View Full Version : Northwest Analogue DL103 - first impressions
Arrived today -oh boy it does not disappoint :)
First the "cons" - it's a lower output than the stock DL 103 so preamp needs to be turned up a fair way. As it's a "nude" setup this produced a bit of audible hum from the Croft headamp which required some repositioning of the headlamp and input cables but once done the hum was only audible directly in front of the amps and did not intrude on listening.
The "pros" - pretty much everything really :)
As with the stock DL 103 there are no peaks and troughs across the audio spectrum - but the NWA DL103 is even more neutral. On very first listening it sounds a little "sterile" but after a couple of tracks it's true character becomes more obvious. Tonal balance is perfect, voicing of instruments and lyrics is incredibly natural and "believable". There is a clarity and "crispness" I have never heard before, along with more low level detail retrieval. The soundstage is huge - extending way outside the speakers which on many recordings just disappear. Presentation is not forward however. On first listening the bass appears a tad light but again with extended listening it's apparent that unlike some cartridges i've heard (my Zyx R100 for example) there is no accentuation of the midrange and it becomes clear that the bass is actually all there, tight and well controlled. PRaT is just perfect.
It is without doubt the most natural sounding and beguiling cartridge I have heard/owned and it does what I hoped it would, namely combining the best features of the stock DL103 and the Zyx. It's more musical, controlled and detailed than the stock DL103 but doesn't have the midrange "bloom" of the Zyx which can get a bit fatiguing. I reckon that it will be best suited to instrumental, vocals, jazz, classical genres and less to "rock" although the couple of Dire Straits albums I listened to sounded stunning it doesn't have the speed of a Decca which gives it the instant appeal. It's more refined and polished than that.
I've only had it running a few hours and Dom reckons it will improve over 100 hours. Dom advised a VTF of 1.9 - 2.00g unlike the stock DL103 which is 2.2 - 2.8.
EDIT: Setup is straightforward but rewards time spent as the "sweet spot" is very narrow. After long chat with Dom on the 'phone today I spent a while trying various settings of VTF, bias and VTA. Optimum in my arm is 2.05g VTF, slightly negative bias (Dom's suggestion) and cartridge parallel to record (with the tail even slightly up or down it looses focus and clarity.
The cartridge and malachite body weigh in at 13.98 g. Total weight in the headshell is 22.7g.
I think it looks the muts nuts as well
:cool:
Looks lovely!
So, what has Dom done to modify it?
Looks lovely!
So, what has Dom done to modify it?
Coil rewind, new cantilever and FG stylus
Coil rewind, new cantilever and FG stylus
... and new body. Judging from the new tracking weight, he's maybe changed the damper too, retaining only the magnet, pole pieces and coil housing from the donor . Interesting! I presume the dc coil resistance and output has changed too ... does Dom give any info on that?
I'd love to hear this. Are you going to NEBO in November, Stephen?
... and new body. Judging from the new tracking weight, he's maybe changed the damper too, retaining only the magnet, pole pieces and coil housing from the donor . Interesting! I presume the dc coil resistance and output has changed too ... does Dom give any info on that?
I'd love to hear this. Are you going to NEBO in November, Stephen?
Yes, the body is malachite - made by Uwe - only obtainable from Francois at CalaMighty.
Your diagnosis on what's been binned and what retained is spot on. Dom didn't give me any stats but I suspect he could if I asked.
I think I understand why the output is lower after his work but it would have been nice if it could have been the same as the old DL 103 which was 0.31mV - that was just right for my headamp/preamp. The Zyx output is a tad higher still.
I've just swapped out the pair of Seimens Cca's I use in the headamp for a pair of Philips Miniwatt cc83 SQ's to see if it might just bump the gain a little. Not listened yet at I've also re-routed all the power cables and interconnects which has got rid of the last traces of the hum I was getting last night. The Philips produce a much richer "liquid" midrange compared to the Cca's - neither better nor worse just different so I'll see how they suit the new cart.
No, not going to NEBO but if your'e ever in my neck of the woods you're very welcome to call in for a listen.
