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I Killed My DL-110 !!! recommendation?

DavidTT said:
Doesn't matter if you snapped the cantilever. It can be renewed with a new cantilever and stylus, unless you want a new cartridge. I would struggle to pay the current, very high, prices for that cartridge. If you love it and can have it retipped for $200 or so, it's a no brainer IMO.
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I would struggle to pay that as well... And I'm not saying it's a bad cartridge. It is indeed quite good. I just remember when Denon dealers were selling it for a full retail of $139.99, but everyone was holding out for the $74.99 grey market DL-110s of questionable origin from Comet Supply. They were a great cartridge for $139, and a miracle if you could get one for $75! In fact, for years it was right at the top of everyone's shortlist of great budget cartridges. It was even a somewhat decent deal after it's price almost doubled. But $400 now? It's certainly no longer on shortlists, or even some long lists for that matter.

I would strongly urge a retip as well. The OP could undoubtedly get a better tip and cantilever than the original for under what a replacement cartridge would cost.
 
While I like this cartridge, I'm not sure that I would pay $400 for one. They used to be much cheaper in the US than in the UK, but now they are cheaper in the UK - about £250 or $330, although once you've paid shipping costs and any import fees, the total cost might be back up to $400.
 
Denon prices have become, IMO, ridiculous, but it's worth noting that their Japanese brethren cartridge pricing has been very high for a while now. Nagaoka and Sumiko, in particular, ask really unappealing prices for their cartridges. $500 for an MP-200? Pricing for the Rainier-Moonstone-Amethyst lineup at $600 on the upper end? Come on man. The thing that irks me is that these are cartridge families that were fairly modestly priced until recently.

OK, I'll stop now.
 
DavidTT said:
Denon prices have become, IMO, ridiculous, but it's worth noting that their Japanese brethren cartridge pricing has been very high for a while now. Nagaoka and Sumiko, in particular, ask really unappealing prices for their cartridges. $500 for an MP-200? Pricing for the Rainier-Moonstone-Amethyst lineup at $600 on the upper end? Come on man. The thing that irks me is that these are cartridge families that were fairly modestly priced until recently.

OK, I'll stop now.
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I couldn't agree more. And, this is why Audio Technica is SLAYING their competition right now. The Sumiko MM range will never even be a consideration so long as you can get a cartridge with an ML tip for $169.99 (VM95ML), or a machined aluminum cartridge body with excellent quality coil wire and isolation along with a tapered cantilever sporting a Shibata tip for $400. (VM740SH)

And I really like Nagaoka too, but yeah, they're getting stupid. We're starting to talk LOMC territory. For less than what an MP-500 would cost, I could buy a brand new wood-bodied Grado Opus 3, saw off the cantilever and have it retipped boron/line contact, and probably end up with a better cartridge.

From what I've seen, the only line out there that is remotely price-competitive with AT is the LP Gear Vessel series. For $359, you can get a ruby cantilever and a line contact tip. (R3SV) But I've also read some reviews about their QC being suspect.
 
To the OP , I would suggest you have your DL110 reaired to DL160 spec. You should be able to get that done for $250 ish. It is a step up from the Dl110.
Take your pick of the various repair houses that are well known.

Footnote. It puzzles me as to why Denon discontinued the DL 160 it really was a star performer for a High Output
 
DavidTT said:
Denon prices have become, IMO, ridiculous, but it's worth noting that their Japanese brethren cartridge pricing has been very high for a while now. Nagaoka and Sumiko, in particular, ask really unappealing prices for their cartridges. $500 for an MP-200? Pricing for the Rainier-Moonstone-Amethyst lineup at $600 on the upper end? Come on man. The thing that irks me is that these are cartridge families that were fairly modestly priced until recently.

OK, I'll stop now.
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I agree. It amazes me why people will pay more than £100 (sorry, currency in British Pounds) and even more than £150 (e.g. Sumiko Rainier) for a cartridge with a bonded stylus. Having said that, Grado have been getting away with it for years - even their Prestige Gold has a bonded tip. The AT-VM95 range is really the one that goes against this trend, although AT introduced the AT-VM500 series first and almost doubled the prices as compared with the former AT100E, AT120E etc. Despite price rises, Ortofon are also relatively inexpensive now, with their cartridges with bonded styli still under £100 and the 2M Blue with nude elliptical stylus still under £200.
 
Throw the Denon on the auction site sell it for what you can get to someone who wants it for retipping and move up the ladder with the money you get from the sell of it, and what money you have saved up, and shop the Audio Technica carts. And later when it wears out you can trade it in and get a new replacement from AT thru their trade in policy.
Just make sure you buy it from a AT dealer, as you need proof of purchase for that program.
 
