Denon 103r ????

Dear Hdm: Well you have to try one of those MM cartridges out there, are " inexpensive " and overall better than the over-valued 103. Of course that I'm not talking of the Magic Diamond but the 103/103R.

Look, one of my 60+ cartridges is the 103 that was my first MC cartridge and in those old times was the audio glory for me but through the time we are growing-up and learning about the whole sound/music quality reproduction at home. I try it several times ( in the last 12 months ) testing in different stages: tonearms, headshells, load impedance and the like and till today these cartridges performs only ok but there are many other cartridges ( low price, many of them MM ones. ) that for less price give you a lot better quality performance. This is my experience but I respect to all those people that " die for it ", they have to live with it not me, not any more.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Sorry you have dismissed the 103r so prematurely, Raul, especially because you have not even tried it. Your logic is flawed.

I have listened to alot of your 'choice' cartridges for many years- they are all in perfect condition. And while they are very good, the 103r in stock form is quite capable as well, and better than most.

I still have MF-100&200, F9e, Decca w/ Garrott retip, AC-2, Zyx r20, Stanton 991, AT-170, Grado Sig., B&O mmc 20cl, Astrion, Koetsu Rosewood, etc.

If you choose not to participate in the pleasures of a $270 music bargain, I can live with that. No disrespect intended, just criticism. Best wishes.

The stock 103R is a fine cartridge, lived with it for a year or so, but the Soundsmith retip with optimised line contact takes it to another league, not shamed in the company of multi-kilo buck carts. Both musically involving and detailed, able to throw a deep and wide soundstage. Best used with the arm tail-down and tracking at 1.9g.

If you have "Edge" from the denon, you have an issue with matching it to the Arm, the Phono amp.. or your system is simply "hot sounding" or your room needs some acoustic attention. No doubt ANY cart or combo can be made to sound wrong, but its very unlikely it is the Denon on its own in a nutshell, many other factors need to be looked at.

Cmk,

Care to share a few more impressions of the Soundsmith retip? This is one I have been seriously looking at, and I'm curious if you repotted it in the ebony body, nuded it, or simply retipped with the line-contact/ruby cantelever?

I tried the Zu103, and didn't really care for it all that much - it really brought out the hi-fi abilities of the cart and spruced things up throughout the spectrum, but I felt music sounded fragmented and disjointed through the cartridge. The Zu cart also wasn't the best resonant match on the Triplanar. I find the stock 103 to be a better music maker all around (warts and all). YMMV.

-Richard