Denon DL-103R cartridge update

You won't be sorry. His work is excellent and IMO, a great value for what you'll have, when all is said n' done. I can only speak for a Shelter 501 and the 103R, with the mid level retip: ruby canti, nude contact line stylus. As long is there is no inherent issue with the cart (generator, coils, suspension, etc.) it will come back and compete with carts costing much more than the total invested and more than that, just be a great sounding all-arounder.

As far as your plans to "heavy up" a medium weight arm for it. I kind've went that route, although really only heavied up an Orsonic headshell with an added weight & added some tak to both arm tube & counterweight, with an SME 3009. I ran the 103R stock with this and while it worked reasonably well, it was no match for using a medium/low-to-low compliance cart like the 103R, on an arm that weighs in at around 15g. No disrespect intended to Emorrisiv and his tweaks; but IMO, you won't get the most out of your cartridge if you add all of what amounts to, a lot of external damping to the arm tube, shell, etc. Your arm has in all likelihood, already been damped internally and while some tak helped tame some slight buzziness of the stock cart's, crap plastic housing, a nicely machined aluminum body or certain wood bodies, really make the Denons sing. Ymmv and all that :)

Marc

Marc: no disrespect taken. I am always interested in hearing other people's ideas and experiences.

I intend to try the 103 with a different body like a UWE. But I have to tell you, that adding the weight to the arm was a huge improvement.Not just in dampening resonance, but in getting the cantilever movement under control. Instead of bouncing around and causing problems, it is now much smoother and mistracking is no longer a issue at all. This is how the original design was intended: radio stations using big transcription tables and arms that are heavy and yes slower. The resonance is definitely a factor too, but not all. btw all things resonate;the question is, what frequency? By adding all the lead,I have changed that frequency to a much lower level. Kind of like putting a bigger string in a guitar, or piano.

I would be interested to hear from folks that have tried the aftermarket bodies; which one is the one I want? Wood, aluminum?
Also, how scary was the removal of the plastic?

great string.

e

E, i'm glad you're loving your 103 and have had success with it on a heavied-up, medium weight arm. Sounds like you've hit upon the right weight combination, to put you in the cart resonance "green zone" or whatever we'll call an optimal range. All systems vary, as do the ears of the listeners and all that. My time with my new SS woody 103r/Schick/Yama shell is so limited at this point, I should reserve opinions for a bit anyway; but right out of the gate, the music just seems to naturally jump out of my speakers and the bass seems so much better and more natural, that I am becoming rapidly sold on A) using the Denons, retipped and otherwise, on a longer arm and b) tracking even the SS retips very close to the upper end of the stock 103 range (2.6g for me right now) and than I will adjust the force down, only if I think i'm missing any "sparkle" or detail, in the future. So far everything below, say, 2k kz is so much more solid. The SS, Peter L., has clarified with many of us in occasional posts, that azimuth is a citical adjustment with his special (i.e. not spherical or eliptical) retips. And if you can't totally nail down the proper azimuth, that it's better from both a sonics and record wear standpoint, to track them heavier out of the gate. Frequent poster here and on the AA, "Blake" sort've preaches this and i'm now onboard with the concept. I think a lot of folks likely run them with too little force on them; hey, to each their own. Sorry for the tangent into VTF for the Denons. Just passing on what's working for me in a big way right now.

As far as the OP's search: I think he would love a redone 103R for his listening tastes. In the interim, to hold the fort, something like a Dyna, ZYX or maybe a Jico tipped Shure V15 would give you a lot of snap n' sizzle, but don't write off a redone 103R, they do seem to kick serious butt in the dynamics department when implemented properly. There's a reason that a lot of folks run replinthed classic decks, long tonearms and Denon 103 cartridges; mainly: yards n' yards of Jazz n' Classical LPs (not that the other categories aren't likewise well served), but if they're getting it done extremely well with these combos on the Classical material, they ain't getting short changed in the dynamics department.

Go for the Denon redo, there is no real downside!

I should add the caveat to the OP, that IMO, your tonearm and budget to procure and better match for the Denons, should play a large role in your choice.

M

Just curious but what are you folks seeing for output channel imbalance on your 103r's? Mine was R .29mv and the L was .33mv. I was curious if this is pretty normal. I suspect the Zu audio modded units as well as the units from SS are tighter (Sorted for performance); at least my guess.

Thanks Chuck