Used with a Pro-ject Debut Carbon Esprit DC. Very smooth and well-balanced sound. Juicy and well-defined bass. Open, three-dimensional midrange. Very clean and clear treble. It is easy to install and very easy to adjust. Very involving, musical and tonally accurate.

Doesn't fit ultra low-mass arms.

my first experience with moving coil cartridge is a great one the Denon DL-110 has ticked all the boxes ,smooth and yet positive in performance in all music fabulous value fine product.system Project classic turntable,Croft Acoustics amplifier and Quad S2 speakers DL-110 fitted in well!!

If you're looking for a cartridge that does everything right & nothing wrong, then look no further than the Denon DL-110. The performance you get for the money you spend is ridiculous. Rock, jazz, classical, it doesn't matter, the DL-110 can do it all. And for only $150. A no-brainer...

I have used an old Thorens TD318 since 1995. Since then I have had several cartridges which have been up and down. The Grado Red performed horribly in this setup. There was a huge amount of tonearm resonance, it was really bad. I most recently have been using an AudioTechnica 440ML, and it was really quite beautiful, but already I can see how the Denon is blowing away its tracking skills. I have a couple of records that are so high-amplitude in the grooves that I cannot listen to them. They are totally distorted with any MM cartridge I have tried, including the AT. I tried them out with this Denon, and I was amazed. The Denon tracks the untrackable records! They sound quite nice, if a tad harsh. The Denon is superior to the tracking and sound of the AudioTechnica and certainly superior to the Grado in this setup. I think the Audiotechnica was a little quieter on old records, because of the microline stylus. Now all we need is a Grado HOMC with the stylus from a 440ML!

This is my favorite cartridge under 200,00$. I use it with a Linn Basik turntable and Linn Basik Plus tonearm. The main qualities of the Denon DL-110 are resolution, detail retrieval, dynamism, excellent tracking, natural high frequencies and warm midrange. The high frequencies are neither shrill nor dull, so they are just right! The midrange is particularly enjoyable with an instrument such as the piano. The bass frequencies are not as deep as those from the Ortofon 2M Blue but they are deeper than those from my Rega Apollo CD player. The surface noise is less present compared to the Ortofon 2M Blue. The Denon DL-110 works very well with the MM phono preamp of my Rega Mira integrated amplifier. Highly recommended and 5 stars for its value.

This was an ebay purchase. We managed to secure it at a price far below the list price, so we were delighted to secure this beast at an amazing £72 (GBP). A breeze to install, with the only technical element being a simple removal of the Arcam Alpha 9's shell to switch the phono stage from MM to MC. The Denon sells itself as being compatible with MM settings due to its unusually high output for an MC cartridge; but selecting the MC output for the Arcam brought about a 3-fold increase in output. Put it this way: I'm glad I remembered to turn the volume knob down before listening to the first album. We are talking CD levels and more.
My first port of call to test the veracity of all the claims about this cartridge were the following albums:
Rush - 2112
Neil Young - Harvest
David Oistrakh - Beethoven's Violin Concerto (original EMI recording)
John Martyn - One World

It's hard to see beyond the warmth and level of detail that it's actually possible to extract from the Arcam Alpha 9 amp, but the Denon not only complimented the Arcam's tendency to fill the room with notes and pick/bow sounds from the artists it really did seem to measurably add to the level of accessible detail within the recordings. Both Oistrakh's bowing and Alex Lifeson's guitar playing revealed hidden depths and greater precision than even digital listening had hitherto exposed. The sound of the bow and the pick poised to hit notes simply made us smile and nod. What more can you ask from your hi-fi than to smile and nod appreciatively? Although, to be fair, this is not to say that the Denon only fairs well in the high ranges - this beastie can pull bass notes out of tunes without sounding like your woofers are going to implode! John Martyn's miraculous 'Small Hours' (One World) has a bass line running all the way through it than can sound threatening and annoying on lesser cartridges, but with the Denon it was an accompaniment, not an annoying and intrusive uninvited extra.

The Neil Young album had been sounding tired and marginally used up before we bought the Denon cartridge but we were delighted that it managed to extract every last ounce of atmosphere and magic from this, his greatest recording... maybe. The distortion we always heard on side one ('Harvest' and 'Heart of Gold' in particular) was completely gone, and all we got was Mr Young's vocals and lots (but not too much!) of his acoustic low 'E'. It was a Martin Dreadnought, Jim, but not as we knew it. The notes rippled nicely out of the Acoustic Energy speakers and we smiled a bit more.

This is a great wee cartridge. Ignore it at your peril!

---Overall, more sonically involving and musically inviting than the Shure V15VxMR

---Nice bass response (more tight or focused than on my AT 440 ML)

---As a high output MC it worls really well with my regular MM capable only receivers and phono-preamp (don't have to crank up the volume that much,either).

---The price is right---especially, if it can be purchased below the $140 normal price mark.


---Aesthetically speaking, I like that expensive(though,reasonably priced),tall,big block cart look that many other mid to high end MC carts have...I'm even greatly fond of the marble-like,pearlescent red color.Did I mention It looks "expensive"?!...

---An etchy like sound quality (especially towards the inner groove or end of a record side)...This,however,may be due to not enough break in period.

---Some sibilance can be detected on the same records the I have heard NO sibilance when using a Shure cart or Audio Technica...

