Denon DL 103R vs. AT OC9 - MLII

Mapman,

Glad to hear that the DL103R works well with your Axis/Basik, which is similar to my older LP-12. I have read a few posts where this cart seemed to work well on some arms where it shouldn't have.

Rob,

Yes, I took a small chance with the DL103R based on what I read about it and the price, but it paid off in spades. I will probably never leave this cartridge. Just goes to show that you never know for sure until you listen.

There are also simple DIY tweaks to tonearm mass I have read about here and considered trying, but frankly, I have not been motivated to experiment because things sound really good the way they are. Maybe someday....

Dear Rob: Looking at your phono stage IMHO you can have a better quality performance through MM cartridges than from MC ones.

With this in mind you can/could go freely to the AT 150MLX or Nagaoka MP-50/500 or Ortofon 2M Black/Bronze even for the Maestro.

IMHO all these cartridges are not a sideways move on your Dyna and IMHO too are better than the ones you named on your thread.

Regards and enjy the music.
Raul.

Raul -

Thanks for the input regarding my phono stage and for confirming some of the cart recommendations that Viridian and others have made.

I remember reading a synopsis by Michael Fremer on the MiniMax where he felt the top end could be bit soft on the MM side, so I assumed that perhaps the MC side of the phonostage was a bit better in that aspect.

There's obviously more choices for MM than MC carts with the arms than I'm presently using. I am considering replacing the Basik arm with one of the Rega variants, but once again there seem to be less MC choices for a medium-mass tonearm.

I'd like to choose a cart that will work best with my phonostage, work well with the Basik, but will still be a good choice when I go to upgrade the arm.

Dear Rob: That kind of remarks ( the one from M. Fremer ) about the MM " soft " top end is ( I never hear your unit ) IMHO a load impedance subject ( like MC ones that needs the right load impedance to show its best performance. IMHO any pro-reviewer like MF it suppose that know about and must advise about. ) because if you load almost any MM cartridge type at 100K instead the " wrong " 47K setting things improve a lot on quality performance.

All those MM cartridges are " tonearm/phono stage friendly " and its quality performance can/could even the quality performance ( everything the same. I can't be totaly sure, because the MC are more demanding, but in your phono stage ( like I told you ) the MM surpass/beat a MC one. ) level against several MC cartridges on the 2K-3K price range.

Anyway, this is only an additional opinion that along the other people ones can give you the " input " to make a choice.

regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.