[marknoir]

Just got a brand new Denon DL-S1, after reading many positive reviews. Removed the dust cover - cantilever is off from straight by what looks like 4 - 5 degrees... This does not look normal to me, so I feel like returning it for exchange. Am I crazy?

[Scottdazzle]

No, you're not crazy. Return it.

[FullRangeMan]

Cartridges have no time life, it can lasts 5 minutes or 5 years.
I let a Denon DCD1520 stored 13 years and it works perfectly at the first power on.

[TheChairGuy]

Return it - no way something close to $1000 should look like that new.

Once you do get a new one and it shoved on at the end of the tonearm....man, are you in for a treat.  That is one fine cartridge for the money - I had an extended audition with it from a friend and was smoked by how good it was

I generally find a LOT wrong with moving coils (unnatural to me), but Denons, in general, are built a world differently from other MC's I've heard (by no means all of them have I heard, of course)

[7x57]

Andy Bowman of Vintage Tubes Services recommended Denon cartridges to me and he said that Denon always punched well above their price point relative to other phono cartridges. That cartridge in the photo definitely should be replaced, and I doubt that it left Denon looking like that. Most likely somebody has handled that cartridge since it left Denon.

My Denon DL-160 replaced a more costly Grado, and it is better than Grado in all respects. Any reputation of the MC being poor tracking or hyped in high frequency output is totally absent in my Denon. I will probably stick with Denon from here on out. I use a HW-19/PT-6 setup, and the Denon is a perfect match.

[Elizabeth]

Agree that cart is messed up. return it  100%

[Wayner]

Andy Bowman of Vintage Tubes Services recommended Denon cartridges to me and he said that Denon always punched well above their price point relative to other phono cartridges. That cartridge in the photo definitely should be replaced, and I doubt that it left Denon looking like that. Most likely somebody has handled that cartridge since it left Denon.

My Denon DL-160 replaced a more costly Grado, and it is better than Grado in all respects. Any reputation of the MC being poor tracking or hyped in high frequency output is totally absent in my Denon. I will probably stick with Denon from here on out. I use a HW-19/PT-6 setup, and the Denon is a perfect match.

I believe the PT-6 tonearm is not a good match for a Grado. I also own the same deck/arm combo.

Also, if you read the fine print on most e-sellers, there are no returns allowed on cartridges, so I do wish you luck. You can claim that the cartridge came that way, and they will claim it was shipped in perfect condition.

Wayner

[marknoir]

Hello

I did get a brand new replacement from Comet Supply. It took only about two weeks, no questions asked. I have to complement them on exceptional customer service. So far this Denon is the best cartridge in my possession, easily beating both my AT OC-9ML II and AT33PTG, and my Madrigal Carnegie I. It is simply a great cartridge, lifting the veil of most recordings. Since we all live in a real material world (well, most of us), and I can't afford ZYX-Shelter-Koetsu etc, it is a'stayin' )