Steve
topoxforddoc
29-08-2015, 12:03
It looks a cracker. If it sounds half as good as it looks, it'll be fabulous. Sounds like you're really pleased, and I bet it was steal compared to some of the high end cartridges that people buy.
It looks a cracker. If it sounds half as good as it looks, it'll be fabulous. Sounds like you're really pleased, and I bet it was steal compared to some of the high end cartridges that people buy.
Thanks
Dom at NWA reckons it's better than a £10K Koetsu he has in for a rebuild :stalks:
Ali Tait
29-08-2015, 13:06
Looks the wasps nipples, as has been said, not cheap perhaps, but a lot less than many spend on a new cart.
topoxforddoc
29-08-2015, 18:39
Thanks
Dom at NWA reckons it's better than a £10K Koetsu he has in for a rebuild :stalks:
That would fit with Wyndham Hodgson's view that most high end MC carts are excessively priced for what they are.
So how much Stephen? And does the cartridge come with a stylus guard, for those of us who want to fit it to a fixed headshell arm?
Love the look of the malachite body. :)
So how much Stephen? And does the cartridge come with a stylus guard, for those of us who want to fit it to a fixed headshell arm?
Love the look of the malachite body. :)
So a touch over £1k for the NWA upgrade and £350
for the malachite body.
Nope, no stylus guard which is a bit scary TBH
So a touch over £1k for the NWA upgrade and £350
for the malachite body.
Nope, no stylus guard which is a bit scary TBH
Thanks for that - about what I expected.
Though for that sort of money I would at least expect some sort of rudimentary stylus guard to be supplied, despite the fact the malachite bodies are from another source. It has always struck me that those cartridge manufacturers who offer cartridges that come with no form of stylus protection whatsoever (Koetsu, Benz etc.) display an arrogance and disregard for their customer that is quite unacceptable in my view.
Fitting such a cartridge into a detachable headshell is one thing, fitting it into fixed headshell arm is another!
rubber duck
29-08-2015, 23:39
Interestingly, a lot of damaged cantilevers appear to be the result of installing or removing stylus guards
PaulStewart
30-08-2015, 18:03
It has always struck me that those cartridge manufacturers who offer cartridges that come with no form of stylus protection whatsoever (Koetsu, Benz etc.) display an arrogance and disregard for their customer that is quite unacceptable in my view.
Barry, my current Koetsu Platinum Rosewood Signature and in fact all 4 Koetsus I've owned have had stylus guards, albeit, rudimentary ones. I also got a replacement from Absolute Sound last year.
Interestingly, a lot of damaged cantilevers appear to be the result of installing or removing stylus guards
Too right, the Koetsu one is a bitch to fit, scares the wotsis off me every time I have to use it :lol:
Congratulations, Stephen, on owning what is one sexy motha of a cartridge! :stalks: :drool:
I heard something similar at Dom's place last year, and it too blew me away. Yes, what you've got is undoubtedly expensive, but it is a work or art and a veritable 'giant-killer', in every respect. A fantastic bespoke cartridge. As such, in all honesty, I would put it up against ANY cartridge on the market, regardless of cost.
For example, I would expect it to comfortably compete with any Koetsu, which should provide some perspective as to the true 'worth' of your new acquisition! ;)
Enjoy and treasure it. Next must be an arm upgrade, surely? :eyebrows:
Marco.
Congratulations, Stephen, on owning what is one sexy motha of a cartridge! :stalks: :drool:
I heard something similar at Dom's place last year, and it too blew me away. Yes, what you've got is undoubtedly expensive, but it is a work or art and a veritable 'giant-killer', in every respect. A fantastic bespoke cartridge. As such, in all honesty, I would put it up against ANY cartridge on the market, regardless of cost.
For example, I would expect it to comfortably compete with any Koetsu, which should provide some perspective as to the true 'worth' of your new acquisition! ;)
Enjoy and treasure it. Next must be an arm upgrade, surely? :eyebrows:
Marco.
