Zu/DL-103 Mk.II

[Johnny Vinyl]

http://www.zuaudio.com/phono-cartridges/standard

Does anyone have any experience with this cartridge?

[mep]

John-I forgot the gain you have available in your phono section. This is a fairly low output cartridge (.3mV) and you will need lots of clean gain to make this cartridge come to life.

[Johnny Vinyl]

Input sensitivity/Input impedance
PHONO (MC) .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. ...270 µV/100 Ω
PHONO (MM) .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. ..2.7 mV/47 kΩ
CD/LINE .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. ..........240 mV/20 kΩ
P.DIRECT IN .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. ....... 1.7 V/20 kΩ
Output voltage/Output impedance
PRE OUT .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. ............1.7 V/220 Ω
Maximum allowed PHONO input (1kHz)
MC .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. ...............................15 mV
MM .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .............................150 mV
RIAA deviation (20Hz ~ 20kHz) .................................................. .................................................. ........................................ ±0.5 dB
S/N (IHF-A, 1W, 8Ω load)
PHONO MC (0.5mV input)............................................ .................................................. .................................................. ..75 dB
PHONO MM (5mV input) .................................................. .................................................. ................................................86 dB
CD/LINE (500mV input) .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. 89 dB

[Rob]

before you consider something like a 103 is the effective mass of your arm >15gms and adding more mass to the headshell IMHO, doesn't cut it.

[Johnny Vinyl]

Headshell 0.5" (12.7m) Standanrd

Mounting distance 212mm (platter to tonearm base, Linn standard)

Effective length 9" (230mm)

Effective mass 8.5g

Overhang 18mm

Weight 250g (without counterweight

[mep]

Looks like your gain should be OK, but the mass of your arm appears to be on the light side.

[Johnny Vinyl]

Looks like your gain should be OK, but the mass of your arm appears to be on the light side.

That's a shame. I've always heard good things about the 103/103R and wouldn't have minded to try it out. It appears that so far I can't use Grado (incompatible with Oracle), Charisma and now the 103.

[mep]

Arms and the gain in phono stages set your boundaries for which cartridges you can use.

[Rob]

That's a shame. I've always heard good things about the 103/103R and wouldn't have minded to try it out. It appears that so far I can't use Grado (incompatible with Oracle), Charisma and now the 103.

Have you asked Oracle about some carts they like on their arm?

Johnny I don't want to kill your idea out of the gate, you CAN get the Zu 103 to work in an arm with your effective mass but IMO its sub-optimal. If you go with the stock, plastic-bodied 103r its 8.5gs the Zu is almost 15gs, the problem with the Zu is you've increased the tip mass on the stylus which has a deleterious effect on moments of inertia and how well the arm tracks with the cartridge. with a low compliance cart such as the 103 that tracks at 2.5gs its going to be okay but something to consider nonetheless.

The optimal way to increase the effective mass of your arm is not adding it to the headshell but near the pivot. I believe Ralph Karsten once sold a 'wrap' that was taped around the arm tube and stuck near the pivot so you could effectively increase any tonearm's mass where it makes sense, it wont look pretty but it works. You may also need a heavier counterweight, esp if you go with the Zu.

[Tunes]

Zu do sell a weight. I bought one awhile back for my technics 1210. I'll check for the name of it.

[Johnny Vinyl]

Rob /Tunes - I have 2 additional weights that came with my Oracle, so I should be good. I'm using the least heaviest one with the Dynavector.