The LP Lover's thread...
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Mike Reeter wrote: »SCompRacer wrote: »Mike Reeter wrote: »
Rich, did you and Carl perform the the new body mods on your 103R's? Are the Aluminum bodies preferred over the Wood bodies?
I just setup a new "stock" 103R, and like most everyone else, I'm taken aback by its performance as is. But, I'm also looking at taking it to the next level.
I think Carl sent his 103R in to SoundSmith for the body/cantilever mod. I just added the aluminum body. I purchased the Midas aluminum body from a Lenco turntable forum member who had them made.
The goal of the aluminum or wood body on the 103R is for broad band resonance control and improve the low compliance nature of the cartridge. Either body material tightens up the bass and seems to extend the low frequencies.
Aluminum will add more weight than the wood and increase compliance. IIRC ZU chose aluminum as most arms and head shells are made of aluminum. The reasoning, matching materials are less likely to reflect resonances as dissimilar materials do. Wood bodies allows choice of different types of exotic woods.
IMO the Midas aluminum body I am using offers better neutrality, clarity and high frequency air and extension than a wood body. I do not consider it bright at all. Regarding wood or aluminum depends on the presentation that you like and perhaps the arm that you use it on. SoundSmith ruby cantilever and stylus upgrades will elevate the performance even more. Once I wear my 103R out, I’ll send it there for an upgrade. I still prefer my AT33PTG/II over the aluminum bodied Denon for sound quality, so unsure when I'll wear it out...lol.
If you proceed, watch the videos on you tube for nuding the cartridge. A steady confident hand is needed. Also purchase your body from a reputable supplier. One where the cartridge will drop in without havingr the insight to carve out material or force the nuded cartridge in.
Thanks for the insightful explanation Rich. I'll check out the videos and maybe try my hand at this delicate surgery.
Hey Mike, Rich is correct is sent my Denon to the Soundsmith for the ruby cantilever and the contour diamond. With the help of my friend Larry, I nuded the Denon and mounted it into the Zu aluminum body. An excellent mod in all respects! Deep, tight bass, smooth highs and mids. Just like butta!Carl -
Mike Reeter wrote: »SCompRacer wrote: »Mike Reeter wrote: »
Rich, did you and Carl perform the the new body mods on your 103R's? Are the Aluminum bodies preferred over the Wood bodies?
I just setup a new "stock" 103R, and like most everyone else, I'm taken aback by its performance as is. But, I'm also looking at taking it to the next level.
I think Carl sent his 103R in to SoundSmith for the body/cantilever mod. I just added the aluminum body. I purchased the Midas aluminum body from a Lenco turntable forum member who had them made.
The goal of the aluminum or wood body on the 103R is for broad band resonance control and improve the low compliance nature of the cartridge. Either body material tightens up the bass and seems to extend the low frequencies.
Aluminum will add more weight than the wood and increase compliance. IIRC ZU chose aluminum as most arms and head shells are made of aluminum. The reasoning, matching materials are less likely to reflect resonances as dissimilar materials do. Wood bodies allows choice of different types of exotic woods.
IMO the Midas aluminum body I am using offers better neutrality, clarity and high frequency air and extension than a wood body. I do not consider it bright at all. Regarding wood or aluminum depends on the presentation that you like and perhaps the arm that you use it on. SoundSmith ruby cantilever and stylus upgrades will elevate the performance even more. Once I wear my 103R out, I’ll send it there for an upgrade. I still prefer my AT33PTG/II over the aluminum bodied Denon for sound quality, so unsure when I'll wear it out...lol.
If you proceed, watch the videos on you tube for nuding the cartridge. A steady confident hand is needed. Also purchase your body from a reputable supplier. One where the cartridge will drop in without havingr the insight to carve out material or force the nuded cartridge in.
Thanks for the insightful explanation Rich. I'll check out the videos and maybe try my hand at this delicate surgery.
Hey Mike, Rich is correct is sent my Denon to the Soundsmith for the ruby cantilever and the contour diamond. With the help of my friend Larry, I nuded the Denon and mounted it into the Zu aluminum body. An excellent mod in all respects! Deep, tight bass, smooth highs and mids. Just like butta!
