Denon has teamed up with Devon Turnbull of OJAS, renowned for his luxury Hi-Fi brand, to reimagine Denon’s DL-103R Flagship Moving Coil Phono Cartridge, as the DL-103o, a limited-edition cartridge which features a transparent casing that showcases its intricate circuitry.
Denon moving-coil cartridges feature a low-mass design that lets the cantilever move more easily, meticulously reproducing the subtlest details.
Heritage & Innovation
Building on the legacy of the DL-103, Denon’s original moving coil cartridge. The DL-103 was originally designed for professional broadcast use in 1962 and has remained a staple in audio technology, the current version is the DL-103R.
Specifications
- Cartridge Type: MC (Moving Coil)
- Output Voltage: 0.25 mV (1 kHz, 50 mm/s horizontal direction)
- Channel Balance: 1 dB max. (1 kHz)
- Channel Separation: 25 dB min. (1 kHz)
- Frequency Range: 20 Hz to 45 kHz
- Electrical Impedance: 14 ohms ±20%
- Load Impedance: 100 ohms min (40 ohms when using a transformer)
- Stylus: 0.2 mm square solid diamond
- Tracking Force: 25 mN ±3 mN (2.5 g ±0.3 g)
- Compliance: 5 x 10-3 m/N (Using a 100 Hz record)
- Weight: 8.5 g/0.3 oz
DL-103o Highlights
The DL-103o’s low-mass stylus assembly boasts significant advantages over moving-magnet-type assemblies. The moving-coil assembly supports wider dynamics, clearer highs, and tighter transients.
The DL-103o’s conical tip is easy to set up and ensures optimal contact with record grooves for better tracking, reduced distortion, and enhanced depth and clarity.
Fine-gauge 99.9999% pure 6N copper wire coils are hand-wound with precision to the cantilever shaft supports more precise imaging and low-frequency response.
The low-compliance cartridge is easier to implement in a range of turntable setups, ensuring optimal sound quality and stability in every listening session — but attention needs to paid when selecting the appropriate tonearm.
Devon Turnbull’s clear casing design is visually stunning and provides a unique educational insight into the cartridge’s inner workings.
Devon Turnbull Partnership
Devon Turnbull has long been an advocate for high-quality audio experiences, and his collaboration with Denon underscores a mutual commitment to excellence and innovation in the audiophile community.
From Devon Trumbull: “For me, the exciting opportunity of working with the DL-103R is just being able to educate people about the way things work and why they work as well as they do…“
Availability & Pricing
- Denon DL-103o – $549 at Denon
- Denon DL-103R – $499 at Amazon
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