Wednesday, August 4, 2010

The Amazing Denon Dl-304

I won't bore you you what an amazing phono cartridge the Denon 304 is. Suffice to say it is one of the best cartridges in the world. Amazing frequency range, incredible sound staging, tight and clear, and and a tone that is just so beautiful.

Yes the Denon 103 is the legend and for good reason. Denon have been making this industry standard since the 1960s and it is as good as everybody says it is. Anybody interested in vinyl reproduction needs to listen to a Denon 103. But then there is the Denon 304 which costs 3-4 times the amount that the 103 costs. Is it 3 to 4 times better? That is a difficult and impossible question to answer. The 103 is so very good and its variants like the 103R and the 103SA are superb. But the DL-304 is just sublime.

Normally it sells for a standard US$699 but there are some great places to get it at a great price just now:

Mantra Audio in the UK: 291 pounds

HiFi Exchange Australia: AUD $525

HiFi Exchange also has the top of the range Denon DL-S1 available at a price that is equal or better than international competitors. I haven't heard this one so I can't comment.

The Denon 304 is not cheap but it is worth every cent. If you are thinking about buying that Denon DL103sa collector's item then I suggest you think twice. The 103sa is a beautiful cartridge but it doesn't do what the 304 does.

Yes, I am a big fan of Denon cartridges, and Denon pay me nothing to give them free advertising. This is not a spam blog. I have contacted Denon Australia three times about expanding the cartridge range they offer in Australia and ever time I have had no response.

While I will be monitoring the prices of Denon cartridges and posting them here I also hope in the coming weeks to talk about two very special amplifiers I have recently come across and hope to get interviews on the blog from their makers.

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