mess.
It's overdoing attacks.
A few good points:
Price
It's alive and dynamic.

"dolph"

[Togil]

My opinion on the DL 103:

It is a bad tracker.

The transmission of great classical orchestra works is one big mess.


"dolph"

Interesting, this is confirmed by comments on the Clearaudio website ( who have made modifications, both cheap and expensive ) : the DL 103 is ok for pop and rock but unsuitable for classical music

[bong]

I've a standard Denon 103, an Ortofon Samba and a Dynavector XX1L.

Needless to say (?) I prefer the DV, but just considering the other two, they give very different presenatations in my Pioneer DD tt.

The Ortofon seems obviously (to me ) tailored to sound like the traditional view of mid-priced CDPs ... detailed, but a bit forward and 'forced' sounding. A bit clinical.

The Denon 103 seems a much more typically analog/musical device. Warmer, richer tonality. Strangely it also seems to track worn 2nd hand records better - maybe the wear was caused by fancier profiled styli and the Denons spherical tip can't reach down that far!

Oh - & I just sold the Ortofon Samba - I'm keeping the 103 as my spare.

interesting. thanks for the comments. DV is one of the brands too on my 'to try' radar, but let me just get through my current lot of carts first.

[niklasthedolphin]

Interesting, this is confirmed by comments on the Clearaudio website ( who have made modifications, both cheap and expensive ) : the DL 103 is ok for pop and rock but unsuitable for classical music

Very interesting that ClearAudio ever was able to determine the weak points of any cartridge.
One could ask: "Did ClearAudio ever make a TT capable of playing beyond a sound of how most people imagine a "waiting room at the dentist"?
;-)

"dolph"

[Togil]

Ha ha, their TTs are more for the eye

[Dave Cawley]

Have you tried one?