TIME to break in a Denon 103R

Hey Larry, I just installed a new 103 (couldn't swing the extra $90 for the R) on a DIY TT project two days ago. I agree with HDM that after about 15 hours, four of which were run on the Cardas burn in disc, the 103 REALLY smoothed out and started to sing. It may be one of the biggest bangs for your audio buck today. This project is putting out some serious sound. Let us know how your 103R sounds over time.

Larry,

Sorry to be so slow, you cheapskate!

I like the 103/103R too. IMO it is one of the great bargains in cartridges. Lots of honest music for a very reasonable price. You have to spend several times more to do much better.

Doug, your answer dissapoints me. How can you recommend a cartridge that uses a 16.5u round stylus? That will destroy anyone's record collection--unless they are 1950's hard mono records. Maybe for a high end kiddie phonograph a radial tip would work...

At the very least a stylus tip should be elliptical. At the very least.

Psychicanimal,

Your post is the first time I've heard that theory. Can you elaborate? Something to do with a small contact patch and resultant high psi's? Or... ?

Doug

This theory has been thrashed about on AA and totally debunked. There are perhaps hundreds of users of the 103R, many of them very knowledgeable vinyl-philes, and I've never heard of any reports of vinyl damage due to its use.