Audio-Technica cartridges are great and always good value/quality ratio, you can’t go wrong with any of them, because of this brand we don’t have to pay too much for a decent cartridge (mm or mc).
Question on Denon DL-103 retipping options and preferences
I have been looking at getting a Denon DL-103 retipped and I have narrowed it down to getting it done by Steve at VAS or by Andy at Needle Clinic.
Both companies approach to the DL-103 is very different and I am curious if anyone has heard cartridges from each or what you think that may be better for amazing sounding rock.
Steve recommends a wood housing and then will do a Boron/MR retipping, where Andy will modify the plastic housing on the DL-103 to convert it's enclosed outer body to a half nude body, lightening it up which he says will make it track better. His conversion will be a micro ridge nude stylus (sapphire/boron cantilever)
So as stated very different approaches, same cost for the most part, I have ruled Soundsmith out just based on time, I know Andy turns around in a day, but have read a lot about both so I figured I would ask the question to see where people lean more often. I do already have an ebony housing, just want to get a cartridge that punches way above its weight.
If there is something I should look at outside the DL-103 I would be open to hear about it.
Just for the record this cartridge will be going on a SOTA Sapphire VI with an Audiomods series 6 tonearm and I have a McIntosh MP100 going to a tube rolled Schiit Freya+ driving by two Odyssey Kismet monoblocks and Martin Logan speakers.
Both companies approach to the DL-103 is very different and I am curious if anyone has heard cartridges from each or what you think that may be better for amazing sounding rock.
Steve recommends a wood housing and then will do a Boron/MR retipping, where Andy will modify the plastic housing on the DL-103 to convert it's enclosed outer body to a half nude body, lightening it up which he says will make it track better. His conversion will be a micro ridge nude stylus (sapphire/boron cantilever)
So as stated very different approaches, same cost for the most part, I have ruled Soundsmith out just based on time, I know Andy turns around in a day, but have read a lot about both so I figured I would ask the question to see where people lean more often. I do already have an ebony housing, just want to get a cartridge that punches way above its weight.
If there is something I should look at outside the DL-103 I would be open to hear about it.
Just for the record this cartridge will be going on a SOTA Sapphire VI with an Audiomods series 6 tonearm and I have a McIntosh MP100 going to a tube rolled Schiit Freya+ driving by two Odyssey Kismet monoblocks and Martin Logan speakers.
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- 58 posts total
I have the Audiomods Series 3 with a Soundsmith modified Denon DL 103 and as other posters mentioned it is not a perfect match to the Arm. However, the Zu 103 is a much better match due to the additional mass of the cartridge housing So being a handy guy I simply made an adaption to the cartridge, by epoxying the cartridge to a small brass mounting plate that I made.. http://image99.net/blog/files/23c020f75290d3392577113371f4dc94-38.html The cost of this tweak was all of $12.50 for the plate and epoxy Now I enjoy the superb details that this Optimaized Contour Line Contact stylus is capable of and the tracking is perfect. Epoxying the cadrtridge to the plate did two things
.Havene’t even considered another cartridge since Is it the best solution?
So if you are wary about modifying cartridges in this manner, then buy a Zu and send it to Soundsmith (or other similar outfit) because the shperical stylus and associated catilever is not the best choice for such a capable cartridge. Regards - Steve |
I have had retipping (and more!) done by Soundsmith, VAS and Needle Clinic. All of the retipped carts sound great (all of them better than new), but... Soundsmith retipped my Grado Reference Platinum (saphire cantilever, line contact) in 2017. Sounds great, but they had to break the wood body apart (crack line is obvious) and they did not mention it at all when I finally got it back over 2 1/2 months later. Was the work actually done in the US? NAS retipped 2 Ortofon MC20 Super IIs for me this year (boron cantilevers, one micro ridge, one line contact). They sound great. VAS is cagey about turnaround times, though. First it was maybe a month, then it was suddenly ready. Outsourced somewhere. Also, they offered to machine a wood body for one of them but when they received the cartridges they were unable to do it. And really, "Friends and Family"? Needle Clinic has done 6 cartridges for me over the years: In 2017 they retipped a Denon DL-103R (saphire/line contact) and put it in a wood body (eBay - Stanley Engineering Shop for wood bodies) for me at no extra charge. It's great. Turnaround time including the shipping both ways was 8 days (I checked my emails and tracking). This year, first my Grado Statement Reference (boron/micro ridge). Great sound; 9 days turnaround. Next, I sent them 6 carts at once. 2 turned out to be unrepairable - no charge. One should have been - a Denon DL-(alpha)S1 with a tiny crack in the suspension missed on initial inspection. But they told me they would repair it so they did, at the original price; boron/micro ridge. They put boron/line contact on an Orofon MC20 and boron/micro ridge on a Denon DL-301. And last but not least, they put boron/microridge on an Ortofon MC20 Super and removed the body (their idea). That nude MC20 Super is a true reviewer's tool. All this - turnaround time 10 days. I recommend Needle Clinic. Yes you can get quality work elsewhere but not that quickly every time. And they will answer their phone and their emails promptly. I went to VAS because I wanted to try a wood body on the Orofon MC20 Super II but... see above. Plastic, metal, wood, nude - all sound different. I bet Needle Clinic will put that wood body on for you if you ask, and probably no extra charge. The old one has to come off to retip it anyway. |
- 58 posts total