About The Denon DL-103 Moving Coil Cartridge
The legendary DL-103 moving coil phono cartridge was introduced in 1963 and has since become one of the longest running products in audio history. The DL-103, still used by broadcasters and audiophiles, spawned the development of outstanding MC cartridges that continue to be an indispensable component for music lovers, audiophiles, recording studios, sound professionals and musicians today. Developed in collaboration with the Japan Broadcasting Corporation Technical Research Laboratories as a high-performance, high-reliability phono cartridge for broadcasting purposes, the Denon DL-103 has been in continuous production since 1963.
While other "wonder" cartridges have come and gone, the Denon DL-103 continues to thrive by offering musical rightness. There is no other cartridge that comes close to its legacy. The Denon DL-103 phono cartridge has been in use for a long time in public and commercial AM and FM broadcasting stations. It was used by EMI and Decca as their reference for evaluating LP sound quality. It's been evaluated, reviewed and praised by many publications and end-users.
It's been in constant production for nearly 60 years. Along the way, it has captured the hearts and minds of technical experts, audiophiles and music lovers. It's a testament that greatness endures. This is what comes with your ownership of a Denon DL-103. It is a phono cartridge that you will enjoy for a very long time.
Denon DL-103 Reviews
"The DL-103 gives you body and soul - and it's a hell of a bargain." Stereophile
"The Denon DL-103 is one of the best buys in the price range. It plays everything, and does it excellently with a large, open, and transparent sound image. Good dynamic control and fast transient response make it a small firework on the turntable. A good choice with a varied record collection, especially if the focus is on acoustic music, and especially on jazz and classical." IBTech reviews.com
"As opposed to 'modern' sanitised hi-fi components the DL-103 sounds powerful and enthusiastic. The midrange thrives on instrumental timbres that seem correct and that, simply said, are beautiful to hear. Drums are tight, dynamic, and explosive, and as such, are one full notch above what I'm used to from more expensive cartridges." TNT Audio Review
"The sound of the regular DL103 is outstanding, and a super bargain at its price point. Many have heard of it referred to as a super-cart, or giant-killer. And it is." Audiogon
"You don't need to spend more. A real bargain. I dare you to find a better-sounding cartridge for the money. The standard against which my other cartridges are measured." TheNeedleDoctor.com
"The DL-103 has five paramount virtues that account for its year by year, decade by decade staying power: (1) a smooth, natural, supremely musical tonal profile that top to bottom is exceptionally well balanced; (2) that difficult-to-define ability to make recordings come dynamically, vibrantly, intoxicatingly alive; (3) a wonderful sense of body, dimensionality, and solidity that results in a quite outstanding ability to resolve the sometimes conflicting demands of soundstaging and imaging; (4) an impression of connectedness that provides an exceptional sense of flow and drive; and (5) a sample-to sample consistency and reliability that should be the envy, not to mention the goal of the industry." The Absolute Sound
"Denon DL-103, DL-103R, DLA-2200: Despite nomenclature and pricing, these are essentially different versions of the same pickup, hence their being grouped together. The DL-103 is the base model, manufactured exactly the same way since its introduction in 1962 - by hand. It also enjoys a longer life without modification than any other phono cartridge in the history of audio, while also being one of the most beloved audio products ever made. The DLA-220GS, marketed as a special edition to commemorate Denon's 110th anniversary, is merely a 103 installed in an exclusive silver-graphite universal headshell and boxed in a fancy leather case. The DL103R is a 103 with 6N copper wire for the coils, a finer wire made from a purer grade of copper, the sonic result is a slightly reduced extreme top end for a fractionally darker presentation that is nevertheless very pleasing albeit not quite so accurate as the stock 103. Regardless of which version you buy, you will still get all the virtues that account for its 60-plus years of popularity." The Absolute Sound Editors' Choice Awards 2023
Our Take On The Denon DL-103 Moving Coil Cartridge
The Denon DL-103 has been in production, unchanged for around 60 years. Yes, you read that correctly. We don't know of another audio product that can claim that. There's a reason it's still around. It sounds great, works with most tonearms, is easy to set up and align and seems to play almost any music without mistracking. All you need is a reasonably good phono preamp where the load resistance can be set at 100 Ohms and you're good to go. Compatibility wise, we would recommend the Rega Planar 3 or Planar 6 turntables and the Rega Fono MC MK4 phono preamp. Alternatively, we would also recommend the ProJect X1 or X2 turntables and the ProJect Tube Box S2 phono preamp. Any of these combinations will give you great sound at a very fair price.
Main Features & Specifications
- Superior stability
- Double layer cantilever construction
- One point suspension
- Coils hand-wound at Shirakawa Audio Works, Japan
- Technical
- Recommended Tracking Force: 2.3g to 2.7g
- Output Voltage: 0.3 mV
- Output Impedance: 40 Ohms
- Recommended Resistance: 100 Ohms
- Compliance: 5×10-6 cm / duvet
- Channel Balance: 1 dB
- Channel Separation: 24 dB 1 kHz
- Frequency Response: 20-45,000 Hz
- Weight: 8.5g
- Physical
- Cantilever: Aluminium
- Pickup Body: Plastic
- Coil Material: Copper
- Magnetic Material: Ferrite
- Stylus Tip: Spherical Diamond
- Grinding: Spherical / 16.5 Micron round tip
- Made In Japan
Note: Features & Specifications Subject To Change Without Notice. E&OE