Denon DL-103 -- Was it a mistake?

I have had both the 103 and the virtuoso at the same time. They are very different cartridges. I always preferred the virtuoso but that is a matter of taste. It will take you a while to get used to the 103 sound if you were fond of your virtuoso. To get the 103 to sound really good you will have to spend some money on a good sut and then see if you like it with the cambridge. Personally although the 103 is a pretty good unit I think you can do way better for not much money.

You may not need a step up with the cambridge but you will have to mess with the loading most likely. Ive had my 103 for many years and have found it really needs the right tonearm and step up and loading to work properly. After spending the time and money to sort it out I found it wasnt my cup of tea as I gravitate more towards the clearaudio sound. I think the speakers you use have a lot to do with it also which explains why many listeners have a completely different experience with this cart.