Thanks Marco
Funny you should mention arm upgrade 'cos that's exactly the conversation I was having with Dom. Turns out he specializes in turning 9" SME 3009's into 12" SME 3009's and reckons the resulting item is pretty unbeatable. I just happen to have a "new" SME 3009 II improved that J7 rewired and converted to phonos. It's currently on my TD150 but gets bugger all use.
So............. you know what's coming next my friend :christmas:
Hehehehe... Indeed. I could hazard a guess as to what'll be inside Santa's sack! :eek: :eyebrows:
As an aside, remind me again of your full system.
Marco.
Hehehehe... Indeed. I could hazard a guess as to what'll be inside Santa's sack! :eek: :eyebrows:
As an aside, remind me again of your full system.
Marco.
SL1210 (MN bearing & baseplate, Funk Mk 1 platter+ Achromat, Vantage PSU and PCB, stripped out pitch and strobe, vantage feet) Jelco 750D, NWA DL103 - Croft valve head amp (Siemens CCA valves) with Croft external PSU - Croft 25R/Croft 7R monoblocks - Epos M22i's/Rel QUAKE - Cyrus CDXTSE2+/Cyrus PSxR2 - Beresford Caiman MkII DAC - Beresford Capella headphone amp - Grado RS1000/Beyerdynamic DT990/600 headphones. Interconnects are Reference Mercury and Pluto with Chord Silver Melody speaker cables. That's the main rig. Also have Quad33/303/FM3 (Netaudio upgraded) - TD150/SME 3009 II - AKGP8ES Supernova - JR149's with MK24 xovers and Wadia 170i (signature upgrade and Teddy Pardo PSU) - Beresford Bushmaster DAC - NVA AP10P - Ruark Epilogues
Cheers, Stephen. Any chance of a pic of the Vantage PSU? I don't think I've ever seen one :)
Are you happy with it, or since you're 'maxing out' your Techy, have you considered using one of Paul's? The SR7EHD is phenomenal.
Marco.
Cheers, Stephen. Any chance of a pic of the Vantage PSU? I don't think I've ever seen one :)
Are you happy with it, or since you're 'maxing out' your Techy, have you considered using one of Paul's? The SR7EHD is phenomenal.
Marco.
Here you go Marco: http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?12398-Vantage-Audio-Technics-SL-1210-PCB-upgrade-amp-PSU&highlight=vantage
See my posts 1 & 7 for piccies. This was obviously B4 the MB bearing & baseplate. At Richard's suggstion I have also filled the voids left by the internal PSU with dental impression silicone putty (something about standing waves reflected from the motor cover). Oh and the Jelco has now got the heavier Isokinetik counterweight
You'll see that the Vantage PSU and PCB upgrades "go together" so I'd need to replace PCB as well if I went for a different PSU. TBH I see no reason to change as the Vantage has been faultless. It's be nigh on impossible to get an "A/B" comparison. I'm in a good place at the moment with the rig but when funds allow I'll take Dom up on his offer especially as I have a donor SME 3009II in perfect nick.
Wakefield Turntables
02-09-2015, 17:52
The SR7EHD is phenomenal.
Marco.
The XL version is better :ner:
Here you go Marco: http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?12398-Vantage-Audio-Technics-SL-1210-PCB-upgrade-amp-PSU&highlight=vantage
See my posts 1 & 7 for piccies. This was obviously B4 the MB bearing & baseplate. At Richard's suggstion I have also filled the voids left by the internal PSU with dental impression silicone putty (something about standing waves reflected from the motor cover). Oh and the Jelco has now got the heavier Isokinetik counterweight
You'll see that the Vantage PSU and PCB upgrades "go together" so I'd need to replace PCB as well if I went for a different PSU. TBH I see no reason to change as the Vantage has been faultless. It's be nigh on impossible to get an "A/B" comparison. I'm in a good place at the moment with the rig but when funds allow I'll take Dom up on his offer especially as I have a donor SME 3009II in perfect nick.
