Shelter 501 or Denon 103 with SME - Anyone tried ?

Blcube, the price of the Shelter 501 is about $800 in the US, although up till recently you could get it cheaper from EIFL in Japan. I just checked EIFL's website and they now list it at $750 plus overseas shipping, so there is no reason to order it from them anymore. There is a dealer on here named Audio Revelation, who advertises all the Origin Live stuff on the A'gon Classifieds, and he is a Shelter dealer.

If you have some specific questions, I can tell you just about anything you want to know about it. It's just about the best cartridge you can get under $1500, and it beats alot of cartridges that cost alot more than that. Low compliance and low output, so you need the right arm and enough gain in your phono section.

I'm using a Denon 103D with an SME IV and it is an
excellent match.

One has to be careful with arm-cartridge compliance mismatches, especially in marginal acoustical situations. There are plenty of cartridges out there that are sonically good in this price range that will meet the system requirements you describe. Feedback can become more of a problem than users are likely to admit or perceive. I have my phono gear in a separate room from the rest of my system. It is suspended from the structural wall and the phono preamp drives a balanced cable to the preamp. Even with everything else ok from a compliance point, these are some steps to consider if you want optimum performance from your "record player."

I have used Shelter 501 with SME309 and SME VI with good result. Currently using Shelter 901 with SME 309 and SME VI.

I have a 309 arm and have used both the 501 and the 901 on a VPI mk IV table. No problems what so ever. I purchased the shelter's from Red Rose in NYC. Great cartridge for the money.