Additional Headshell Mass with a 103R in a Standard SL1210 Arm?

[The Barbarian]

i use Brass plates & copper plates depending.

[Dave the bass]

i use Brass plates & copper plates depending.

Wind direction? Flavour? Whats to hand?

[worrasf]

If you have a steady hand then a "better" way to go to add mass is to replace the plastic body on the 103R with a wood or better still aluminium one. This will take the mass up to a tad under 14g.

See: http://theartofsound.net/forum/showt...437#post611437

Steve

[Dave the bass]

Aaah yeah,I've looked at those solid aluminum 103 bodies before, tempted I must say. I used to run a nuded 103 in DIY 12" Schroeder clone and that was awethumne until my beluvved accidentally trashed it. The stylus and cantilever was totally exposed and she caught it whilst disengaging the Idler on my G99. Doh!

[The Barbarian]

Wind direction? Flavour? Whats to hand?

What day it is

[Dave the bass]

What day it is

Thats sound enough reasoning to me

OK, picture if you will a 103 on 10g headshell with a 9g spacer made of copper adding mass. Arm level with the LP surface. Tracking set to 2.5g, anti skate adjusted to perfection (!) and the whole caboodle ably tracking the 3rd 300Hz 'torture track' on the HFNRR Test LP. Schweet.

The Acid Test,... I love the LP 'Joan Armatrading', its got ace songs and and ace playing too but IME shows up 'problems' especially on 'Sss''s where Joan's voice is high in the mix. Last track side one, 'Save Me'. Its a killer track on so many levels IMO. It opens with the phrase 'Sinking...' which upsets my 103...eeek! The 103 doesn't track it aswell as a DL110 in the same arm on the same TT quite simply. Summats up. The opening 'S's are breaking up on the 103, the 110 nails it everytime BUT... now this is the odd thang, the 110 doesn't cope quite so well on the 3rd Torture trackon the Test LP which the 103 sails though!!! Oooerrr Missus.

I've got another 103 with a few hours on it plus a new 103R I can try too but at the mo the 110 out plays the 103.

[Stratmangler]

That track is sibilent to start with!
Have you listened to the CD version?

[NRG]

Dave try lowering the back of the arm as a first step, then review the alignment, not sure what the standard techie is but it may need tweaking. I'd also try some sort of damping like a soft plastic washer between the cartridge and headshell. I will add though that my rebodied 103R also exhibits a sibilant tendency but the SA less so.....

[Dave the bass]

Yups! Have the CD too Chris, sure the LP is 'hot' but its not OTT IMO. The 110 copes admirably, the 103 doesn't.

[Dave the bass]

Dave try lowering the back of the arm as a first step, then review the alignment, not sure what the standard techie is but it may need tweaking. I'd also try some sort of damping like a soft plastic washer between the cartridge and headshell. I will add though that my rebodied 103R also exhibits a sibilant tendency but the SA less so.....

Will do Neal, I can get the back lower so that pivot is lower than the Head shell a bit. Over hang is set at 52mm with the simple techie overhand gauge. It doesn't tie in with the standard 9" tonearm alignments strangely but a chum has found this too. His 110 tracks like a tracky track thingy too BTW!

I'm not giving up on the 103 variants yet, just very surprised at what the 110 is capable of.