No problem, Stephen. If it ain't broke, then don't fix it. I just wondered if that part of your T/T might've been coming under the microscope, as it were, with you now upgrading other parts of it :)
The forthcoming new arm then should pretty much make it 'job done'! :cool:
Marco.
Barry, my current Koetsu Platinum Rosewood Signature and in fact all 4 Koetsus I've owned have had stylus guards, albeit, rudimentary ones. I also got a replacement from Absolute Sound last year.
Too right, the Koetsu one is a bitch to fit, scares the wotsis off me every time I have to use it :lol:
Thanks Paul,
I've never owned a Koetsu, and my comments were based on a review of one of the Koetsus (a Rosweood I think), which complained that the cartridge did not come with a stylus guard. Certainly the Benz range of cartridges do not come with a stylus guard, and their designs have a largely exposed generator with a long cantilever (usually made of boron) that is just asking to be damaged. The same applies to the Sumoko Blue Point cartridges.
Fitting these cartridges into a headshell is a risky business at best, but how are you expected to safely fit them into headshell-less arms that are in situ on the turntable, without removing the arm?
Hi Barry,
I completely agree with your views on stylus guards, and there is simply no excuse whatsoever for a company of Koetsu's standing, or other long-established high-end cartridge manufacturers, not providing suitable stylus guards with their products. It's bloody ridiculous.
However, NWA are a tiny 'one man band', who do many other things than simply rebuilding cartridges, so I don't think that they can realistically be expected to supply different shaped stylus guards for every type of cartridge they rebuild.
For starters, I'm struggling to think of where you would find a plastic manufacturer willing to produce moulded one-off designs of that nature, or really any other way Dom could 'stock' all the necessary shapes and sizes of stylus guards he'd need for the type of work he does. And anything you tried to make yourself would just look so ridiculously 'home-made' as to devalue the beautiful cartridges he produces or rebuilds.
Maybe you know an easy and cost-effective way around that problem, but I can't think of one.
Marco.
Big Vern
02-09-2015, 19:51
Arrived today -oh boy it does not disappoint :)
First the "cons" - it's a lower output than the stock DL 103 so preamp needs to be turned up a fair way. As it's a "nude" setup this produced a bit of audible hum from the Croft headamp which required some repositioning of the headlamp and input cables but once done the hum was only audible directly in front of the amps and did not intrude on listening.
The "pros" - pretty much everything really :)
As with the stock DL 103 there are no peaks and troughs across the audio spectrum - but the NWA DL103 is even more neutral. On very first listening it sounds a little "sterile" but after a couple of tracks it's true character becomes more obvious. Tonal balance is perfect, voicing of instruments and lyrics is incredibly natural and "believable". There is a clarity and "crispness" I have never heard before, along with more low level detail retrieval. The soundstage is huge - extending way outside the speakers which on many recordings just disappear. Presentation is not forward however. On first listening the bass appears a tad light but again with extended listening it's apparent that unlike some cartridges i've heard (my Zyx R100 for example) there is no accentuation of the midrange and it becomes clear that the bass is actually all there, tight and well controlled. PRaT is just perfect.
It is without doubt the most natural sounding and beguiling cartridge I have heard/owned and it does what I hoped it would, namely combining the best features of the stock DL103 and the Zyx. It's more musical, controlled and detailed than the stock DL103 but doesn't have the midrange "bloom" of the Zyx which can get a bit fatiguing. I reckon that it will be best suited to instrumental, vocals, jazz, classical genres and less to "rock" although the couple of Dire Straits albums I listened to sounded stunning it doesn't have the speed of a Decca which gives it the instant appeal. It's more refined and polished than that.
I've only had it running a few hours and Dom reckons it will improve over 100 hours. Dom advised a VTF of 1.9 - 2.00g unlike the stock DL103 which is 2.2 - 2.8.
EDIT: Setup is straightforward but rewards time spent as the "sweet spot" is very narrow. After long chat with Dom on the 'phone today I spent a while trying various settings of VTF, bias and VTA. Optimum in my arm is 2.05g VTF, slightly negative bias (Dom's suggestion) and cartridge parallel to record (with the tail even slightly up or down it looses focus and clarity.
