My Technics 1210 M5G w/ DL 103 set-up

I got back into vinyl about a year ago and love it. I progressed through various MM carts and have a DL 110 that sounds great on the table. However, I felt adventurous and picked up a DL 103 after reading lots of posts.

I got some good advice from guys like "scoops" and "sid and coke", and of course from reading Marco's posts!

It's taken some tinkering but I think I've got the mass in the right range a homemade aluminum spacer/weight on a Sumiko headshell, and modified the stock counterweight.

I'm very happy with the sound but of course thinking about what my next upgrade should be.

http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/w...03wspacer1.jpg
http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/w...b/modedcw1.jpg
http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/w...akwb/peq20.jpg

Very nice mate! Did you compare the mk5g with any other models? What were the differences between the 110 and the 103?

Hi Jason & welcome
That counterweight is ingenius mate, well done. If you were able to get a bigger chunk of brass and machine it the same way and reverse the counterweight so the calibrated bush is at the rear you would get even more from your 103.

There's enough 1210 modification possibilities on explored on this forum to give you months/years of upgrade projects to get your teeth into.

scoobs,
Sorry for flubbing your ID first off and thanks again for the advice. I had a local machinist make the brass part for me. I told him to aim for 50g. The stock counterweight is right around 100g, so it would have given me around 150g total which I figured would be ideal from my crude calculations. Unfortunately, it came in at 36g so I still need the aux counterweight screwed into the end of the arm. I may have him try making me another one, but turning the weight around is a good idea i can try.

I'm wondering if a SUT or better phono preamp would be worth while. What do you use with your 103?

fraser,
My M5G is just a stock model from Guitar Center (in US). I decided to give it a try before investing in a moded version from KAB. I went with the M5G over the other models because it is supposed to have better tone arm wiring compared to the other 1200 stock models.
The DL110 sounds really great on this deck with no mods except using a Sumiko headshell. I was very happy with it for months and would recommend it to anyone. Now that I have the 103 more properly set-up, I would say that it does sound better than the 110, but hard to describe. Sound is somewhat fulller, quieter background, better bass.

Hello, I am about to take delivery of a Thorens TD160/Sumiko MMT with a Denon 103. I ordered a Denon step-up transformer today but have not yet chosen a phono stage. I am considering the Audio Technica and wondering how you like it with your DL103?
Regards, Jim

Hi Jim,

See here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Audio-Technica-A...4.c0.m14.l1262

and here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Audio-Technica-A...4.c0.m14.l1262

Don't get confused between the PEQ3 and the PEQ20. I recommended the PEQ3 as it has less complex circuitry and no switching (always a good thing) because of its lack of MC stage, which you don't need, as featured in the more expensive PEQ20. It's different for jakwb as he doesn't have an SUT. The combination of the PEQ3 MM stage and your Denon AU-300LC moving coil step-up transformer, with the DL-103, will I think be a very good one :)

Marco.

Some recent updates on my rig:
1. I scrapped my Sumiko & Al spacer/weight combo and picked up a Audio Technica LH-18 headshell. This is a no brainer if you're using a Denon 103 on a Technics 1210. The headshell is great and cartridge alignment is automatic with the threaded holes.
2. Bought a Jelco SA750 off Ebay and ordered the arm plate from Dave at SoundHiFi, so when that get's here I'll be mounting it up. (any advice?)

The current DL103 (standard) with my AT PEQ20 really set the hook in me. Next I feel like trying out a 103R and would like to upgrade my phono stage.
Marco, I've read your posts were you say that a SUT in combo with a good quality MM phono stage is the way to go. Anyone have recommendations for a good phono stage in the <$1000 (~700GBP) range.

Also, I see lots of folks using the AU23 but that's pricing out near $1000 in the US. I found a local seller for a Denon HA500 (I do realize it's not a SUT but a MC head amp). If I pick that up, what would be a good phono stage to mate with it?
Thanks
Jason

Just to remind you lot that adding mass to the stock counterweight may throw the calibration dial accuracy out the window.

Since the OP has now got a Jelco 750 (lucky man) it won't matter.....

Hi Jason,

Good questions - and I have the answers! Just about to have lunch now so I'll come back to you later :)

Marco.

Further discussion on this topic (including all subsequent contributions) has now been moved to a dedicated thread in 'Analogue Art':

http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?t=2444

:)

Marco.