I requested info from the program on getting new carts to replace some LOMC carts that I own. No damage just have some hours on them, so not sure how worn they are. To be safe I just want to get new ones. I have a stack of them. The program manager asked for proof of purchase from an authorized dealer.

All were new when I purchased them still sealed, but I never sent in the warrantee cards. One was purchased from LP gear, online.
 
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I will add, that I sent him a pic of the stack of boxes with paperwork and he replied that he would accept my tradeins. I explained I don't have a authorized dealer in my area, as I would much rather buy them locally from a dealer if there were one. The only place that sells any AT carts near me is a Best Buy 30 miles South and they only sell some cheap 29 dollar AT3600 cart which I am not interested in.

I think they might have a policy that you buy from an authorized dealer to qualify for the trade in program.
 
forceof1 said:
It was a horrible accident. I bought my DL 110 a couple of years ago when it was a little over $200, now they're $400, and I can't replace it. I listen to electronic, rock, industrial, punk etc.. If I can get away with a replacement for around $300........any recommendations? My other TT (Pioneer PL-L1000) is being serviced and fitted with a new AT VM540ML. Never tried a Microline. I have the ability on my preamp to select MM or MC.
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As others here I've also used Joseph to retip my Denon DL301 and it sounds fantastic, pics of the cantilever after my maid got through with it, and my Grado Platinum wood body, $800 damage bit first day on the job.

20150921_234314.jpg

She had explicit instructions to stay away from ALL the electronic gear, the Grado still awaits repair.
 
Joseph gets all my retips and my number one recommendation unless you live in the southern hemisphere near Australia. ;)
Can't go wrong with Joseph OR Chris. :thumbsup:
 
forceof1 said:
It was a horrible accident. I bought my DL 110 a couple of years ago when it was a little over $200, now they're $400, and I can't replace it. I listen to electronic, rock, industrial, punk etc.. If I can get away with a replacement for around $300........any recommendations? My other TT (Pioneer PL-L1000) is being serviced and fitted with a new AT VM540ML. Never tried a Microline. I have the ability on my preamp to select MM or MC.
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You might as well wait until the set up with the VM540 comes into rotation. I had a Denon DL-160 several years back and also had an AT155LC in rotation on another table at the same time. Not apples to apples, but the DL110/DL160 and the VM540ML/AT155LC are certainly as close as first cousins.

I don't think you mentioned the table/arm on which the DL110 was mounted, but once you hear the VM540ML on your other table, and if you like it, you might look at an AT150Sa.......they can still be found with a headshell set for under $400. To me this cartridge setup out performed the DL-160. The bonus is the versatility of the Group K and the many available styli.
 
Multiplex said:
I would struggle to pay that as well... And I'm not saying it's a bad cartridge. It is indeed quite good. I just remember when Denon dealers were selling it for a full retail of $139.99, but everyone was holding out for the $74.99 grey market DL-110s of questionable origin from Comet Supply. They were a great cartridge for $139, and a miracle if you could get one for $75! In fact, for years it was right at the top of everyone's shortlist of great budget cartridges. It was even a somewhat decent deal after it's price almost doubled. But $400 now? It's certainly no longer on shortlists, or even some long lists for that matter.

I would strongly urge a retip as well. The OP could undoubtedly get a better tip and cantilever than the original for under what a replacement cartridge would cost.
Click to expand...
I got a DL110 from seller 'something juki' for $80 odd shipped a while back, but haven't used it beyond testing.
A great buy then, priced out of comp later. Get yours retipped with a Microline on a Boron stick by Joseph.
 
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Tiver said:
You might as well wait until the set up with the VM540 comes into rotation. I had a Denon DL-160 several years back and also had an AT155LC in rotation on another table at the same time. Not apples to apples, but the DL110/DL160 and the VM540ML/AT155LC are certainly as close as first cousins.

I don't think you mentioned the table/arm on which the DL110 was mounted, but once you hear the VM540ML on your other table, and if you like it, you might look at an AT150Sa.......they can still be found with a headshell set for under $400. To me this cartridge setup out performed the DL-160. The bonus is the versatility of the Group K and the many available styli.
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Great help Tiver! Both of my tables are out right now. My DL110 was on Pioneer PL-L1000 until I took that in for service. They're putting a VM540ML. Anxious to hear that. My other table the DL110 was on is a Pioneer PL 550. I don't know enough about tonearm mod's to mess with. Anything to think of with the 550?
 
fo1: Looks like a pretty typical, medium-heavy Japanese S-arm - so the DL-110 should have been a pretty good match. Hence having the Denon retipped with a higher class cantilever/needle combo wouldn't seem the worst idea. However, you could just as well consider the priceworthy AT-VM95ML, if you'd like a comparatively inexpensive and nevertheless pretty performant solution. But of course there'd also be plenty of other possibilities, if you'd be willing to spend more.

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini
 
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