Unfortunately nobody is around to educate audiophile consumers about the very necessary matching one has to undertake to achieve optimal results with analog and particularly low output MC cartridges these days. The good news is that there is a lot of helpful info on the web related to vinyl particularly at sites such as the vinyl asylum at www.audioasylum.com To me, that is where the quality information relating to vinyl playback is, although you may have to wade through a bunch of info that is not true high quality.
Sorry for your experience, but, yes, the Zu at 14 grams is a beast to balance out on many modern day tonearms. I'm also not sure that a step up is the sure way to go as the stepup has to be matched very carefully and involves another set of interconnects.
After lots and lots of research and info searching, as well as acquiring a 103R before the most recent (ie. past 5-6 months) hype, I've settled in with a 103R mounted in a custom ebony body sold by a vinyl asylum inmate for $100. So total cost on the 103R in the ebony body is $370, $30 less than the Zu 103 and the ebony body is reusable. There are various wood bodies available to match up with different tonearms and their weight balancing capabilities. I haven't heard the Zu 103 but I am far from convinced that it would sound better than what I'm using which offers a lot more flexibility into the future.
The 103R, though, is even more difficult to work with in the loading department, preferring, by most accounts, to be loaded into the 40 ohm area, but I don't have to worry about that as I use an Aqvox phono stage which essentially takes loading right out of the equation with any MC cartridge by doing it automatically. I'm very happy with what I have now in the analog department, although I am considering an arm upgrade, but this will take into account my use of the wood bodied Denon as I see no need to go higher up in the food chain in the cartridge department.
But everything counts in table/arm/cartridge/phono stage matching: effective mass, ability to balance, compliance, load, etc. etc. and you better do your homework if you want to enter into this area and make things work. The great thing is the info is out there and when you do make it work the sound quality you are rewarded with is astounding.
Sorry for your experience, but, yes, the Zu at 14 grams is a beast to balance out on many modern day tonearms. I'm also not sure that a step up is the sure way to go as the stepup has to be matched very carefully and involves another set of interconnects.
After lots and lots of research and info searching, as well as acquiring a 103R before the most recent (ie. past 5-6 months) hype, I've settled in with a 103R mounted in a custom ebony body sold by a vinyl asylum inmate for $100. So total cost on the 103R in the ebony body is $370, $30 less than the Zu 103 and the ebony body is reusable. There are various wood bodies available to match up with different tonearms and their weight balancing capabilities. I haven't heard the Zu 103 but I am far from convinced that it would sound better than what I'm using which offers a lot more flexibility into the future.
The 103R, though, is even more difficult to work with in the loading department, preferring, by most accounts, to be loaded into the 40 ohm area, but I don't have to worry about that as I use an Aqvox phono stage which essentially takes loading right out of the equation with any MC cartridge by doing it automatically. I'm very happy with what I have now in the analog department, although I am considering an arm upgrade, but this will take into account my use of the wood bodied Denon as I see no need to go higher up in the food chain in the cartridge department.
But everything counts in table/arm/cartridge/phono stage matching: effective mass, ability to balance, compliance, load, etc. etc. and you better do your homework if you want to enter into this area and make things work. The great thing is the info is out there and when you do make it work the sound quality you are rewarded with is astounding.