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REVIEW: Soundsmith Denon DL103

The decision to purchase this cartridge took a considerable time to evaluate...
- exactly how much better was it over the stock DL103?
- although more revealing, it would probably reveal more issues with some of my older pressings?
- what about setup? - is it as easy as a spherical stylus?

Well - it is SO MUCH better than the stock DL103 - no comparison! But it still retained the very nice balanced performance the stock DL103 has always delivered - it just had more of everything!

More revealing in so many ways - the worst of which effects albums that are not in premium condition - now I know which albums are in serious need of replacing.

Setup has taken on a whole new level of precision. The more precision you apply in cartridge setup - the more magnificent this cartridge sounds.

The hi-end details are superbly clean and crisp, with a smoothness that has me believing it is doing exactly what it is supposed to do.

Low-end control is tight, with textures I had never heard before.

Mids are full bodied, warm and extremely textured.

Imaging is considerably deeper than the stock DL 103 and the venue acoustics had me believing I was in the performance.

Orchestral pieces convey an enhanced spacial awareness in depth and width across the entire orchestra - just as in a live performance

Now, I didn't have Soundsmith mod an existing cartridge, but I would assume the improvements the Ruby cantilever makes would apply to them also.

Not really anything new here - most other reviews report similar findings - but my comments apply to the venerable Denon DL 103!

I have an Audiomods Arm which uses a Rega Arm Tube, so I did need to augment the effective mass with a brass head-shell spacer/weight - but what an improvement!

I think Soundsmith's advantage lies in their Ruby Cantilever, which conveys extremely fine details in a very controlled manner.

If you are undecided about a Soundsmith mod - come on in - the details are incredible.

One of the best value upgrades I can think of

Regards...
williewonka
williewonka OP
1,826 posts
 
PH - thanks for that detail - maybe I'll opt for Boron when I get my old DL-103 reworked down the line. It will be interesting to hear the difference

I too was concerned about playing old records, but fortunately most of mine in relatively good shape and I haven't noticed anything really bad so far

All this info is great to tuck away for future reference

Many Thanks to everyone :-)
phduncanson
73 posts
 
Willie, Just peeped your system. Nice! Your tt and arm can do a bangin job! I suggest : a potted midas or ebony body and/or the Mapleshade tonearm resonance kit.
williewonka OP
1,826 posts
 
Ph - thanks for the info - I'll tuck that away for future consideration for sure.

I did consider the SS wood body, but decided to minimize the expense as much as possible.

Many Thanks
williewonka OP
1,826 posts
 
Ph - I checked out the Mapleshade and have the following question...

Doesn't that alter the effective mass of the arm, which in turn can negatively impact the performance of the cartridge?

Right now my cartridge is very well matched to the tone arm from an effective mass perspective - I.e. as specified by Jeff at Audio mods.

A friend just had a problem with too much headshell mass - once he removed the brass shim that was added to increase the effective mass - the cartridge performed much better

Be gentle with me - I'm still new to high-end phono and all it's nuances :-)

Many Thanks
phduncanson
73 posts
 
Actually your brass plate also adds some mass and that may be enough ~ but yes, I have heard that ~ Pierre at Mapleshade has a way different audio philosophy than most. And it may or may not work for you. ~ I have almost always found significant improvements with the products I have used.
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