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in Phono Cartridge

40 reviews

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Sumiko Rainier

29 reviews

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Great value for its price range

Adaptable to different genres and turntables

Brings out more detail in records

Highly recommended for its compatibility and sound quality

Great upgrade from previous cartridges

Clear and powerful sound

Ability to upgrade stylus for even better performance

Not tracking well on some HiFi News test tracks

Some users have experienced a harsh edge in the sound

May require adjustments to preamp settings for optimal performance

Not compatible with all turntables

Some users have experienced distortion or difficulty aligning the cartridge

Requires proper tracking force and care to avoid damage to records

Verdict

The Denon DL-110 is a highly recommended cartridge for its compatibility and sound quality. It is a great upgrade from stock cartridges and brings out more detail in records. It is adaptable to different genres and turntables, but may require adjustments to preamp settings. Some users have experienced issues with tracking and a harsh edge in the sound. Overall, it is a great value for its price range and a popular choice among audiophiles.

Verdict

Overall, the Sumiko Rainier cartridge receives positive reviews for its clear and powerful sound, with many users noting it as a significant upgrade from their previous cartridges. Some users mention the ability to upgrade the stylus to the Olympia or Moonstone for even better performance. However, a few users have experienced issues with distortion or difficulty aligning the cartridge. It is recommended to avoid making contradictory statements and prioritize points that are mentioned frequently. It is important to note that these reviews only pertain to the Sumiko Rainier cartridge and not other products that may be mentioned.

Reviews by Topic

Our analysis shows how reviewers feel about different topics. Please note these are not full reviews.

Sound Quality

I've been wanting to upgrade to an MC cartridge for awhile and the opportunity recently presented itself via a NIB Denon DL-110 from Japan at an affordable price. My fears that my Musical Fidelity V90-LPS would have insufficient gain to drive it were immediately proven to be unfounded as I'm able to obtain a comfortable listening level at about 11 o'clock on the dial on my Cambridge Audio 640A amplifier. First impressions are very good, considering that the cart hasn't even begun to break in yet. It's already an improvement over my 2M Blue and Nagaoka MP-110 which were my top MM carts in my collection

Positive

2 years ago

reddit.com/r/turntables

A really nice upgrade at a great price

It has a nice warm sound but also does a nice job highlighting highs right out of the box. The Sumiko Rainier can be easily upgraded using either the Olympia Stylus or the more expensive Moonstone Stylus. Both options come at more expensive price levels but present a good upgrade path.

5/5

2 years ago

amazon.com

Frequency Response

Very disappointing.

The popping went away in Phono, so I figured no big deal, swapped to Phono and: Issue 2: So. Much. Treble. If I were to graph it: 2/10 on bass, 0/10 on mid, 11/10 on treble

But you’ll get better vfm with a stylus upgrade. If you bought your Evo in the US then it came with the Sumiko Rainier installed, which can be upgraded with an Olympia ($120) or Moonstone (€220) stylus; in EUrp it came with the Ortofon 2M Red which can be upgraded with the 2M Blue (€140) stylus; and even the Bronze (€215) or Black (€350) stylus would fit although there is a difference between the Red/Blue cartridge body and the Bronze/Black.

Positive

3 years ago

reddit.com/r/BudgetAudiophile

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