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In the Forum: Analog Playback
In the Thread: Where are our good phonostages?
Post Subject: my take on the 103Posted by Chirag on: 12/8/2004

cortaid

cortaid flex32.dk

Hi All,

103 or 103R + mass loaded SME headshell + 3012 or a 3009 + Seiki 1500 + hagerman opamp phono stage (good only with select parts and battery power) or an EAR 834 (with some mods) and some old Altec mic transformers.  In that environment, it works quite ok...its quite a bit "harder" sounding on the opamp stage, but almost too slow on the 834. 

On either phono stage in any setup, I don't enjoy the higher frequencies.  They have a fairly improper spatial structure as compared to what I want/expect a cartridge to do.  This improper structure filters down and screws with mids too much for this to be for me the "end-all" cartridge.  This structure isn't so much an issue of "imaging" as its understood, but a lack of contrasty timber.  I want to say its too flat in tone, but that wording is too strong for my tastes.  On the other hand, an old Koetsu Black I had in this same setup (no heavy headshell), was WAY too imbued with an audible hue.

Since I often don't have the time (sometimes inclination) to alter sub 100% satisfactory results, I just keep playing the music I want without being too finicky.  Doing that, the plain 103 seems to distract me less than the 103R, but only with the opamp stage.  The 103R works better in those higher frequencies, but only well enough through the 834P.

They're both "good enough" cartridges for most people, and in the real world, a 200 buck cartridge that performs this well will make many people happy.  But that def should NOT preclude thinking on "what could be".

Your results may vary, but not by much :-)

Thinking what could be,

Chirag

BTW, my unbacked up HD crashed last week...can someone send/link me an 834P schema?  It would be rather appreciated.

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