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Denon DL-160 cartridge. Worth getting?

Since the sound to ones ears is subjective.... I can only give my opinion based on experience. I used the Denon DL-160 for several years and loved it. I was very disappointed when it was discontinued and replaced by the lower quality DL-110. I found out that I could have SoundSmith retip the DL-160. So I had them put in the sapphire cantilever with the contact line stylus. In my opinion only .... great ... and definitely worth the retip cost and wait time...
 
patrick s said:
I have a td160 (fully modded) with lin basik plus arm and AT110e cart. I like the ballsy sound of it but it picks up more surface noise than id like. What cartridge could u recommend that would be a good upgrade.........i know nothing of AT latest carts the VM series do u have any experience with my curent cart and the new AT ones??..........i was thinking Shure V15 3 with Sas stylus or Denon dl103..........

Also have a lenco l78 thats next in line for hot rodding..........
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I have both the dl160 and the new at95vm ml, ml is better. Stylus is replaceable too.
're the Lenco if you keep the arm original make sure you keep an eye on compliance, arm can work quite well if in good condition, but with correct cart ( I have a Lenco which is stock for fun).
Chris
 
gary7 smart move nixing the purchase when the seller said he would take it to a UPS store to get it packed and destroyed in transit.
 
Gary: If you enjoy the AT30E, I'd deem it a good idea for you to look for a used AT3100/3200 body and combine that with the ATN35E, which LPGear still offers for a pretty attractive price.

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini
 
mkane said:
synergy young man. Associated gear that goes along with MC need to be right. 91e, 95's, V15's, Grados, bla, bla. Theres been a few.
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Not so young just still healthy. Associated gear need to be right with all carts, correct compliance etc. You cant just slap a Grado (you mentioned or indeed a V15 on a heavy or even a heavier medium arm. Yes MC needs more amplification so transformers, headamp or a preamp like my DNM with a MC input, but non of this is synergy it is just what is required. My best cart is a Decca super gold which is actually MI, it is supposed to be fussy and require you synergy but not in my opinion it seems to work quite well on most arms. My collection of MC carts too most are unfussy as long as compliance is right synergy kind of a daft thing to say, as we always need synergy with all carts to some degree.
Chris
 
MRL_Audio said:
I am running a MusiKraft DL-103 and love the sound. Have run a bunch of others with equal success but the Denon outshines them all.
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Wait a minute, I thought you said in another thread that the Decca cart you had outshines them all. So did the Decca get unseated by a LOMC? Only one can outshine them all.;)
 
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MRL_Audio said:
I am running a MusiKraft DL-103 and love the sound. Have run a bunch of others with equal success but the Denon outshines them all.
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:bowdown: If I had the money for a DL-103 it would be a Musikraft! Beautiful craftsmanship! :thumbsup:

1-AM-DL-103.jpg
 
Ken Boyd said:
Wait a minute, I thought you said in another thread that the Decca cart you had outshines them all. So did the Decca get unseated by a LOMC? Only one can outshine them all.;)
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The MusiKraft DL-103 outshines others on my PX3. Just like the OP asked about. Never had the Decca on the PX3. Not a match. I use the Decca on a Rabco SL-8e Sony TTS-3000A combination. Now with that arm it's a match and is the best cartridge I have ever heard. Have not heard them all however. ;)
 
MRL_Audio, did you ever try that DL-103 in it's stock form on the PX-3? If so did you need any additional weight?
I just finished rebuilding my PX-3 and picked up a low hour cart to try out on it.
It's hard to find anyone that has run that combination.

BillWojo
 
MRL_Audio said:
The MusiKraft DL-103 outshines others on my PX3. Just like the OP asked about. Never had the Decca on the PX3. Not a match. I use the Decca on a Rabco SL-8e Sony TTS-3000A combination. Now with that arm it's a match and is the best cartridge I have ever heard. Have not heard them all however. ;)
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I would have never guess that a heavy cart like the MusiKraft would have been a good match for the Yamaha PX tables. I have an old Wood body Grado on my PX2 and just about pulled the trigger for a new stylus for my Grace F9 which I know based on some past articles would be a good match for the PX2 tonearm. Do you think the MusiKraft DL-103 would be better cart overall than a Grace F9 with a Soundsmith Ruby stylus?
 
To change course of the discussion. Got a chance to get a NOS Pickering XV-15/1200E. Would that be a good match for the PX-3?
 
Ken Boyd said:
I would have never guess that a heavy cart like the MusiKraft would have been a good match for the Yamaha PX tables. I have an old Wood body Grado on my PX2 and just about pulled the trigger for a new stylus for my Grace F9 which I know based on some past articles would be a good match for the PX2 tonearm. Do you think the MusiKraft DL-103 would be better cart overall than a Grace F9 with a Soundsmith Ruby stylus?
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The MusiKraft 103 is indeed a heavy combination but the arm can accommodate it. The F9 is one of my favorite cartridges but I have never heard the Soundsmith Ruby stylus nor have I played the F9 on my PX3. I would venture a guess that the combination sounds pretty darn good though. I have my F9 on a EMT 997 12" / Thoren TD124 combination. Pure... the clarity and depth of the sound stage are outstanding. I see no reason why it wouldn't sound the same on the PX3.
 
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