@aberyclark
- they are inexpensive (for a moving coil)
- pretty darn good at what they do - very musical
- and easily modified.
I started with the 103 and found it very nice. The price made it attractive for my first foray into the world of moving coil
I had used several other MM/MI cartridges from Rega and Nagoka, but preferred the sound of the stock 103
Like you I read many articles and decided to look at the various mod’s made by different people, Zu being one of them
I now have a Soundsmith modified 103 that I purchased directly from Soundsmith.
It allowed me to see just how good the basic design can function with a little "help"
The model I have has a ruby cantilever and an Optimized Contour Contact Line stylus, which provides much more detail and crisper dynamics, without affecting the overall tone and musicality attributed to the original 103 cartridge.
There is a guy in Italy that goes to extreme lengths by nuding the cartridge, rewinding the coils and replacing the cantilever/stylus to make it a top performing cartridge for a fraction of the cost of it’s competition.
My cartridge did require some additional mass to match the Rega Style arm on my TT, so I epoxied a brass plate to the cartridge, which really made the cartridge shine.
Here’s a little more detail on my Brass Plate tweak
http://image99.net/blog/files/23c020f75290d3392577113371f4dc94-38.html
@chakster is correct about the conical stylus being a poor profile, however, if you play lots of old albums, the conical stylus being less detailed than more modern profiles, can make for a more enjoyable listening experience.
Is it the best cartridge for the price? - I stopped looking for Cart’s when I heard the improvements of the Soundsmith mod’s
PROS:
- it’s an affordable and musical first cartridge for "Moving Coil Virgins"
- the "engine" is very good - neutral but musical
- you can use VTA to fine tune the overall sound
- it’s very easy to setup/align
- lot’s a companies provide excellent mod’s
- it can be made to perform to the levels of much more expensive brands
- a lot is known about this cartridge
CONS.
- It requires carful matching to the Arm - but most cart’s do
- Conical Stylus - elliptical would have been a better choice
- aluminum cantilever impacts the full abilities of the "engine"
- the plastic housing of the cartridge needs to be stiffer - like the ZU
When you delve into the ZU version of this cartridge, they basically
- use the best standard 103 cartridges from Denon
- add more mass to the cartridge with the aluminum shell
- the aluminum shell also ens the mount for the "engine".
- BUT - they DO NOT address the cantilever issue or the stylus profile
- For the Zu price - I believe the Soundsmith options would be better and more affordable
If the mass of regular 103 or 103R is suited to the arm on your turntable, then I would recommend opting for a standard cartridge and getting Soundsmith (or similar company) to replace the cantilever/stylus with a better option.
Soundsmith used to offer other tweaks specifically for Denon Carts - so drop them an email to see what’s currently on offer
One thing to consider - as you progress to the more advanced stylus profiles you will need to exercise extreme precision when aligning the cartridge - you will require some kind of mirrored protractor, like the Mint Best Protractor - the paper variety will not be good enough.
FYI - I still keep my first 103 (with brass plate) around - for when I have to send my existing cart back for "re-tipping"
Hope that helps - Steve
- they are inexpensive (for a moving coil)
- pretty darn good at what they do - very musical
- and easily modified.
I started with the 103 and found it very nice. The price made it attractive for my first foray into the world of moving coil
I had used several other MM/MI cartridges from Rega and Nagoka, but preferred the sound of the stock 103
Like you I read many articles and decided to look at the various mod’s made by different people, Zu being one of them
I now have a Soundsmith modified 103 that I purchased directly from Soundsmith.
It allowed me to see just how good the basic design can function with a little "help"
The model I have has a ruby cantilever and an Optimized Contour Contact Line stylus, which provides much more detail and crisper dynamics, without affecting the overall tone and musicality attributed to the original 103 cartridge.
There is a guy in Italy that goes to extreme lengths by nuding the cartridge, rewinding the coils and replacing the cantilever/stylus to make it a top performing cartridge for a fraction of the cost of it’s competition.
My cartridge did require some additional mass to match the Rega Style arm on my TT, so I epoxied a brass plate to the cartridge, which really made the cartridge shine.
Here’s a little more detail on my Brass Plate tweak
http://image99.net/blog/files/23c020f75290d3392577113371f4dc94-38.html
@chakster is correct about the conical stylus being a poor profile, however, if you play lots of old albums, the conical stylus being less detailed than more modern profiles, can make for a more enjoyable listening experience.
Is it the best cartridge for the price? - I stopped looking for Cart’s when I heard the improvements of the Soundsmith mod’s
PROS:
- it’s an affordable and musical first cartridge for "Moving Coil Virgins"
- the "engine" is very good - neutral but musical
- you can use VTA to fine tune the overall sound
- it’s very easy to setup/align
- lot’s a companies provide excellent mod’s
- it can be made to perform to the levels of much more expensive brands
- a lot is known about this cartridge
CONS.
- It requires carful matching to the Arm - but most cart’s do
- Conical Stylus - elliptical would have been a better choice
- aluminum cantilever impacts the full abilities of the "engine"
- the plastic housing of the cartridge needs to be stiffer - like the ZU
When you delve into the ZU version of this cartridge, they basically
- use the best standard 103 cartridges from Denon
- add more mass to the cartridge with the aluminum shell
- the aluminum shell also ens the mount for the "engine".
- BUT - they DO NOT address the cantilever issue or the stylus profile
- For the Zu price - I believe the Soundsmith options would be better and more affordable
If the mass of regular 103 or 103R is suited to the arm on your turntable, then I would recommend opting for a standard cartridge and getting Soundsmith (or similar company) to replace the cantilever/stylus with a better option.
Soundsmith used to offer other tweaks specifically for Denon Carts - so drop them an email to see what’s currently on offer
One thing to consider - as you progress to the more advanced stylus profiles you will need to exercise extreme precision when aligning the cartridge - you will require some kind of mirrored protractor, like the Mint Best Protractor - the paper variety will not be good enough.
FYI - I still keep my first 103 (with brass plate) around - for when I have to send my existing cart back for "re-tipping"
Hope that helps - Steve