DL-103S with Clearaudio Satisfy

Posted by MTZ (D) on February 17, 2017 at 08:55:03

Hi all, I don't think I've posted on the Asylum in a decade or so; it's nice to be back!

My system has been stagnant for the past 10+ years but recently my Benz MC Silver cartridge has probably aged beyond its useful lifespan and is in need of replacement; sound is lifeless, suspension seems to sag a bit. I'm looking to try out a LOMC cartridge and the most obvious starting point is the DL-103 and variants. I am not an expert in cartridge-arm matching so I'm seeking some validation here.

Things I "know" (ie. have read online) are that the Denons like high mass arms, and that the Japanese compliance measures for these carts are reported in a non-standard unit of measure which can be approximately converted to a traditional unit by multiplying by 2.5. I'm looking at variants of the DL-103 and find the following figures:

DL-103/R:
-spherical stylus
-compliance 11
-mass 8.5 g
-tracking force 2.5 g
-impedance 100 Ohm (standard), 14 Ohm (R)

DL-103S:
-elliptical stylus
-compliance 20
-mass 7.8 g
-tracking force 1.8 g
-impedance 40 Ohm

Assuming 1 g mass for mounting hardware, and using a 9.5 g effective mass for the Clearaudio Satisfy tonearm, I find the following resonance values for these two cartridges:

DL-103/R:
-11 Hz

DL-103S:
-8 Hz

I will be matching the cartridge with a Clearaudio Emotion table (version 1.0 ca. 2004) with Satisfy tonearm (aluminum wand). I have a selection of phono preampss available including, in ascending order of quality, a Rotel RQ-970BX, a Clearaudio Nano (variable loading and gain) and a Clearaudio Basic Plus (510 Ohm fixed load). Rest of the system is Myryad MP-100, MA-240, and Totem Hawks. Music is vocal and instrumental jazz, 70s-80s rock.

Looking at these carts as a relative novice to cartridge/arm matching, I suspect the 103S (if I can find one) is a better match on account of:
-lower mass, lower tracking force - can move counterweight closer to bearings
-elliptical stylus for better inner groove tracking
-ceramic body (improvement over plastic body?)
-better match of impedance/preamp load for use with Basic+ phono stage, assuming that 10x impedance is the rule of thumb for loading
-slightly better resonance frequency (8 vs 11)

Would you experts agree with my assessment that the 103S is the best 103 variant for my system?

This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:

Topic - DL-103S with Clearaudio Satisfy - MTZ 08:55:03 02/17/17 (9)

There is a DL-103S for sale on HiFi Do...nt - EdAInWestOC 01:14:47 03/01/17 (0)

The highest compliance DL-103 models - EdAInWestOC 11:41:22 02/27/17 (0)

RE: DL-103S with Clearaudio Satisfy - Crazy Dave 12:20:58 02/19/17 (3)

RE: DL-103S with Clearaudio Satisfy - audio39 08:18:00 02/20/17 (2)

RE: DL-103S with Clearaudio Satisfy - Crazy Dave 10:28:54 02/21/17 (1)

RE: DL-103S with Clearaudio Satisfy - MTZ 20:00:25 02/21/17 (0)

no DL-103-S- - hifitommy 23:45:00 02/17/17 (2)

I am asking about buying an OLD cart... the 103S. nt - MTZ 06:01:34 02/18/17 (1)

OLD cart... the 103S. nt - hifitommy 08:59:10 02/18/17 (0)

DL-103S with Clearaudio Satisfy

Post a Message!