help- retiping denon dl 103

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IZHAKKATZ

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Joined 2004
#1
Hi all,

Just got an almost new Denon Dl 103 with about 20 hrs of use,
While still in the box my son dropped it and the cantilever broke !

Where can it be fixed and roughly how much should it cost?

Please, can anyone advise?
Thanks

IK
 
#2
I expect you won't find anyone in Israel able to do this work, however there are a number of outfits here in the states that can do it, specifically Sound Smith comes to mind, found here:

http://www.sound-smith.com/retip/

These guys seem to be very highly regarded and I am considering sending my Grado Platinum Reference there when the time comes..


There is also the deservedly legendary Van Den Hul in Holland, they also do cartridge repairs and retips as well as having a line of amazingly good cartridges. (Expensive)

http://www.vandenhul.com/p_IP1.aspx


Unfortunately repairing/retipping might cost as much or more than a whole new cartridge. This one probably can be traded in towards a new one. (Most brands) You might want to check.


New cartridges can be found at:

http://www.elusivedisc.com/departments.asp?dept=137
(I have done a lot of business with these guys..)

http://www.needledoctor.com/

http://store.acousticsounds.com/category.cfm?id=35

All of these firms will ship overseas and it should not be a problem to ship a cartridge to Israel. (I'm not sure about Israeli customs duties however.)

There are also a number of good options in the UK, perhaps one of our members from there could make specific recommendations.
 
#4
Soundsmith would charge minimum $150.00 USD. You can get a new DL103 for close to that kind of money here in the States.

They do have options - for more money of course - that include a ruby cantilever with elliptical, for example, that might improve the performance of the DL103. The downside is that the changes could also detract from the sonics that make the 103 a real winner to some people's ears.

I'd simply go out and buy a new 103. I'd follow that up by grounding my son until his 21st birthday!:dead: :smash:
 
#5
I second the Soundsmith recommendation, if you have the money. I had a cartridge done with them recently, and was impressed. I have no first hand experience with the denon, but have read some positive experiences from individuals who have retipped them with the high-end styli. I know the company is swamped with orders and the head of the company has been ill recently, so I would expect a long turnaround.
 
#6
To have a 103 repaired anywhere is kinda silly. It just doesn't make any sense at all. Apparently Sound Smith can rebuild it to much higher specs and turn it into something entirely different but that's no longer a 103. And it no longer costs the same as a new 103. The cheapest, least stressful solution to have a working 103 is just to buy a new one.
 
#8
that include a ruby cantilever with elliptical, for example, that might improve the performance of the DL103
Click to expand...

Never ever do that with a DL103.

The stock DL103 has a spherical stylus since the 60ies of last century for good reason. This cartridge is the only I know of that employs sort of tracking error cancellation - that is in principle only possible for spherical stylii. I do know that there's a more expensive 103R which is said to have an elliptical stylus. If that's true and how (wether?) that works at all I don't know in that case.

Have fun, Hannes

PS: I would also say to get a new 103 for the money of a retipping.
 
#13
I had mine, bought at bargain price NEW because the tip was missing, and had it retipped in Italy by Torlai, www.torlai.it.

What I can say that a friend of mine, after listening to it, instead of a new FROG by VdH, bought too a 103...

In Israel, u can deliver yr 103 to the local VdH agent and have it retipped in Holland.

So consider this address as an alternative too...

Good luck, Dario
 
#14
Shalom Dario,

Thanks for the info.
I've tried the link but couldn't open it, do you have an idea of how much they are charging?

In my case after looking carefully at the cartridge i found that the smaller of the two cantilever parts ( the one with the diamond )just fell off (I couldn't find it)

thanks
Izhak
 
#16
Sorry...

Try now at this address:

www.torlai.it

(website in Italian AND English)

There are not any more many left ppl for retipping phono cartridges:

*VdH (Holland)
*The Cartridge Man (UK)
*Torlai (Italy)
*There's another guy in USA, but cannot find the link
*Maybe someone in Japan but do not know how to contact this person, if exists...

*Garrot Bros went out of businesslong time ago...

(Hope I haven't forgot no one, will be glad if some will add names to this list..)

Make yr choice and keep us informed...

Dario
 
#17
...forgot to specify:

yr 103 I hope had only the tip or part of cantilever missing AND nothing happened to the internal coils, of course

Torlai CAN ACTUALLY repair coils, modify them, modify the whole cartridge (NAKED) but this is yr option AND yr money

Only you know how much you want to spend and how much you want to modify yr cartrige, in this domain (modifications) sky's the limit...

Dario

(CAVEAT: I'm not related to Torlai in any way, just a satisfied customer)
 
#19
*Garrot Bros went out of businesslong time ago...
Click to expand...

The business is still around - it was taken over (after the death of the brothers) by Audio Dynamics - check this link.

My only connection with them is that I had a Blue Point Special - on which I had snapped the cantilever - rebuilt by them, and I'm very happy with it.

Decibel Hi-Fi, the agent in the link, also seems to have really good prices on other stuff. I bought a digital stylus pressure gauge from them and had it shipped back with the cartridge - it ended up costing me about half of what I would have paid in Canada, even with shipping.

Regards.

Aengus
 
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