I just pulled the trigger on one of these, it should be a big improvement on my 2m Red and finally give my GCPH something to do as it's only 0.25 mV:
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Did you ever post your thoughts on the DL-103 cart?
I'm still around
I still use that cart and really like it. I was thinking of moving to the 103R, but my AU300LC step-up converter works perfect for the 103's .030Mv output while the 103R's even lower output of .025Mv is outside of its power curve. Denon makes other step-up converters, but I really like the lively dynamics of the 103 with my particular setup and decided that I have no reason to upgrade. I wish I would have figured that out earlier however, because I have a sealed 103r with an upgraded stylus that I would like to exchange somehow for the equivalent upgraded 103 model at some point.
The 103 is the most musical cartridge I've listened to on my setup, compared to mid-range Ortofons and Grados. It also has the best bass, but it's the mids that really stand out for me. It's not the most micro-detailed on the high end, but it's certainly no slouch in that department either. Overall I find it to be very balanced. My turntable has a lot of dampening but a lively mat and I think it really mates well with the 103. The only pause is the extremely low output of both of these carts, as a .005Mv difference becomes very apparent at such a low level; neither work very well with my GCPH alone.
edited to change .05 to .005