Vinyl Asylum: Denon 103R Phono Cartridge by user510

Hi Paul.
As you might recall I've been making comparisons between my Shelter 501 II and a recently purchased DL103R. There may be much commonality between the Shelter and the CJ cartridges, although the exact comparison is probably known only to their maker(Yasuo Ozawa). Also I'm using a Graham tonearm as are you.

Recently I heard the Shelter display some distortion while tracking a dynamic peak (human voice). I typically judge this sort of distortion to be either groove wear in the record or perhaps the beginnings of stylus wear on the cartridge. Alarmed, I double-checked my arm/cart alignment as well as vtf and anti-skate. All checked normal.

Remembering the DL103R, still virtually new in its case, I decided to re-mount this cart and see if it also would produce the same distortion. Recalling that you preferred the sound of this cart, in the Graham arm, set to around 2.0 grams I decided to try this setting. After the obligatory HFNRR test record session to verify the alignment, and set anti-skate, I played the same record to see if the distortion would repeat. It did not. It played the passage clean. (Paul Simon, "Still Crazy....., song= 50 ways to .......")

So, perhaps my Shelter needs to have it's stylus evaluated for wear. I've been playing it for about 4-1/2 years. Since then I've been listening to the Denon cartridge. My impression is not unlike yours. The two cartridges sound better on different records. (what..?) Generally, I just plain miss the presence, detail, speed and vividness that the Shelter can produce. On the other hand, the Denon cartridge certainly does many things well. It has good solid authority in the lower frequencies and it allows the rhythmic drive of the music to come out. In my system, it is the midrange and high frequencies where the Denon seems less assertive, and less vivid than does the Shelter. The Shelter seeming at once spectacular and natural while the Denon is entirely competent and a lot of fun.

I think your review comparison between your CJ cartridge and the 103R is very close to what I hear in my comparison.

-Steve

My system (Open in New Window)