Denon DL-A100 100th Anniversary Turntable Cartridge- plus budget others for an SP10?

[hal55]

Has anyone any knowledge of this cartridge? I believe Denon has ceased production of the DL160 so it looks like I need to look up to his cartridge or down to the DL110. Any info much apprecited - to go on a SP10/London Decca international unipovot arm. The Denon seems to have the right heritage, although others I'm considering are Grado Restige Gold Audio Technica F3, basically anything under $200 or thereabouts!
Jut as an aside, I bought the arm 14years ago, the turntable 10 years ago, and have only just built the plinth recently and it's now being lacqered. talk about a slow restoration project....

Hal55

[Michael Wong]

A Decca cartridge to go with your London arm ?

The Denon is a souped up 103.

Neither are likely to be $200 or less.

The Denon is on special at Music Direct but to US addresses only.

http://www.musicdirect.com/p-41059-denon-dl-a100-100th-anniversary-mc-phono-cartridge.aspx

[hal55]

It's on sale on Amazon for $250, a bit over my budget but with the heavy discount it's on I thought it may be worth stretching the budget. Just checked though and Amazon won't ship o Australia either.

Hal55

[Owen Young]

The DL-A100 looks EXACTLY like a DL-103, specif-wise.

I'd suggest that you'd have to like the 103 sound to go for the A100... v engaging but spherical stylus misses some info possibly when compared with a DL-160. However I'm guessing here, so if you can check out a 103, that would be best.

Arm compatibility shouldn't be a problem, I'd suggest.

PS. One was spotted here in Bangkok, in this thread. (http://www.audioenz.co.nz/forums/showthread.php/13077-Hifi-Spotted-in-Bangkok?highlight=Bangkok)

[hal55]

You have keen eyes to pick the anniversary turntable, loads of lovely photos, but the store I'd love to visit is

http://www.hifihawaii.com/hifihawaii_team.php

and bring back the Magneplanars at left (with some strange character trying to hide behind them

Hal55

[Owen Young]

I'm more attracted to those big horn cabinets in front behind the RTR deck...can anyone identify them?

[beeman]

JBL Everest - hmmm nice same drivers as my K2's :D:D:D

7733

[hal55]

Gawd you have a nice house.

Hal55

[beeman]

haha yeah right - how come there is never any speaker cables in these photos?

[hal55]

Errr.....inbuilt class D amplfiers and wireless connectivity perhaps..........

Just joking, but someone will do it one day.

Hal55

[Owen Young]

hal,
I just came across this page, from another thread. May be useful in your cartridge choice, esp comparing the 160, 110 & 304.

http://daveyw.edsstuff.org/vinyl/cartridges/mc-cartridges/

[hal55]

Many thanks, good to get a few opinions. At the moment I'm leaning a bit towards the 103 even thouh it's at the top of the budget. Must admit though that I wish the DL160 was still in production..
Plinth lacquering is complete, bearing has been re lubricated, next job is to paint the sides of the plinth (which is about five layers of 19mm ply) black then mount the tonearm. The SP10 is a stunnig piece of engineering - runs true and dead quiet after all these years just sitting in a cupboard. To say I'm impressed is an understatement.

Hal55

[paul300b]

Decca International might be too light and a compliance mismatch for the 103. Check this post.
http://www.soundfountain.com/amb/ortodeccatan.html

[hal55]

"The Decca International arm is not suitable for most non-Decca cartridges as trials with the Denon DL-103 showed. But then the silicon damping fluid was not removed."

rats!!!!!!!

That is not what I wanted to hear.

Any idea if the grado's would be a better match?

Hal55

[Owen Young]

I'd try the Decca arm undamped (no fluid).

A common trick with light arms + 103 is to blutack a coin onto the h'shell :), eg. SME series II.

[hal55]

That's an idea - this item is on Ebay, any thoughts whther it would solve the cartridge/arm mismatch issues?

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/250757250682?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

It's a cartridge isolator and I'm sure I read good things about them some years ago.

Hal55

[paul300b]

No, Owen is right, bluetack a coin on. You need mass.

[hal55]

I'm missing something here, doesn't adding a damper do the same thing, ie add mass?

Hal55

[paul300b]

I'm missing something here, doesn't adding a damper do the same thing, ie add mass?

Hal55
Not as much mass as a coin, and it cost around NZ$40 with postage for the sponge/postage from Aus that might not even work well.
IMHO-As much as I like the 103, it's a bitch to make it work well. I was designed as a broadcast cart that matched heavy arms and needs a high ohm SUT (Ortofon and Supex SUT dont suit). Not so plug and play as other MM, homc and modern MC.

[Owen Young]

I've never played with arm dampers (silicone troughs etc) but theoretically they should act rather like adding arm mass, ie. as 'seen' by the stylus, a damped arm should look like a heavier mass arm. Arm 'inertia' & thus Effective Mass should be increased.

Re. the 103, some say that it works best in old, non-rigid arms like the SME 3012 with lightweight/floppy headshell.

103 coil imped is ~40 ohms, so loading upwards of 400 ohms prob works best (some say 1k is good with the 103). This means a lowish gain SUT is best. Maybe 1:15, 1:10, 1:7 ratio SUTs.

[hal55]

Loading is one thing I won't be able to play with. I have the (very very old, but very very good) Craft Audio external phono stage. It has MM/MC selectability via two internal switches but that's it. Worked a treat with my Grado VDH'd 8MR. Maybe another Grado, the Black or, if I push the budget again, Gold might be my best option. Much as the Denon has the right pedigree to go on the deck I don't want to get one then find it's a poor choice - which it seems to be both from arm and phono stage.

Hal55

[Owen Young]

A SS MC phono stage should be no prob with the 103. Or indeed most MCs.

Easier to optimise than a SUT.