Help with cartridge

Chakster is a Denon hater, every chance he gets he puts the DL-103 and it's variants down.
If you go on the internet and check around there is a whole lotta love for it from many folks out there.
My favorite reports are from the folks that started with a DL-103 and moved up the chain to carts costing several thousand dollars. When the mega cart goes in for service and they put that old DL-103 back in service to tide them over they are very surprised.To a T they all say that the old Denon, while not the last word on detail is so more musical and how they missed that.
I've seen a few very expensive systems that the owner could have anything he wanted running DL-103 carts.
The nice thing is that they are cheap and broken ones very cheap. You can pick one up and for far less that an expensive cart would cost have a very fine cart. Plenty of mods from different body's, cantilever material and stylus shapes to play with. And you don't have to spend a big wad of cash to do it all in one shot, makes it budget friendly.
Add a nice SUT (they like a SUT) with your MM phono stage and your set.

BillWojo

Thanks team Audiogon!

Yes, I have a SUT from Wright Audio.

Even with the bent cantilever it still played. Did an A/B with Sinatra’s Girl from Impanea on CD and 1960’s era vinyl. Wow! Going back to analog like the return of the prodigal son.

You say you are still playing it with the cantilever askew, and that is fine as long as you align the cantilever and not the cartridge body for best playback. Enjoy the music

Glad it's working out for you and you have it on a cool deck as well. Actually your whole vinyl setup is pretty nice. Hope you still have all your records as well.
BillWojo

Hello safarisound.  Having your cartridge repaired is certainly OK.  I would suggest that, if you do, to be sure and replace the cantilever and its suspension, not just having the old one re-tipped.  Suspension materials break down over time and the performance can be compromised rather significantly.  If you choose to buy a new cartridge altogether, for $750 (at full retail) I highly recommend the Hana SL.  I bought one last year so I am speaking from my experience.  Among several cartridges I use (mostly more expensive than the Hana SL), I can say from my experience that it is one of the best values in the industry.  There is good reason it is so highly reviewed and rated.  As always, ones preference is relative to ones taste in music reproduction.  And of course, how it matches up and performs with their kit.  The Hana SL is just a great sounding cartridge overall.  It is difficult to fault it.  Some research on reviews of the Hana SL will help you.  Good luck to you on your quest.  Do enjoy the music.