Denon 103 easy mod

[Chris]

I've been having great success with the re-potted Denon 103 from Zu Audio in my recently completed HW-19 with The Wand Tonearm project.

This inexpensive mod seems to follow a similar path and may be worth a try. I may get one to experiment on another turntable.

REVIEW: The CAP
An Analog Must Have

The Cap for Denon 103

If you’re a fan of the Denon 103 or 103r cartridges, you probably know that it’s one of the best performers out there for reasonable money in MC cartridge land – conditionally. This super lightweight, somewhat low-compliance cartridge needs a moderate to high mass arm to deliver everything it’s capable of. Particularly in the low frequencies. Put a 103 in a low mass arm and it just sounds thin, no matter where you load it. The cheap plastic body isn’t helping anything either. Zu Audio and a few others have re-potted the 103s in a precision aluminum body, but they are expensive and not always available.

[sailor]

I agree with Chris that the Denon 103 is a very good cartridge. Last year I bought one and cut off the cheap plastic case and installed the nude body in an aluminum shell that was dampened with lead shot and epoxy. It was very good. I think most of the benefit was from the increased power mass.
The mod that Chris is suggesting is much easier and probably provides the same benefit.
I did decide to go one step further and sent it to SoundSmith for a ruby cantilever and diamond microline tip.
When I got the cartridge sounded terrible so I sold it. Lesson learned.
I may go back to the Denon one day.

[larrys]

I agree. too - the Denon 103 is a great sounding cartridge. If anyone is interested, I have a 103R that was modified by Dave Slagle that I am likely going to list for sale here soon. It has a boron cantilever with a microridge stylus. Dave made it for me with a carbon fiber mounting to allow maximum flexibility with regard to the arm used. I used it in a SME M2-9 tonearm on a Vinyl Nirvana-modified Thorens TD160 Super. The counter I used with it indicates that it has played 183 record sides (about 75 hours). If anyone would like to try it in their system let me know.