Thanks Carl, I've looked into just buying another 103R from Zu, but there seems to be a waiting list. Patience is not one of my best virtues, but I really don't know if I can handle the delicate 103 without jacking something up.
I'll come up with something one day, for the time being I just going to enjoy the stock 103R, it has pretty much kicked my S.S. Zephyr to the curb...amazing cartridge for the price of admission!
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Best video I have found here:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3022v1
And the body I will use from here:
http://calamightysound.com/uwe-and-midas-bodies-for-denon-dl-103/
Same body used in the video posted above.
Thanks for links, very helpful!
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I have the ZU 103R and 103 grade 2 prime. The 103 has the Soundsmith level 3 stylus and ruby cantilever. I also have a 103R with a brown ebony body and a 103 with black and white ebony body. Both the wood bodies have the stock stylus. All sound great, but I find myself gravitating towards the wood bodies for their warmth and tone. I also have an aluminum bodied 103S. I did both wood body mods and the aluminum body mod on the 103S. It's pretty easy to do. Just take your time and it's pretty simple. If you have the stylus guard, make sure you use it when cutting the plastic body away from the metal bottom plate and sides.
After you have tried the wood or aluminum body mod and you decide you like it, don't overlook potting the body, it makes a noticeable difference. I used clear epoxy on all of mine, but I hear potting with lead shot like what Paradox does with the Pulse 103/103R makes a greater difference. http://www.paradoxpulse.com -
I have the ZU 103R and 103 grade 2 prime. The 103 has the Soundsmith level 3 stylus and ruby cantilever. I also have a 103R with a brown ebony body and a 103 with black and white ebony body. Both the wood bodies have the stock stylus. All sound great, but I find myself gravitating towards the wood bodies for their warmth and tone. I also have an aluminum bodied 103S. I did both wood body mods and the aluminum body mod on the 103S. It's pretty easy to do. Just take your time and it's pretty simple. If you have the stylus guard, make sure you use it when cutting the plastic body away from the metal bottom plate and sides.
After you have tried the wood or aluminum body mod and you decide you like it, don't overlook potting the body, it makes a noticeable difference. I used clear epoxy on all of mine, but I hear potting with lead shot like what Paradox does with the Pulse 103/103R makes a greater difference. http://www.paradoxpulse.com
Dawgfish, You certainly have all the bases covered on the 103! Thanks for your insight. I will investigate further. As long as the new replacement body ( wood or metal) have threads in them, that's a big plus for me, I really dislike non-threaded bodies, those little taps are such a pain.
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Thanks! I am a big fan of the 103 family. I also have a 103D and 103M. I would like to have a 103SA one day, but I haven't found one yet for a price I would consider pulling the trigger on.
If you need any help/advice with anything 103 related, hit me up anytime. Oh and couldn't agree more with having threaded inserts! Makes life so much easier. Just be careful with the wood bodies and the screws. It is possible to overtighten the screws and strip the wood threads. -
I'm liking what I hear about these denon dl103's. I had an audio buddy of mine come over on the weekend. He swore he tried the dl103 and never liked it. We were sitting listening to tunes and drinking beers, and he commented on the bass in my system. I told him the 103 was on deck, and he almost spat out his beer! lol I think I changed his mind on this cheap little gem.2 channel:
Bryston 4B3, Bryston BDA3, Cary SLP05, Shanling CDT1000SE with parts conneXion level 2 mods, Nottingham analogue ace space 294, soundsmith Carmen MKii, Zu DL103 MKii, Ortofon MC 20 MKii, Dynavector XX2 MKii, Rogue Audio Ares, Core power technologies balanced power conditioner, Akiko Corelli power conditioner with Akiko Audio HQ power cable, Nordost heimdall 2, Frey 2, interconnects, speaker and power cables, Focal Electra 1028 BE 2, Auralic Aries Femto, Black diamond racing cones, ingress audio level 1 roller blocks, JL Audio E110 with Auralic subdude, Primacoustics room treatments.
