Spacers Denon DL-103 on Jelco SA-750E

[magiccarpetride]

Another DL-103 post. I tried to search the forum but couldn't find an answer to my question: after installing DL-103 on Jelco SA-750E, the tonearm is parallel to the platter but it's dangerously close to it. Warped records are sometimes a challenge to play.

This is due to the fact that DL-103 is 15mm tall, while most cartridges are typically a few mm taller. I think I need to add a spacer to the headshell, so my question is: which spacer, and what height/weight?

Cheers!

[worrasf]

I've no experience of the SA 750e but I have had a Jelco TD 750D which I suspect is very similar and currently a Jelco TK 850s. I've mounted DL103's and 103R's in both and never had any issues with arm height you describe. I've always set the head shell parallel to the record surface using a micro spirit bubble on the head shell directly over the stylus this puts the arm tube well clear of the record surface. I ensure the total VTF with the spirit bubble in situ is the same as the VTF used when in use to ensure the suspension is being loaded correctly when setting the arm height.

[337alant]

Alex
There are some Mupingo spacers on ebay
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=mupingo+head+shell+spacer&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=0&_osacat=0&_odkw=mopingo+head+shell+spacer

Marco had a link to a damping spacer which is also good but I cant remember where I got that from, it could be this one
https://www.ebay.com/itm/3mm-Headshell-Damper-Spacer-Weight-for-Denon-DL103-DL103R-Cartridges-Tonabnehmer/263709083991?hash=item3d66494957:g:PSsAAOSwoVFZ3hh Q
https://www.ebay.com/itm/4mm-Headshell-Damper-Spacer-for-Denon-DL103-DL103R-Cartridges-Racing-Carbon/264082285077?hash=item3d7c87e215:g:ogMAAOSwmkpZ3hf 7

Ah found my thread here it was a stabilizer shim
https://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?45831-Denon-DL103R&highlight=denon+103

More links
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=denon+103+head+shell+spacer&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=0&_osacat=0&_odkw=head+shell+spacer&LH_TitleDesc=0

Alan

[karma67]

Does your arm not have height adjuster then?

[magiccarpetride]

Does your arm not have height adjuster then?

It does, but when I raise the arm it is not parallel with the platter anymore.

[karma67]

does the cartridge suspension look ok?

[magiccarpetride]

does the cartridge suspension look ok?

Where do I look for it and how do I know if it's OK?

[tlscapital]

The Denon DL-103 is a "low rider". I run a DL-102 for eight years or so and never had real issues with warped records until the day I finished increasing the effective mass of my tonearm. The extra vertical inertia addition made the cartridge sing better than ever before but the "shorter" and "stiffener" warps un-dealable with.

If you got your VTA set horizontally, an extra spacer in the headshell will make the SRA/VTA dig in the groove "tail down". I don't see how that would help to deal with warps. And I doubt that this should be a good attack position for the stylus in the groove. My DL-102 really performs better with it's SRA/VTA set horizontal.

[karma67]

the cartridge will be riding much closer to the record if the suspension is weak.forgive me if im wrong but adding a spacer wont change anything as you will have to raise the arm to keep the tube level.
imo go with getting the cartridge parallel to the platter and dont worry about the arm,besides its not that important with the 103 as in stock form it has a conical tip.

[karma67]

how do its compare to this picture? its a 103sa.
https://i.postimg.cc/JhjX19Rd/IMG-2478.jpg

[magiccarpetride]

the cartridge will be riding much closer to the record if the suspension is weak.forgive me if im wrong but adding a spacer wont change anything as you will have to raise the arm to keep the tube level.
imo go with getting the cartridge parallel to the platter and dont worry about the arm,besides its not that important with the 103 as in stock form it has a conical tip.

Thanks for the tip. My primary reason for adding a spacer is to increase the effective mass of the tonearm. People in the know claim that DL-103 likes higher mass, so I'm eager to try.

I was hoping that the side effect of making the cartridge taller by a few millimeters would result in tonearm not being so close to the platter. Of course, that's after adjusting the VTA and ensuring that the cartridge body is parallel to the record surface.

[karma67]

i dont know the effective mass of your tonearm but for what its worth my 103 worked very well on a zeta tonearm with a mass of 16g,i tried adding mass but found it sounded much better left as it was.
have a play with blu tak to add weight to the headshell and see what you think.

[magiccarpetride]

i dont know the effective mass of your tonearm but for what its worth my 103 worked very well on a zeta tonearm with a mass of 16g,i tried adding mass but found it sounded much better left as it was.
have a play with blu tak to add weight to the headshell and see what you think.

Jelco SA-750E effective mass without cartridge is 13.26g. Your tonearm definitely is a better fit for DL-103 as far as effective mass goes.

[magiccarpetride]

Alex
There are some Mupingo spacers on ebay
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=mupingo+head+shell+spacer&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=0&_osacat=0&_odkw=mopingo+head+shell+spacer

Marco had a link to a damping spacer which is also good but I cant remember where I got that from, it could be this one
https://www.ebay.com/itm/3mm-Headshell-Damper-Spacer-Weight-for-Denon-DL103-DL103R-Cartridges-Tonabnehmer/263709083991?hash=item3d66494957:g:PSsAAOSwoVFZ3hh Q
https://www.ebay.com/itm/4mm-Headshell-Damper-Spacer-for-Denon-DL103-DL103R-Cartridges-Racing-Carbon/264082285077?hash=item3d7c87e215:g:ogMAAOSwmkpZ3hf 7

Ah found my thread here it was a stabilizer shim
https://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?45831-Denon-DL103R&highlight=denon+103

More links
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=denon+103+head+shell+spacer&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=0&_osacat=0&_odkw=head+shell+spacer&LH_TitleDesc=0

Alan

Thank you Alan, this is gold!

So, knowing that plain DL-103 weighs 8.5g, and that Jelco SA-750E counterweight can handle up to 12g, I have 3.5g wiggle room to play with. How can I figure out how much do these spacers weigh?

[337alant]

Alex

I made this statement in my thread

The only spare head shell I have is a an Oyiad carbon fibre type which weighs in at 10g, with the stainless bolts and the shims I get 14g.
So stainless bolts and shims added 4g thats as much as I know unfortunately

Alan

[337alant]

You can see the spacers in my Ortofon headshell in this video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xP6RHNBWrt0

Alan

[graham67]

I found the std Jelco VTA collar is poor with its single grub screw that can put the post off centre.
There is a reasonably priced solution to this that uses a more rigid mounting method and IIRC a micrometer to adjust VTA (not dissimilar to Audiomods.)
When i am on a laptop i will try to find it and post a link.

[graham67]

I found the std Jelco VTA collar is poor with its single grub screw that can put the post off centre.
There is a reasonably priced solution to this that uses a more rigid mounting method and IIRC a micrometer to adjust VTA (not dissimilar to Audiomods.)
When i am on a laptop i will try to find it and post a link.

If you need to adjust the height, both of these will allow the pillar to rise vertically instead of at an angle.

https://ammonite-audio.co.uk/product/ammonite-audio-improved-mounting-collar-for-jelco-tonearms-grey/

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Jelco-Easy-VTA-On-the-Fly-For-Jelco-SA-750-SA-250-TK-950-TK-Sony-PUA-1600/303024243072?hash=item468da70180:g:xCIAAOSwTxJb9KI 0&frcectupt=true

regards,

Graham