DL103 vs. DL103R

Ok, the bottom line here is that the DL103R is definitely the better cartridge. The comments that I made which were quoted above were meant to reflect the comparison against not only the 103, but other excellent cartridges as well.

While there may be a slight rise on the top end, it is quite small and can be loaded down to your taste. If you load it a little too high, it might get a little bit hot if you have a hot tweeter.

The advantages of the smoother and more detailed treble, and also the better tracking, make the DL103R a "no brainer" choice over the regular DL103, in my opinion.

Thanks for all the info. I am very well aware that the sound of these things is 1) massively subjective in general and 2) completely dependent on what lies downchain of it - all the way to room acoustics, etc. etc...

However, inthe case of a direct comparison in a given constant system, I think that one can, and will, be objective (the object here being the 'constant' or system it's hooked up to) and therefore the most meaningful of comparisons. Having a VERY peaky tweeter, I am very inclined to be VERY cautious about which other components I pick - and especially in an era of the impossibility of A/B ing any number of pickups at a dealer - I'm putting MUCH more weight on words. Yes, I could buy one. And then swap it for something else. That would kind of suck, though... to have to go through all the effort - and buy an arm that would match this cartridge and then decide you don't like it. I AM rather hoping, to use my analytical skills and read between the lines and figure out for myself (foolish maybe) what might work for me - now having read a few score articles/reviews in depth. This should be interesting at least - to see what I end up with!

I'll tell you this: If you decide to try it, and don't like it, I'll buy it from you. I can always use a spare, and it would take some of the hassle out of it. I know it stills sucks having to go through all that crap, but either way, you'll come out OK.

When I do my listening reviews, I always try to point out some potential shortcomings, even if the item is exhibiting extraordinary performance for its price range. It is of no use to just rave about a product's performance, and give no "down sides". Everything has a down side, no matter what it costs.

In the case of the DL103R, which I got to replace my DL103, the improvement was very significant, to the point that I would only consider purchasing another DL103R for my system, but not a regular DL103. The DL103R in my system was replaced by a Shelter 501, and they seem to have very similar character, and the performance gap between them doesn't seem wide. Considering that the Shelter 501 is a superb bargain at its price point(competing with +$2k cartridges), and the DL103R is not far behind, it is easy to see what a bargain the DL103R is at only ~$270.

From my "hands on" experience with both the DL103 and DL103R, I would heartily recommend the DL103R over the DL103, and it is worth every extra penny spent for it.

What's the 103R stylus life? Thanks