Theater:
Focal Aria 926,905,CC900, SVS PB ultra x2. Pioneer Elite SC85, Oppo BDP93, Panamax M5400PM, Minix neox6, Nordost Blue heaven LS power cables. -
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Ok, I'll play. Here is my main system turntable. It is a Clearaudio Champion II with an SME 309 arm and a Benz Micro Glider cartridge. This replaced a Rega Planar III with an RB250 arm and Audio Note cartridge. The difference is amazing. The new setup extracts so much more from the record. The down side is a bad pressing, bad production or noise is brought front and center.
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A second table in my main system is a Maplenoll. This is an air bearing platter and air bearing linear tracking arm. These are pressurized with 60psi from an air compressor in the garage. The cartridge is a Sumiko Blue Point Special EVO III. While the sound on this one is very good, the table is very tricky to setup, weights in around 80 pounds and tracks very light, so can be an issue on shallow groove records.
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My other vinyl rig runs a custom Roksan Radius 5 table that I replaced the factory birch MDF plinths with 1" solid bubinga. The Rega arm is fitted with a Rega Exact 2 cart. This table is a lot more forgiving of old and noisy records.
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OK OK OK enough with the picts of TT I'd die for!!!! Getting a serious case of PHONO ENVY!Main Rig:
Krell KAV 250a biamped to mid/highs
Parasound HCA1500A biamped to lows
Nakamichi EC100 Active xover
MIT exp 1 ic's
Perreaux SA33 class A preamp
AQ kingcobra ic's
OPPO 83 CDP
Lehmann audio black cube SE phono pre, Audioquest phono wire (ITA1/1)
Denon DP-1200 TT. AToc9ML MC cart.
Monster HTS 3600 power conditioner
ADS L1590/2 Biamped
MIT exps2 speaker cable -
Wow! Y'all have some seriously nice decks!
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My main deck is a Sota Saphire with a Jelco 750D tonearm, a Koetsu Black cartridge at time of photo, low-slung counter-weight, and Shuggie collar:
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One I like to put in the rotation, a JVC QL-A75 with Ortofon Rondo Red Cart (currently running Clearaudio Virtuoso on it):
Post edited by Dawgfish on -
Another one in the rotation, Sonagraphe SG-3, Sumiko MMT tonearm, Nagaoka MP-50 cart:
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Pioneer PL-L1000 Linear Tracker with Technics EPC-205CMKIV cart:
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Harman Kardon T-60 with Dynavector Karat 23R cart:
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Sony PS-X75 with Cartridge Man Music Maker 3 cart:
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Hey dawgfish......bite me! LOLMain Rig:
Krell KAV 250a biamped to mid/highs
Parasound HCA1500A biamped to lows
Nakamichi EC100 Active xover
MIT exp 1 ic's
Perreaux SA33 class A preamp
AQ kingcobra ic's
OPPO 83 CDP
Lehmann audio black cube SE phono pre, Audioquest phono wire (ITA1/1)
Denon DP-1200 TT. AToc9ML MC cart.
Monster HTS 3600 power conditioner
ADS L1590/2 Biamped
MIT exps2 speaker cable -
This thread is like going to a biker rally
Makes we really want one until I figure out I really can't afford one
2-channel: Modwright KWI-200 Integrated, Dynaudio C1-II Signatures
Desktop rig: LSi7, Polk 110sub, Dayens Ampino amp, W4S DAC/pre, Sonos, JRiver
Gear on standby: Melody 101 tube pre, Unison Research Simply Italy Integrated
Gone to new homes: (Matt Polk's)Threshold Stasis SA12e monoblocks, Pass XA30.5 amp, Usher MD2 speakers, Dynaudio C4 platinum speakers, Modwright LS100 (voltz), Simaudio 780D DAC
erat interfectorem cesar et **** dictatorem dicere a -
Here's my beast. Haven't included the full shot yet.
2 channel:
Bryston 4B3, Bryston BDA3, Cary SLP05, Shanling CDT1000SE with parts conneXion level 2 mods, Nottingham analogue ace space 294, soundsmith Carmen MKii, Zu DL103 MKii, Ortofon MC 20 MKii, Dynavector XX2 MKii, Rogue Audio Ares, Core power technologies balanced power conditioner, Akiko Corelli power conditioner with Akiko Audio HQ power cable, Nordost heimdall 2, Frey 2, interconnects, speaker and power cables, Focal Electra 1028 BE 2, Auralic Aries Femto, Black diamond racing cones, ingress audio level 1 roller blocks, JL Audio E110 with Auralic subdude, Primacoustics room treatments.
