Denon 103 Pro and his step up

[scoobs]

Fellas
Did anyone get to the bottom of the issue regarding which trannies the A23 actually uses and are they really the best to use with a 103R or SA which are 14ohm.

[Dave Cawley]

No one will say, but I measured one and will try to get some made.



Dave

[scoobs]

I only ask because my trigger finger is poised, ready to order a 103 from Dave, but I use an A23 and am not sure what flavour 103 to go for.

[Dave Cawley]

Any 103 will work very well with the A23.



Dave

[Marco]

I've not heard anything better *so far* than the A23 and HA-500 with any 103 - 'R' , 'Pro' and 'SA' included, but I'm expecting great things from Dave's SUT when it's born

One I've not heard is Denon's own AU-S1, but I'd imagine it's quite similar in balance to the HA-500 head amp. A future project is to upgrade the HA-500 with high-grade modern caps, resistors, etc, and the PSU to something beefier in a separate case, all of which I'm sure will improve its performance further.

To be honest, I'd be very surprised if the AU-S1 is better than the A23, given the latter's 'provenance', but you know me, I might import one some day just to find out

Marco.

[Barry]

a few months ago i got my hands on an old 1962 shure M3D, they are quite rare broadcasting mm cartridge, and where in the same price league as an spu, it has an orginal stylus, but it is damaged..

steve

The M3D was my first cartridge, bought fourty years ago in 1969. I think I paid £7 for it; I'm sure an Ortofon SPU would have cost considerably more then. I only bought it because I was having great trouble in obtaining a B&O SP6, the cartridge that I really wanted. When asked what the Shure equivalent was I was told the M3D. I used it for about a year then moved on to the M55E.

I am intrigued that you rate the M3D along with Denons and Lyras. You don't seem to be alone; an M3D went on eBay recently for £87 !

Regards

[Marco]

Well, I've just won this little baby on Ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...EOIBSA:US:1123



I'll report my impressions when it arrives

Marco.

[Barry]

Well, I've just won this little baby on Ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...EOIBSA:US:1123



I'll report my impressions when it arrives

Marco.

Yep, that's the one. I first used mine in a Garrard SP25 (we all have to start somewhere), then when I replaced the turntable/arm with an SME fitted to a Collaro 2020 deck (rim drive), the M3D spent several months in its new home. I then moved on to the M55E, which at the time I thought to be a significant upgrade. I still have a 55E, though not my original sample.

I would be very interested to hear of your findings. Looks like I might have to give the M55E another listen. It would be ironic if I ended up desparately wanting to try another sample of my first cartridge.

What goes around comes around?

Regards

Barry

[Marco]

Hi Barry,

Well I heard Steve's (SPS on the forum) M3D and was blown away by it, hence why I've now got one myself.

His had that lovely rich 'tone' you get so often with classic cartridges, which is completely missing on modern designs where the emphasis is more on forensic detail retrieval than realistic 'tone' and a more 'forward', but in my opinion, less musical presentation.

It's not that the M3D sounds 'tubby', overblown or dull - its bass simply has real weight which adds just the right amount of body to voices and instruments in order that they sound genuinely 'real' rather than 'tinny' synthetic sounding facsimiles of the real thing.

The midrange on the M3D is also quite shockingly vivid and dynamic sounding, rather like a Decca, although not quite so fierce, providing set-up is optimised, and the top-end is nicely open and 'airy'. It needs lots of mass to work right, as it comes from an era and pedigree similar to that of the DL-103 (both were used in broadcasting studios) when high-mass arms and heavyweight turntables to take them were the norm.

I should get good results using it on the Techy with the Jelco and heavy counterweight and NOS AT LT-12 magnesium headshell.

My feeling with some classic MM cartridges is that the generally poor quality of phono stages and amplifiers that were used in those days didn't allow the full performance of them to be realised. The quality of both amplifiers and phono stages nowadays releases the potential in the cartridges that was always there. This fact was proved to me recently when I listened to a Shure V15 TypeIII and M75ED through the tube MM stage in my Croft - the sound was fantastic and far better than I remember hearing first time around!

Perhaps that'll be the case if you try an M3D again? I'm certainly looking forward to hearing the results I get with mine

Marco.

[anubisgrau]

i have 103 and haufe trannies - apparently the similar as A23

does anyone know if A23 has any resistance loading so 103 sees an optimal 100ohm or not?