It was in these murky analog waters back in 2016 when I began looking to upgrade the stock moving-magnet cartridge on my Rega P3. Marc Mickelson suggested that I consider the Denon DL-103R, whose list price is $449 but which commonly sells for around $350. Always the skeptic, I started doing research and was surprised to find something rare -- a consensus about this low-output moving-coil cartridge. What struck me was the sheer number of highly experienced users who would wax poetic about the Denon, even though they had owned a variety of stratospherically priced equivalents. In fact, the late David Wilson penned a positive review of an earlier iteration of the '103R (there have been several) in the pages of The Abso!ute Sound back in the 1980s, and hundreds of forum posters have long since sung this cartridge’s praises. Instead of dismissing all of that enthusiasm as mere hype, I bought a DL-103R and experienced what I consider to be a minor miracle: I finally found a truly affordable audio product that offers average middle-class strivers like me a taste of sonic bliss without the need to take on a second mortgage. Working as a reviewer, I’ve since heard my share of competent, moderately priced moving-magnet cartridges and some very expensive moving-coil pickups as well -- at home, at audio shows, and in friends’ systems. In that context, the Denon '103R stands out as one of the most sonically well-integrated and musically engaging cartridges I’ve encountered at even triple its current list price. And here’s why: the '103R puts serious meat on the bones of a recording’s instruments and performers, giving a sense of life and dimension to music that never fails to get my toes tapping and my fingers snapping. In particular, it can replicate the reedy sound of a tenor saxophone so well that my dog Zorro has been known to run around our speakers looking for Coleman Hawkins or Stan Getz. When Frank Sinatra sings “In the Wee Small Hours,” he sounds like he really is ready to close the joint. Perhaps that midband richness glows so warmly because Denon’s original 1962 DL-103 design was intended for radio broadcast. In response to the demands of hi-fi enthusiasts for more refinement, Denon unveiled the '103R, which utilizes purer “6 Nines” copper coil wiring and a 14-ohm generator. Whether the Denon '103, which is still available, and the '103R differ in other aspects is unclear, because Denon doesn't share further information about this highly successful design. Based upon my own listening experience, I can say that the ‘103R has an exceptionally smooth upper-register presentation and a Technicolor juiciness that make most cheap moving-magnet and even some far pricier moving-coil competitors sound flat and uninvolving by comparison.
Every good baseball team needs an outstanding utility player and, in my experience, this concept applies to building a decent analog playback system. Based upon my experimentation with a variety of cartridges, the '103R is a great candidate for this “jack of all trades” position -- assuming your tonearm’s effective mass is substantial enough to handle the Denon’s rather low compliance. You’ll also need a fairly quiet phono stage with lots of gain or a decent step-up transformer (Denon itself has made a few) to deal with the '103R's low 0.25mV output and realize the full measure of its considerable strengths. In particular, the '103R possesses a remarkable ability to convey accurate sound across the entire frequency band and from virtually any musical genre. I’ll concede that I’ve heard more precisely designed cartridges with fine-line styli that do a better job of conveying the subtlest textures and performance-hall scope of a classical music performance, but those designs can also sound a bit sterile and can falter when asked to deliver that midrange fun factor that makes pop and rock come alive. And I’ve also encountered particularly energetic cartridges that capture a bit more of the spark and dynamics of a rock record, but some of them fail to match the '103R’s relaxed and natural presentation of acoustic instruments and can begin to sound relentless and tiresome during long listening sessions. By contrast, the Denon’s ability to convey important detail and timbral fidelity without drawing attention to every scratch and pressing flaw make it a cartridge that focuses attention on the music instead of the medium. And if all that sonic goodness isn't enough to recommend the DL-103R, an entire cottage industry has emerged that offers a remarkable number of ways to tweak and squeeze even more performance from this affordable pickup. Tweakers and thrill-seekers can choose everything from 100 Euro wood-body offerings and elaborate stylus replacements to multi-thousand-dollar upgrade packages. It wasn’t until I heard my current reference, the Koetsu Black Goldline, that I felt compelled to put the '103R in its current back-up position. I find that the Koetsu enables me to hear more deeply into recordings, that it tracks a bit better on inner grooves and that it has an even more upper-register bloom and midrange magic. At over five times the Denon’s price, it should do all of those things. Given how expensive a replacement would be, it’s particularly comforting knowing that I have a musically satisfying and immensely entertaining substitute waiting on the bench if, God forbid, the Koetsu ever has a collision with the edge of a record or is the victim of clumsy fingers. So, if you’re looking for an audio acquisition
that’ll have you revisiting your entire record collection and still leave room in
your bank account for more albums, Denon’s DL-103R should be at the top of your
scouting list. It’s one entertaining cartridge that has never let me down. |
f you’re looking for
straight answers in life, the world of vinyl playback is not a good place to start. When I
returned to the analog fold several years back, every query I posed prompted five
contradictory responses. For example, no matter which cartridge I asked about, forum
denizens would characterize the model in question as either “dreadful” or
“amazing” or “dull” or “too forward” or “a complete
pain in the ass to install.” To make cartridge selection even more confusing, I soon
discovered that many people posting comments have never had a chance to hear a wide range
of pickups in their own systems because home auditions of cartridges are simply too risky
for dealers. The result is that many online threads about phono cartridges are little more
than a collection of contradictory philosophies based upon largely theoretical
assumptions.
