Need some tips for re tipping a denon Mc cartridge

[dougt]

Joseph retipped my VDH MC-10 and Denon DL-103D and couldn't be happier!

 

[mcgjohn]

My fully automatic turntable decided it was going to randomly turn itself on and full auto my dl-160 into the label of let it be and shear the stylus in half before I even knew what happened.

So my questions are how much in 2024 does it cost to re-tip a Mc cartridge (about). I also have a DL-304 that needs a tip so maybe be better off spending the money on that one if either.

Has anyone on here ever actually re tipped a cartridge? Just curious what the process is like obviously would need some seriously steady hands.

It all (cost and resulting sound quality) depends on the cartridge. I have had several MCs re-tipped. Some come back sounding as good as the original, others come back sounding completely different. You may want to get a few quotes on the Denon retip and weigh that cost against the cost of a new Denon cart.

 

[Fagedabowdit]

It all (cost and resulting sound quality) depends on the cartridge. I have had several MCs re-tipped. Some come back sounding as good as the original, others come back sounding completely different. You may want to get a few quotes on the Denon retip and weigh that cost against the cost of a new Denon cart.

The Denon DL-160 has been out of production for quite a while now so finding a new one is going to be rather difficult and likely as expensive or more expensive than retipping. It’s not a cartridge I would experiment with because it’s getting rarer by the day. If I wanted to try my hand at retipping, I would start with the old standby Denon DL-103. Almost everyone who has been into vinyl and turntables has a broken one lying around somewhere. You can probably ask someone on the forum here to mail you one for a few bucks. They often appear on eBay for $50 or less.

 

[buzshaws]

I bought two DL-160’s around 15 years ago just before they were discontinued. I no longer have them and miss them terribly. Basically high output DL-301mkIIs in a plastic body, but I preferred the 160 sonically in every respect. Bought a DL-110 but was not near close to the sound of the 160’s tapered cantilever and smaller stylus. I believe Denon saw the 160 was far too good at the cost and stole attention from the 301 and made it a no brainer to step over the 110 for only $20 so they killed it off, increased the 301 a bit higher and increased the 110 price almost 100%! The 160 was a spoiler in the line and an unearthly sound for $145.

Point being, if you like your rare 160, caffe latte (or someone you trust) could hopefully resurrect it. Don’t know the size but the stylus was unusually tiny to the eye compared to most styli. I’m sure this influenced the sound.