tom b. 57 Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 I am just about ready to pull the trigger on one of these carts. Is the price diff. of $76.50 for the 103R actually worth it in performance? Any opinions will be appreciated and considered in my final choice. Thank you, Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebes Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 I've had both and although it's hard to describe I prefer the 103R over the 103. If you're getting it from Comet Supply they are a gigantic steal at those prices so spend the extra dollars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom b. 57 Posted May 8, 2011 Author Share Posted May 8, 2011 I've had both and although it's hard to describe I prefer the 103R over the 103. If you're getting it from Comet Supply they are a gigantic steal at those prices so spend the extra dollars. Comet is where I plan on purchasing one from. I'm just such a tightwad when it comes to these things. I actually cringed when I put out $100.00 for an Ortofon red. I have been craving an mc cartridge since I got a taste of an older Ortofon mc a couple of years ago, but, it was old and soon after getting it the sound started to degrade because of the stylus being so worn. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebes Posted May 9, 2011 Share Posted May 9, 2011 Two bills for a MC is a flat out steal. It's worth the extra dough so don't chintz out. Do a search here, at AK and AS and you will get the same answer I'm giving you. Open that wallet, the moths are probably eating up the money anyways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom b. 57 Posted May 9, 2011 Author Share Posted May 9, 2011 Two bills for a MC is a flat out steal. It's worth the extra dough so don't chintz out. Do a search here, at AK and AS and you will get the same answer I'm giving you. Open that wallet, the moths are probably eating up the money anyways. Yeah, I know. Old habits die hard Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom b. 57 Posted May 22, 2011 Author Share Posted May 22, 2011 I finally brokedown and ordered the DL 103R from Comet yesterday. Yee Haw! It is on back order. Boo Hoo! I've waited this long, I guess a few more weeks won't kill me. Pulling the money from my wallet almost did. I don't know why it is so difficult for me to spend a little on a cartridge. Maybe because I know it has a certain short life expectancy compared to other parts of my analog system. Just haven't put my finger on that one yet. Could also be the size of the piece, I guess, maybe. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djk Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g196/dkleitsch/103s.jpg The 103 is conical, the 103D is elliptical, the 103S is a Shibata, The 103R is a 14Ω vesion of the 40Ω 103. Going to 14Ω from 40Ω lowers the 1/F noise by about 10dB or so, improving the dynamic range by that amount (asuming your pre has a low noise floor, or you use a good transformer). The 103D sounded quite a bit better than the 103 or 103S. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Lindsey Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 The 103R in my mind was head and shoulders better than the 103. More open and detailed, with a bigger soundstage. I started with a 103, then went to a 103R, then sent the 103 to Zu to do their magic, and then the 103R for the same. I felt the performance increased with each substitution along the way. YMMV... Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 Mike, how would you compare the Zu 103 to the stock 103R? How would you rank them? BTW, I'd still like to score a 103D for my SME 3009 SII Improved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Lindsey Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 Mike, how would you compare the Zu 103 to the stock 103R? How would you rank them? fini, Just as I listed them. I liked the Zu 103 better than the stock 103R. The Zu 103R is a giant killer and a real bargain for the price, especially when starting with a Comet 103R. I bought a spare from them just in case, and already had Zu modify it. [] For $400 you cannot beat this cartridge. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 Thanks, Mike. I have a stock 103, a stock 103R, and a Zu 103, and haven't listened to any of them yet! Crazy, huh? They're for the Ortofon RS-212 arm, which is waiting for me to get the Thorens in shape for play. I lost momentum on that project when I ran into motor noise I couldn't supress to acceptable levels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pocket.change Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 Denon 103R @ $200 from Comet ='s a no brainer. With my TD124 and fully modified Rega 250, will toss many of the way higher priced MC setups in the dirt. And I'm tight with my funding too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Lindsey Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 Thanks, Mike. I have a stock 103, a stock 103R, and a Zu 103, and haven't listened to any of them yet! Crazy, huh? They're for the Ortofon RS-212 arm, which is waiting for me to get the Thorens in shape for play. I lost momentum on that project when I ran into motor noise I couldn't supress to acceptable levels. Well yeah, it is a little crazy. [] I would be curious to know how you ranked them once you've had a chance to listen to all of them. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom b. 57 Posted July 8, 2011 Author Share Posted July 8, 2011 Well, I ordered a DL 103R from Comet on May 20th and they still haven't received any from Denon, so, I got impatient and ordered a DL 103 from them, since they have them in stock. I hope it will be a good moving coil cartridge experience. What exactly does the Zu Audio upgrade do for these cartridges and what is the added expense? Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Lindsey Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 The Zu mod is a noticeable improvement in every area. Detail and soundstage especially. You send the cart to them and they will do their thing. One thing to keep in mind is their cartridge has 5 or 6 more grams of mass I think. Major upgrade, and the best $200 you will ever spend in audio. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom b. 57 Posted July 15, 2011 Author Share Posted July 15, 2011 The Zu mod is a noticeable improvement in every area. Detail and soundstage especially. You send the cart to them and they will do their thing. One thing to keep in mind is their cartridge has 5 or 6 more grams of mass I think. Major upgrade, and the best $200 you will ever spend in audio. Mike Thank you for your response Mike. I received the DL 103 yesterday and have been listening to it quite a bit and am happy with what I hear. I am tossing the idea around of buying another and sending it directly to Zu for the upgrade. Since my last posting I have contacted Zu and asked them exactly what they do and how I will benefit. It is tempting to go forward with the Zu mod on a new cart. and then compare the diff. when it is done. I will toss this idea around for awhile. Thanks, Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted July 15, 2011 Share Posted July 15, 2011 Tom, there are other options for upgrading the Zu, too. Wood bodies and the like. http://www.theanalogdept.com/uwe_body.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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