Great value for money, but nowhere near as good as many think based on newbie hype, and not well-suited to many modern tonearms.

The Denon DL-103 MC cartridge is probably the best available for higher mass arms like my Fidelity Research FR-64S at the low $400 asking price. The DL-103 is one of my favourite budget cartridges and a great value for the money, with the right tonearm. That said, the DL-103 isn’t well-suited to low or even many medium mass tonearms, nor is it anywhere near as good as the very best cartridges available. I’d still rather have the DL-103 over the DL-110, though.

The Great Vinyl Knowledge Deficit

One thing I’ve been on about since starting Liquid Audio as a turntable specialist business is the lack of really knowledgeable folks out there in regards to vinyl. I experience this through endless conversations with people explaining the physics of why moving coil carts are technically better, why step-up transformers are so good, why Accuphase phono preamps rule, and why, for example, the Denon DL-103 does not work on the Grace G-707.

This Grace G-707 anecdote came up in a chat with one of my cartridge suppliers, who has a customer with a Denon DL-110 and G-707. My supplier is the nicest guy, but he couldn’t tell his customer why the two might not work together. I also set up turntables for the owner of a major record shop here in Perth. Again, a lovely guy, brings his turntables here to be set up, and I’ve corrected the poor setup on other customer turntables purchased from that store.

Again, no judgment, but think about these examples, and you’ll better understand why I’m so passionate about all this. Sadly, many who work on and sell cartridges and turntables these days are self-appointed rather than proven experts, and gain their ‘info’ from other inexperienced folks, very few of whom have listened to, let alone owned any of the great vinyl gear I talk about here @ Liquid Audio. Much of this can be blamed on the advent of CD, which took out a huge section of equipment, knowledge and people associated with the golden era of vinyl.

Perspective

A Denon DL-103 will be the best cartridge some people have heard. This is often because those hearing one have limited experience and are stepping up from the Ortofon 2M Red or AT VM95E, for example. On the grand cartridge scale, however, the DL-103 is a budget MC cartridge, a great value for the money at its asking price.

Much more important in getting the most out of ANY cartridge, though, is to correctly match it to a tonearm, something most are unable to do, because it involves understanding the associated physics. The Denon DL-103 was designed for longer, heavier arms and heavy headshells. That’s because the 103 is an old-school, low-output, low-compliance cartridge with a conical stylus.

It was designed in the 1960s, when higher-mass arms were normal. Understanding how cartridges interact with headshells and tonearms is key to achieving good results. Whatever else you do, make sure whoever supplies and fits your cartridge can explain:

1. Why the DL-103 needs a higher-mass setup
2. Verify and demonstrate compatibility with your equipment. That might require a test record.

We’ve had the era of high-mass arms for which the DL-103 was designed. We’ve had the era of low-mass arms, to which a DL-103 should never be fitted. We are now in a medium-mass tonearm era, and whilst the DL-103 isn’t very well-suited to many of these, it can be used with medium-mass arms as long as the resonant frequency of the final combo is known and any necessary mass adjustments are made.

Again, if this is gobeldy gook, just find someone who can explain this to you. Anyone who states that “this isn’t important” or that “the DL-103 will work on any arm” should be given the widest berth, as folks like these only harm the vinyl community.

How Good?

The DL-103 is a beautifully made and presented low-output moving coil cartridge that sounds great in the right rig. It’s a classic-sounding cartridge because it was designed in a classic era. How good is the DL-103 in the right set-up? It’s a very good cartridge for the low asking price.

The Denon DL-103 sounds balanced, clean and powerful, with no obvious issues anywhere. The DL-103 offers higher resolution than similarly priced MM carts when partnered with a suitable high-gain phono pre-amp (critically important). Overall, the DL-103 is better in most regards than similarly priced MM carts, except tracking ability due to its stiff suspension.

You’ll come across folks who say they’ve never heard better than the DL-103, but that’s only because they literally haven’t heard any of the much better cartridges available! I’ve fitted many hundreds of cartridges, dozens of DL-103s, and owned perhaps a dozen different cartridges. The DL-103 is a solid performer but there are significantly better-performing cartridges available.

I think everyone loves the idea that a $400 cartridge with an aluminium cantilever and conical diamond might be as good as cartridges costing thousands, but this is whimsy! If the DL-103 was as my Ortofon MC-A90, MC Jubilee, Supex SDX-1100D, or even my Fidelity Research MC-202 or FR-1 Mk3, I can assure readers I’d only use Denon DL-103s.

Variants

There are some nicer versions of the DL-103 available, like the DL-103R. The DL-103R is a better-sounding option for most people, though, having heard most of the variants available, I think the best bang-for-buck version is the Denon factory original.

Other manufacturers dress up DL-103s in fancy aluminium or wooden bodies and charge hundreds more for them. Does that sound like great value to you? You can take a basic cartridge and wrap it in a fancy metal box, and it’s still a basic cartridge in a fancy metal box, but a middleman makes a lot of money for that fancy box. Don’t be a mug.

Whatever variant you buy, make sure the retailer explains that the DL-103 is a very low-output and low-compliance moving coil cartridge, and what all of that means for you. If you’ve not been told that it needs a top-notch high-gain phono preamp and/or a step-up transformer, a medium to higher mass tonearm, and possibly some mass adjustment of your setup and how critically important they are in extracting the most from a good MC cart, then I suggest finding a different retailer.

Bottom Line

The DL-103 is not the most resolving, airy or articulate cartridge, but it is honest, beautifully made, and a great value for money. The DL-103 will smack around Ortofon 2M Reds, Audio Technica VM95Es and worn-out old-school magnets, on the right tonearm and deliver a better-balanced and more resolved result than many sub-$1000 MM carts, and even some coils.

A $1500 cartridge like an Ortofon Quintet Black S comprehensively bests the DL-103, though, and Audio Technica’s AT-OC9XEN at just $699 is better in most setups, based on extensive ears-on experience. That said, the DL-103 is a stepping stone for anyone seriously invested in vinyl playback and in advancing their playback performance. On the right turntable/tonearm and used with a quality MC phono preamp, it’s an excellent and Liquid Mike-recommended choice!