Denon DL-103 -- Was it a mistake?

The 103 cartridges are very problematic. Because they are cheap, many buy them and do not realize how specific the environment is that they have to work in. What phono section are you using and what is the impedance that you are loading the cartridge at? After years of experience, with many of the 103 models, I believe that the correct mass for the arm is a minimum of 14 grams with 16-20 grams being optimal. It may be necessary to add quite a bit of mass, preferably at the headshell. What is the effective mass of your arm?

I have been hearing that Denon 103s require very massive arms, have they changed the cartridge? In the 1980s when HiFi Choice was a serious magazine they conducted the most comprehensive arm and cartridge tests I am familiar with. At that time they estimated from their tests that the compliance was 13 in both lateral and vertical planes and recommended arms in the 6-16 gram range. I now see the 103s compliance listed at 5 in some sites, have they actually reduced the compliance that much? The cost in 1985 was 80 pounds in England, not far off what I paid this year for a new one. Are you using 2.5 grams tracking force? With the large footprint of the spherical stylus this tracking force will not damage the records and is quite necessary. I use that weight in my Scoutmaster arm which has about 7 grams mass and it is working quite well but took some time to break in. You can always add mass as Viridian suggests. I was a Supex dealer and used in the 1980s when I had high mass arms like the Lustre 801 and the Fidelity Research so I haven't used the Denon in a high mass arm. I would be patient until I had a hundred hours or so on it and if I was still unhappy add mass then. Turntables and arms take a while to optimize , take your time, you have a good cartridge.

The compliance tests in Hi Fi Tests magazine is probably a better indicator (13) than Denon's own specs (5), because Denon cites the compliance at a different frequency (100Hz?) than is customary (10KHz).

16-20 g effective mass isn't too hard to come by. Most arms these days have an effective mass around 14g. A Technics SL12x0 turntable with an aftermarket Sumiko headshell will get you there, as would any of the Audio Technica Technihard headshells, particularly the 13g or 15g.

For an RB300, just tape a couple of pennies to the headshell. :) Actually, it would take some sort of headshell weight in the 3-5g range. Or you could use the Zu-103 version, which is heavier than the plastic-bodied DL-103.

"What phono section are you using and what is the impedance that you are loading the cartridge at?"

I'm currently using the phono section built into my NAD C 162 preamp (eek!) but I have a Cambridge Audio 640p in shipment, which should arrive tomorrow. I know the phono section in the NAD is horrible, because it even managed to make my Clearaudio Virtuoso cart sound horrible.

"What is the effective mass of your arm?"

According to needledoctor.com, the effective tonearm mass for the Clearaudio Satisfy arm is 9g.

"Are you using 2.5 grams tracking force?"

Yes, I am currently tracking around 2.7 to aid in the break-in process.

"I would be patient until I had a hundred hours or so on it and if I was still unhappy add mass then. Turntables and arms take a while to optimize , take your time, you have a good cartridge."

You're right. Only having 10 hours on this cart, I don't think it's fair to make a serious judgment on it yet. It's easy to jump to conclusions in this hobby. I'm very hopeful that the 640p phono pre will help the sound a good bit, as I'm sure it will. All the reviews I read on it say that it's a good phono stage. The output impedance on the Denon is 100 ohms, which matches the input impedance of the Cambridge.

"For an RB300, just tape a couple of pennies to the headshell."

I suppose I could try that with my arm, too?

Great cartridge, and not just for the money. Problematic though -- it has never sounded less than good on three of my arms -- that cheap 12" cherry wood tonearm, a JMW 10.5, and an SME IIIs (with added headshell weight) -- but one friend with a superb system couldn't make the same cart (mine) sound halfway decent. Loading appears to be critical. People recommend 100 ohms but my Aesthetix Rhea sounds WAY better at 500 ohms,

Finally, this thing really take wing when treated to a Soundsmith retip. Mine now has their Optimized Contour (OC) line contact ruby cantilever ($350) and is in a whole other league from the stock conical version. Good luck, Dave