Denon DL-102 mono--initial impressions ( long-winded)

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I love mono records, and I've long understood that the right way to listen to them is with a mono cartridge. As way of dipping my toe in the water without a big financial splash, I recently bought a Denon DL-102 cartridge from EIFL in Japan. I've now had a chance to play with it for a while (perhaps 15 hours of listening time), and I thought I'd lay out my initial impressions, both for those inmates thinking of buying one or those who already have one and might offer some suggestions for getting the most out of it.
I already owned the Denon DL-103 and the DL-304 (my main cartridge), and when ordering the DL-102, I was expecting some sort of Denon family resemblence, both physically and tonally. Uh-uh. This thing is twice as big as a "normal" cartridge and clad in metal (except for the top, which is black plastic), making it look like something dug up from a 1950s time capsule.
I installed the DL-102 twice, first in a Rega RB250, then in a VPI JMW 12. I have tried various tracking forces, from 2.5g to 3.5g (Denon's recommendation is 3g, plus or minus 1g), and various VTAs (on the VPI, anyway).
My initial experiences have been mixed.
Positives:
Like any good mono cartridge, the DL-102 ignores vertical signals, which means it ignores most dust and minor scratches (which cause vertical movement), therefore making some far-less-than-mint mono records sound nearly like mint.
It also has a "richer" sound (on mono records), particularly on voices, than my stereo cartridges, perhaps because it puts out a far stronger signal (ie., 3mv, compared to 0.18mv for the DL-304), or perhaps simply because it's optimized for mono.
It works wonders on "electronic stereo from mono" records (of which, alas, I have far too many), making good mono sense of the artificially separated signal.
Negatives:
The DL-102 has two LONG pins, instead of the usual four. To connect it to a stereo system, and make both channels work, you have to piggy-back the tonearm connectors. On my VPI JMW 12, this required a messy jury-rigged connection, as the tonearm connectors have a closed-at-one end tube shape (not open, as on the RB250, which hooked up quite easily).
There is less delicacy and detail on the DL-102 than on either of my other Denon cartridges, or any reasonably good, high-end cartridge. Well, what the hell-- at one-tenth the price, I knew I wasn't buying a Lyra Helikon Mono.
Biggest negative: on most records, BUT NOT ON ALL, there is a wooly, muffled quality to the sound, as if the music were coming through a large pipe in the next room. This quality is unpleasant, and if I can't eliminate it, disqualifies the DL-102 as a usable cartridge for me. This quality can vary, sometimes it's prominent, sometimes it's subtle.
It's this last negative that really puzzles me. It doesn't happen on all records and it can happen at the beginning or at the end of a listening session. It seems to disappear on "electronic stereo from mono" records, but also on some pure mono records. IF I CAN SOLVE THIS ONE ISSUE, I THINK I WILL REALLY ENJOY THE DL-102.
I would appreciate any comments/advise/observations from anyone with experience with the DL-102 or any mono cartridge on this issue. Here are my working theories:
1. The cartridge still isn't broken in.
2. It's a tonearm matching issue-- this cartridge is BIG.
3. It's an phono stage impedence issue: Denon recommends 1Kohm, and my phono stage is 47Kohm.
4. I still haven't found the right tracking force/VTA.
5. It has something to do with the way I rigged up the cartridge with my VPI JMW-- I had to tape copper strands from the two free connectors to the two connectors attached to the long pins. Most of my listening was with the VPI JMW. I don't think this is the problem, however: I did hear the wooly sound from the RB250.
Any ideas? Many thanks in advance.

Denon DL-102 website (Open in New Window)

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Topic - Denon DL-102 mono--initial impressions ( long-winded) - bigi 13:34:40 08/23/03 (10)

re-hashing a side issue - jrtrent 12:15:44 08/24/03 (5)

Re: re-hashing a side issue - bigi 14:59:44 08/24/03 (4)

Re: re-hashing a side issue - jrtrent 17:29:36 08/24/03 (1)

Re: re-hashing a side issue - bigi 04:39:18 08/25/03 (0)

the closer you get to the original pressing, the more vivid the sound-- generally true - J Harris 15:47:37 08/24/03 (1)

Fully agreed .... - dice45 05:23:23 08/25/03 (0)

Re: Denon DL-102 mono--initial impressions ( long-winded) - J Harris 16:02:27 08/23/03 (3)

Denon DL-102 mono and tonearm matching - bigi 03:49:26 08/24/03 (0)

Re: Denon DL-102 mono--- + loading discrepancy - J.D. 21:45:27 08/23/03 (1)

VPI JMW connectors - bigi 03:56:51 08/24/03 (0)

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