What turntable and TONEARM brands sound best with the Denon DL103 and DL 103R? MC's

I generally like Ortofon carts. I don't have experience with SPU though. I wonder how far a modded 103r can go. 

A case in point for the Jelco 750 for compatibility with a wide variety of cartridges is its fluid damping. The fluid damper reduces the amplitude of resonances, whether they are from warps, off-center holes, or less-than-ideal arm/cartridge resonant frequencies. I put a KAB fluid damper on my Technics SL1210 M5G and suddenly it could track hideously warped records without jumping the groove. It reduced woofer pumping significantly, and with that, improved bass clarity (and overall clarity) and dynamics. I have also been able to install a range of cartridges with different weights, compliance ratings, tracking forces, and mounted to head shells ranging from 7 to 14g.

Of KAB’s fluid damper for the Technics TTs, Kevin writes:

All tonearms vibrate at the arm cartridge resonant frequency. This causes the speakers to motion in and out modulating the soundstage. Fluid damping stabilizes this behavior and brings greater stability to the soundstage. Your amplifiers are also over reacting to this very low frequency signal and that can cause even more problems.

It would be better if we could call this behavior "Dynamic Rigidity" for that better describes what is happening. Functionally when a tonearm reacts to the resonant frequency it produces a peak of output energy. This is seen as woofer pumping which is essentially the stylus over reacting to a small warp in the records surface. Fluid damping stops the stylus from over reacting. That is what is "damped". It all occurs at frequencies below 10 hz and has no impact whatsoever on audible dynamics. In otherwords, do not confuse damping of resonance with damping of dynamics they are not related in any way.

Above 10 Hz the arm is seen to be even more rigid at any single point in time and as a result the stylus traces the groove with even more precision. The biggest sonic effect is to make the sound stage more "Still". This can be subtle to some, overwhelming to others. It all depends on your listening priorities.

More info is available at https://kabusa.com/damping.htm.

On the subject of Denon, I'm liking my Charisma (wood body) 103 quite a bit. I have it mounted on an Amadeus, running through an A23 T2 SUT. Not a Shill-ster....just a happy camper!

pani writes:

... I wonder how far a modded 103r can go.

Since Zu Audio’s potted aluminum-bodied Zu-103r is currently out of stock, the DL-103r can probably go this far with Audio Musikraft's modding kits. Art Dudley gave the Audio Musikraft mods a pretty enthusiastic review in a recent Stereophile issue.

As far as i know the original SPU and Denon low compliance cartridges have similar signature sound, but the SPU is even better, because the SPU already perfectly integrated with its own headshell. I’m not a fan of that signature sound at all, mainly because of the conical stylus sound is not involved compared to cartridges with more advanced stylus tip.

People who invest money to modify their stock DL-130 or 103r change the housing, there are many kind of different housing for the DL103 available. The next step is replacing of the stock alluminum cantilever and conical tip to something better. Denon owners are happy with SoundSmith Ruby cantilever with contact line stylus. The investment in step-1 and step-2 is not cheap.

When the owners are serious about cartridge/tonearm matching they use heavy tonearm with their low compliacne Denon, but the refurbished Denon with SoundSmith cantilevers/tip is (probably) no more a low compliance!? And most likely the heavy tonearm for rebuilded DL103 is not a perfect match.

But i wonder, why not try a stock cartridge with perfectly matched headshell like Ortofon SPU if the signature sound of Denon & SPU is what folks like. Ortofon people are smart, they made the SPU Royal GM mk2 with modern Ortofon Replicant 100 stylus (similar to Fritz Gyger Stylus) for those who looking for detailed sound without that typical roll of in both registers (with conical tip). They made also stand alone version of this cartridge called royal N to use with any SME type headshell.

The ortofon SPU design is the most ellegant, the Royal SPU GM mk2 with Ortofon Replicant 100 stylus can be a pain in the ass in alignment, tonearm must be very good to set-up VTA, SRA, Anti-Staking. It’s a low compliance cartridge to use on heavy tonearm like the normal SPU or Denon. Tracking force is 2.5-3.5 g. (still lover than with normal SPU).

I remember i was not impressed by the SPU Classic GM mk2 with conical tip, but the SPU Spirit LTD with elliptical tip and improved coil was much better, but still not as good as the other MM/MC cartridges with MicroRidge tip. Taking in count all this i think that SPU Royal GM mk2 with Ortofon Replicant 100 stylus tip must be the best in SPU series. Sadly i already sold my Schick "12 tonearm, it was a geat arm for SPU and Denon.

But i still have Lustre GST 801 with all additional counterweights. This tonearm is perfect for low compliance MC cartridges, but also great for mid compliance MM.