'Nuding' a DL-103

[Marco]

I've just came across this video and thought our resident 103 fans would find it interesting

http://www.thomas-schick.com/Denon103/Denon103final.wmv

I've yet to hear the effect of removing the 103's body. I can envisage though how it could improve things. Trouble is, when you've got one sounding utterly superb avec body you just can't be arsed fiddling with it...

I'd have to send mine to someone anyway because with my 'butter fingers' I just *know* I'd end up trashing it

Can anyone who's tried a 103 with and without its body comment on the difference removing it makes. I'm only interested in those who've done a direct A/B comparison.

Marco.

[Prince of Darkness]

It's well worth doing, I was amazed by how much better the nuded version sounded. Still very much got that 103 sound, but an extra level of detail just appears as if from nowhere.
It's a lot easier to do than you might expect. The main hazard is damaging the fine wires running to the output pins. This happened to me the first time I tried it. Fortunately it was an old cartridge, near the end of it's useful life.

[Mike]

I'll do it for free if anyone wants it done...

Surely no-one needs those fine wires or cantilevers n' stuff do they?

[Yomanze]

Glad someone else offered haha - I'd have been happy to 'nude' a standard DL103

Marco, agree wholeheartedly with Prince of Darkness, the difference is 'night and day', not subtle.

[Marco]

I must arrange to have this done sometime. Interesting that Mr Schick after 'nuding' the cartridge chooses to put it in a different body...

So the question is - does a 103 sound best 'nude' or simply in a better quality body (wooden or whatever)? After all that's what Zu do

http://www.zuaudio.com/dl_103.htm

No 'nudity' there.

Marco.

[Yomanze]

Uh oh Marco, we seem have moved into the realms of taste! I couldn't comment on the Zu, looks nice though. From what I've garnered, wooden cases enhance the tone of the cartridge, whereas either going the Zu route or nuding the cartridge brings out more detail.

If you look at how the plastic case attaches to the cartridge body (and how it bolts to the headshell), it's easy to see how this could cause a loss of resolution. It really does not seem like a rigid coupling from cart to headshell in standard form. Unlike the standard DL103 Your DL103s have a small dampening pad between case & body, so Denon are aware of this

Just to throw more petrol onto the fire, a lot of people feel that loose coupling of the DL103 and an arm with 'loose' bearings (like an SME 3009) is the way to go! Obviously a lot of energy emitted from the DL103, which is why I went the ultrahigh mass, nude route. I seem to prefer tight coupling too...

Having a DL103 in a wooden shell AND a nude one... I may do this in the future - the joys of removable headshells!

[Marco]

Interesting, Yom. I think if I were to do anything with my 103s it would be that which facilitates the pursuit of more detail - there's enough 'tone' with 103s already.

The Zu is interesting and I've contemplated getting one for a while, but as the purchase of an EMT XSD-15 is imminent I'm not sure that I need another cartridge!

Regarding your thoughts on arms with "loose bearings", I think there is merit in this approach. I've heard a 103R working very well in for example a Hadcock (with extra mass added to the headshell), which is of course a lightweight unipivot, so I'm sure a 3009 could work equally as well. I'm still of the opinion though that high mass arms are best. After all, that's what the 103 was originally designed to be used with (think what Denon's own arms are like, and the Fidelity Research, etc, from the same era).

The key I think is in a high mass headshell. Whichever way you cut it, a 103 will not work well in a lightweight headshell. As such, as far as 3009s are concerned, the best bet is the detachable headshell version so that something like a Sumiko, or the AT LH-18 I use, can be fitted. The counterweight balance would also have to be replaced with a 'Thruno special'. That done, I think the results would be none too shabby

Right, I'm off to spin some vinyl and assess in detail what the HA-500 is doing! Full report later.

Marco.

[Yomanze]

EMT XSD-15 looks very interesting! RE: the DL103, well, each increase in mass has yielded a positive improvement so far! I have over 30g now just with the headshell & cart. The plate & headshell come to a combined 25.6g... how spooky that the headshell & plate weigh exactly the same at 12.8g!

[thrunobulaxx]

EMT XSD-15 looks very interesting! RE: the DL103, well, each increase in mass has yielded a positive improvement so far! I have over 30g now just with the headshell & cart. The plate & headshell come to a combined 25.6g... how spooky that the headshell & plate weigh exactly the same at 12.8g!

"Spookey" Nah, i saw that the H/S was 12.8g and the plate was a shade over so i tweaked it to have the same mass, thats why its 21mm long and not 21.5

[Ken R]

Did'nt fancy taking knife to the 103, so butchered my spare sumiko bluepoint instead. Just finding a way to fit to the clearlight headshell isolater that I use.