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How do you tame a Denon DL-S1?

I recently got a Denon DL-S1. It has a very low output. I have a Minimax phono preamp and a Dodd. I have been rolling tubes and trying various things to see what works best with the Denon. When I use the stock JJ 6922 tubes in my Dodd and run the Denon directly into the 47k input, the detail and texture of the voice is unbelievable. I didn’t know there was that much information in the grooves. The problem is that I have to run the gain of my preamp up so high and the overall tone is not quite as good as with 60’s Amperexs or the Sovtek 6922s. With the other two I lose a lot of the detail and texture. My question is; would a SUT give me more gain and still keep the detail and texture? Would the SUT improve the overall tone? Would a blue Cinemag be a good choice?

I suspect that it might be a similar problem to other high information mc cartridges

Bob
rsimms
goofyfoot's avatar
goofyfoot
1,405 posts
 
Do you think that changing out the tonearm cable or silver plating the connections could result in giving you enough latitude in order to get things where you want them? I guess then a different or additional approach could be to test out a variety of tubes. I'm no guru but my understanding in general is that if your phono stage is set close to the cartridge specs, you should be about right on. Sort of like setting the film camera to the exact exposure meter rating. I don't mean to oversimplify the topic however, as this is truly an art and not just a science.
rsimms OP
150 posts
 
Raul, are you suggesting that I should get a used Threshold FET 10/e or 10/pc?

Bob
rsimms OP
150 posts
 
I love the comments. Thanks for the suggestions. To keep you up-to-date I have been tube rolling with my Dodd phono preamp. I put Amperex Oranges in the first stage and JJ’s for the output drivers. The sound is incredible. It reminds me (in a VERY small way ) of the wonderful ARC Reference 2 phonostage with the Lyra Olympos cartridge that I heard in the Vandersteen room at the RMAF. The ARC Ref 2 is out of my price range, but would the previously mentioned phonostages sound in the ballpark like the Dodd does?

This discovery thrills me as it tells me that I am on the right track. I can live happily with the Dodd for a while but I am still looking for a more permanent solution. The Dodd is not really a LOMC preamp.

Bob
anotherjblnut's avatar
anotherjblnut
19 posts
 
I tried a Bob's SUT with mine and did not like the strident high-end that resulted. I ended up biting the bullet and going with a Pass Labs Xono. I run it at 100 ohms and it sounds wonderful if perhaps just a tad on the bright side. As others have said this cart extracts micro- details with ease and just sounds effortless.
redglobe
223 posts
 
I have used a modified Jasmine LP 2.0 SE with the Denon DL-S1 and achieved very satisfying results.
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