New cartridge?

Only if you exchange/send it back to the manufacturer - a superior retip is available from Expert Stylus Co., The Cartridge Man and others for much less.

 

Rigid arm yes but using an isolation technique recommended by many users so I'm afraid you are wide of the mark there.

In a truly resolving system it is crude at the frequency extremes and I will stand by that. Musical? Well you can't listen to anything other than the midrange so I guess it focuses the mind;-)

Seriously, I just found it a huge disappointment. I found myself listening almost exclusively to CD. So I dispute your claims of musicality.

 

I guess you could try one to satisfy curiosity. They are only £100 and if, like me, you find it wanting, you can always move it on.

I'd look to Shelter. Elliptical stylus might even keep Thorsten happy!

 

The DL103 is a peach, it plays small ensembles and Jazz like no other, it's perhaps a little lacking in outright refinement compared to really expensive carts, but the only thing I've heard that I'd swap it for is Tony L's 103Pro. Now if you could be bothered to import one of those that is a fine cart and deals with all the cons of the 103. It's more compliant so tracks better and can track better at the end of the side, although tbh I've never really had a problem with my 103. I preferred it to the Shure V15 MXVR I had on before, and wouldn't swap now for anything I've heard recently

 

Hi,

While I don't have one, it's on the shopping list when my wife breaks the stylus of my Goldring Elite (she did the job on my original 103 and hence got me to get a 103R (which is less crude at the frequency extremes) from DIYHiFisupply when I was ordering other stuff.

We'll see when she get's the next cartridge, hey, it might even wear out! Shelter is very good, but not readily available in the UK.

BTW, I also have a Supex 900 where the cantilever & stylus have been "removed", worth having rebuild? Who does a nice job?

Ciao T

 

Try Expert Stylus Company. I used them earlier this year to re-tip/refurbish my Koetsu and they did a first rate job (big improvement over the original) for only £255. Some of my friends have also used Expert and have had similar, very high quality results, even with budget cartridges. You can contact them on 01372 276604.

 

It is only worth doing for cartridges over about £500 due to the cost compared with a tradein. I have used ESC many times and they give excellent results - it sounds better than the original at least for my old ortofon mc2000.

 

Just that, like when I changed TT's I found I was hearing notes that just weren't there before, particularly in the bass, because they weren't properly defined as seperate notes, it was one long 'noise'. Moving to a better arm should define each individual note individually rather than just playing one long note.

 

So what you are really saying is the bass is better and more defined? the rb300 is a little soft but thats distinct from saying notes are actually "missing".

Which deck were you using and was the arm you only thing you changed at that time? Also what cartridge was installed?

 

no I'm not saying that it was just most obvious in the bass. My avid and yes of course it was. I've had the same results on an Audio Technica oc7, dyan 17d2 and lyra dorian

 

So more definition acroos the mid and treble as well - ok - what arm did you replace it with?

 

I believe I already covered that.

 

ok found it - which morch? the unipivot?

Seems a strange choice for the avid - does it work well? I have heard the avid and the morch but not both together.

 

no the dp6, I didn't like the uni much, nice mid awesome imaging but wooly bass and rolled off treble. The dp sounds awesome on it, much better than the sme 4 I tried. The only other choices were the V but I didn't like the 4 that much so didn't try it and a schroeder but they were a bit out of the budget.

EDIT: it was a PITA to fit it though if anyone ever considers it, Avid wanted £150 for an arm adaptor (lmao) and seemed suprised I'd even considered using anything other than rega or SME. In the end they sent me a plate for free but it meant running the cart wonky in the headshell to make up a few mm difference in alignment so I was never really happy with it and made my own in the end. Looks ok but I hadn't realised how much bother it would be, it was just a case of the second I heard it I knew I had to have one.

 

Yes I did wonder - as the unipivot is much softer than the rega hence my surprise. I havent heard the dp6 - is it good? The sme 4 and 5 sound pretty similiar. Better wiring makes a difference. I haven't heard the schroeder. Which avid do you have? I have only heard the acutus, when I was demming for my most recent turntable purchase 2 years ago.

 

I have a hybrid volvaire: its MK1 hardware so chromed with the acutus clamp etc. but I've got mk3 (current spec) electronics but with the bigger motor. Don't have the external psu though, too expensive reckon I could do my own for far less. DP6 is my fav arm to date. Its not perfect but it gets the music bit spot on and does a pretty damn good job of the rest imo, theres certainly nothing else in the price range that can touch it that I've seen. I'd like to hear the Kuzma airline, the Triplanar Ultimate thing and some schroeders though (not that they're in the same price catagory). Thing is if I ever change arms again I'd probably think about changing the TT first, non suspended gives more options I think.

 

Sounds like you are half way inbetween the two models. Yes the most expensive motor seems to be a bit of a ripoff.

In the end I went for a non-suspended deck - thought I listened to a lot of turntables and the acutus might have been my third choice.

I have heard the airtangent but not the kuzma - great from the lower bass up but the low bass is compromised. I would also like to hear the triplanar and the graham phantom.

 

I wouldn't buy an acutus but the volvaire is a bargain I reckon. They're both slightly lp12 in that they're not really true to life but they're certainly musical. The detail is awesome. My next and probably final move will be to a fully decked out LaGrange then that'll be it I think.
Going on the Hifi+ review the Kuzma sounds well worth a listen.

 

Yes I found that too - very tight precise and detailed but not a realistic midrange. I ended up buying the lagrange. I have tried the airtangent on the lagrange and the kuzma looks worthwhile, but I dont trust reviews especially hifi plus - its too hand in glove with the distributors it advertises. That doesnt mean the kuzma cant be stunning however.

 

I liked the Volvere - very musical indeed... It came joint second when I was demming with the Clearaudio that I eventually bought.
Never heard the Brinkmann, but I'd doubt it was worth £000s more!
Law of diminishing returns, anyone?