Name: Denon DL-103 Moving Coil Cartridge
Brand: Denon
Price: 579.0 AUD
Availability: InStock

TODD'S BEATS

$579.00

Found it cheaper at another Australian retailer?

Todd's Beats - we'll beat their price, chat to us for details

Call 07 3907 7777 | Live Chat

View terms

Todds approved

FREE SHIPPING (orders over $29)

Low stock - 2 items left
Backordered, shipping soon

Quantity

Works well with

FREE SHIPPING around Australia for all orders over $29
(TVs & Furniture are to Brisbane metro only)
Rural and remote areas and large bulky items may incur a surcharge, we will be in touch if need be, of course order cancellation would be an option if you prefer.

Orders are dispatched next business day.

The original Denon moving coil cartridge design. Denon says the DL-103 was designed in 1964 and is still in production today. It has a 0.3 mV output, 40 ohm impedance and a 2.5 g tracking force.

Denon cites its simple design, sound and reliability as the reasons it has stayed in production. Denon says it was developed with the Japan Broadcasting Corporation Technical Research Laboratories for broadcast use.

Type

Moving coil (MC)

Output voltage

0.3 mV

Impedance

40 ohms

Tracking force

2.5 g

Frequency range

20Hz – 45kHz

Weight

8.5 g

Why you will love it

Developed for broadcast

The DL-103 was developed with the Japan Broadcasting Corporation Technical Research Laboratories as a high-reliability cartridge for broadcasting, and Denon says it has been used for a long time in public and commercial AM and FM stations.

Denon says every DL-103 is adjusted to conform to its standard, so the characteristics are consistent from one unit to another.

Denon DL-103 moving coil phono cartridge in black

Moving system

The moving system is a one-point suspension held by a thin piano wire. Denon uses a double-construction cantilever and a cross-shaped armature, with independent moving coils for the left and right channels.

Solid diamond stylus

The stylus is solid diamond, fixed with its crystal orientation taken into account so the hardest part contacts the groove. Denon says this keeps the stylus stable for a long time without much wear.

Is it right for you?

A great fit if you…

Want the long-running Denon moving coil design
Have a tonearm built to EIA mounting standards
Have an MC phono input, step-up transformer or head amplifier

Worth knowing

Output is 0.3 mV, low compared with a moving magnet cartridge, so Denon recommends an MC step-up transformer or MC head amplifier
Denon warns that on an iron turntable, magnetic attraction can add excessive stylus pressure
Use a tonearm with good response. Denon says this is important to get the cartridge's performance

Build your system

Mount it on a turntable and feed it through an MC phono stage into a stereo amplifier.

Same range: Compare with the Denon DL-103R moving coil cartridge or the Denon DL-110 moving coil cartridge
Phono input: Use an MC phono input, a step-up transformer or a head amplifier
Listening: Connect to a stereo amplifier and speakers

Specifications

Cartridge

Generating system	Moving coil
Output voltage	0.3 mV (1 kHz, 50 mm/s, horizontal)
Electrical impedance	40 ohms ±20% (1 kHz)
Recommended load resistance	100 ohms or more (except when a transformer is provided)
Channel sensitivity difference	1 dB or less (1 kHz)
Channel separation	Over 25 dB (1 kHz)
Frequency response	20Hz to 45kHz

Playback

Compliance	5 x 10-6 cm/dyne (on disc)
Stylus pressure	2.5 ±0.3 g (2.2 g to 2.8 g)
Stylus	Solid diamond
Weight	8.5 g

Specifications from Denon Australia and the DL-103 instruction manual, checked November 2026.

What is in the box

Denon DL-103 cartridge

Questions people ask

Do I need a step-up transformer?

Denon says the 0.3 mV output is low relative to a moving magnet cartridge and recommends an MC step-up transformer or an MC head amplifier.

What stylus pressure does it need?

Denon gives 2.5 g ±0.3 g as the optimum. It may be reduced to 2.2 g for an unwarped record in good condition and raised to a maximum of 2.8 g for a high-level recording or low room temperature.

When was it designed?

Denon says the DL-103 was designed in 1964 and is still in production.

Will it fit my tonearm?

Denon says it mounts on commercially available universal tonearms built to EIA standards.