---Could use slightly more "oomph" or chutzpah in the midrange dept.

I've lived with this cart for a little over 2 years now.It is my FIRST MC cartridge(albeit, this is a high output and not a low one---I have yet to own a low output )...In contrast to my Shure V15VxMR ,this Denon is a sonically involving cartridge with better detailed highs (how accurate, I'm sure there is room for improvement)...However, the highs are not bright (as on my AT 440ML) or fatiguing.

I concur with another reviewer where the mids are not really aggressive or in your face(slightly recessed?), but not disappointing or so lacking that it makes me want to give up the Denon or chastise it---Quite the opposite.

I feel that there is also a better bass response than my Shure but not as punchy as the AT 440 ML (which some who compare the two, AND on different playback systems have said the opposite---tighter,cleaner,punchy bass on the DL 110 and kinda thin on the AT 440ML---due to the brighter highs that may distract some listeners from really observing the bass response on the AT 440ML).

To my ears, the DL 110 starts off with a musically involving characteristic.Yet, and maybe because I have not allowed this cart to "break in" properly(as I listen mostly to the AT 440ML and Shure V15), there is a slight "etchy" sound-like quality that is most noticeable towards the innergroove.Could this be the Denon trying to cave in to inner groove distortion but giving it a good fight? ...The Denon DL 110 is not as inner groove tracking accurate as the Shure .Also, I have caught it (not often,though) having a little difficulty conquering some sibliance (harsh pronuncitaion of the letter "s" and some "th" or "z" words)that otherwise the AT 440 ML and Shure just ace right over.

I do like very much how acoustical music, particularly the classical guitar, sounds---I can really hear the timbre and the delicate plucking of the strings that to me almost sound smeared on the Shure and overly and artificially bright or colored on the Audio Technica 440 ML...

Again, it is my first mc cart with it's high output feature and therefore to me it sounds very much like I am listening to an mm cart...The DL 110 has what I call "in-between"margin for record surface noise ---it is not as quiet or almost "noise-level black" as the Shure and yet it is not as record surface noisy as my AT 440ML (though, many have said or claim the AT 440 ML to be very quiet with regards to this and handling the pops and ticks and dust ---My AT on my setup/system begs to differ).


For the money-value,it's vinyl-analog and musically involving presentation, I will recommend this cart for those on a budget and who may want to take a step towards the MC side instead of the MM...Overall, it won't disappoint!

Customer Service

n/a

Similar Products Used:

AT 440 ML

Shure V15VxMR

MicroAcoustics 3002

The Denon DL 110 is currently installed on a second Denon DP 59L to a Kenwood receiver,phono-preamp (B.B.E.), and Axiom Millennia M3ti bookshelf speakers in my bedroom.

Easy to align with square sides on cartridge.
Excellent value, first off!!
All around great performer with a fine balance of sound qualities.
No obvious weaknesses.
Very listenable and enjoyable - fuss free music.
Smooth treble and mids - not dull & fuzzy and not bright & forward.
Most importantly for me, musically engaging and listenable without effort.
Best cartridges I’ve used are delicate, and extract details that continues to surprise me, but cost 3-5x more and require MC input. This cannot deliver that level of performance, but provides similar levels of enjoyment.
5 stars for the price or cartridges I've used for around $100.
4 stars overall, since snobs will since I've used better cartridges which provide more details WITH a delicate and extraction of subtleties. I'd give it 4.5 stars if I could.

Tall cartridge requires VTA adjust which interferes with my lid closure.
A bit light in mass, but the supplied weight should be used on my arm.
Soundstaging and pinpointing good, but not excellent.
Not ultra detailed and sharp in treble.
No better cartridge (for me) at this price. My reference is still the Shelter 501 MKII that's $$$.

I found this cartridge to be an excellent match for my older mid-priced Pro-ject suspended table (~$800) – better spent the extra money to match cables in my setup, rather than blow it all on a cartridge, like I have done in the past. I really enjoy the balance of detail, dynamics, rhythm, and pace of this cartridge.

It does have a softer, smoother mid/treble which matches my setup well, and translates vocals with good clarity and detail. The best thing I enjoy about the cartridge is that it’s well balanced and musically involving, while not up there with the best, it’s also not wanting to or needing to compete in order to convey the musical message and convince you that the analog setup can provide a LOT of enjoyment. My Shure had more detail, pinpoint of imaging and soundstage, brighter upper end, and harder mids, and was a poor match for my setup as something was missing where I didn’t enjoy it – too forward and in-your-face. My Sumiko was a bit dull in the treble and fuzzy in the mids, but a heck of a cartridge for $40; I’d get one for a backup for grins. The Goldring and Shelter are better, but I’m not sure they’re worth it in my setup. I’ve changed my view to get a budget cartridge and optimize my setup. A better table is needed to squeeze out that level of performance, in my opinion.

Similar Products Used:

Goldring Eroica HO
Shelter 501 mk II with Creek OBH-9
Shure M97xE
Sumiko Pearl, Oyster
Ortofon OMB-10

Please read the discussion on the link I provided.

Again, please read the discussion on the link I provided.

I'm sooo lazy... For that people click on this link

http://forums.audioreview.com/showthread.php?t=20046

Instead of writing a review, reading this thread will give you a better idea. I hope it helps

Similar Products Used:

........Link http://forums.audioreview.com/showthread.php?t=20046