Theater:
Focal Aria 926,905,CC900, SVS PB ultra x2. Pioneer Elite SC85, Oppo BDP93, Panamax M5400PM, Minix neox6, Nordost Blue heaven LS power cables. -
Beautiful Tables everyone!
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I thought I had a nice table, until I see the tables above. Lots of really nice tables here gentlemen.2 channel:
Bryston 4B3, Bryston BDA3, Cary SLP05, Shanling CDT1000SE with parts conneXion level 2 mods, Nottingham analogue ace space 294, soundsmith Carmen MKii, Zu DL103 MKii, Ortofon MC 20 MKii, Dynavector XX2 MKii, Rogue Audio Ares, Core power technologies balanced power conditioner, Akiko Corelli power conditioner with Akiko Audio HQ power cable, Nordost heimdall 2, Frey 2, interconnects, speaker and power cables, Focal Electra 1028 BE 2, Auralic Aries Femto, Black diamond racing cones, ingress audio level 1 roller blocks, JL Audio E110 with Auralic subdude, Primacoustics room treatments.
Theater:
Focal Aria 926,905,CC900, SVS PB ultra x2. Pioneer Elite SC85, Oppo BDP93, Panamax M5400PM, Minix neox6, Nordost Blue heaven LS power cables. -
One of these days my table will match my Walnut Bottlehead Eros phono stage...a PTP5 stainless top plate Lenco. The motor is separate of the main bearing plate. I'll keep my air bearing linear, maybe stick a pivoted arm on it too.
Salk SoundScape 8's * Audio Research Reference 3 * Bottlehead Eros Phono * Park's Audio Budgie SUT * Krell KSA-250 * Harmonic Technology Pro 9+ * Signature Series Sonore Music Server w/Deux PS * Roon * Gustard R26 DAC / Singxer SU-6 DDC * Heavy Plinth Lenco L75 Idler Drive * AA MG-1 Linear Air Bearing Arm * AT33PTG/II & Denon 103R * Richard Gray 600S * NHT B-12d subs * GIK Acoustic Treatments * Sennheiser HD650 * -
Very nice turntables gentlemen. Thanks for sharing.Peace. DMIT Magnum MH-750, Monster HTS 5100MKII, Sony 77" Class - A80CJ Series - 4K UHD OLED,PS4, Def Tech 15” sub,LSIM 706c, Sunfire Signature Grand 425 x 4,Parasound hca 120, LSiM 702 x 4, Oppo 103D, SDA SRS 1.2, Pioneer Elite SC63 , Pioneer Elite BDP-05 “Why did you get married if you wanted big speakers?”
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I'm liking what I hear about these denon dl103's. I had an audio buddy of mine come over on the weekend. He swore he tried the dl103 and never liked it. We were sitting listening to tunes and drinking beers, and he commented on the bass in my system. I told him the 103 was on deck, and he almost spat out his beer! lol I think I changed his mind on this cheap little gem.
Yeah the key to the 103s (except for the higher compliance 103D, 103M, and 103S) is having a tonearm with enough mass to work well with the lower compliance of the 103s. Your 12' Jelco arm and heavier headshell is the perfect match! I bet she sounds beautiful! That's a really nice rig! -
soundfreak1 wrote: »Hey dawgfish......bite me! LOL
Thanks! Lol! -
SCompRacer wrote: »One of these days my table will match my Walnut Bottlehead Eros phono stage...a PTP5 stainless top plate Lenco. The motor is separate of the main bearing plate. I'll keep my air bearing linear, maybe stick a pivoted arm on it too.
That is simply gorgeous! I would love to hear your Lenco! I just got my first idler drive table, a mint Dual 1019. Unfortunately it's running a little slow speed wise. I've got to do some more work on it to get it right. I'm very much looking forward to hearing an idler.
