Turntable got absolutely crushed by CD

My first styli was a shure encore, cost me a months pay in 78.Had an entry level pioneer pld2 if memory serves..a nick in an lp destroyed the shure!Thats when i went cda.

and cd writers cut memorex discs at the slowest speed,4x, they are still good 40 years later!I dont know if an lp will last that long...sounding as good as new.

The compliance of your cartridge is quoted by Zu as 5cu which is stiff for your arm if 5cu is really the correct number to use. Japanese manufacturers specify the compliance at 100 Hz instead of 10 Hz standard. A practice is to derive the compliance at 10 Hz by multiplying it by 1.5 or 2. That would place the compliance of your cartridge between 7.5 to 10 cu which is better for your arm. Overall though, this cartridge may be too stiff for your arm. Regarding your arm, did you check the amount of damping oil in the well? VPI says “if you feel the sound to be constricted (overly damped), remove some of the fluid.” You can check your guide for advice on the amount of oil and whether to thin it.

I use a Denon DL-103r in a Denon tonearm with Denon AU-320 step up transformer (SUT).  The r version of this cartridge has a 14 Ohm impedance but still works well with the transformer at the transformer’s 40 Ohm setting. Your cartridge has the 40 Ohm impedance that the transformer expects. These transformers are always available on the auction site for $350 or less including shipping from Japan. If you don’t mind spending a little more money a SUT might be worth a try. You can always sell it on the same site if you don’t like it and get most of your money back. The input impedance of your phono stage to work with the transformer would be about 47K, i.e., the moving magnet input or setting.

The Denon DL-103 is a classic cartridge desired for its overall realistic effect. It will not necessarily impress with extreme detail or other sensational sonic effects. I recommend you continue to look at your setup and see where adjustments can be made. A SUT will do some of the work of your phono preamp and clear up any impedance issues. This could get things to sound better overall.

Today, I invested a couple of hours auditioning a new system to replace my 10 year old mid-fi home theater/2 channel music system that is 10 years old.  

Current line-up:
Rotel RSP1068 
Rotel RMB1095
Oppo BDP 83SE
Cambrige Stream Magic 6 v1
B&W 805S mains
B&W HTM7 center
B&W in-wall surrounds

The audition:
McIntosh 8900 Integrated
Aurender A10 network player
VPI Prime Scout with Soundsmith Carmen cartridge
B&W 804 D3 mains

Clearly the auditioned system is light years ahead of my current rig, but my comments here are about analog vs. digital.  I haven’t had an analog source in probably 25 years.  As I was considering my new system, curiosity struck and I added the VPI to my listening session.  The VPI was feeding the Mac’s internal MM phono input.  I had both a HiRes digital copy and a new 180 gram vinyl copy of Fleetwood Mac’s “The Dance” (obviously not the only music I brought).  First I listened to the opening track, “The Chain”, from the HiRes file.  As you would expect, it sparkled.  All the parts were there and it moved me as that track should.  Then I put on the vinyl copy... My jaw hit the floor.  For me, all the pace and detail was there, but everything was so much more natural.  Voices, guitar, drums and particularly the cymbals and hi hat from Fleetwood’s kit were so incredibly rendered that I felt much more connected to the music.  So I put on several other records, both new and some from my teenage years that survived 4 moves and a couple of worn out styli.  After listening to the VPI/Soundsmith combo for another 40 minutes I am completely smitten and will now start the process of buying all my favorite artists on vinyl AGAIN.  I know that a really good digital front end can walk all over a so-so analog source, but in this one instance and to my 55 year old ears, I’m convinced that there is rooom for both and I will probably find myself spinning records a lot more than pushing buttons on my iPad.