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MC cartridge upgrade for a Schiit Sol (Denon dl-103r) help!

Hi there!

I’m being in the market over a month for a new cartridge (AT95EN) for my Schiit Sol. I know there’s a ton of options out there like Nagaoka, Ortofon, Sumiko, just to name a few, I knew that MC are more expensive than MM cartridges (I know there’s exceptions) but I found Denon 103R with great reviews and a "affordable" price ($300 more or less) and that’s when I started doing my research about MC cartridges, some people were talking about you "need to make sure your tonearm is compatible with the MC cartridge that you want" they talk about tonearm mass and bunch of other stuff. My question is, How do I know my tonearm is compatible with Denon dl-103r cartridge?! I checked schiit sol manual and does not have any technical information about tonearm weight/mass. I will be using schiit mani preamp.

Thank you ahead for your time!
Edwin
erivera1990
smb1978
12 posts
 

Hi @erivera1990,

I have since upgraded to the Schiit Mani 2. It is much better than the Mani 1. I re-recorded a few records with the same cartridge and headshell that I used with the Mani 1—just to see if there was any difference. There was a definite improvement in the quality of sound, particularly the soundstage (much wider) and noise level (way quieter) as the music played. Additional improvements with this model include increased gain settings, better S/N ratio and THD specs, more impedance and capacitance loading options, and low-pass filter switches.

I currently have the ART9XA on a Pioneer PLX-1000 turntable I recently bought, and it sounds great with the Mani 2. Pioneer actually made a few improvements on the PLX-1000 (as of 2022). This includes a heavier turntable weight (from 28.9lbs to 32lbs), better wow flutter (from 0.1% to 0.01% or less), and a thicker rubber turntable sheet/mat. The effective tonearm mass is 12g. I plan on making some additional improvements by damping the tonearm. But, overall, I’m pleased with what I hear out of this setup.

Regards,

Shaun

 

erivera1990 OP
52 posts
 

@smb1978 I bet it sounds beautiful! Specifically with such a cartridge! I putting together a technics mk2 (one of those deals I couldn’t let pass) and as it right now I’m debating between the mani 2 or Moon 110lp V2 preamp, more expensive compared to mani 2 but also it seems that has more options. Do you have a YouTube channel that I could appreciate your setup?

tablejockey
4,039 posts
 

For the level of gear  you have,  consider spending $400 for a Soundsmith  Otello moving iron cart.

It will be compatible with your existing phonostage and give you a taste of what nicer cartridges can do- MM or MC.

I wouldn't spend much on a cart  until  you drop considerably more money on a phonostage and everything else in your setup.

https://www.sound-smith.com/cartridges/fixed-coil/otello

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I keep one as a backup  for my $2K LOMC. 

 

 

smb1978
12 posts
 

Hi @erivera1990,

The Moon 110lp V2 preamp has some pretty impressive specs.  I wonder how it compares to the Mani 2 in listening tests.  No I don't have a YouTube channel to share my vinyl.  I was tempted to create one but see that YouTube uploads - particularly the sound quality of audio - get seriously degraded via its compression.  All the effort I would put into creating a video upload with my vinyl would, to me, be wasted by the less-than-optimum audio quality that comes out of it.  I know that Tidal has the best audio quality, but I believe that's only for artists (or creators of songs) to upload - not so much for end-user consumers who want to share their vinyl.  I might be wrong on that, but that's my understanding of that platform.  But if you want to hear a sample, here is a link to an uncompressed .wav file to one of the songs I recorded: https://we.tl/t-eDzMsOdKHn 

erivera1990 OP
52 posts
 

@smb1978 

 

It sounds amazing!!! I bought the Mani 2, most likely I will be selling my Schiit Sol turntable. I'm planning to upgrade... Meanwhile I have a Technics MK2 and I will test it with a Denon 103. I will let you know how it sounds! 

 

Cheers!

 

Edwin Rivera 

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