Johnny, they sound different, but I don't know if there is much giving up to be done. The 103 has a very full midbass and an extended and prominent deeper bass, but only in a high mass arm. This conceit is very finely balanced by a very nicely developed midrange, with good dimensionality, and bit of a push in the presence region to offset the bass somewhat. The problem is that it is like talking about sex. You never really get it, because the greatest strength of the 103 is how well it melds all of it's elements and how hard the seams are to hear. No doubt, others will feel differently.
The 301 is more modern and extracts more detail, without throwing it at you. It's more even, with a more compact image, with sharper edge detail, and greater extension into the upper treble. The midrange is quite good without as much dimensionality, but greater eveness and uniformity. The lower midrange is less zaftig and the bass leaner, though not lean, and a bit faster sounding. Again, only in a sympathetic arm. Loading on my transformer was 40 ohms for the 103, and 3 ohms on the 301. Is that what you are looking for?