The cartridge and malachite body weigh in at 13.98 g. Total weight in the headshell is 22.7g.
I think it looks the muts nuts as well
:cool:
Hi Stephen,
Just stop it! Enough! ;)
I'm delighted for you that things have worked out...what is encouraging is that the sounds you are hearing in your system, are the sounds I heard in Dom's system in Preston. I heard his malachite-bodied 103 derived cartridge, whilst at the same time listening to the top end Dynavector, a high model Koetsu and a top of the line Benz - in his system (and quite possibly beyond, based on your experience!) the NWA cartridge offered the most involving, dynamic and musical sound. I was spellbound.
I need to sell a kidney and get my order in, before Dom hits the big time (I presume there is/may be such a thing in the cartridge building world!)
Congratulations, Stephen
Best Wishes,
Paul.
Thanks Paul.
It's good that you independently found the same thing. There's always a danger of hearing things that aren't there
when one gets any new bit of kit especially if it costs mucho denarii so it's reassuring when others find the same
realysm42
21-09-2015, 11:35
Hi Barry,
I completely agree with your views on stylus guards, and there is simply no excuse whatsoever for a company of Koetsu's standing, or other long-established high-end cartridge manufacturers, not providing suitable stylus guards with their products. It's bloody ridiculous.
However, NWA are a tiny 'one man band', who do many other things than simply rebuilding cartridges, so I don't think that they can realistically be expected to supply different shaped stylus guards for every type of cartridge they rebuild.
For starters, I'm struggling to think of where you would find a plastic manufacturer willing to produce moulded one-off designs of that nature, or really any other way Dom could 'stock' all the necessary shapes and sizes of stylus guards he'd need for the type of work he does. And anything you tried to make yourself would just look so ridiculously 'home-made' as to devalue the beautiful cartridges he produces or rebuilds.
Maybe you know an easy and cost-effective way around that problem, but I can't think of one.
Marco.
Print them?
Not sure what you mean exactly?
Marco.
kininigin
24-09-2015, 12:04
3D printing Marco!
I would imagine he's referring to 3D printing, which is becoming more widely available, and is very good for making one-off parts or small production runs of objects. Using basic CAD software to design something like this, a file can be fed into a 3D printer which will create the finished object. There's loads of people online who will take your design and send you the part shortly afterwards.
Ah, I see... I was thinking of printing on paper and wondered how that could produce a stylus guard! :doh:
Marco.
walpurgis
24-09-2015, 15:16
Don't suppose they could print off a Rachel Riley for me? :eyebrows:
Don't suppose they could print off a Rachel Riley for me? :eyebrows:
https://sp.yimg.com/ib/th?id=OIP.M039b48339c66521d6e977b475c668c2aH2&pid=15.1
Cute, very cute!
I could think of a few 'interesting captions' to put there! :eyebrows:
Marco.
Floyddroid
27-09-2015, 21:05
That's how i mashed my Delos.
Interestingly, a lot of damaged cantilevers appear to be the result of installing or removing stylus guards
That is double edged sword, so you can mess up with or without stylus guard if not paying attention.. :D
That's how i mashed my Delos.
Sheer carelessness, my boy, sheer carelessness! :spank: ;)
When you do those types of jobs, your mind must be 100% concentrated on the task, and have plenty of time to take it easy and be careful. It should never be rushed. Oh, and it helps to be sober, too! :D
Marco [Who's not snapped a stylus, whilst installing a cartridge, or during the course of playing records, since 1987].
Famous last words, Marco.....
Lol - I know! But it certainly helps using a tonearm with a detachable headshell ;)
Fitting cartridges is therefore a doddle, compared with when using fixed headshell arms. It's one of the main reasons why I use the former. Every time I work on my T/T, or move it for any reason, I fit the stylus guard onto the cartridge, and disconnect the headshell from the arm, just to be safe!
However, a well-designed stylus guard, fitted and removed carefully, should not trash a stylus.
Marco.
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