DENON DL-304. Is it the bargain sound or not?

The biggest mistake for those loading a cartridge down is to rely on using resistors to load the cart but does not account for the gain. The transformed impedance of the SUT's affects the gain needed for the cartridge to match well. That is the reason why said 1:36 SUT!!! if you have a 1:10(14 db) SUT and you keep on lowering the load down by means of resistors, you are in for a very big disappointment, guaranteed. You can look at it electrically thru analyzing a voltage divider circuit behaving on AC signal. Realize that as soon as the load of the cart equals to that of it's internal impedance, the output it can generate is halved!

But of course, you do not have to worry about that now.

Many threads mention a thick slab of butcher block wood to help the sound of the table.

I was wondering if a slab of solid granite (like a leftover from a kitch counter project) would do the trick?

Or is there something inherently wrong with stone/granite that precludes it from reducing vibration and providing better damping?

I had a slab of black granite under my VPI Scout turntable. Tended to make the sound bright and thin. Solid maple (butcherblock) 2 to 3 inches thick is better. You will get a warmer and richer sound, very musical. I had a Grado Gold and didn't care too much for it. I actually liked a Shure m97e something or other and it was much more involving in my system. I am now using a ZU/Denon DL103 moving coil cartridge that blows away anything under 500.00. I ended up putting the slab of granite under my tube preamp, made a slight difference for the better.

Bob

May be your preamp has great matching with Denon DL-103.
In my situation with Onkyo P-304 preamp, i don't think that i have any chance to hear Denon carts...

So my final selection will be under 3 different products.
Audio Technica AT-150MLX, Grado Gold, Ortofon black.

Does anyone have any opinion, about those three diamonds?

I have experience with a 1970's predecessor to the Grado Gold and have been using an AT150MLX for the past three years. I have no experience with the Ortofon Black or other carts with Shibata stylii.

I will say that the diamond on the AT150MLX is extremely fine and well cut. It's a micro-line diamond, and the few other carts with micro-line stylii are much more expensive (~$2K) moving coil cartridges. It's similar if not identical to the micro-ridge stylus of the late lamented Shure V15VxMR.

The diamond on the AT150MLX seems to have a knack for sitting in a quiet unworn part of the groove (I have lots of used LPs). Being so precisely cut, the stylus rewards you with careful setup and easily reveals differences in VTA, overhang, and VTF.

The AT150MLX impressed me as a legitimate entry in the world of high end. It has a quickness, trackability, and resolution level I've never heard at that price or below. I can listen to very expensive rigs at my local high end stores, come home and spin up something with the AT150MLX and not feel like I'm missing much if anything.

I'd say it's at least the equal of the Rega Exact.