Denon DL 103 modifications and re-body questions thread


Dear all

I bought a DL103r to see what the fuss is all about, and found it fairly pleasant. Many people go on about re-bodying the cartridge so I took the plunge and bought an aluminium body.

I have noticed a few threads that are a bit disparate on these questions - the first question on my list being what I needed answered, but it would be helpful if thoughts can be posted on the other questions from those with the know how.

1. Should I glue the cartridge into the new body
2. What glue should I use
3. What are the characteristics of the various materials
4. Should I re-tip
5. What sort of new tip
6. who should I get to re-tip
7. Best arm matches
8. best tracking weight


lohanimal
@lewm 
Lew,
It's difficult to quantify what translates into what we can hear - but the lower internal impedance of most moving coils would suggest lower susceptibility to picking up extraneous noise.
The real point of my post is that the higher current drive of a LOMC definitely rejects noise better in the transmission through the phono cable. This I can hear and measure - I have buckets of cables that whilst picking up noise when used between MM and phono or SUT to phono, are absolutely dead quiet when used directly between MC's & phono in the same system.
Beyond that it is well to remember that the cartridge/phono cable/phono input is a tuned circuit, and as such anything is possible. A good example is my original modded Marantz 7 can easily amplify MC's from about 0.25mv up, but the Denon 103 produces no sound whatsoever, absolutely nothing. The only cartridge I've had this phenomena with in 30 years. Even with access to an ex NASA radio engineer familiar with tube circuits he is unable to explain that one.      

@lewm : Read Mitchell Cotter's article in The Audio Critic (circa '77) where he lays out the case for the superiority of MC's and the SUT/active stage controversy. I owned his Verion P transformer and used it for years with the GAS Sleeping Beauty elliptical. Arm was a Lustre GST-1 (Koshin/Jelco) on an Ariston RD-11S.
LOL! I like the idea of modding Lambretta scooter like that too
Hey- I had a TV175 - bored out to 225cc and had go faster green metallic and white paintwork with a tuned (read loud) exhaust and chrome backrest - oh, and a 6ft whip antenna !

Compared to today’s machines It went like a cow with a tailwind :-)

Moving on... I found the Soundsmith modified 103 to be a fine cartridge for a reasonable price - mine cost me around $600.

To tweak or not to tweak is a personal approach and may affect resale value (depending on the buyer)

Personally I do not buy resale carts of any kind.

Because as Forest gump said...
"Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get."
@chakster Many Thanks for the Lambretta comment - memories came flooding back :-)

Cheers

Interesting discussion.  High impedance circuits are more susceptible to noise caused by oscillation, I do know that.  I would not have thought that the difference in Z between an MM "circuit" and a LOMC one would make much difference to noise generation.

Rob, Mitch Cotter or any other guru can write a book on the subject, but in the end we all have to use our ears.  If he came down in favor of SUTs, then one can cite other "authorities" of similar stature who come down on the other side. Anyway, I was more talking about "noise" in response to Dover's assertion.
An alternative is an aluminum body cap. It slides over the stock body, bolts on, and can be removed and re-used. It's a much less expensive option than many options listed above.

https://www.denonaluminumbody.com