The other carts were used with a little different equipment than reviewed here. It will be interesting to hear how the finished article works with the Denon 301. Guys this is a Giant killer! Yes, it did come with the protector. I was never overly impressed. Sibilants are also handled extremely well.
I was never overly impressed. Think this setup would sound scary good with a nicer one and it'd be a shame to never do it. A great bargin and my favorite cartridge. It's know it's now history for you, but I always found a lot of life in the grooves using Denon carts. I may end up trying it out again. The cheap players were easier on my ears than that thing. This cart has a very pretty presentation.
Pretty darn obvious when it's a couple hairs off!!! It does not have the refinement of the Shelter 501 but is very close. Imaging on the recordings is good, sound is pretty smooth. However, tonally the cartridge shows a midrange suckout, which I believe is responsible for the low noise, good depth and perceived bass response. Both tables are level and isolated from vibration, arm's balanced to spec. I did fool around with it with my old carts, but never properly. Its the tonal balance and musicality that has impressed me most. The only slight colorations I hear are obviously characteristics of the phono stage, or just the slight warmth I like in my vinyl.
Ya see, it's all very enticing for me, like a kid in a candy shop. They've passed inspection and I'll be cranking them out now. I know where your coming from now Marco with the Denon sound. Regards, b50 Thanks guys for your inputs! I honestly can't think of one area I could improve on as the 301 integrates with my system so well. Some of the more exotic brands cost thousands, but their superiority won't be realized without expensive associated equipment. The 301 has a natural, musical type sound with detail and resolution far superior to budget cartridges.
Wish I had tried one of these years ago. Still I think the overall character of the carts. I am sure the 301 Mk2 will be ok with your Funk arm. I find it quite detailed and resolving. I have tried a Sumiko Blue Point once but, it didn't seem musical-sounding to me at the time. Voice and piano sound fine, but orchestral music has a slight 'glassiness. I was never overly impressed.
I also know that everyone's mileage may vary based on hardware and personal preferences. I was expecting less weight to the sound than a head amp but it is nearly there, however there is a slight lack of dynamics but nothing unduly so. They are presented in an organic natural full bodied manner with all the key micro nuances that makes you believe you have the person singing in the room with you - great stuff. I know the 304 is great at least but it seems that in the tracking field its not big difference, both track awesome. But I do like it better than the Shelter 501 that costs over three times as much. A little black box has made its way into my system, a big thank you to Marco for making this available. The soundstage is open and detailed with enough bite and grunt in the bass to make a convincing integration in my system.
It sounds as if the converter in the receiver ain't the greatest. They switched back immediately once they could afford to do so. Additionally, surface noise is extremely low, dimensionality is fine, and low end response is strong. Tone arm cables arm S. So much so that I had to spend a good deal of time tweaking my subwoofer's settings to match the sonics I'd liked with the Goldring installed. It had notable clarity, balanced tone, wide frequency coverage, staging, etc. Has anyone ever used both of them? Thought I'd mention that if it helps you get where my preferences are.
I was looking at the Hana cart but there's not enough feedback for this brand. Good analogue recordings sound rich and sumptuous. I would say that this is a great alround cart. I also know that everyone's mileage may vary based on hardware and personal preferences. I understand the 301 is not perfect and everyone's setup, observations and preferences differ but I'm guessing if you were getting veiled or dull out of the 301 there was most likely some system mismatch at play.
And is 304 noticeable better tracker perfect in that term! Very good tonal quality and certainly none fatiguing. My evaluation, the cartridge has a tight bass, clear mid-range and a solid treble with distinct channel separation. The compliance slightly out of the ideal boundary limits but the cartridge still tracks well without any degradation to the resonance. It's another one of my favorites that competes well with carts costing 2 or 3x as much. While not as dynamic as my 2M Black, this cart tracks better and is a warmer presentation. Do either of you have an opinion on how it would suit a Funk Firm F5 arm? Thanks for your reply there, compadre. I'm going to have to invest a little more in a phono stage eventually.
Bass is wonderful, tight and expressive with great texture but it is the midrange where it excels, Vocals are sublime with a natural realism I have never heard before. · Channel Separation: 28db or more · Recommended tracking force: 1. Induced hum, such as mentioned above, is only one source of noise, there are other sources of hum. This cartridge has replaced my 2M black and in most areas it runs rings round it and excels in nearly every way. I have this effect in my system, and it responds to moving the stepup around.