[TomS]

Guys - You should probably talk to Zu or check their site about the specifics on pricing and exactly what they do. I know they do add an epoxy. Their main business is selling upgraded carts turn key which includes hand selection of 103's for output matching and impedance matching as part of added value.

[blakep]

As I mentioned earlier I have the same aluminum body, and it completely transformed the stock 103R. The difference was not subtle. I've since tried it on several tonearms and it really shines on the Jelco 750D and 750L. The level of sound that can be achieved for less than $1000 with the Jelco/Denon combo is pretty impressive imo.

I've been running rebodied 103R's (Uwe wood bodies, ebony and clavellin-I much prefer the ebony) for a number of years now, the last few years on a Jelco 750D with a custom ebony headshell and, yes, the synergy and performance is pretty phenomenal particularly when price is considered.

My cartridge has also been retipped and potted (as Zu does with theirs) by Peter Ledermaan at Soundsmith with his $250 ruby cantilever and LC stylus. Peter charges $75 to pot the cartridge.

If you think the body makes a huge difference (and it does!) you should hear a 103/103R that has been rebodied and retipped. The improvements brought about by the retip are at least as impressive, if not moreso than those from the rebody.

I also have a 103R in an aluminum body, just back from Peter in the last week but have not had a chance to get it on yet.

[Doctor Fine]

jtwrace wanted to know about trannies.  I went with K&K Lundahl trannies in a kit they offer finished or wire it yourself.  I talked to the guy there and he said he had a silver wired version for a bit more than their cheapest so I went with that because I believe good wires matter...especially in the front end.

So he sent me a finished box with slots to jam in different resistors like you can buy on line---just resistors, you bend the wire ends, stuff them in the slots and they change the load.  I went with a handfull of various ratings of a nice quality type for a couple bucks apiece or something.

After fiddling around for a couple days deciding exactly how much gain worked best (adjustable through my tube phono pre, a Jolida JD-9)  I switched resistors for a couple more weeks deciding  which ones were "the winner."  My way of deciding was to use my $5000 CD setup to tell me if the cart and trannies were sounding in the same ballpark as I reasoned that the CD was not lying.  CD may be less HiFi but at least it is pretty linear in response...

The result is that the Denon now tells me exactly the same sound as the CD rig except on most records the Vinyl is just more alive and has extended more realistic treble on cymbals etc.  With the Denon I can tell which brand of condensor mic, with the CD I can only tell it is a condensor, haha.

By the way the Jolida JD-9 has PLENTY of gain to handle low output MC without any trannies.  But you pick up NOISE if you get all your gain with the phono pre set to LOUD. 

The trannies get the volume up and after I fiddled around with the ground wiring inside the trannie box I now have a super high gain moving coil setup that is DEAD QUIET.  Literraly have to stick your head up against a main speaker with the volume on full volume just to know it is on.  Wow.

What a difference.  Have fun, this stuff is a blast.  I love Vinyl.