Now I've done it.. Went and bought a DL-301 mk2

HyKlas

Super Member
Well, various people got me some Amazon gift cards for Christmas totaling $150 and I was on the fence between some new headphones or a decent cart for my PL-707, until now. Tonight I had both in my shopping cart and told my better half to blindly pick the top item or the bottom item. Needless to say, she picked the cart. Kind of funny seeing as she was the one who broke my DL-110 a few months back (don't tell her, she still denies it)... :D

I've been without vinyl since then and have recently picked up a Wally DSOTM, Led Zeppelin I/II/III, and a few others I've been itching to put my ears on. Can't wait to get this up and running again. Will give some impressions once it arrives but from what I've been reading it's a fine cart. :music:

If you have this cartridge, feel free to chime in with your thoughts!

*edit* Was meant to be, my 707th post is about my PL-707... :thmbsp:
 
I love mine, but do you have a phono preamp that will do 60db gain and between 300 and 600 ohms? Reason I ask is that nothing in your signature lists analog gear.
 
My DL 301mk II makes me very happy. Excellent sound top to bottom.

Yes, it's is LOMC, with a 0.4 mv output and 60dB of gain on the phono stage works well. I have tried loads of 300, 500 and 1000 ohms ... I like 500 best.

I also find its sounds more open with VTF on the lower end of the recommended range, like ~1.3 grams.

Cheers, Bob
 
This one will be going on my Pioneer C-90... Should work okay for the time being, until I feel like tinkering anyway.
 
The C-90 has a 0.25mV/40ohm selection while the cart is 0.4mV/33ohm. Why wouldn't this work?
 
The C-90 has a 0.25mV/40ohm selection while the cart is 0.4mV/33ohm. Why wouldn't this work?

Of course it will work and from all I have heard the c-90 has a nice phono stage.

I changed my loading to 65 ohms to hear the difference between that and 500 ohms. As expected, the volume is reduced at the lower load. The SQ was fine.
 
I am curious what you think making the switch from your 110 to the 301?

When I first listened to my 301 it was like someone snuck into my home and re-recorded my record collection - I heard things I'd never heard before.

Fun when that happens!

Hope you are blown away with your new cart!
 
I am curious what you think making the switch from your 110 to the 301?

When I first listened to my 301 it was like someone snuck into my home and re-recorded my record collection - I heard things I'd never heard before.

Fun when that happens!

Hope you are blown away with your new cart!
I agree with this. I bought a 110 for my Technics SL-1200 and loved it. Then I got a used 160 with low hours. It provided even more performance, and "airiness" that wasn't quite all there with the 110. But then I got the 301 and, wow, it was a whole other level. I sold the 110 and the 160 just sits in a box. I've got some other carts mounted on spare headshells, but I never switch 'em out. The 301 just shines.
 
I constantly knocked everybody's socks off with my 301! Both my SAE 1000LT/E was sold as a result, and my Dyna 10x5 sits in a box!
Cheers, Doug
 
Well... Got it in the mail today and it played great for Money then started going haywire. Right channel started to fade in and out. Double checked connections, switched sources, played with tracking force and anti-skate, all that good stuff. Right channel is out completely now. Oh wait, it's back! I guess it needed some Bron-Y-Aur Stomp... Nope, gone again, and back... Not happy. Now it's the left... Now both.

*edit* My pre needs the micro switches cleaned (the relays actually I'm sure)... I was going crazy since I'd never in my life thought that'd be remotely possible, the cart fading that is.
 
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I love my DL-301 MKII. Has very little suface noise, which was the first thing I noticed. Very quiet in the groove! Yes, 1.3 grams is what I had the tracking force set at, seemed a hair more open sounding. My phono preamp has a fixed 100 ohm input, so the highs were a bit rolled off. It's an excellent sounding cartridge!!
 
I have been reading so many positive posts for the DL-301MkII that I ordered one last night. I plan on running it through the MC phono input on my Pioneer SX-8. I'm hoping for a nice sound. The SX-8 has a great MM phono section so I can't wait to hear it the the MC side. It will be residing on the SL-1200M5G taking the place of the Shure V15 IV with SAS.
 
I've got a DL-301MkII coming Monday, and I hope I can load it properly on my Jasmine.

The two possible options would be 250 or 1000 ohms.

Keeping fingers crossed.
 
I recently added a 301ii to my arsenal, moving up a little from a 103r. It took a few tries and some equipment mods to move from the fairly low compliance 103 to the higher compliance 301. Once I got closer to a proper set-up the intrinsic benefits of the 301 started to emerge.

One of the most dramatic differences is listening to older vinyl that seemed mundane and noisy with the 103r. With the higher compliance, lower vtf 301 ii, these old friends have found a dramatic new life.

Wonder if it's just me or there is some physical explanation for this.
 
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