Denon DL 103 modifications and re-body questions thread

My experience with the Denon 103 that I had rebuilt by the original Garrott Bros with a composite boron/aluminium cantilever and Weinz Parabolic diamond was positive.
Although the resolution was not as high as my Koetsu Black Goldline, and far removed from my Dynavector Nova 13D & Ikeda Kiwame, the performance was very musical and with the Eminent Technology ET2 (modded) was very coherent. In terms of coherency it betters many more expensive cartridges, but not so much in resolution.
From my recollection the pole layout is responsible for the big wide albeit slightly foreshortened soundstage.   

lewm6,481 posts
11-30-2018 5:20am
I agree with Chakster and Glen. And Rob, please explain why an MC cartridge would per se have a lower "noise floor" than an MM cartridge. I can't think of a justification for that generalization. In fact, the facts might suggest that the opposite is the case. It certainly would be if you use an active gain stage (rather than a SUT) to amplify the output of an MC.

Moving coils generated more current and less voltage than MM's. Higher current from cartridge to 1st amplifying device means better noise rejection. Basic physics.

I agree that if you use a step up transformer which converts high current/low voltage to high voltage/low current then you increase the risk of noise intrusion ( rf etc ) between the transformer and phono. Thats why interconnects after a step up transformer should be as short and as well shielded as possible.

Best to use active gain for MC's in my view as you suggest.

@lewm 
Lew,
It's difficult to quantify what translates into what we can hear - but the lower internal impedance of most moving coils would suggest lower susceptibility to picking up extraneous noise.
The real point of my post is that the higher current drive of a LOMC definitely rejects noise better in the transmission through the phono cable. This I can hear and measure - I have buckets of cables that whilst picking up noise when used between MM and phono or SUT to phono, are absolutely dead quiet when used directly between MC's & phono in the same system.
Beyond that it is well to remember that the cartridge/phono cable/phono input is a tuned circuit, and as such anything is possible. A good example is my original modded Marantz 7 can easily amplify MC's from about 0.25mv up, but the Denon 103 produces no sound whatsoever, absolutely nothing. The only cartridge I've had this phenomena with in 30 years. Even with access to an ex NASA radio engineer familiar with tube circuits he is unable to explain that one.