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If you have an existing Denon 103R we can remanufacture it for you. The price is $200 plus shipping. Please call or email for additional details.
The Zu/DL-103R is a high performance stereo moving-coil phonograph pickup cartridge. The “R” version features large diameter, 6N pure copper coils and a low 16 Ohm internal impedance. The original motor and it’s design were developed by Denon in collaboration with the Broadcasting Corporation Technical Research Laboratories back in the early 1960s. Design objectives for the original Denon assembly called for the creation of a new broadcast standard, for high-performance, highly-consistency, high-reliability. The Zu/DL-103R consists of that original Denon DL-103R motor, still manufactured by Denon in Japan, then modified and placed in a machined from Alcoa alloy 6061. This assembly is then bound as a voidless unit with a clear phenols and ethers based composite. The Zu/DL-103 series phono pickup project began November 2005 and launched two years later. Zu would like to acknowledge Phil Ressler for his significant contribution to this project.
So what’s it sound like? The original DL-103 is a classic, and the “R” version is very similar to the standard; easy to set up and it really soaks the music from that stereo groove. Both are easy on the ears, and have “super cart” status in the meat of the music range, with real stereophonic magicness.
Read more...The Zu body and modifications clean all that up, expanding all the good traits, adds incisiveness and full bandwidth dynamic slam and delicacy—all without making it sound like a soulless modern cartridge. Zu/DL-103R and Zu/DL-103 are all about bottom to top sexy wet analog realism. Yeah, it has resolution, attack, stereophonic magic, and real tone.
Main difference between the standard 103 and the “R” is primarily the output winding and wire used. The “R” uses larger gauge pure copper wire, resulting in a lower output impedance of roughly 16 Ohms. The “R” has a bit more treble energy and resolution than the standard DL-103.
Tolerance and grade options
Denon’s factory tolerance between channels for both output Voltage and internal coil impedance for the DL-103R cartridges is ≤ 4% as tested by us. In remanufacturing this great cartridge we measure it at several points along the way and in final testing we grade the tight tolerance units measuring 1.0% or better. Again, this tolerance is referenced between the two channels' internal resistance and output Voltage. Our tolerance spec is not an average of measures, but accounts for the lowest of any measurement, thus giving a true tolerance perspective. All tolerance measures are referenced to the Zu serial numbers and are graded and indicated on the label. As per inventory, we are offering these very high tolerance pickups.
Standard ≤ 4.0% | Grade 1 ≤ 1.0% | Grade 2 ≤ 0.5% | Grade 2 Prime (2') ≤ 0.1
Armature is made in Japan. Body and remanufacture by Zu in Ogden, Utah, USA.
The Zu/DL-103R is built to fall within EIA dimensions and can be mounted on any commercially available universal tonearm built to EIA standards. The Zu/DL-103R weighs 14 grams, please consult with the tonearm manufacturer if there is a question of weight compatibility. In some cases such as Rega tonearms, a “heavy weight” counterweight may need to be fitted to the tonearm.
Vertically level your Zu/DL-103R
As the Zu/DL-103R is naked, we recommend you set your VTA (vertical tracking hight) of your arm, or at least get it in the ball park, prior to instillation of the pickup. This pickup should sound best on a level tonearm, or rather the pickup should be orthogonally positioned to the record; parallel if you are looking at the horizontal planes. (Or finer yet, you want the stylus orthogonal to the groove plane.) You can get close by adjusting the distance between the top surface of the type of vinyl played most, to the bottom side of the EIA tonearm mount, roughly 0.60” of an inch (15mm), and then adjusting the VTA of the arm to be level with this point. You can easily verify that you are running a level pickup when the reflection in the record of the Zu/DL-103R is orthogonally mirrored; so there is no perspective difference or angle shift between the reflection and the actual pickup. The Zu/DL-103R features true right angles so this should be pretty easy work.
Pickup / pickup arm (tonearm) alignment
To ensure the lowest tracking error, please follow the alignment method outlined by the tonearm manufacturer. The body of the Zu/DL-103R are completely straight and at right angles to aid in the alignment of the stylus and arm. The stylus of the Zu/DL-103R sits roughly 0.06” behind the pickup face edge (-1.6mm).
Stylus pressure adjustment
Please follow your tonearm manufactures recommend procedure for setting stylus pressure. We recommend 2.5 grams of stylus force for normal conditions. Reduce stylus pressure to roughly 2.2 grams when the ambient in-room temperature is above 85˚F (30˚C). Increase stylus pressure to 2.7 grams when the ambient in-room temperature is lower than 60˚F (16˚C).
Zu / DL-103R to phono preamp matching
The nominal output voltage of the Zu/DL-103R is 0.25mV and the nominal internal impedance per channel is about 16 Ohms. We recommend running a step-up transformer for moving magnet phono preamps, or selecting moving coil (MC) and connecting it directly (without a step-up transformer in between). For MC phono preamps, we recommend setting your impedance to 40 to 120 Ohms.
RoHS compliant
Limited 5-year warranty
Made by Zu Audio in Ogden, Utah—USA
