****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
In the analogue circles, you'll often hear about the superiority of Moving Coil over Moving Magnet and through personal experience I can attest to the validity of that on a lot of fronts. But not everyone can afford a good sounding MC cartridge; they are difficult to manufacture and assemble and as such end up costing a lot more. On an average, if you're upgrading to get into the MC experience, it'll set you back about $500 which is a lot of money for most folks.Enter Denon! It's not uncommon to be able to find this cartridge for as little as $100 which is the same price as the Ortofon 2M Red which is also a very popular MM cartridge, however, I didn't compare these two cartridge, instead, I compared the DL-110 to the Ortofon 2M Blue, which is twice the price of the DL-110.DL-110 vs. 2M Blue1. Output is higher on the 2M Blue, this may be preferable if you're running a budget preamp as the noise will be less discernible as you won't have to use higher volumes. But if you have any preamp in the $200 range, this won't be an issue.2. Break in time is fairly similar for both cartridges, but the 2M just sounds flat when it's new. The DL-110 impressed me right from the get-go. It was clean, clear and detailed and only got better with use. The 2M blue improved as well, but it took a lot longer and even then it didn't seem to change a lot.3. Sound stage is where the DL-110 beats the pants off the 2M Blue, the sound is very three dimensional whereas the 2M Blue sounds very directional.4. High end detail is another area where the DL-110 easily betters the 2M Blue. I could hear this difference especially when listening to Jazz, the shimmer of the cymbals was so clear and lifelike, it gave me goosebumps. The 2M Blue isn't a slouch in this area, but it's definitely not the same as the DL-110.5. Sound signature is very different on these cartridges; the DL-110 is a little more laid back and even-footed across the frequency spectrum. It's very non-fatiguing and hours can go by before you feel you need a break. Vocals are very present and warm, but not too overwhelming.With the 2M Blue, there is a definite dynamism and impact, but this is also due to the fact that it's a brighter sounding cartridge with a higher output. I found the sound from this cartridge great for short periods of time, but found myself taking more breaks. Also, if you're listening to any recordings that are already bright, the 2M Blue can sound downright disturbing.DL-110 vs DL-103rThe DL-103r is an updated version of the venerable and well regarded DL-103, the upgraded version uses 99.99% pure copper wires which promise higher sound fidelity. If you shop around, this cartridge can be had for around $250. My comparison between this and the DL-110 lead me to the following conclusions:1. The DL-110 has a higher output and can be easily integrated with a MM preamp, the DL-103R is a low output MC and will need a good MC preamp.2. The DL-110 is an excellent cartridge, but when compared to the DL-103R, it lacks that slight edge especially in high frequency detail. With regards to bass, I found the DL-103R to be very detailed and tight, the DL-110 is just a little looser in comparison.3. The sound signature is very, very similar on both these cartridges and that's a good thing; where you find a difference is in the overall refinement that the 103R provides.To summarise, if you're looking for a cartridge that gets you into the MC realm, can easily best MM cartridges and sound very similar to MC cartridges up to about 3-4 times its price, this is it! What's great about the DL-110 is also the fact that it's a high output MC cartridge, which means you won't necessarily need to upgrade your preamp to an MC preamp.I definitely think this cartridge is one of the best values for money in analogue and I recommend it very, very highly.
