I've never tried the Denon - not sure why. But I tend to get put off when there are too many iterations of something (like audio note). What I have experienced is a shibata tip and to be honest I wouldn't have one again - very very fussy about set up. the FG is much better in my opinion - equal detail retrieval but much easier to set up.
Technics SP10 mk2
Jan Allaerts MC 1 Boron mk1 cart
Miyajima Shilabe cart
Hashimoto HM-X SUT
Siggwan (gimballed not unipivot) Cocobola 12"
Aurorasound Vida LCR Phonostage
The Truth linestage
Dave Slagle Autoformer Volume Controller
Cary 805c SET amps
Audio Note ANe-SPX speakers
Townshend Isolda speaker cables
Cardas Golden Presence interconnects
Oliver, I’ve heard a Van Den Hul retipped 103r that I thought very good, real boogie factor. Preferred it to a standard one.
“Music has always been a matter of energy to me, a question of fuel. Sentimental people call it inspiration, but what they really mean is fuel. I have always needed fuel. I am a serious consumer. On some nights I still believe that a car with the gas needle on empty can run about fifty more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio”
Hunter S Thompson
I can see where you are aiming to get Oliver. You thought the R50 'warm and lacking in detail'. That is true to an extent, but very few MC's offer that amazing soundstage and mid transparency. The Denons don't, I've had half a dozen. Did you get a listen to Alan's R100? That has the 'good stuff', but is more neutral and very detailed. The imaging is fantastic. Finding one used is tricky though and the new revised version costs an arm and a leg!
It is impossible for anything digital to sound analogue, because it isn't analogue!
I can see it too Geoff but not sure it's attainable in my budget. I've just received news that the Ortofon Vienna will be with me on the 28/11/17 for a good listen.
They are different beasts no doubt.
I did have a listen to Alan's r100 and it's undoubtedly very very good but I haven't heard it on my TT in my house. So difficult to judge.
I'll give the Ortofon a real run out. See where it lies after that.
Sent from my EVA-L09 using Tapatalk
You'll only really get that from a Decca (when it works), but in terms of soundstage, Geoff, I'd have to wholeheartedly disagree about 103s, as when you get the BEST out of them (perhaps in your time using them, you didn't quite manage that?) the size of the soundstage they produce is positively cavernous!
Have you ever used a NOS vintage limited-edition 103 (M, SA, GL or C1), with a top-notch head amp (not SUT), through a top-notch valve MM stage? And of course with a high-mass arm (and/or headshell), on a top-notch direct-drive T/T? That's where the 'magic' lies - and all those ingredients have to be in place for it to work...
Be with you shortly, Oliver. Just about finished my morning cappuccino and croissant!
Marco.
Main System
Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & reg mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat/Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight/Isonoe feet & boots/Ortofon RS-212D/Denon DL-103GL in Denon PCL-300 headshell with Funk Firm Houdini/Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.
Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp/Denon AU-310 SUT.
Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.
CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.
Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new, by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.
Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. LDR Stereo Coffee. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.
Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.
Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.
Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.
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