Denon DL-103 Aluminum Body Cap

Please see: Analog Planet review by Michael Fremer:

"My conclusion is that $85 produced a significant sonic improvement."


 
Independent Test Results: Mechanical Energy Tests of the DL-103 with The Cap and without. The results were striking.

Putting a Cap on a Denon DL-103

"we can see that the magnitude of accelerometer's own resonance is a lot lower with a "Cap". It seems that the increase in rigidity has more than halved the high frequency energy transmitted into the headshell."

"Just like with the measurements, the improvements weren't subtle. I was especially impressed by the change in the stereo scene. It became slightly wider and gained substantial depth. Subjectively, linearity improved. Sibilance, which is a known problem with a DL-103/Jelco combo, became a lot more manageable — the 4 kHz peak seems to excite the bearing resonances a lot less than the 6 kHz peak. I noticed no negative effects of "capping" a Denon."
 

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Independent Test Results: Mechanical Energy Tests of the DL-103 with The Cap and without. The results were striking.

Putting a Cap on a Denon DL-103

"we can see that the magnitude of accelerometer's own resonance is a lot lower with a "Cap". It seems that the increase in rigidity has more than halved the high frequency energy transmitted into the headshell."

"Just like with the measurements, the improvements weren't subtle. I was especially impressed by the change in the stereo scene. It became slightly wider and gained substantial depth. Subjectively, linearity improved. Sibilance, which is a known problem with a DL-103/Jelco combo, became a lot more manageable — the 4 kHz peak seems to excite the bearing resonances a lot less than the 6 kHz peak. I noticed no negative effects of "capping" a Denon."
And that's why I bought one. :)

(well, I bought it a couple of months back)
 
New review just published in the 2019 Summer Issue of The Occasional Magazine from Part-Time Audiophile by Marc Pillips (page 39)

Summer 2019 Now Available | The Occasional Magazine | Part-Time Audiophile

https://parttimeaudiophile.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/The_Occasional_Magazine_Summer_2019.pdf

"Project 103: The Cap—can you turn a nearly sixty-year-old cartridge design into a monster for less than $100...?"
"Once you install The Cap and listen to the gains in performance, you’ll probably change your tune and say: This is the best $85 I’ve ever spent on my audio system."
"The Cap seems to be the perfect solution for me—it works, it’s easy and my 103 has never sounded better. Highly recommended."

https://www.denonaluminumbody.com
Free shipping til the end of the month.
 
Ordered one. I'm gonna slap it on my 103R when I mount it on my new arm.

I've had a potted, rebodied 103, and then I had a midas bodied 103. So I'm excited to try the cap on my 103R.

- Woody
 
Ordered one. I'm gonna slap it on my 103R when I mount it on my new arm.

I've had a potted, rebodied 103, and then I had a midas bodied 103. So I'm excited to try the cap on my 103R.

- Woody
I was very pleased with this modification on my DL103r (mounted on a FR24 Mk2). Great bang for the buck IMO.
 
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