Replacing a Denon 103. Suggestions on a tight budget?

[Enochrome]

Nobody,

I feel that I am in your price level and I too have exactly done what you have; I have a Denon DL-110 and a Denon DL-103LC. I too have wondered what else would give me equal fine results around that price range; I am still uncomfortable with spending more than 250 on a cart.

I think you have a medium mass arm, is that true? Do you want to buy used? I think you may be able to find a used Dynavector 10x for around that much on Audiogon. Although Audiogon has been chock full of low ballers and unreasonable sellers so watch out for that.

What about the the Audio Technica FT-7? It might be slightly heavier arms but their carts are rated at 100hz so the compliance is a little less than double of what is stated. I wish someone would do a white paper for the official compliance measurements for carts at 100hz or the japanese do measurements at 10hz.

[JohnMichael]

Check out the AT F7. I found it to be a very nice budget MC. It is a low output cartridge. The stylus is a very good elliptical that will trace the groove with low distortion.

Audio-Technica AT-F7,Audio-Technica AT F7,Audio-Technica ATF7,Audio-Technica AT-F7 cartridge,Audio-Technica AT F7 cartridge,Audio-Technica ATF7 cartridge,Audio-Technica AT-F7 phono cartridge,Audio-Technica AT F7 phono cartridge,Audio-Technica ATF7 ph

Tonearm mass and cartridge compliance is important to know so the resonant frequency is at the 10 Hz ideal. High enough that you avoid warp frequencies and low enough so you do not interfere with the low bass in the recording.

[Enochrome]

Check out the AT F7. I found it to be a very nice budget MC. It is a low output cartridge. The stylus is a very good elliptical that will trace the groove with low distortion.

Audio-Technica AT-F7,Audio-Technica AT F7,Audio-Technica ATF7,Audio-Technica AT-F7 cartridge,Audio-Technica AT F7 cartridge,Audio-Technica ATF7 cartridge,Audio-Technica AT-F7 phono cartridge,Audio-Technica AT F7 phono cartridge,Audio-Technica ATF7 ph

Tonearm mass and cartridge compliance is important to know so the resonant frequency is at the 10 Hz ideal. High enough that you avoid warp frequencies and low enough so you do not interfere with the low bass in the recording.

Sorry I meant AT-F7 not FT-7.

John Michael is that what you have? I think I remember you getting one a while back. If so, what do you like about it?

[nobody]

I'm a bit too distrustful of my fellow man to buy a used stylus so that's out. And, as I have been pondering this I feel like I am more or less reconsidering my vinyl options altogether and going in a bit of a different direction. I've been using two tables, a Project RPM-4 for normal listening and then a refurbished Dual 1009SK for 78s and occasionally listening when dozing off and taking advantage of the auto shut off. Was planning on something for the Project. However, during this thinking I've been switching around what carts I have and seeing what I like best and it really turns out that I prefer the sound of my Dual over the Project (not talking bad about the Project or making any absolute claims, just a personal preference which takes the aesthetics of my old house and the 50s/60s furnishings that make up most of it into account as well as sound quality) and I'm getting plenty of output with the 160 through the Bellari as long as I keep it turned up, which from what I have read is a good rather than bad thing and I'm not hearing any problem from having it all the way up.

So...right now, I'm using just the Dual with the 160 in one headshell and an Ortofon 78 stylus in another and switching them out as needed. I've also just Ebayed a quite nice looking original wood base for the Dual that I plan on modifying a bit. (I found that I got rid on resonance and such with the current cheap plastic base by placing a towel underneath to absorb sound rather than get it reflected off the glass it sits on through the open bottom and back into the machine so I plan on putting a bottom on it and coating the inside with some dampening spray. May do a few other thing, but still thinking on all that) Since the 160 is discontinued I'm just going to get a 110 as a replacement as the 160 is fairly long in the tooth as well. I do like the increased high end detail I get with the 160 over the 103 and hope the 110 is similar in this regard. Gonna hold for a bit and see how this all pans out before putting the Project and the Step Up for sale, but that feels like the direction I am headed.

So I guess I've come to a conclusion of sorts even if it is sidestepping the original issue I started with. But I do appreciate the input and the opportunity to ramble on here. Thanks.