Esco cantilever/stylus mods for Zu Denon 103R

Hi Downunder, I bow to your views since you can hear the ESCCo Zu 103 alongside more expensive MCs in the same system. For me, I was able to compare it against the Transfiguration Orpheus in my system and felt there was no contest. The Orpheus was maybe a little ahead on neutrality, detail retrieval and soundstaging, but the ESCCo routinely beat it on tonality, dynamics, PRaT and all round involvement.
I've only heard the Titan/Atlas/Goldfinger in other systems so maybe shouldn't comment, but really feel at the very least the ESCCo Zu isn't embarrassed in such company.
The other consideration is that maybe the Al bodied Zu 103 has different characteristics than the wooden bodied Uwe Zu.

Just a little update. The basic Zu 103 in my opinion is a bit of a giant killer, with tone and dynamics right up there with the best MCs, just lacking in a little detail retrieval and soundstaging.
The ESCCo mods have taken all what's best, tamed the stridency apparent in the top end with a fair number of discs, and replaced it with a lush sweetness that really complements the unbeatable tonality already present. However the first few days' listening revealed a little undue softness or lack of urgency in the sound.
Now, a few days burning in has resulted in an elimination of this softness and I'm getting a much needed dose of incision.
So I'm now getting a cart with real involvment, tone, excellent but not spotlit detail retrieval, and a perfect balance of sharpness and warmth.
In direct comparison with my 4x pricier previous fave, the Transfiguration Orpheus, there's just no contest - in no area now does the ESCCo Zu 103 fall behind. In fact it trumps it pretty comprehensively.

Hi Spirit. Great to hear you enjoying the cart.

A friend of mine also had a Transfiguration Orpheus. He has a Monaco table with Triplaner.

He bought a Clearaudio Maestro which is around 1k - he too has similar thoughts on the superiority of the Maestro over the Orpheus. He sold his Orpheus.

I am not sure if this says something about the overachieving cheaper cartridges, or the Orpheus being a underachiever. Probably a bit of both.

I am going to have to put the esc'd 103r onto one of my tables again.

Cheers

Downunder, I really admired the Orpheus in it's day, but was fully aware of it's overly neutral nature. Personally I always preferred the Lyra Parnassus, loving it's liquid tonality and lithe bass, but couldn't get on with the Lyra Skala or Helikon which I both felt were a little too ascerbic esp. at the top end.
When I heard the Zu 103 three years ago, I really felt I was getting a lot of what made the Parnassus special, in a really user friendly package (dead easy to set up, sounds great out of the box). And the move to ESCCo modding has really smoothed out any rough edges the stock Zu 103 demonstrated in the treble.
Now I'm getting a sound that leaves me wanting for nothing else.

Yesterday, I sent my Zu 103R (lvl 2) to Soundsmith for their top cantilever and diamond. I am thinking that this is the equivalent of the ESCCo mods discussed here. This cart had been out of service for about a year because of a sweater-sleeve circumcision of the original cantilever. Now I can't wait to get it back to hear the results.