Denon DL-103R Wood Body Mod

Pat: I had Peter Lederman pot my 103R in an ebony body when he did the line contact retip (I opted for the $250 retip as opposed to the really extreme $350 retip).

Ultimately, I think, the different woods offer different presentations, and whether one has a stock 103 vs. a 103R may well result in a preference for a different wood body depending on, subjectively, what a listener wants and also whether their system is drifting toward being cool and lean or warm and full. In the end, the whole wood body/retip thing with the Denons is kind of like wine: very subjective.

As the 103R is purportedly (I actually have no experience with the stock 103) more extended and detailed than the stock 103, I think the ebony (or a wood that imparts a warmer balance-perhaps your cherry fits that character) may be the better choice for the 103R. I definitely found that with Ebony vs. Clavellin with the 103R. Clavellin may be the better choice with a stock 103, who knows?

With respect to the Soundsmith retip, the ruby cantilever is, as you say, pretty quick and the LC stylus digs out an incredible amount of information that the stock concical stylus simply misses.

IMO, with the 103R, the weightier presentation of the Ebony is a perfect match with the speed and detail retrieval of the ruby cantilever and LC stylus from Soundsmith.

But I track at 2.6 grams, which is exactly what I tracked at previously with the conical. Took me 2 months to figure it out as there are all kinds of zany reports from guys with Soundsmith Denons tracking at 1.5, 1.8 etc.

I found that even tracking at 2.45 grams resulted in a bit of a screwed up tonal balance with the Soundsmith LC retip. Tons of detail and speed, as you say, but etched and without the drama. Lower than that and you get lots of audiophile wannabe attributes: detail galore, air, speed. The problem is that the music, or, as you put it, the drama, is gone.

At 2.6 with the LC, all the power and drama is there, along with a lot more information, at least for me.

I hear you. I got to really like what the ruby/fine line did. It transforms the sound away form the core 103 sound but it is still something that I really like. It was only after getting the elliptical on the aluminum that I became sure about the cantilever's importance. Do not discount what that humble aluminum tube brings to the game.

I will really test my opinion when I finally pack this ebony 103 off to SS. Now, with the elliptical I feel no loss of detail. I mean I do not crave for more. Very satisfactory.

It costs little to try out an elliptical. It's a thing hiding in plane sight.

Very nice. Perhaps you are familiar with the saying, "A silk purse from a sows ear"? I appreciate the 103R and yet compared to a vintage MM Empire or the equivalent we have an exercise in conversion.......

Sincerely,

07-10-10: Gadfly
I will really test my opinion when I finally pack this ebony 103 off to SS. Now, with the elliptical I feel no loss of detail. I mean I do not crave for more. Very satisfactory.

I'm absolutely amazed at the level of detail available from the Panzerholz 103R with stock cantilever/stylus. At this stage I feel no inclination to investigate an exotic re-tip - and this is following about 6 months with the Ortofon A90 in my system.

Of course the A90 does things the Uwe Panzerholz 103R can't - mostly notably it's see into transparency and extreme clarity in the soundfield. The Uwe 103R still does well enough to satisfy (me) in these areas though.

What amazes me though - and has every time I've played a 103R variant over the last 5 yrs - is the musical rightness and engagement of the Denon. The tonal colours and textures capture some lifelikeness that is quite compelling. With the 103R in the panzerholz shell (on the Phantom II) I find the shortcomings of the stock 103R - somewhat bloated mid-bass, lack of mid-band clarity, lack of speed and 'snap' on transients, lack of HF refinement/apparent extension - are, at least to my satisfaction, gone. The Denon also sounds very dynamic and lively, with a great knack of reproducing instrumental 'action'.

The modded Denon still won't satisfy those who want to count individual players of an orchestra at the rear of the stage, but I think many would be genuinely shocked how good it sounds. I am.

Tobes: It's been almost 3 years since I replaced the plastic body on my 103R with an ebony and I still remember those improvments.

I have no experience with the A90 so can't say how it would compare, but I would say that, from my perspective, the SS retip improves things in a very big way above and beyond the wood body. In two areas in particular which you mention, mid band clarity and HF refinement/extension, the SS retip probably equals or exceeds the jump in performance you experienced moving to the wood body. The SS retip brings about a huge improvement in the "hear through" quality in the mid band. It's quite amazing how much information the conical is actually missing.

It's pretty astonishing how much more detail it digs out of the grooves and it does tend to move the cartridge well into the area of being able to "satisfy those who want to count individual players of an orchestra at the rear of the stage" without really giving up that "musical rightness" IMO.