Denon DL 103 modifications and re-body questions thread

If you bought DL-103r cartridge just to invest more in retipping that awful conical stylus (or even cantilever) and then to invest even more to replace the body of a cartridge, i just don’t undestand why not just buy a good MC that does not require any additional investement at all?

It seems like you bought a cartridge first and then asking about tonearm for it ? But this particular cartridge require ONLY superheavy old-fashioned tonearm (high mass) like Fidelity-Research FR-64s and related. If you could only check Fidelity-Research cartridge  (like PMC-3 or FR-7f series)  in comparison to DL-103r then, i’m affraid, the best place for DL-103 is a recycle bin.

Denon DL-103 series is a great opportunity for many small companies and DIYers to capitalize on so called "upgrade" of the most popular product. Some Denon owners simply go crazy with this "upgrade" and ready to spend $700+ to change their Denon 103 a bit. New cantilevers, new stylus tip, new cartridge body and so on. 

Let me ask you why do you need Denon if everything made by Denon must be replaced, refurbished by some DIYer on the bench in garage?  

Actually any cartridge can be retipped and recantilevered. Some strange dudes offering DIY wood body even for Grace cartridges.

$1k is enough to buy absolutely amazing MM or MC cartridges with the most advanced stylus/cantilever combo factory made by the best japanese cartridge manufacturers. A cartridge with much better specs, much better sound, much longer life etc. Some of them are low compliance if you need something like denon to match some heavy tonearms. 

Personally i would never buy any refurbished or retipped cartridge.
The best original cartridge is what i am looking for. 

Those tricks with cheap Denon 103 looks like someone trying to rebuild manually Ford Focus to a Porsche Carrera for the cost of Carrera.  

  

@lohanimal 

As an adopted 'Essex boy' (those in the UK would understand the joke) I like the idea of adding go faster lines, a turbo, and a big wing to my Ford - I don't expect it to become a Porsche - which I thankfully have ;) (in terms of cartridges that is)  

LOL! I like the idea of modding Lambretta scooter like that too 

P.S. Who fixed yout JVC TT-101? I've asked one JVC repair center in UK, they said they can do that.  

Nobody willing to change a body of any other cartridge for some reason.

There are many old and new amazing MC cartridges with plastic body. 

Why DL-103 stock plastic body should be replaced and what is the effect?