Calling all SL-1200/1210 owners!

[Yomanze]

The sonic cocktail of the 103's mellifluous midrange and organic sounding bass, and toobs, is a heady one!

No-one knows just how good this cartridge can sound until it's fitted to an appropriate (high mass) arm & headshell, on a high quality direct-drive T/T, loaded correctly including the optimum gain structure applied via a matched MC step-up tranny or head amp, and into the glowing bottles of an all-valve MM phono stage... Bliss! The sound is a million miles away from the thin sounding, sterile, overly analytical crap masquerading these days as 'hi-end' moving coil cartridges!

What on earth has happened to the tonality of modern moving coils?

Marco.

Speaking of mass, John is fabricating some phat-ass 4mm thick brass plates to 'nude' and mount my DL103 on. I'll be able to fit the 3rd counterweight and maybe move it forward, creating some serious mass!

This time next month, I'll be running a Denon step-up into a Heed Questar (with PSU). Funny how I've been building my entire setup around a cartridge! I think that the implemention is more important than 'solid state or tubes', both have their pros and cons.

Regarding my acrylic SRM mat, I rolled some really thin blu tack around the centre so it's stuck to the platter as there was some slippage. Thought I'd forewarn anyone using acrylic on the Technics platter. Blu tack as thin as you can get it works a treat though & acrylic is a very good dampening material.

Coming back to the DL103, a bit of reading creates some quite strong arguments for a conical stylus. Maybe the alnico magnets have a lot to say too for the DL103's "balls".

[Prince of Darkness]

The sonic cocktail of the 103's mellifluous midrange and organic sounding bass, and toobs, is a heady one!

No-one knows just how good this cartridge can sound until it's fitted to an appropriate (high mass) arm & headshell, on a high quality direct-drive T/T, loaded correctly including the optimum gain structure applied via a matched MC step-up tranny or head amp, and into the glowing bottles of an all-valve MM phono stage... Bliss! The sound is a million miles away from the thin sounding, sterile, overly analytical crap masquerading these days as 'hi-end' moving coil cartridges!

What on earth has happened to the tonality of modern moving coils?

Marco.

They sound pretty good on a unipivot arm (diy carbon) and high quality idler-drive T/T (Garrard 401) as well

[Yomanze]

They sound pretty good on a unipivot arm (diy carbon) and high quality idler-drive T/T (Garrard 401) as well

Nice, any photos?

[Prince of Darkness]

Here's some pictures. The 401 is an early model, in great mechanical and cosmetic condition (apart from where a previous owner had a dustbug type device fitted). The plinth is a fairly basic diy job.
The arm is made from some carbon fibre tubing I had lying around. Wiring is Satcure.

[Beechwoods]

Nice job. Your tonearm looks brilliant. My dad used to run a Garrard 301 with a handmade (balsa) tonearm. He still has the tonearm somewhere - he sold the deck not so long ago.

I particularly like your choice of vinyl too

[Marco]

Hey Kevin,

I like it, dude - love the improvisation!

Have you ever compared it to a 1210?

Marco.

[Yomanze]

Yeah, very nice work & love the coinage!!!

Carbon fibre must mate well with the DL103 & dampening it.

Nice deck too I have been eying them up.

[Prince of Darkness]

Hey Kevin,

I like it, dude - love the improvisation!

Have you ever compared it to a 1210?

Marco.

Never made that comparison, I suspect it would sound better than the standard 1210/1200. The modded versions, such as your KAB, might be another matter altogether. Personally, I believe that with the better idler and direct drive decks they tend to sound different to each other rather than clearly better or worse.
I should really get my finger out and get a driving license, then I could arrange to pop down to a chester or eggfest and swap ideas.

[thrunobulaxx]

Found some dimensions: "The dimensions of the platelet are: thickness = 2,5 milimeter, width = 18mm, length =21.5mm"

Maybe increase the thickness to 3 or 3.5mm??

http://www.audiocostruzioni.com/a_d/...tina-denon.htm

Neil went for a 4mm thick plate with a mass of 12.8g
Here it is on an Eroica i used for precise hole spacing, it will have s/s hex cap head bolts. i have some spare plate left over and can mill it down if anyone else doing the Denon 103 thing wants one, or one of lesser mass, pm me.

Hope you dont mind me posting a pic of your plate Neil.

[Marco]

Looks great, John!

There are a number of 103 users coming to the forthcoming Chester fest. I think some of them may be interested in your brass plates. I'll spread the word, mate

Marco.