Cack handed with dl103

[Papa Dee]

Wanted to give my turntable a thorough clean and to my horror must have snapped the cantilever clean off of my Denon dl103....I have no idea how it happened and it’s nowhere to be seen .Do I have any worthwhile replacement options or should I just put it down to experience (very costly) and buy another one:

[walpurgis]

Done exactly the same with a DL-103. I didn't bother to replace it or retip it, I had other cartridges.

[topoxforddoc]

Send it to ESCo for their sapphire cantilever and ultra low mass para trace. It totally transforms the 103.

[Barry]

Sadly, the cost of repair (by say Soundsmith, or Expert Stylus Co.) will be at least the cost of a new replacement DL103.

I would bite the bullet and cough up the £230 for a new cartridge. :rolleyes:

[topoxforddoc]

Sadly, the cost of repair (by say Soundsmith, or Expert Stylus Co.) will be at least the cost of a new replacement DL103.

I would bite the bullet and cough up the £230 for a new cartridge. :rolleyes:

Barry, the ESCo sapphire cantilever and paratrace takes the 103 to a totally different level - way better than any stock 103 version (standard or esoteric). It is astonishing - yes the upgrade costs more than a new standard 103, but the upgraded 103 will be better than any other unmodified 103 IMO

[Barry]

Yes, but the 'upgraded' 103 is not the standard version that Dee had, and presumably was one whose sound and presentation he enjoyed.

[Lawrence001]

Good to consider all the options anyway.

[worrasf]

Yes, but the 'upgraded' 103 is not the standard version that Dee had, and presumably was one whose sound and presentation he enjoyed.

:exactly:

I have been down this road with "esoteric" cantilevers and styli both on a DL-103R and a Goldbug Brier and it drastically changes the presentation. I really couldn't get on with the "new sound" and moved the 103R on. The Brier is still in it's case on my bookshelf.

The only "upgrade" I have found to my liking is my Paradoxpulse Guard DL-103R with original cantilever and stylus - sounds wonderful

[Papa Dee]

Hi Barry,thanks for your comments ..the Dl103 was my first foray into lo moving coils and I was very happy with it.The sound was always going to be a compromise because it was mounted in a SME Improved series
2. with heavy counterweight care of MAGNA audio.,but I enjoyed the sound. Its not an end journey choice,
I had actually been looking at the Hana range of cartridges ,but I felt it was an honest capable cartridge and I’m just going to have to bite the bullet and buy another one. I still have a Denon dl110,Shure v15 and Goldring 1042 to hand to commiserate with😢

[Chas B]

Hi Barry,thanks for your comments ..the Dl103 was my first foray into lo moving coils and I was very happy with it.The sound was always going to be a compromise because it was mounted in a SME Improved series
2. with heavy counterweight care of MAGNA audio.,but I enjoyed the sound. Its not an end journey choice,
I had actually been looking at the Hana range of cartridges ,but I felt it was an honest capable cartridge and I’m just going to have to bite the bullet and buy another one. I still have a Denon dl110,Shure v15 and Goldring 1042 to hand to commiserate with😢
This is interesting ( well, to me anyway) because I have the same carts in my own collection. Do you have a preference amongst them?

[Papa Dee]

Hi Charlie, great minds think alike 😀..no seriously it’s a case of different strokes etc.I think that the Shure and the Goldring aren’t unsimilar in their presentation with the 1042 having the edge in weight and the v15
majoring on detail.The Denon dl110 presents a happy medium.
What of yourself,any clear favourite and if so why

[jahsavage]

As a master of destroying cartridges I suggest you put it behind you and look forward to your next cartridge!

https://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?72097-Arts-of-Gross-Stupidity-%E2%80%93-Confession-Time&highlight=%E7learaudio+cartridge

[Chas B]

[QUOTE=Papa Dee;1317867]Hi Charlie, great minds think alike 😀..no seriously it’s a case of different strokes etc.I think that the Shure and the Goldring aren’t unsimilar in their presentation with the 1042 having the edge in weight and the v15
majoring on detail.The Denon dl110 presents a happy medium.
What of yourself,any clear favourite and if so why[/QUOTE

My impressions mirror your own. I added capacitance to the V15 which gave it more body and is well worth doing ( if not essential). I've also not got a suitable arm for it, I'll try it again one day. I loved the DL110 but it became very sibilant which I assume was due to stylus wear. I would have had another but they've doubled in price now. That lead me to the 1042 which is on a Roksan Corus body, sounds very nice too. I haven't done a fair comparison with the 103R, it's on a TT in my second system, I might try it in place of the 1042 one day.