Denon 103R or 304?

The Denon 300 series does have a decidedly different sound than the 103 series. Personally I prefer my SS retipped DL-103D to any of the 300 series but that is my preference.

Compliance wise both cartridges will work with the RB300. I have run a DL-103R in my modded RB-300 without any issues.

The issue I don't see anyone addressing is that the DL-304 is a very low output MC cartridge (0.18mv). The Parasound ZPhono is supposedly OK with cartridges down to 0.15mv but I would be asking what the S/N would be with the DL-304.

It could be perfectly OK but if you end up with too much background noise it will kind of spoil the party.

Ed

The medium mass Linn Basik tonearm on my Linn Axis is a surprisingly good match for the 103R. I go with the 103R assuming your tonearm is similar mass.

I'd go for the 304. I've owned both in a modified RB250 and the 304 is CLEARLY far superior in every aspect, BUT the real consideration is this...

DL -103R = 0.25mV
DL -304 = 0.18mV

Unless you have a REALLY quiet phonostage with bags of gain forget the 304...seriously

I use my 304 with the whestTWO and it is great, ultra quiet with PLENTY of gain with a great soundstage and great musical resolution.

Interesting. I would not sneeze at that .18mV spec unless I knew I had a good solution in place. I found getting the 103R running smooth and quiet again when I changed pre-amps to be more of a challenge than I ever anticipated.

I must agree with Ed - the 100 and 300 series have a very different sound. Having lived with a 103D for over 10 years, I was devastated when I couldn't replace it. Unfortunately, the suspension also ages in these cartridges, so a retip/retube frequently wont fix the aging problem. I listened to the 103 and, while the family resemblance in sound was definitely there, I couldn't live with the limitations of the spherical stylus. So I defected to Linn/Lyra cartridges and have gotten used to them!