DENON DL-304. Is it the bargain sound or not?

08-09-11: Delamostre1
My Technics sits in hokey pucks as an "isolation" solution.
[img]http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/8235/p1050267.jpg[/url]

That's a good start, and I see you have the thicker mat and a clamp. but here's what I'm talking about:

My Technics isolation setup

Everything you see underneath the turntable noticeably improved the sound quality. Getting RID of the Technics feet improved the sound as did adding the Vibrapod products. I'd used a smaller cutting board for the first 3 years, but replacing it with the massive cutting board made a big difference. Also note the wrapping around the tonearm.

The sorbothane mat (not visible under the LP), tonearm wrap, LPGear headshell, the isolation footers and the butcher block removed the harshness, brightness, and glare, replacing it with linearity. a lower noise floor, and with that, more inner detail and better dynamics.

Amandarae and Fleib,

You have my curiosity up--just how good *is* the DL304? I've contemplated that cartridge myself.

I get great results on my SL1210M5G with an Audio Technica AT150MLX. I use KAB's fluid damper and LP Gear's ZuPreme headshell. It's very extended and linear, and extracts more detail from the groove than I ever thought possible at this price. Pretty easy load on a MM preamp if you can keep the capacitance between 100 and 200 pF, preferably (IME) 150.

I have experience with a 1970's predecessor to the Grado Gold and have been using an AT150MLX for the past three years. I have no experience with the Ortofon Black or other carts with Shibata stylii.

I will say that the diamond on the AT150MLX is extremely fine and well cut. It's a micro-line diamond, and the few other carts with micro-line stylii are much more expensive (~$2K) moving coil cartridges. It's similar if not identical to the micro-ridge stylus of the late lamented Shure V15VxMR.

The diamond on the AT150MLX seems to have a knack for sitting in a quiet unworn part of the groove (I have lots of used LPs). Being so precisely cut, the stylus rewards you with careful setup and easily reveals differences in VTA, overhang, and VTF.

The AT150MLX impressed me as a legitimate entry in the world of high end. It has a quickness, trackability, and resolution level I've never heard at that price or below. I can listen to very expensive rigs at my local high end stores, come home and spin up something with the AT150MLX and not feel like I'm missing much if anything.

I'd say it's at least the equal of the Rega Exact.

08-08-11: Stanwal
It would be worse in my opinion. I have had several 304s and never found them bright. On the other hand 2 of my friends have the Technics table and I find them bright. The AT 150 has a reputation for being aggressive on the top end so I would look for something softer in sound.

My first attempt at responding to this turned into an eye-glazing manual on vibration control for the Technics.

The succinct version is: the SL12x0 and AT150MLX can be a transparent, dynamic, linear, organic-sounding combination IF you damp the vibrations and resonances in the Technics. Wrap the tonearm with Teflon pipe thread tape, upgrade the mat and headshell, throw out the stock feet and use Vibrapod Cones and Isolators under the turntable instead. Platform it on a thick cutting board and isolate it from below with silicone gel pads or more Vibrapods.

If you do all this, the Technics should be smooth and linear whether you choose an AT150MLX or Denon. I use an AT150MLX to good effect. You'll have a linear enough platform to evaluate downstream cabling and components for further improvements.

Johnnyb53, the Rega Exact has an output of 7,2mV vs AT that has 4mV! Although it has almost the double price of Audio Technica 150 MLX and better output, the AT kills Rega??

I'm not sure what the limitations are on your phono stage, but my AT150MLX has worked very well into the MM phono input of an Onkyo A-9555 integrated amp, the Cambridge Audio 640P, and my current phono stage, the Jolida JD-9A. The main setup limitation with the AT150MLX is that you keep the capacitive load including phono cable at 100-200 pF, preferably 150.

As to comparing it to the Rega Exact, I've heard the Exact several times at my local Rega dealer on a P3, P5, and P7. I've gone from that showroom immediately to my house 4 miles away and played the same LPs on my rig, and yes, the AT150MLX can extract an equivalent level of detail, fullness of body, and musicality, and track as well or better than the Exact. I don't think the Grado Gold is in the same league.