I've been using a Thorens 160 for some time now. The original TP16 arm was working fine except that it is a low mass arm (7.5gms) and wasn't well suited to the low compliance DL103 I was using. I also read that there was much to gain from replacing the tonearm wires but they are a pain to replace on the TP16.
Besides I couldn't call myself a vinyl lover/DIYer if I didn't undertake any upgrades after 2 years
. I started looking at the Jelco 750 and Rega RB202/RB303 arms. Since this was supposed to be one time (at least that is what I've convinced me better half) I thought why not go a notch above to something serious. Thats when I came across Origin Live and Audiomods. After some research it seemed like both were well regarded but I was swayed towards Audiomods probably because of the good interactions I had with Jeff Spall of Audiomods.
Finally I pulled the plug on the Audiomods and it arrived after a month. The arm arrived beautifully packaged in a box. It is clear that Jeff builds these with lots of care and thought. It doesn't feel like a typical commercial venture. What surprised me is that Jeff includes a bunch of spare parts that one can easily lose! It comes with an adjustible counter weight for heavier carts and headshell shims to make cartridges heavier like the Denon 103. The VTA is easily adjustable. I got it with the silver wire. I also got the Rega armboard for the Thorens and had to machine the suspension plate to mount the Audiomods arm. But it was easy and the arm was mounted within a couple of hours.
I was not able to do a lot of listening as I broke the cantilever on the 103. After an agonising wait I got the DL-103R. The setup sounds awesome. Especially coupled with the newly acquired Maargas. There is better separation of instruments and much better bass. The rest of my chain is the awesome HQMCPS phono and NAD Amp. I was able to borrow an Exposure amp and definitely takes the setup a level up. It is clear that my mid range NAD is now the bottleneck.
A minor issue is that the holes in the counterweight are not machined to precision. They fit but at this price point I'd expect them to be flawless. Jeff was kind enough to offer a replacement.
In conclusion it is a well made arm and looks wonderful. Being medium mass it will match with a lot more carts. It is also covered by a lifetime warranty which can be transfered! Time for some LPs
Besides I couldn't call myself a vinyl lover/DIYer if I didn't undertake any upgrades after 2 years
. I started looking at the Jelco 750 and Rega RB202/RB303 arms. Since this was supposed to be one time (at least that is what I've convinced me better half) I thought why not go a notch above to something serious. Thats when I came across Origin Live and Audiomods. After some research it seemed like both were well regarded but I was swayed towards Audiomods probably because of the good interactions I had with Jeff Spall of Audiomods.Finally I pulled the plug on the Audiomods and it arrived after a month. The arm arrived beautifully packaged in a box. It is clear that Jeff builds these with lots of care and thought. It doesn't feel like a typical commercial venture. What surprised me is that Jeff includes a bunch of spare parts that one can easily lose! It comes with an adjustible counter weight for heavier carts and headshell shims to make cartridges heavier like the Denon 103. The VTA is easily adjustable. I got it with the silver wire. I also got the Rega armboard for the Thorens and had to machine the suspension plate to mount the Audiomods arm. But it was easy and the arm was mounted within a couple of hours.
I was not able to do a lot of listening as I broke the cantilever on the 103. After an agonising wait I got the DL-103R. The setup sounds awesome. Especially coupled with the newly acquired Maargas. There is better separation of instruments and much better bass. The rest of my chain is the awesome HQMCPS phono and NAD Amp. I was able to borrow an Exposure amp and definitely takes the setup a level up. It is clear that my mid range NAD is now the bottleneck.
A minor issue is that the holes in the counterweight are not machined to precision. They fit but at this price point I'd expect them to be flawless. Jeff was kind enough to offer a replacement.
In conclusion it is a well made arm and looks wonderful. Being medium mass it will match with a lot more carts. It is also covered by a lifetime warranty which can be transfered! Time for some LPs
